How It’s New York: Dan Neely is a New Yorker, and runs the session at Lillie’s, as well as leading the Washington Square Harp & Shamrock Orchestra.
How It’s Irish: Just look at all the Irish bands who played: Téada, Bua, Máirtín de Cógáin Project, Donie Carroll, and our friends from our days in Alabama, Jil Chambless and Scooter Muse!
Dan Neely lets us know about a CelticFest in Jackson, and shares some photos of his time there! But Dan, was there good sweet tea and banana pudding? GREAT photos and even some video from the céilí!
This past weekend, I was in Jackson, Mississippi for CelticFest, a delightful celebration of Irish music and culture organized by Don Penzien, Valerie Plested and a whole host of dedicated locals volunteers, who each do a great job of making it the friendliest festival around. What a great time. I was there to perform with Sunnyside’s own Donie Carroll, in a group that included Heather Bixler. I also did a couple of workshops and was an emcee for some of the concert sets.
The festival itself was great! Headliners included Téada, Bua and the Máirtín de Cógáin Project and Éamonn de Cógáin (all of whom were brilliant). There were several other artists that performed, including Brendan Nolan, John Coyne and Larre Reeves, Jim Flanagan, The Tea Merchants, Flashpoint, Jil Chambless and Scooter Muse and Peg Loyd and John Burleson (to name but a few I came across). I had a nice time bonding with all sorts of folks, but maybe the most fun was Albert Alfonso, maker of some of the world’s finest bodhráns (who took some time to tell me about some of the new models he’s moving through production).
Anyway, it was a great time, and I thought I might share some of the pictures I took while I was there.
nice pics