I'm Not Fed Up with the Pacific Ocean • Casey Driessen & Éamonn Coyne • [OTHERLANDS: Scotland]

This recording is the 11th in a new multi-episode project by Casey Driessen titled - OTHERLANDS: A Global Music Exploration.
LOCATION: Roslin, Scotland
DATE: December 19, 2019
CREDITS
Songs: I'm Not Fed Up with the Pacific Ocean (Ola Bäckström)
Music Arranged by: Casey Driessen & Éamonn Coyne
Tenor Banjo: Éamonn Coyne
Fiddle & Audio/Video: Casey Driessen
Additional Music: Jenny's Welcome to Charlie (Intro, traditional) Yellow Wattle (Outro, traditional)
EQUIPMENT
The following Shure microphones were used in the making of this collaboration. If you’re interested in learning more and/or purchasing one, please use the links below. This helps to support the music I make. Thank you.
Shure KSM44 [large diaphragm condenser] (amzn.to/2OMSAR9)
Shure KSM141 [small diaphragm condenser] (amzn.to/3bjbQ1U)
Shure BETA 181 [fig-8] (amzn.to/2S47FQf)
Shure MV88+ [stereo video mic] (amzn.to/3bftnZ5)
Shure A75M [universal mic mount] (amzn.to/2tzylyR)
Shure A53M [shock stopper] (amzn.to/2Ox3hqx)
ABOUT THE COLLABORATION
While in Ireland, I checked in with Éamonn to see if he was around. It was then I learned that he lived outside of Edinburgh, Scotland. One month later, I rang him the day we arrived to Glasgow. He had just one day open before the holidays...and it was the very next day. Through a combination of train, bus, and foot I was at his front door by late morning.
**To learn more about Éamonn and his projects, please visit: (www.eamoncoyne.com)
We mused about what an Irish banjo player and American fiddler should play in Scotland. Éamonn said there's a tune that's been in his head lately-it was from a group called Swåp, formed by two Britons and two Swedes. Could it be a fit for us? Seemed like a perfect fit to me.
Sitting around his kitchen island, we checked the original recording for our own accuracy. I scribbled down a few melody fragments, and he adjusted a few notes in his melody. The melody sit in the key of G more easily on the tenor banjo (rather than the original D), and with the extra range available on my 5-string fiddle, it was also a great fit for me. The melody and tempo of the tune was so pleasing that we debated whether or not to add more tunes for a medley-as is common for Irish or Scottish music. In the end, we decided, since nothing is normal about this collaboration (Irish and American musicians in Scotland playing a Swedish tune at Christmas), we would bypass the standard conventions and play the tune, and only the tune.
The takes begin. Playing and hanging with Éamonn is so easy. Conversation flows. We have history. After a few times through, testing harmonies and registers, we decide that it's not getting any better so we call it a day on this piece.
Sadly, one of Éamonn's musical heroes and friends had passed away the day before, Irish guitar pioneer Arty McGlynn. Earlier while we rehearsed, Éamonn told me a story of how Arty encouraged him to keep playing as a teenager and how important that message had been for him. After we had finished our tune, Éamonn played some of his favorite Arty recordings and educated me on Arty's contributions to the Irish tradition. Picking his banjo back up, he picked a tune called "Jenny's Welcome to Charlie," off of Arty's first record, McGlynn's Fancy. I backed him up and we finished our day playing with this small tribute which can be heard during the intro footage.
If you’d like to read more about our collaboration, please visit:
www.caseydriessen.com/blog/im-...
To follow along the OTHERLANDS project, please visit:
OTHERLANDS Webpage (www.CaseyDriessen.com/Otherlands)
Instagram ( / caseydriessen ,
Facebook ( / caseydriessen ,
or this TH-cam channel.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
OTHERLANDS: A Global Music Exploration follows GRAMMY-nominated 5-string American fiddler Casey Driessen as he travels with his family to various countries across the globe to meet with local acoustic-based musicians with roots in their own traditions. Musical exchanges and travels are documented via audio, video and photography elements with collected materials released over the course of the project via his website and social media outlets and official musical releases likely to come at the end of travels.
OTHERLANDS is an independently designed and produced project that is self-contained with a small collection of audio and video equipment. All engineering and recording, including any post-production, can be set up, operated, and completed by Casey wherever on the globe he happens to be.
For more information and to follow the project, please visit - www.CaseyDriessen.com/Otherlands

[@stolky6295]

Casey, I've been listening to your music for years, but just ran across Eamonn for the first time. Then found this. Absolutely wonderful, you two are naturals together!

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Thanks. We have a good time.

[@JohnDuncanAVLFiddler]

beautiful tune. easy going and groovy. thank you for all the hard work going into this series!

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Thanks for taking the time to watch and write. It's been a learning experience in every aspect. Glad to be on this adventure!

[@IMaProudPOP]

Insanely well played. Am speechless. Thanks for sharing this!

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Thank you Robert! Éamonn makes hanging and playing easy :-)

[@ian5306]

Hello Casey & Éamonn,
4.16 a.m here in North Ayrshire and through looking for recordings Of ‘ I’m not fed up with the Pacific Ocean ‘ I found you two. This is really joyful stuff. Great arrangement and played so effortlessly...... so glad that I couldn’t get back to sleep!
I already am looking forward to hearing more of your playing and I hope to hear more of the two of you getting together to play more tunes. You make a great sound together.
Best wishes
Ian

[@CaseyDriessenMusic]

Hi Ian, thanks for having a listen and sharing your impression. Eamonn is a great hang, tunes or not. I also look forward to more :-) Cheers!