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…
Sister Mary Elizabeth, a devoted follower of Mother Mary, passed away and made her way up to Heaven where she was met at the pearly gates by St. Peter.
He welcomed her in and asked if she had any questions…
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…
This land is your land This land is my land This land is Brown land This land is Black land This land is White land This land is Native land This land was made for you and me...
I wish to thank Dr. Ryan Hackett for the #Quarantunes nomination - but more importantly, to thank Ryan and all you other healthcare heroes, first responders, and essential workers (our newest class of heroes) out yonder who are leading…
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…
In the "now for something completely different" category -- musician, historian, and my buddy Bucky Halker interviewed me a few years back as part of the "Cultural Traditions of Ironworkers in America's Upper Midwest : Archie Green Fellows Project" for…
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…
Liz Carroll & Jimmy Keane circa 1995 Milwaukee Irish Fest
Next weekend marks the 35th Anniversary of the Milwaukee Irish Fest. The same weekend marks the 40th anniversary of myself and that young lady to my right, Liz Carroll --…
a year ago this past Saturday we had our last conversation McGowan. Well, it was by text so didn't really count, although I did enjoy watching you attempt to do so with those big semi-mangled fingers atop the innocent clamshell…