SOMETHING John Brennan, one of the best guitarists in the Philadelphia area, once told me between sets at the Commodore Barry Club.
It was a St. Patrick’s Day weekend, and John and a couple of folks had been down to play the Kimmel Center on Broad St. in Philadelphia. Their set wound up being an “unofficial opening” for a Chieftains concert and the lot of them were invited up on-stage with Paddy Moloney and the boys to close the performance. John and the crew were back to the Barry Club where we were all to play for a ceili that night. Much as I hate to admit it, I was fawning over John’s good fortune at receiving such an invitation.
John’s response was something that was not only unexpected, but something that I’ll always respect. He said, “Sure, the cream gigs are great and a lot of fun. But its right here, right now that’s REAL. Its these players and the music that they’re playing that’s it all about.”
Its not about flashy concert performances, or perfect technique, or any of those things. (Which is not to say that these things are unimportant or that skill shouldn’t be refined; “the quality of the music should never be compromised,” as Liz used to say.) Its about the people involved, what they bring, and what they share with each other.
Everything else flows from that.
