The Kane Sisters & Edel Fox at Katherine Cornell Theater

Great concert last night at Katherine Cornell Theater on the Vineyard. Lovely ladies, great spirit and energy, fabulous music! Thank you!

The Kane Sisters & Edel Fox at Katherine Cornell Theater from Sara Piazza on Vimeo.

Edel Fox at Katherine Cornell Theater from Sara Piazza on Vimeo.

A favorite set - When the Cock Crows, You Know it's Day/Patsy Garrity.

The Kane Sisters & Edel Fox II from Sara Piazza on Vimeo.

The Kane Sisters & Edel Fox at Katherine Cornell Theater IV from Sara Piazza on Vimeo.

Homegrown

 Recent finds from the local thrift shop - 2/$5.00.

Saturday Night Porch Session, July 16, 2011

These porch sessions just get better and better. In addition to the core of great trad, there is also the occasional surprise visitor. Last week it was the psych nurse from Alaska and his mandolin; this week, Jose and his home-made charango. This is turning out to be the best summer, ever.

Porch Session July 16, 2011, Featuring Jose and His Charango from Sara Piazza on Vimeo.

One day when I was playing my bouzouki on the porch, a gentleman I had seen many times riding by on his bicycle stopped and introduced himself to me and told me about a South American instrument that he played, an instrument that he described as having 10 strings, called a charango.

Tonight, Jose came to the porch session and brought his charango, a Bolivian instrument whose body is traditionally created from the shell of the armadillo, but that he had crafted from wood, complete with the story of life and man's relationship to God carved into the back.

His music was a gift to us all.

More footage:

Porch Session, July 16, 2011 from Sara Piazza on Vimeo.

Fourth of July Porch Session

The Alison Boylston Piazza House, a/k/a the Midnight Mermaid.


I've begun what I hope will become a Fourth of July tradition: a barbecue on the front lawn along with music on the porch (videos at the end). My Main Street house is right on the parade route, in the center of the celebrations - which includes the parade that begins at 5:00, topped off with fireworks over the nearby harbor - so is a perfect place for a session. This brings to full circle a story that was referred to often in my childhood. According to a Vineyard Gazette piece that appeared in a May 1948 issue, my Main Street house was moved from Ocean Heights in 1848, being rolled into town on logs by oxen (imagine the house being pulled forward a few feet, with the men then removing the rear-most log and placing it the front row - over and over for three miles down a dirt road). As the story is told, that particular May day culminated with a rare spring snow storm (records of which I've never been able to find), and as was the custom of the day, with a pot-luck feast, replete with fiddlers.







A couple of the lads, fresh back from the beach.



Cormac and Bob.



Cormac



David



David, Levi, Cormac, and Bob.



Levi, Cormac, and Bob.



Levi and Cormac.



Levi, Cormac, and Bob.



Susie and David



Levi, Cormac, Bob, and David.



Fourth of July Porch Session from Sara Piazza on Vimeo.
Footage from our inaugural Alison Boylston Piazza House/Midnight Mermaid porch session, July 4, 2011. Great tunes, great friends, great craic!


Fourth of July Porch Session 2 from Sara Piazza on Vimeo.
The Bucks of Oranmore with Levi, Cormac, Bob, Susie, and David.

This was a great day - from swimming at Bend in the Road, to the parade, the BBQ, and great music - all topped off with spectacular fireworks over Edgartown Harbor.

Liam and Flora

Shot back in May at Tommy Doyle's, on the eve of Flora's sister, Annesta's, birth.

Liam and Flora from Sara Piazza on Vimeo.

Tommy Doyle's, June 30, 2011

I was glad to be back at my old haunt on Thursday night after being AWOL for the past two weeks. Great music, great friends.

Tommy Doyle's, June 30, 2011 from Sara Piazza on Vimeo.

Tommy Doyle's, June 30, 2011, clip 2 from Sara Piazza on Vimeo.