Re: Sit-Ins (sessions)/Nashville

[G.Jackson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Hi all, Had a good week end?




>I think the people that run the Irish music/folk music sessions are
>more open to having just anyone  join in. Maybe the blues style is
>limiting? Are we not friendly?? 

	Well reading the comments from at least *one* poster on the subject,
	I was left with a definite feeling of "blues men seem a snoby lot
	as a generic group".
	But I don't know if that's a general thing or not, not knowing
	any bluesmen.

Maybe it  is harder to explain bad sounding blues than poor sounding
folk music?  Maybe people are less uptight with folk music?  Jim   
 
	I did not wish to give the impression that the sessions in the
	folk world were beset with poor players. Far from it a a rule.
	
	At folk festivals (for instance the Whitby one) In the Whitby
	Spa Pavilion at night the main bar area will usually have an 
	impromptu session in progress.

	I have seen (and played with) the finest fiddle players in England.
	Thus: Tom Mconville, Jenifer and Hazel Wriggley (all award winning
	Shetland fiddlers who do world tours).
	Dave Swabrick (Remember Fairport Convention?) Aly Bain (Boys of
	The Lough). Goerge Faux. Patrick Walker, Carleen Anglim, Aiden O'
	Rouke.
	Top of the league Irish Pipes player Stephan Hannigan.
	Katherin Tickell (Northubrian Piper of world fame)
	The (very) famous Martin Carthy ( Ex. Steley Span, Fairport, 
	Brass Monkey, The Watersons)
	Squeeze box players like Tony Hall, John Kirkpatrick (a BIG leading
	light in the folk world) Chris and Jane Sherbourn, Dave Mallinson-
	-(yes he *is* a world known well respected melodion player too).
	
	You will often find quite a lot of the above in one free for all
	session just there to have fun.
	It's what we call a busmans holiday, for them.

	No one is excluded from playing in these sessions, and you get
	a lot of *VERY* fine amateur players sitting in.
	
	The list goes on and on and on.
	Mind you, on refection, I bet most of the readers here don't know
	any of the names! :-)

	It's what happens when you move in different circles. 	
	
	Also, I don't think there can be many other styles of music where
	the (often world wide known) stars will be found to be sitting on
	the floor next to you, or even at you feet while you sit on a chair!
	This happens at all the festivals and concerts I've been to.

	Of course there are some poor (I should say "beginers" really)
	players and they are encouraged like the rest.
	After all if anyone is prepared to get up an "do a bit" as we say,
	then they deserve as much attention as a top player.
	They made the effort, which is no small thing to some of the
	amateurs!

	I suppose we *are* very tolerant as a bunch.

	The performing ethic is different over here it seems.

	Gordon