BallyPhilly

Where the Irish of the Delaware Valley meet

Marianne MacDonald

Besides Irish Music (is there any other kind?)

Being the host of a traditional Irish music radio show, folks assume that Irish is the only kind of music I love. Wrong! I love most types of music from jazz to classical with a few stops in between. In no particular order, I enjoy gypsy jazz (Django Reinhardt/Stephane Grapelli style), Texas Swing (Bob Wills, Asleep at the Wheel), American singer/songwriters (John Prine!), Olde-time American (Peggy Seeger, Woody Guthrie,etc.), American folk from the 40's, 50's, 60's (Weavers, Pete Seeger, Odetta), Classic rock from the 60's (Beatles, Doors, Stones, Kinks), Appalachian Mountain music, bluegrass and big band (a love acquired from my father who was a sound man for many of the big bands in New York in the late 30's and 40's). What are some of your "other" favorite kinds of music?

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Irish tops the list for sure but second choice I'd hace to say is Jimmy Buffett. Even though I don't live at the beach anymore I still love sitting and watching the ocean. His music always reminds me of trips to the Florida Keys to fish. You exposed me to the Django Reinhardt music recently and I did really enjoy it. I listen to country as well, of course it's probably the banjo and mandolin sound that appeals to me. Like some jazz and classical. I've been listening to Late Date from RTE1 on line. It's presented by a Corkman John Creedon Monday through Friday. It's on 11-2 (Irish time) on Fridays and 12-2 Mon-Thurs. I normally record it and then listen to it at work the next day. He plays a great mix of Irish, classic, jazz and folk. I've learned a few new artists through listening to him. You can find the link to listen live at http://www.rte.ie/radio1/index.html. So that pretty much listed all genre's of music LOL. I guess I'd say if it's not rap I'll listen to it.

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In spite of the fact that 99.9 percent of the CDs cluttering up my car are Irish, I listen to everything but opera and klezmer. Not a big fan of Tuvan throat singin', neither. I'm a rocker. (Baby, I'm a rocker.) I love a lot of the older stuff--Bruce, the Beatles, the Who. But I like some of the more recent rock, like My Chemical Romance. With a 20-year-old in the house, I do keep up. I'm a major fan and supporter of WXPN, a really eclectic and creative mix. I enjoy some classical, especially baroque--but I also like a Gershwin tune. (How about you?) People who know me know that I play snare drum in a competitive bagpipe band. (Yes, bagpipe bands complete.) That's my major personal involvement with music. (The most complex drumming I've ever done.) I've also played guitar in a church music group. Basically, music is music is music. I don't think you can really be a complete musician if you're into only one genre. What's cool is to pick up on the things the different forms have in common--the call and response aspect of gospel music, for example, and how that relates to competitive bagpipe drumming. (Yeah, really.) And I know this is heretical, but I love when Irish bands blend other influences into the Irish tradition. It doesn't always work, but that's both the up side and the down side of creativity.

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I always listen to Irish music. Why, this very second, I'm listening to Clare FM. Of course, they're playing "Victoria" by the Kinks. Ah, the classics :)

(If I had any ambition, I'd download Pat Costello's show:

http://www.clarefm.ie

then click on Trad Archives, or go directly to

http://www.clarefm.ie/newsCNU/tradarchive.asp

but here the links don't line up directly under the programs. )

("SuperValu - real food, real people")

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I like both kinds of music - country *and* western.

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Ah, such a good flick, that one! That was the first R-rated movie I saw in secret after my parents got cable TV. How ignorant I'd be if not for cable TV to complete my education...

(Let's see how long it takes for someone to name it!)

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Yo, Frank! Are you Mr. Natural now? Keep on truckin' babe...

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