I suspect these musicians have been playing for years but only now that they formalized their line up. Bellow Bridge are based in Portland OR and they play traditional tunes. I discovered the band through piper Philip Dale whom I follow through soundcloud. It is great to hear traditional Irish music through this quartet. They are: Philip Dale, Sarah Emett, Philip Hitt and Jason Hohl. Most of their soundcloud tunes are taken from live sessions.
Here’s what they say to the question: So why Bellow Bridge?
In the hunt for a name that every new band goes through, we tried on many for size, but nothing quite fit. Eventually we found inspiration from the instruments we play. The bellows of the Accordion and Uilleann Pipes, and the bridge of the Fiddle and Bouzouki. The four instruments that make up the core sound of the group. Its a fitting name we think, as our intention from the start was to let the instruments be the stars.
My personal favorite is Marie’s Wedding – Killarney Boys Of Pleasure -Live. Put them on your radar and hopefully we can hear an album from them soon.
John Reynolds, Tom Morrison-Dunmore Lassies
Flook-Calico
Mary McLaughlin-Stor Mo Chroí
Celtic Tenors-Going Home
Capercaillie-Coisich, A Rùin
Clannad-I Will Find You [From The Last of the Mohicans]
Enda Seery-Amhran Na Leabhar
Brendan Mulholland-The Pigeon on the Gate
Brianna Gaither-Find You
Flesh for Lulu-I Go Crazy
Chris Robinson-Psychedelic BluesRock Jam
Topdolla Sweizy-Ain’t The Same.
Jeff Pianki-Paper Window Dreams
Active Child-Johnny Belinda
Portishead-All Mine
Samuel Smith-The Ballad Oisin
Happy weekend friends. My cloudcast is up and once again I bring you amazing tunes both old and new. I try to make sure I don’t do the same thing again and again so you will know what I mean.
It is a rainy Sunday here in the Philippines and I feel productive. Having more time for myself and not living through the expectations of others can be liberating. I encourage you to try that.
Since I started learning the bodhran, I subscribed to several channels including Celtic percussion and this time, Alex Kuldell talks about holding the stick. This applies to all percussion players as it is always about getting more by doing less. And I think as a player, you will develop that smooth style with more emphasis on nuance as you become an expert. I don’t intend to become an expert or a musician because that is not my domain. I am a blogger. But then again I think that when you are a music journalist you have to know what you are talking about so that’s why I feel that I need to explore the instruments in order to give spirit to my posts.
I have been watching the videos of bodhran instructor for a few days now. This happened after stumbling into the bodhran lessons of Jesse Ferguson. I have to agree with Jesse that Michelle is very technical when it comes to teaching. I admire her detailed discussion about how to holding the instrument, how to generate a pleasant sounds (when you get one out of the box), how to hold the tipper (beater) properly and so much more.
Her channel also contains inspirational videos to help you maintain your creativity. I think these videos speak to all types of persuasions be it musical, visual or literary. I encourage you to visit her Bodhran Master Class youtube channel and subscribe because she has lots of ideas to give you. Especially if you are learning how to play the instrument for the first time.
I enjoy playing my bodhran because it gives me a sense of diversion from all the online work do. It is also a good way to really get to the bottom of traditional Irish music. The lessons provide me the understanding why they are called jigs, reels, slip jigs or hornpipes. I learned appreciate various rhythms that serve as foundation of traditional Irish music.
I also discovered many youtube channels where you can learn for free and I will be posting them at the end of this blog.
Learning the bodhran is therapeutic. You have options to buy less expensive ones if you are a beginner. Professional ones cost around $125.00 or more. I think it is a very flexible percussion in terms of generating tones. I learned that you can either play it loud or soft depending on how you move your left palm and also the amount of pressure you apply. I am an enthusiastic student and I hope you join me in this musical journey. I will be posting more about bodhran resources online in my future articles.
Celtic Music Fan 