Bill Ochs.
By Daniel Neely
A memorial celebration for the great Bill Ochs will be held at All Souls Unitarian Church in Manhattan (79th Street and Lexington Avenue) on Saturday, April 22. The event will begin at 1:30 p.m. Ochs, a gifted uilleann piper, whistle and flute player, passed on Oct. 5, 2016 after a brief fight with cancer. He is remembered as one of the pioneers of the uilleann piping revival in the United States, an original touring member of Green Fields of America, the author of the influential “Clarke Tin Whistle” tutor, the producer of important CDs by Micho Russell and Cathal McConnell, and as a renown and generous teacher. His remarkable work and characteristic goodwill left an indelible mark not only on the Irish music community here in New York, but on all those who knew him from all over. The memorial is open to all.
In other news: have you checked out Shannon Heaton’s “Irish Music Stories” podcast yet? Heaton is a Boston-based flute player, singer, composer, and teacher who has brought her many talents to bear in a new half hour podcast that each month explores a different facet of traditional music. It’s extremely well done and well worth checking out!
Heaton has an extremely strong and distinguished reputation in the music. A leader in the Boston scene, she’s spent time playing in places like Chicago and Co. Clare. In 2003 she founded the Boston Celtic Music Fest and in 2016 received an Artist Fellowship from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. In 2010 and 2011, she was named Live Ireland’s “Female Artist of the Year,” and Irish American News’s Female Musician of the Year in 2009. In addition, she performs with several groups, including with her husband the duo “Matt & Shannon Heaton.” (Incidentally, Matt, who is Heaton’s husband is an outstanding musician who not only plays trad music, but also leads the surf-rock band “Electric Heaters,” and does “Toddlerbilly Riot,” a music project geared for children; see mattheatonmusic.com.)
Shannon Heaton.
Heaton has a careful and very thoughtful approach to communicating the details of traditional music in general. Readers may remember this was an important element in the success of “First 50,” her instructional book I wrote about early last year. It’s also apparent in the “Tune of the Month” instructional video series she maintains through her website.
She brings this same careful patience to “Irish Music Stories.” The podcast previewed in January and the first full episode appeared in February. Heaton’s approach seems loosely pattered on that of the NPR shows like “All Things Considered,” and she has a great voice for the format. Her pacing is relaxed but brisk and it is complemented by an unobtrusive, strategically implemented acoustic guitar backing that gives the audio a sense of fullness.
Heaton does a lovely job of exploring the subjects she has at hand. Shows are enriched not only by Heaton’s gentle sense of humor but by her ability to travel for the story and explore subjects not only in the United States, but in Ireland. Part of "Trip to Sligo," the postcast's first episode, for example, examines the importance and value of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. Because she attended the fleadh and was able to visit relevant performers and institutions over there, she could really communicate the excitement around, preparation for, and spirit of the event.
"Every Tuesday at Nine," the third and most recent episode which appeared on April 11, explored the subject of Irish music sessions. In it, she speaks with Tina Lech in Boston, John Williams in Chicago, Eoin O’Neill in Clare, and Brian Conway in White Plains, NY and gets their perspectives about how sessions happen and what goes on in them. Heaton does an excellent job, I think, of keeping the subject interesting to aficionados while at the same addressing topics in a way that makes the deeper elements engaging and accessible to non-initiates.
Between these sorts of themed episodes, Heaton includes what she calls “one-on-one cuppa tea chats,” in which she picks an artist and discovers what traditional music means to them. In episode two, she sits down with the great Karan Casey and they have a wonderful (and very nicely edited) conversation about songs and their meaning, not just in the denotative sense but what they mean in terms of real-world relationships. It’s the sort of thing that’s perhaps lost in most online discussions of singing (the ones I’ve seen, anyway), so Heaton’s to be applauded here for her vision and good taste.
There are eight episodes of “Irish Music Stories” planned for this year and I encourage everyone to check them out. The production values are high and absolutely worth the time – definitely have a listen! You can find the “Irish Music Stories” podcast at shannonheatonmusic.com/ims.
