Traders,

Another possible item of interest I have not seen mentioned so far, is 
the article "Session" in THE COMPANION TO IRISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC, 
edited by Fintan Vallely (New York University Press, c1999), p. 345-346. 
The article was written by Colin ("Hammy") Hamilton, flute player, music 
researcher and regular contributer to this list. A useful, if brief, 
introduction to the history.

Chris Brennan
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Philippe Varlet wrote:

> Michael Nicholsen provided a nice list of materials to explore this 
> subject. I would have to add to this what is perhaps the only book 
> entirely devoted to the Irish music session, Barry Foy's "Field Guide 
> to the Irish Music Session" (Roberts Rinehart, 1999), in which the 
> author, while adopting a humorous and lighthearted tone, manages to 
> hit on many of the central issues and dynamics of the session. 
> Although the book was not available for a decade or so, it is now in 
> print again:
> http://www.frogchartpress.com/fieldguide.html
>
> One of the most recent and fascinating contributions to that subject 
> has to be the section in Helen O'Shea's excellent book "The Making of 
> Traditional Music" (Cork University Press, 2008) devoted to the 
> session scene in Feakle, Co. Clare. Her observations on the 
> contrasting styles of the sessions held at Pepper's and Lena's are 
> incisive, almost mercilessly so, and sometimes hilarious. But O'Shea 
> writes as a musicologist and her text is not mere description, she 
> doesn't shy away from offering her analysis and interpretation of the 
> dynamics and behaviors she observed. I recommend the book.
>
> Philippe Varlet
> Hard-to-find imported Irish CDs
> [log in to unmask]
> http://www.celticgrooves.com
>
>