Blog — caseydriessen

fiddle

Got an Old Upright in the AirBnB • with Michael Biggins

Got an Old Upright in the AirBnB • with Michael Biggins

Michael and I met at my first few jam session down in Glasgow. His rhythm, harmony, and left hand bass saved the day for me, and we planned to get together after the holidays. Luckily, my AirBnB came with an upright piano that was relatively in tune—5 stars for amenities.

I'm Not Fed Up with the Pacific Ocean • with Éamonn Coyne

I'm Not Fed Up with the Pacific Ocean •  with Éamonn Coyne

What do an Irishman and an American play for a collaboration in Scotland? The answer is simple, a Swedish tune. Just before the Christmas holiday, on our one overlapping day, I reunited with an old friend in Edinburgh.

Tunes in the Arisaig House Bar with Eilidh Shaw & Ross Martin

Tunes in the Arisaig House Bar with Eilidh Shaw & Ross Martin

When I mentioned to friends I was heading up to the western Highlands of Scotland, I kept hearing that I should meet fiddler Eilidh Shaw and guitarist Ross Martin. They were right. We met on many different occasions and were able to record in an amazing location.

"Peggy Gordon" w/ Tommy O'Sullivan

"Peggy Gordon" w/ Tommy O'Sullivan

Back in 2013, I was headed down the west coast of Ireland and landed in Dingle for a day. As I order a drink at the Courthouse Pub, the man behind the bar asks, "Do you play the fiddle?" Yes. "Is your name Casey?" Yes. This man is Tommy O'Sullivan and he runs the pub with his wife Saundra. It turns out we had met in Texas. When planning to return to Ireland with my family, a stopover in Dingle was a must.

"K" with Anxo Pintos

"K" with Anxo Pintos

Two days before leaving Spain, I met with Galician master hurdy gurdy musician and composer Anxo Pintos. Instrumental and personal synergy were immediate and before we knew it, the sun had gone down.