Being Jazz Musician myself, was brought to the music through my Irish grandmother who would play her records when I was a kid and was drawn to the sound of the flute and took it up later in life. I agree I think there is a spiritual connection myself especially on the minor tunes and it is fascinating as David mentioned how many tunes have been created with just the diatonic scale. There is a beauty in being limited that way and it feeds the Jazz vocabulary making you play more melodically at times! Also you can't beat the Irish air ballads it connects to everyone!
Last summer I spent a week at the Belfast Trad Fest going to trad sessions every day at different pubs and never saw any dancing. I had to go to a designated Ceili dance at a hall for dancing.
![Irish Harp Lesson 1 - [The Basics] Start Here](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Xzzn17w2ZRg/mqdefault.jpg)
![Irish Harp Lesson 1 - [The Basics] Start Here](/img/tr.png)
Being Jazz Musician myself, was brought to the music through my Irish grandmother who would play her records when I was a kid and was drawn to the sound of the flute and took it up later in life. I agree I think there is a spiritual connection myself especially on the minor tunes and it is fascinating as David mentioned how many tunes have been created with just the diatonic scale. There is a beauty in being limited that way and it feeds the Jazz vocabulary making you play more melodically at times! Also you can't beat the Irish air ballads it connects to everyone!
Can that really be true...trad music and dance have become divorced in Irish pubs? Sad if so.
Last summer I spent a week at the Belfast Trad Fest going to trad sessions every day at different pubs and never saw any dancing. I had to go to a designated Ceili dance at a hall for dancing.
Sure the dancing is going strong in Ireland, just not in the pubs generally :)