Bobby Gardiner (born 1939) is an Irish accordionist and lilter. He was recruited by Micheal O'Suilleabhain to the Music Department in University College Cork where he has been teaching traditional music for the last 25 years.[1]
Bobby Gardiner | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Patrick Francis Gardiner |
| Born | 16 June 1939 Aughdara, County Clare, Ireland |
| Genres | Traditional Irish music Folk World music |
| Occupation | Accordion Player |
| Years active | ~1954–present |
Biography
editBobby Gardiner was born in Aughdarra, Lisdoonvarna, the Burren area of County Clare.[2] His Mother, Dilly, played a German two- row concertina and from her he learned his first tune – the fling What the devil ails you? His brother introduced him to a new Hohner two-row button accordion and after that, Bobby bought a grey Paolo Soprani accordion.[3][4]
At the age of 15, he was asked to join the Kilfenora Céilí Band.[1] In 1957 he joined Malachy Sweeney's Céilí Band from Armagh and traveled throughout Ireland as a professional musician.[5][6]
In 1960, Bobby followed his brother Mike and sister Mary to New Haven, Connecticut.[4] During the day he worked as a mechanic on the New York Railway[4] while playing for dances with the likes of Paddy Killoran, Joe Cooley, Ed Reavey and Joe Derrane as well as doing some session work for Colonial Records. His solo recording career began when Justus O'Byrne De Witt[4] heard him on the Jack Wade Ceili Band record and contacted him to record his first LP, "Memories of Clare" which was one of the first solo LPs by an Irish button accordion player. He also recorded with Paddy Killoran. The LP sold so well that he was asked back to do more recordings.
In 1963 Bobby was drafted into the US Army and was stationed at Fort Dix in New Jersey. On his weekends off, he would visit the Catskill Mountains in New York where he played with renowned musicians such as Joe Cooley, Sean McGlynn and Andy McGann.
He got married in Dublin on St. Patrick's Day, 17 March 1969, to Ann Kearney, a Tipperary singer.[7] The newlyweds returned to America where their first daughter, Kelley was born. A year later they returnes to Ireland and they settled in Burncourt, a small village in south Tipperary near the town of Cahir, where they had two more daughters, Fiodhna and Lynda.[8] All his children are accomplished musicians, carrying on the Irish music tradition, playing melodeon, whistles and concertina. In January 2009, Fiodhna in her band Inis Oirr, entertained the Irish president Mary McAleese in the Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Over the years Gardiner proceeded to make further recordings, most notably: "The Master's Choice" and "The Clare Shout". Gardiner has also traveled extensively with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and is a member of the Brú Ború Troupe in Cashel, County Tipperary. They have also toured in China as well as Japan, Spain, Canada and the US.
He is an active accordion teacher in Tipperary, Waterford and Limerick. He was recruited by the pianist Micheal O'Suilleabhain to the Music Department in University College Cork where he has been teaching traditional music for the last 25 years. Some of his past students include Ciarán Ó Gealbháin and Benny McCarthy both of whom were part of Danú.[1]
Playing style
editStylistically, Gardiner plays what is termed a wet tuned accordion. Other Irish proponents of wet tuning include: Joe Burke, Tony McMahon, Martin Connolly and Seamus Begley and as such Gardiner was one of the first Irish accordionist to master the art of the B/C accordion tuning. Bobby Gardiner's style of playing is particularly suited to Irish dancing because of his impeccable rhythm, creativity and his use of the single-button triplet, which has become his hallmark.
In "The Clare Shout" Bobby focuses on the one-row melodeon and the traditional art form of lilting, or mouth music. In the past, lilting was used to accompany dancers when instruments were unavailable.
Discography
edit- Albums
| Year | Artist | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Bobby Gardiner | Bobby Gardiner – Accordion | Clare Records | New York. |
| 1962 | Bobby Gardiner | Memories of Clare | Gael label | Reissued 1995 on Copley Irish Records. Musical analysis of contents at irishtune.info. |
| 1979 | Bobby Gardiner | Bobby Gardiner at Home | Releases Records | |
| 1982 | Bobby Gardiner | The Best of Bobby Gardiner | CCE | |
| 1989 | Bobby Gardiner | The Master's Choice | Ossian | Musical analysis of contents at irishtune.info. |
| 1995 | Bobby Gardiner, Mel Mercier, Ann Gardiner, Lynda Gardiner | The Clare Shout | Own label | Lilting and melodeon. A number of different boxes are used on the recording including: a Salterelle, a Castagnari, A Hohner, and a very rare Ludwig and Hohner Vienna Accordion. Musical analysis of contents at irishtune.info. |
| 2010 | Bobby Gardiner | The High Level | Own label | Musical analysis of contents at irishtune.info. |
- Featured on
| Year | Artist | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Paddy Killoran, Bobby Gardiner | |||
| Bobby Gardiner | Rogha Órdha 50 | Comhaltas's Golden Jubilee compilation album. | ||
| Bobby Gardiner | The Floating BowHand DVD. | Musical documentary on Jim McKillop | ||
| Bobby Gardiner | ClearAED | |||
| Bobby Gardiner | Come West Along the Road 2 | RTÉ production | ||
| Bobby Gardiner | The Best of Irish Accordion | 2-CD Set | ||
| Bobby Gardiner | The Best of Irish Céilí | 2-CD Set |
References
edit- ^ a b c "Bobby Gardiner". University College Cork. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ Gregory, Andy (2002). The International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-1-85743-161-2.
- ^ "Bobby Gardiner | Watch him LIVE Sunday the 22nd of Feb at the Gradam Ceoil TG4 2015 Music Awards – YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ a b c d "TG4 Announces Gradam Ceoil Traditional Music Awards". The Journal of Music: Irish Music News, Reviews & Podcasts, Plus Music Jobs & Opportunities. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Traditional music maestro brings his talents back to Bru Boru for another year". www.tipperarylive.ie. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Bobby and Lynda Gardiner / Terence O'Flaherty / Comhaltas in Britain at London Irish Centre – Mon 31st Oct 2016 – 2pm". returntocamden.org. 1 August 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
- ^ "The House Remembers – Ann Gardiner – 9780956708403". www.omahonys.ie. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ The High Level by Bobby Gardiner on The Session, retrieved 28 July 2020
External links
edit- A Long Road from Lisdoonvarna: Sean Laffey meets accordion maestro Bobby Gardiner. Sean Laffey, Irish Music Magazine