ClanJamFry Preview - Smithfield Fair

In my craziness, I forgot shoot video of them last weekend at CelticFest, but Smithfield Fair should be familiar to veteran ClanJamFry attendees; the Baton Rouge-based trio has appeared at ClanJamfry more than any other group.

They are Dudley-Brian Smith on guitar and vocals, Jan Smith on guitar, accordion and vocals, and Dudley's brother Bob on guitar and bass.

Enjoy!

Our First ClanJamFry Preview - Peggy Loyd

ClanJamFry, the Memphis Scottish Festival, is little more than a week away.  We have three musical acts for the Scottish Faire, which will begin at 10:30 A.M. on September 25 with Peggy Loyd, who has appeared before at our Festival.  Here is a video of her performing this past weekend at CelticFest; the gentleman with her is John Burleson, a great storyteller who performs with her at Jackson and at NTIF.

Celtic Crossing will be rolling at Cooper-Young Festival

Here's the latest from the Crossing:

Come enjoy the weather this Saturday at Cooper Young Festival! 
We are offering up a great take out special!
**** A PINT & A PIE****
(160z of McSorley's Black Irish Lager and Shepherd's Pie) 
Ready for you to take away and enjoy the fest! 
Live music by:
THE FELLS at 1pm (Traditional Irish music)
Kings of The Delta-8pm (Southern Groove/Rock)

Special festival menu for sit down dining as well! SLAINTE!!

I said the food was GOOD at the Festival, I didn't say it was healthy!

When I went to nosh at CelticFest:

More Irish Dancing from CelticFest!

Eric Farmer (he of the 2X8 dance) and Aimee Cole of the Jackson Irish Dancers with Legacy on Friday night of CelticFest:

Legacy @ CelticFest from Friday night

Here is Val singing with Legacy from Friday night:

Wild Irish Roots at CelticFest

Sorry for the wobbling, the flies were attacking my leg.  If the fellow on the right looks familiar to you, he should: you remember Frank Bladen, formerly of Smithfield Fair, now with this Louisiana-based group.  The singer is Kate Laborde.

Step Dancing the HARD WAY!

Eric of the Jackson Irish Dancers dances on a 2X4 suspended between two cinder blocks on Friday Night at CelticFest.  The band is Legacy, with Tim Britton sitting in on the uileann pipes.  UPDATE: Eric emailed me to let me know that was a 2X8, but that he hopes to do this on a 2X4 some day. Amazing!

Irish Chair Dancing at CelticFest!

Yes, things got a bit crazy at the sessions Saturday night back at the Cabot, and this resulted:

I'm shooting video like a madman at CelticFest Mississippi!

You'll just have to wait until I get back on Monday to see it.  Tonight, I shot video of Wild Irish Roots (Baton Rouge & Jackson), Legacy (complete with dancing from various Jackson Irish Dancers), Captain Mackey's Goatskin & String Band, and Peggy Loyd with John Burleson.  Peggy, of course, is performing in two weeks at ClanJamFry.

We will shoot more tomorrow, this is truly a great festival, and while Cabot Lodge is full, there ARe other hotels in town, come on down!!!

This is going to be a BUSY WEEKEND at CelticFest Mississippi

If you can't make it down to Jackson, then by all means hit Otherlands Saturday night for Spencer Bohren.

However, if you CAN, the schedule is up and ready for you to print off.  Not only will it be old home week for me, seeing old friends like Smithfield Fair, Legacy, Peggy Loyd and others, but it will have special significance.  In addition to the Ceili on Saturday night, in addition to the Whiskey Tasting on Friday night, there will be a special memorial service on Sunday afternoon for three people associated with CelticFest for years who have left us in the last year.

Honored will be longtime CelticFest volunteer Jerry Baldridge, veteran workshop presenter at CelticFest and NTIF, Curt Marcus, and our own Celtic Lauren, who conned me into going to Jackson in 1995, when I thought I didn't like Celtic Music.

I will be speaking on her behalf at the ceremony, which will be led by Dudley-Brian Smith of Smithfield Fair; she would be delighted, if a bit embarrassed for all the fuss, that he was there to lead it, as they have been to ClanJamFry more than any other act, including this coming year.  This will be in the tent stage at 1:30 on Sunday afternoon.

This is going to be a marvelous weekend with great music and dance, and while the Cabot Lodge Millsaps is apparently full, there are other hotels in the Jackson area, especially the Cabot Lodge in Ridgeland, near I-55 & County Line Road.

Above all else, I want to thank my dear friends Don Penzien and Valerie Plested for including Lauren in the service.  Lauren loved this festival more than any other for the homey, family-like feel that they bring to this festival.  They opened their house up to me when Brian McNeill came to Jackson this April, marking only the second time I had left Memphis after Lauren's passing, and it is a gesture of kindness I will never forget.

I have a new Flip UltraHD, folks, so when I come home, I will have VIDEOS of the music and dance, and possibly some of the service.

See you Monday, if I don't get to see you in Jackson.

MAMA Presents Spencer Bohren at Otherlands Saturday night

• From the MAMA website:
• Spencer Bohren
• Otherlands Coffee Bar: 641 S. Cooper St., Memphis, TN, US (MAP)
• A MAMA favorite son, Spencer Bohren, returns to Otherlands for a much-anticipated, late summer show. Spencer’s folk, blues, and gospel performances never fail to delight MAMA audiences. Since he last performed in Memphis, Spencer has released his latest CD, Live at the Tube Temple, recorded in Solingen, Germany, to rave reviews. In addition to an active concert schedule, he continues to host guitar workshops across the country, from Ohio to Montana and Wyoming, and he regularly performs his Down the Dirt Road Blues show to educate audiences at schools, universities, and museums about the shared history of blues and rock music. For this work, Spencer received the Keeping the Blues Alive in Education award from the Blues Foundation this year. Never one to sit still, he can also regularly be found on stage in New Orleans clubs.
• 
  If you know and love Spencer’s music, you’ve probably already bought your tickets. If you are unfamiliar with this performer extraordinaire, go to spencerbohren.com, read the stories, listen to the song clips, and then purchase your tickets to hear Spencer live. You won’t be disappointed.
• $12