I received a lovely recording the other day from the Bloomington, Indiana, based band Supertrad entitled “Blue Sky on Walnut”

Supertrad’s current lineup is Sam Bartlett on tenor banjo plus five string banjo, and Eric Schedler on piano accordion —…

Hard to imagine that it is 35 years ago today since the Horse was killed after falling 13 stories on a job-site accident in Chicago at the age of sixty. That day and time is embedded in my being... 
 

I…

(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…

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 ended my writing…

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…

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…

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…

Just learned the sad news that Edward J. Ward passed away earlier this morning. 

Two weeks ago Ed and Catherine Ward opened their home and hearts to Mick Moloney, Liz Carroll, and myself to be with Ed as…

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…

I guess I should clean out my accordion case more often... ;-)

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…

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

Jimmy Keane , Mick Moloney, and Robbie O'Connell (National Concert Hall, Dublin, March 28 2016)

Hi Folks -- the best of the New Year to you! 

Just wanted to give you a sneak peek of a few upcoming shows:

Longtime friend and fellow accordionist John Williams and I are reprising: 

A Mighty…

Myself and my Granddad Paddy Lyne taken in New…