The winds of fortune have blown me to Monterey, California, for an 18-month stint at the Naval Postgraduate School. Many fine musicians of the Irish persuasion dot the coast, and I've discovered a few regular gigs from San Jose to Pacific Grove.
Since I can't get enough of this music, I've collaborated with Marc Rush to re-institute the open session at the London Bridge Pub and Restaurant. Time: Every Wednesday, 8-10pm. There are several points in favor of this weekly jam:
1. Parking is free after 8pm.
2. Kids are welcome until the restaurant part closes at 10pm.
3. Wednesday is not as busy as the weekend.
It's an intermediate, beginner-friendly session sticking to common reels, jigs, hornpipes, polkas, and walzes contained in Marc Rush's Monterey Session Tune book (Clifford-Hoban Branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann) He recorded accompanying CDs on the flute, so anyone aspiring to learn the tunes are encouraged to pony up the nominal fee (My two CDs were $4 total).
A quick side note: I've read a lot of threads here about successful and unsuccessful sessions, and it always revolves around the span of experience of the participants. Folks who are steeped in tradition and have "the reels and jigs" under their belt, seek out players of similar stripe. Beginners who are venturing away from the printed page for the first time get intimidated by players who seem to have the lilt and vibe absorbed at the molecular level. When these two categories of players get together, a simple rule must prevail: Be courteous and don't violate the craic! Both types of players are welcome at London Bridge (hey, how did the elitist folks emerge from the pack? They had to start somewhere, right?
)Slainte, and I hope to see some of y'all down on the warf on Wednesday,
Glenn
