Trad Music Series at Passim in MA

Subject: Trad Music Series at Passim in MA
From:
Date: 04 Jan 05 - 03:00 PM

Hello,
The legendary Club Passim is letting their roots show with a traditional music series the second Monday of every month. Details below and at www.clubpassim.com. Thank you, Alison Lee Freeman
Folktracks Live at Club Passim hosted by Dave Palmater of WUMB
In America, folk music found a home in church basements and unique places like Club Passim. In the British Isles, pubs were the music's home, with most folk clubs meeting in the back rooms of pubs. This created a whole different atmosphere. The music is primarily traditional, people sing along at the drop of a hat and after the "formal" performances are over there's always a ceilidh, or as they call them in Newfoundland a sing-song, where everybody gets to play a tune, sing a song or just join in.
Like the British folk clubs, some nights we'll have a feature performer, usually from abroad, who'll do two sets with a couple of "floor singers" in between. And when I say floor singers, I mean carefully selected floor singers, not just people who happen to be there the way they sometimes do at real British folk clubs.
Other nights will be "Singer's Nights," with four performers each doing 25-minute sets. January 10th will be a Singer's Night with Laura Cortese (of Halali, The Jolly Bankers, etc.), Debra Cowan (former resident singer at Sandy Bell's in Edinburgh,) well respected Irish Flute player Jimmy Noonan, and 21st Century Chantey Singer Alison Lee Freeman. Other nights will be theme nights which will feature a warm-up act and then an "in-theround" session with three performers sharing the stage and trading songs. Since the second Monday in February is Valentine's Day, we're doing a theme night: "No Requiting Allowed: Mournful Slow Airs, Dreary Laments and Songs of Lost Love." Master Cape Breton fiddler and National Heritage Award Winner Joe Cormier will open the show, and then we'll have Appalachian/Irish singer Julee Glaub, Aoife Clancy from Ireland's first family of song, and in a rare, all traditional performance Carol Noonan in-theround trading songs. And of course, every night ends with the Club Passim Intercolonial Ceilidh, so bring your instrument or a favorite song.

Subject: RE: Trad Music Series at Passim in MA
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 04 Jan 05 - 03:29 PM

Well done Passim, that sounds good. I hope to be in USA in 2006. Keep it going till I get there!

Subject: RE: Trad Music Series at Passim in MA
From: Charley Noble
Date: 04 Jan 05 - 04:51 PM

Sounds interesting.

What time does it really get started and how long doees it continue?

Some us live far out of town and would value that information.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Trad Music Series at Passim in MA
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Jan 05 - 05:07 PM

Hello,
It starts at 8pm. The featured performers will do their thing until sometime after 10pm and every night ends with the Club Passim Intercolonial Ceilidh, so bring your instrument or a favorite song.
This is all new so it is hard to know exactly how things will go, but I will report in after the first one.
I have been asked to have mostly sing along chorus songs in my set because the hope is that people will sing along.
There is some additional information at www.folktracks.com.
Alison
www.chantey.net

Subject: RE: Trad Music Series at Passim in MA
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 05 Jan 05 - 02:14 PM

It is indeed heartening that Passim is finally giving performance time to traditional music.

In the late 90's I played there a couple of times, and did traditional material both times. I got the distinct impression that if you didn't write your own stuff, you weren't welcome.

I did in fact write some of my own stuff, but my stuff just wasn't weird enough for Passim at that time ...

Subject: RE: Trad Music Series at Passim in MA
From: DebC
Date: 06 Jan 05 - 02:28 PM

Hey Murray!!!

It is indeed great that this series is happening at Passim. As Dave Palmater puts it, this will be run kind of like the Folk Clubs in England are run; floor spots, guest spots and the after the performance ceili.

If we can get a bunch of folks out for this, the series will continue.

More information can be found here

Deb Cowan

Subject: RE: Trad Music Series at Passim in MA
From:
Date: 06 Jan 05 - 05:20 PM

Hello,
Here is the definitive word on the Folktracks Series at Passim from Mr. Palmater.
Please pass the word.
Alison
-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Palmater
Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2005 10:24 AM
Subject: Traditional Music at Club Passim Monday, January 10th

So here's my big news for the new year: I'm presenting a monthly traditional music series at Club Passim. And the first edition is Monday night. I have to say that I'm thrilled that everybody I asked to perform readily agreed.

Debra Cowan will open the evening, and who better? She has a beautiful voice, a great collection of songs, and a deep knowledge of the tradition.

One of the things that I want to do with this series is to bring to the Passim stage some great musicians who are often only heard playing in sessions or for dancing. I've been enthralled with Jimmy Noonan's flute playing since I heard him on a collection of Irish music from Cleveland. I won't say how long ago that was, but let's just say that it was an LP. Anyway, it's great that he lives in Boston, and I think you're going to love not only his virtuosity but the wonderful settings for tunes that he has collected and developed over the years.

Alison Lee Freeman just blew people away on the chantey boat at the 2004 Boston Folk Festival. When I finally got to hear her, I have to say I was blown away as well. She sings traditional chanteys, she creates new arrangements of chanteys, she writes new chanteys (Alison's Saab Story, as heard on Car Talk) and that's just the start of her talents.

And what can you say about Laura Cortese? She's a great fiddle player, dancer and singer, sometimes all at the same time. What I want to say is that she is just a damned exciting performer!

At the end of the evening we're planning on a bit of a ceilidh, so practice up a favorite old song or bring along your instrument. Players of all abilities are encouraged to jump in.

Admission is only ten bucks, and you can get in for five if you're a member of Club Passim, the Folk Song Society of Greater Boston, Boston Scottish Fiddle Club, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann or the Cape Breton Island Gaelic Club. (We'll be adding more organizations as we go, so send suggestions my way.)

Everybody complains about parking in Harvard Square, but it usually isn't much of a problem on Monday nights. You can often get a space on the street within a turn or two around the Cambridge Common. If that doesn't work out, the parking garage under the Charles Hotel is surprisingly affordable, and if you are a Club Passim member you get a $7 flat rate for the evening. Best idea, bring a friend and split the parking. And speaking of affordable, food from Veggie Planet is not only appetizing, it's inexpensive. If you're looking for dinner for two, I suggest splitting a Caesar Salad and an open face grilled cheese sandwich. Both under $10. Not bad, eh?

For more information go to http://www.folktracks.com
To buy tickets and/or make dinner reservations, go to http://www.passimcenter.org

And please pass this on to anybody and everybody who might be interested. I'm not very good at this publicity stuff and I need all the help I can get. We really need to pack the place for the first couple of months to prove that there is an audience for traditional music, so any help will be greatly appreciated.

Subject: RE: Trad Music Series at Passim in MA
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 Jan 05 - 06:32 PM

Sounds great. Maybe I'll run down in March while my wife is at a conference in Boston.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Trad Music Series at Passim in MA
From: DebC
Date: 06 Jan 05 - 06:35 PM

Hi Charley,

The series is once a month, the once being the second Monday of every month. So the next Folktarcks Live! will be on Feb. 14, March 14, April 11, etc.

Deb

Subject: RE: Trad Music Series at Passim in MA
From: DebC
Date: 06 Jan 05 - 06:36 PM

That should be Folktracks.

Jeez.

Deb

Subject: RE: Trad Music Series at Passim in MA
From: akenaton
Date: 06 Jan 05 - 07:31 PM

Iv got a very old tape of Boys of the Lough "Live at Passim".
Always wondered where Passim was !!

Subject: RE: Trad Music Series at Passim in MA
From: karen k
Date: 07 Jan 05 - 12:35 AM

Boy, sure wish I lived in Boston! Sounds great. I'm jealous.

Subject: RE: Trad Music Series at Passim in MA
From: GUEST,Barry Finn
Date: 07 Jan 05 - 02:39 PM

Subject: RE: Trad Music Series at Passim in MA
From: GUEST,Barry Finn
Date: 07 Jan 05 - 04:37 PM

Whoops, hit the wrong button.

Hi Deb & hi to you too Murry.

It's great to hear that Passim's is once again supporting Trad music, it's been a long time, probably a least 2 decades since they really had their heart & soul there. Somehow the singer/songwriter phase came along & pushed a good bit of trad & other styles & types of music out the door. Passium's used to host hoots, some of which where to be known locally as "Peter Johnson Night", when alot of folk & trad singers & musicians, local & otherwise, would perform & everyone would party together. It was a hot bed of great music where you'd catch American, English, Scottish, Irish & traditional sea music & this was at a time when folk music was in a slump & was hard to find.


Hopefully I'll be able to find a way down there, I'd love to hear folk & trad music seeping out of their walls & floors again & seeing some old friends at the same time.

Thanks for the update.

Barry

Subject: RE: Trad Music Series at Passim in MA
From: DebC
Date: 07 Jan 05 - 09:54 PM

Ah, Barry me lad, it'd be grand to see ye.

I do hope that you make it down on Monday.

Deb

Subject: RE: Trad Music Series at Passim in MA
From: GUEST,David H. L.
Date: 08 Jan 05 - 03:39 PM

Hi Deb,
I hope you'll do me the honor of playing one of my songs.
David H.L.

Subject: RE: Trad Music Series at Passim in MA
From: DebC
Date: 08 Jan 05 - 03:49 PM

I am assuming the previous poster is Mr. David Littlefield?

I would be honoured.

Deb

Subject: RE: Trad Music Series at Passim in MA
From:
Date: 12 Jan 05 - 11:52 AM

Hello,
The first night of the Folktracks series at Club Passim in Cambridge, MA was a success! There were ballads, chanteys, jigs, reels and lots of singing along followed by a jam session. Everyone left with a smile.
This second Monday of each month series continues on February 14th, with a special Theme night for Valentines Day. No Requiting Allowed: An Evening of Mournful Slow Airs, Dreary laments and Songs of lost love featuring Cape Breton Violinist Joe Cormier, a National Heritage Award Winner and trading songs in the round: Irish/Appalachian singer Julee Glaub Aoife Clancy from Ireland's first family of Song and in a one-of-a-kind, all traditional performance Carol Noonan
www.folktracks.com