I tend to use piano as an accompanying tool....there's an awful lot of songs Andy has written which we haven't performed live, simply because the mandolin doesn't sound right on them...

...perhaps I'll revisit them using the piano.

I like the piano as an instrument, it was my first love really...I started playing when I was 7 (and I'm a 40-something now...) - I'm a little out of practice, but I've been working up the strength/co-ordination again whilst Andy has been out of action over the last couple of weeks.

I've heard piano used in folk music very very inappropriately on a number of occasions so understand the objections, however, I've also heard it used very well...I referred to Rosie Doonan's Black Jack Davy earlier, which is great and I also like the June Tabor songs (sorry Paul)....as a rule, I'm not too keen to hear it used as a "session" instrument, though having said that, I thought it was used very well in the BBCs "celtic sessions" series'

I guess a lot of North East songs (which often share music hall connections) would originally have been played on a piano (if there was any accompaniment at all), though I'm not sure that I would use this approach...preferring a more "gentle" accompaniment.

I'm a big fan of barrelhouse as well, so perhaps a couple of Jellyroll Morton songs will make Paul change his mind...

It's been an interesting discussion here though, which I stumbled across when doing some research...

...and hey, any excuse to wind up a banjo player ;-)

Graeme,
Brother Crow.