Dublin CBOMs!

[steve V. johnson]

Re: the Dublin, Ohio, Irish Fest this weekend, his came from our cittern, bouzouki and hammer dulcimer pal Randy Clepper, a Buckeye Ohioan himself:

"Looks like plenty of zouk representation at Dublin this year -- Aaron Jones,
Pat Broaders, Beth Patterson, you, me, Zac, (am I missing anyone??),...

I'm performing at noon Sat. .. and I will also join John Sherman at noon Sunday for part of his solo set."

Randy has citterns by Nigel Forster, Stefan Sobell which I haven't seen yet, and a nice -pair- of instruments by Doug Dieter (Kennaquahair).

Pat Broaders is a Chicagoan, of the high energy band Bohola, and plays wonderful, huge, Joe Foley instruments.

Beth Patterson of New Orleans is one of the most amazing and talented players I've ever heard and I can't -wait- to hear her.

Zac is a very talented young Ohioan who plays just about everything, mainly pipes, as I recall... and all very well.

John Sherman is a tremendously talented guitarist who has several solo recordings out and also plays with the Cincinnati all-star Irish band Silver Arm.

Maybe Zan McLeod will bring his S.O.Smith bouzouki, too... And I have a new Chris Baird Arches Flat Top mandolin to show off, too. (I think the Arches will stay inside, tho...)

And there are lots more folks playing too. Even the Prodigals! 'Sgonna be a gooooood weekend! Come on out if you can and say howdy? I'll be the fat guy in glasses and Crump B-II. <GG>

www.dublinirisfest.com

stv

[Eugene]

...And Solas, Old Blind Dogs, Gaelic Storm, etc...

I only met Randy recently when he played a benefit event at OSU Hall with Sandy Jones, Dave Coplin, and a couple others. He does good stuff.

I just got back from the Irish fest', but have gigs of my own on both Saturday and Sunday and can't make it back. An old chum and musical collaborator, Karl, plays guitar, mandolin, and tenor banjo with Knot Fibb'n. They're on twice tomorrow, and their brand spankin' new CD is just out. Check'em out if you can.

[steve V. johnson]

So... it -was- good!

On Friday night in the Clarion hotel after the concerts were over I wandered into a 'closed' and dark dining room, lit only by the hall lights thru the windows and found Aaron Jones playing duets with Randy Clepper. Aaron was playing the Sobell 23" cittern and Randy was playing the Nigel Forster. It was splendid. Aaron said that he plays his Sobell in an A tuning with OBD because they rock so much and his playing with them is... energetic, <BB> and that he doesn't get to do 'complicated' stuff in other tunings with them.

Pat Broaders showed up with a dreadnaught guitar-bodied Joe Foley with what seemed to be a 24"-ish scale. I didn't think it was loud, but it did sound great. Bohola's sets were tremendous.

Zac Leger of the young band Oisre played a bit on Sandy Jones' early-'80's cedar-topped Sobell. In a wonderful late Saturday session the Sobell passed to Sean Earnest, who did it proud, too. (Sean did NOT bring his very recent Crump. Bad Sean, VERY bad!!)

Randy Clepper played two sets, one solo and one as a guest in guitarist John Sherman's set, with his Sobell cittern.

Beth Patterson rocked the roof off the tent with her Joe Foley zouk, at least twice.

I might have missed someone... If so, sorry! For some reason that I can't fathom, I didn't play all weekend...

We did have a little parking lot session with Randy on the Sobell, Sean playing guitar and Tim Piazza on mandolin. There was a very nice girl there who started it all by asking to see my Crump zouk. She's an Ohioan who is getting a used Crump from a friend and she asked to see mine. She started picking out tunes on it behind the open station wagon hatch and suddenly there were Randy, Sean and Tim. She said that she is a tenor banjo player now, but she rocked pretty durn well on the Crump, and ten or so tunes later, life was grand.

At one point, Zan McLeod thought that he might sit in with the Green Fields of America and I offered him the Crump. John Doyle also asked Randy about playing the Sobell with Green Fields, but the fact was that GFofA were adding new songs all weekend and new instruments and folks in the mix were just too much, so none of that happened...

It was a wonderful time and I'm exhausted. One more Black Bush and I'm down. Don't call me for 24 hours. <GGG>

stv