Sweeter as the Years Roll By

I composed Sweeter As the Years Roll By in 1999 to honor my wife Theresa Keane from Ballymacelligott, Kerry.

Upcoming Gigs for 2010

November 6th & 7th 2010
Austin Celtic Festival, Texas
With Fingal at the Austin Celtic Festival, Texas. www.austincelts.org
The Austin Celtic Association is a non-profit organization established to celebrate and promote Celtic culture through music, dance, language, theatre, sports, history, and the arts in central Texas. Since 1997, we have helped share the Celtic culture of Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Nova Scotia, Wales and other countries with Austin and central Texas.

October 17th 2010
"The Old Church" Portland, Oregon.
with Fingal at "The Old Church" Portland, Oregon. www.oldchurch.org
Built in 1883, The Old Church is one of the oldest and most beautiful buildings in the Pacific Northwest. No longer a home to any one congregation, The Old Church is now a nonprofit historic site, available for a wide variety of community functions - from weddings, to concerts, to lectures, to plays. We have recently completed a major project to make The Old Church disabled-accessible while still maintaining the historic character and integrity of this magnificent building.

October 16th 2010
Eugene ,Oregon.
with Fingal Eugene, Oregon.
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the county seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about 50 miles (86 km) east of the Oregon Coast. As of 2008, Eugene had a population of 154,620, and the greater Eugene-Springfield metropolitan statistical area (MSA) had a population of 346,560. While Eugene has long been the second largest city in Oregon, it was briefly surpassed by Salem between 2005 and 2007. The Eugene-Springfield, Oregon MSA is the 145th largest metropolitan statistical area of the U.S, and the third largest in the state, behind the Salem Metropolitan Area.

October 2nd & 3rd 2010
Celtic Cowtown Festival
with Jeff Moore www.jeffmooremusic.com at 1st. anual Celtic Cowtown Festival www.cowtownceltic.org
The Southwest Celtic Music Association, producers of the world famous North Texas Irish Festival (NTIF), is proud to present the first annual Cowtown Celtic Festival (CCF) in the historic buildings of the Will Rogers complex. NTIF has been a Dallas cornerstone event in Fair Park since 1984, and has grown to be the largest event of it's type in the Southwest and second only to the State Fair of Texas in Fair Park attendance.The SCMA has recognized for some time that Dallas and Fort Worth are in many ways linked, but in others miles apart, and although based in Dallas, the Board of Trustees of the SCMA felt that they needed to fulfill it's mission of bringing Celtic cultures to other parts of the southwest. Thus the Cowtown Celtic Festival was born.


May 16th 2010
IAANJ
Concert with Randal at IAANJ, 352 Richard Mine Road, Rockaway Township, N.J. www.iaanj.com
The Irish American Association of Northwest Jersey was founded in 1974 to promote and preserve Irish Culture and to create an awareness of the contribution the Irish made to building this great country. The Irish American Association of Northwest Jersey (IAANJ) is located on Richard Mine Road in Rockaway Township. It is the center of Irish arts and entertainment in Northwest Jersey. In addition to hosting a variety of cultural events throughout the year, classes in Irish step dancing, Adult Ceili dancing, Irish language and Irish Music are held weekly.


May 15th 2010
The Shamrock Traditional Music Society
Concert with Randal at The Shamrock Traditional Music Society, Connecticut www.shamrockirishmusic.org
Randal Bays is a self-taught American born musician who's been playing Irish fiddle for thirty years, and through his recordings and performances has built up a reputation as a master. He's "among the best Irish style fiddlers of his generation", according to Fiddler Magazine. Randal has toured and recorded with many of the great Irish musicians of the day, including James Kelly, Martin Hayes, Michéal O'Domhnaill and many more. His live CD "House to House" (with Roger Landes) was picked by the Irish Times as one of the "top five traditional recordings of 2005". He's performed all over the US, Europe and Canada, and is a respected teacher of Irish fiddle. Randal is a co-founder of the Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp, which takes place every March in the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington state.

May 14th 2010
Ireland House
Concert with Randal at Ireland House, NYU
Dublin-born button accordion great James Keane’s latest recording project is Fingal, a trio collaboration with fiddler Randal Bays and County Derry-born singer/guitarist Dáithí Sproule. As Dáithí lives in the midwest, Randal in Washington State and James in Queens, the trio has a hard time assembling for gigs. We’ll take advantage of a trip by Randal to the east coast, however, to feature at least two Fingalians in concert. No songs or guitar this time, but in Dáithí’s absence we will hear even more clearly the wonderful interplay between Randal’s fiddle and James’ button box.


May 10th 2010
Landmark Tavern N.Y.C.
Session at Landmark Tavern N.Y.C. with Don Meade
Session at The Landmark Tavern
Mondays from 8 to 11 pm
626 11th Avenue at 46th Street, Manhattan
Tenor banjo, harmonica and fiddle player Don Meade and friends get together every Monday night for an Irish traditional music session in the back room of this historic Hell’s Kitchen bar/restaurant. Free admission. Musicians and singers welcome.

April 25th 2010
The Irish Center, Mineola Long Island N.Y.
James Keane Sean Quinn with Gabriel Donohue at The Irish Center , Mineola Long Island N.Y. Concert @ 5pm - 7pm. with session to follow.

Landmark Session coming up on Monday evening, May 10th

Session at The Landmark Tavern, Mondays from 8 to 11 pm
626 11th Avenue at 46th Street, Manhattan, Tenor banjo, harmonica and fiddle player Don Meade and friends get together every Monday night for an Irish traditional music session in the back room of this historic Hell’s Kitchen bar/restaurant. Free admission. Musicians and singers welcome.

Special Session Guests:
May 10: James Keane - James is a proud Dub and one of the true giants of the Irish button accordion.

For more info, (212) 247-2562 or visit www.thelandmarktavern.org

FRIDAY, May 14th, BLARNEY STAR with RANDAL BAYS

BLARNEY STAR PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS: May 14: James Keane and Randal Bays
"Dublin-born button accordion great James Keane’s latest recording project is Fingal, a trio collaboration with fiddler Randal Bays and County Derry-born singer/guitarist Dáithí Sproule. As Dáithí lives in the midwest, Randal in Washington state and James in Queens, the trio has a hard time assembling for gigs. We’ll take advantage of a trip by Randal to the east coast, however, to feature at least two Fingalians in concert. No songs or guitar this time, but in Dáithí’s absence we will hear even more clearly the wonderful interplay between Randal’s fiddle and James’ button box."


From the Ireland House NYU site: "Dublin-born button accordion great James Keane’s latest recording project is Fingal, a trio collaboration with fiddler Randal Bays and County Derry-born singer/guitarist Dáithí Sproule.

As Dáithí lives in the midwest, Randal in Washington State and James in Queens, the trio has a hard time assembling for gigs. We’ll take advantage of a trip by Randal to the east coast, however, to feature at least two Fingalians in concert. No songs or guitar this time, but in Dáithí’s absence we will hear even more clearly the wonderful interplay between Randal’s fiddle and James’ button box."

Listen in on a fireside chat with dear friend, Kathleen Biggins on WFUV

http://www.wfuv.org/

Dropping in to chat and play a few tunes for Kathleen Biggins as she presents her World famous programme " A THOUSAND WELCOMES " which starts at 9am on Fordham University's radio 90.7 FM ( N.Y. ) and on www.wfuv.org I should get there for my cup of Barry's by 10am.

Kathleen Biggin's " A Thousand Welcomes "
Fordham University's 90.7 FM www.wfuv.org
It is a three hour programme 9-noon and I will have the 10-11am segment.

You have been forewarned, LISTEN LIVE on the INTERNET or the RADIO 90.7

Thanks,

James.

Castle Céilí Comics Presents...

Great time had leading the Lillies session with host Dan Neely, and Rose Flanagan and Dylan Foley and many other top class musicians on hand ot really give the joint some fine fine music.

group outings organized by The Pipers Club , Dublin , during the '60s

One of the many group outings organized by The Pipers Club , Dublin , during the '60s as the "Original Comhaltas"set out to support newly formed branches in towns and villages around Ireland. This picture in 1962 represents a trip to the Dundalk Fleadh, which was open to competition from all over Ireland.
I will update the name list as soon as I can but for now they are L to R : Jim Nolan, MC and group organizer, Alan Loghnane, fiddle, Tim Lyons a great box player and singer originally from Co. Cork now living in Galway and I remember him for his singing of many songs including "The Low Lands of Holland". He was also a founding member of DeDannan. That's Barney McKenna's uncle in the cap and I never met anyone that had and could play so many unusual and great tunes. He lived in Co. Meath. Maura O'Reilly , whistle player ,from the musical family that included fiddle players Own and Ciaran.The fella sticking his head in is Mick O'Connor and next to him is flute player Mick Hand who would later, among his many credits, become a founding member of the group "Bakerswell". Mick Mc Guann is next and was a wonderful whistle player from Kilmihil, Co. Clare and passed away at a very young age. next is the one and only beardless Barney Mc Kenna on banjo. In those days Barney worked for the P&T-- POST AND TELEGRAPH. Frankk Muccahy, "Dear Old Newport Town" is far right from Newport , Co. Tipperary and won an All Ireland competition singing that song.