(Martin Hayes, Dennis Cahill, Paddy Moloney, and Triona Marshall on harp)

In less than one week after the passing of Tony MacMahon — Paddy Moloney, the legendary musical leader of The Chieftains died on Tuesday at the age of 83…

Sorry to learn of the passing of one mighty man of music who I knew on and off since meeting Tony MacMahon when I was a kid in the 1960's in Chicago and various other places throughout the years where…

Eileen Carroll (1929-2021) 

And just like the tune Liz wrote for her mom which she named Mrs. Carroll’s Strathspey — Ma Carroll — which is what I always called Mrs. Carroll in my mind — was the embodiment of those…

It’s funny how things happen. Turned on the radio one Saturday night in the early 1980s to listen to The Midnight Special on WFMT in Chicago, one of my first baby steps away from round the clock diddly-diddly and sean-nos…

Talk of a surreal day on Saturday. I've been working on a 192 track audio project for nearly a year and am now about one-fifth the way through on the first draft of the liner notes. I…

Yogi Berra Explains Irish Traditional Music (Trad): 

Interviewer: Can you explain Trad? 

Yogi: I can't, but I will. 90% of all Trad is half improvisation. The other half is the part people play while others are playing something they never…

I was on my first solo trip to Ireland to compete in the 1977 Fleadh Cheoil in Ennis - after a successful Fleadh, I had a notion to head over to London for a long weekend before going…

My individual video contribution to the 140 minute plus "Infinite Hope" originally live streamed on Wednesday, June 24th, 2020.

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Infinite Hope"…

Years back in the corner confessional of the 6511 Club I was with Kevin Henry, his wife Pauline, the late Brendan & Theresa Williams — and behind the counter bartending, bantering, and holding court, was the late Jack Finan…

While searching online for a way to trade in all them years of playing the accordion for the equivalent in time of playing the fiddle - I came across the following track by the brilliant Four Men and a Dog…

Pre-ramble: Musician Seán Montgomery and Irish Trad music radio presenter Maryann Keifer nominated me for a post-for-ten-days yokeybob album thingy.

I decided to expand it a wee bit as many of my friends don't know much about traditional Irish…

Sorry to learn of the passing of Brian Dennehy. He was a brilliant actor and very lovely man who was as comfortable with a beer in hand as he was with a script. 

Back in 1984 (not the…

Side B, Cut 7 

I met John Prine in Dublin many years ago at a hotel where I was staying — it was at the in-house late night ‘disco’ where one went for a drink a few minutes after the…

Tradfest shows what music can be 
Irish Echo 
February 6, 2019 
By Colleen Taylor

"What also makes Temple Bar TradFest remarkable in its use of Dublin’s most historical and austere spaces, from City Hall to St. Patrick’s…

Tradfest: Liz Carroll & Jimmy Keane 

Irish Music Magazine 

Live Review by Mark Lysaght 

City Hall, Dublin, January 25, 2019 

Dublin’s TradFest has evolved over the years to become a major 

event in the…

Came across this treasure from the past earlier this week. It is the program booklet for the 1974 Fleadh Cheoil in Ireland listing all the competitors who qualified to compete. I've highlighted all the competitors from the USA who…

Artist Spotlight: Piano Accordionist Jimmy Keane 

CELTIC MKE·TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2017 

You grew up around music & your parents encouraged you to play, but what drew you to the piano accordion? 

J: It is a bit odd…

Accordionist Jimmy Keane: 
Irish Fest and the Ward Irish Music Archives

Hi Folks! Jimmy Keane here typing out a few words about my upcoming performance with Mick Moloney at the CelticMKE Center on Saturday, October 21. 

It…

Liz Carroll recently sent me an article written by Martin McGinley about the late great fiddler Sean McGuire (1927-2005). Liz asked me to make sure I read it all the way through. And lo and behold, there was a Sean…

Trad Music Survey May 27-29, 2017 

Surveyor/Pollster: Jimmy Keane 

100 Participants 

This was a non-scientific survey posted on social media and by direct outreach to some of my musician friends. 

Aside from cleaning up some text…

Myself, Liz Carroll, and Marty Fahey taken by Sis Fahey at their home in the early 1970's. We gave Mary (Sis) a grand farewell yesterday and the house took in a new family last week. A ton of music, memories…

Athena Tergis, Robbie O'Connell, Mick Moloney, Jimmy Keane -- National Concert Hall, Dublin, Monday March 28, 2016