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Irish Accordion
Joe Derrane, born March 16, 1930 to Irish immigrant parents was exposed to traditional Irish Music from a very early age and, in the process, developed a life long love affair with the Irish style button accordion. He studied under the watchful eye of his mentor, Jerry O’Brien, who had immigrated from Ireland in the 1920’s.
At age 15, he was playing the then popular house parties with his teach, and by the time he was 17, he was a regular performer on the Sunday night live Irish Hour broadcasts, and had become a fixture in Boston’s now legendary Irish Ballroom scene. In 1947 he made his first 78 rpm recording for the Copley Label, which was so well received that he completed 7 more over the next few years. Those recordings, which stunned the Irish Music world, have long since become part of the lore of Irish Music, and forever established his place in the pantheon of the truly great Irish musicians. Oddly enough, Joe was totally unaware of his burgeoning fame.
The early 1960’s ushered in the demise of the once flourishing ballroom scene, and traditional Irish Music. With very few venues left in which to play, Joe was forced to pursue a career with piano accordion in the pop field where he stayed until his retirement from music in 1990.
In 1993, those old 78 rpm recordings were reissued on CD in album form, again creating a huge wave of interest in his work, and for the second time he was influencing a whole new generation of “box” players. Using a barrowed button box and following a prodigious practice regimen of 6 to 7 hours daily, Joe took the stage at the 1994 Wolftrap Festival in Vienna, Virginia for what he thought would be a nice way to cap his career, his last glide across the dance floor, so to speak. However, Fate intervened again. The response to that performance was such that it led to a whole new performing/recording career. His “return” is generally considered as the greatest comeback in the history of Irish music.
His performances have taken him to the White House in Washington DC; to Boston’s famed Symphony Hall with the Chieftains and The Boston Pops Orchestra, and to the Kennedy Center, to name but a few. He was also feature artist on Ireland’s National Television (RTE) in the series The Pure Drop. In addition, he is the subject of two television documentaries: As Played by Joe Derrane (a US Production by Frank Ferrel) and Se Mo Lach a production that aired on RTE. Numerous awards have been bestowed upon Joe, the latest of which is The National Heritage Foundation award, the highest award the United States can bestow on a Folk Musician. The award will be presented on October 1, 2004 in Washington, DC.
Tracks:
01. Salamanca: Clancy's Fancy
02. The High Level
03. The Union Reel
04. Father Hanley's: The First Night In America
05. The Echo: Lawson's
06. The Mason's Apron: Buckley's Fancy
07. Jackson's Polka
08. Taylor's: Cronin's Rambles
09. The Collier's: Maurice Casey's Fancy
10. Harvest Home: The Bird In The Tree
11. The Fisherman's Widow: Devine's Favorite
12. The Merry Blacksmith: The Limestone Rock
13. John Kimmel's Favorites: Accordian Fantasy
14. The Boy's Of The Lough: The Long Strand
15. The Showman's Fancy
16. Peter Feeney's Dream: The Flower Of The Flock
Quality:192 kbps
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