The Joe Deleault Irish Sessions offers a chance to hear professional live music in the campus pub. Joe Deleault, who also works at the Dana Center, plays accordion and is accompanied by guitarist and vocalist Jim Prendergast and fiddler Ellen Carlson.
Since December of last year, the trio has been performing every Wednesday night at nine. Sometimes the musicians are accompanied by a masterful mandolin player, much to the delight of pub-goers. The classical Irish tunes are lively, and students with Irish heritage have a tendency to sing along.
The trio came together because Ellen contacted Joe to play Irish tunes (which naturally go with Carlson’s fiddle) and, when they needed a guitarist, they called upon Jim, who couldn’t pass the opportunity up. Ellen Carlson is a prolific fiddler who has been teaching for 20 years. She used to be a middle school Math teacher and now runs different programs as well as touring with her band and as a solo artist. To find out more about her or to listen to some of her tunes visit www.ellencarlson.com.
Joe Deleault, who is related to the English professor Arthur Deleault, plays many instruments besides the accordion. He is a skilled session pianist, an international performer, and a composer. Deleault was raised and currently lives in Manchester and has been named 2012 IT List- NH Magazine Person of the Year and NH Magazine- BEST OF NH.
To find out more about Joe Deleault or listen to his music, visit www.joedeleault.com. Joe said that he likes the gig, and the others agreed, stating that the audience was nice and very welcoming.
Jim Prendergast got into Irish folk music when he got a gig at an Irish pub. From that experience, he discovered how influential Irish folk music is. He has a recording studio in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, called Mill Pond Music Studio, where he records mostly southern rock and country music. Jim spent 30 years playing and recording music in Nashville, Tennessee, and as a result, he is an expert in country and southern rock. Ellen Carlson and her band High Range have recorded at the studio alongside Jim. If you want to hear more of Jim’s music or see his tour schedule visit www.millpondmusicstudio.com.
The pub’s jukebox may satisfy the crowd’s pop cravings, but it does not always have the style of music that these Sessions offer on Wednesday evenings. If you are looking for a relaxing and fun night in the middle of your week, come to the pub at nine with a few friends and play pool for free (only on Wednesdays!). The music satisfies all kinds of music listeners–those looking for ambiance and easy listening, as well as the more active music listeners.
The music is both easy-listening and engaging, and close listeners find themselves entranced by each of the three parts coming together to make up-tempo and fluid music.
Whether the music is the complement to your conversation or the reason you come to the pub, the Joe Deleault Irish Sessions makes your time well spent.