Joe Derrane
Encyclopedia
Joe Derrane is an Irish-American button accordion player, the greatest exponent of the D/C# system diatonic accordion.
Derrane's parents were Irish immigrants. His father played accordion and his mother the fiddle. At the age of 10, young Joe began playing a one-row diatonic button accordion
or melodeon, taking lessons with Jerry O'Brien, who had arrived freom Kinsale
, County Cork, Ireland. By the age of 14 he was performing at the thriving "kitchen rackets" (house parties) on the Boston Irish scene. He soon upgraded to a 2-row D/C# accordion (the standard "American Irish" tuning of the time), and by the age of 17 was a leading musician in the Irish dancehalls on Dudley Street, Roxbury
. This brought him exposure on radio. In 1947-48 he recorded eight 78rpm singles (16 sides) of Irish dance tunes, which were widely admired for Derrane's vigorous, accurate and highly ornamented playing.
By the late 1950s the Irish dancehalls in Roxbury were in terminal decline. By this time Derrane was married with children, and needed to continue supplementing his income through music. He switched to piano accordion and formed a band to play for weddings and similar engagements, moving away from traditional Irish music to popular music and music from other traditions, including Italian and Jewish. By the mid-1970s musical tastes had changed once more and Derrane again switched instruments, moving to electronic keyboards. He retired from music in 1990.
The story might have ended there, but in 1993 Rego Records reissued the 16 78rpm cuts on CD (Irish Accordion). The recordings again generated considerable interest. Many assumed that the man who had made them in the late 1940s had died. On learning that Joe Derrane was still alive, journalist Earle Hitchener contacted him, after which Derrane started playing the button accordion again. In 1994 he was invited to perform at the Wolf Trap Festival
in Vienna, Virginia
. He practiced intensively in preparation for what he thought would be the last appearance of his life. His hour-long virtuoso performance (accompanied by Felix Dolan, piano) received a rapturous response from the audience of 1,200 and relaunched a second career as a button accordionist.
Since 1994 Joe Derrane has recorded two solo albums and four collaborations with prestigious players. He has appeared on radio and television many times, including The Pure Drop on Irish TV (RTE
). He was the subject of a documentary by Frank Ferrel, As Played By Joe Derrane, and of another broadcast by TG4
as part of its Sé mo laoch series. He has toured Canada, Switzerland and the Netherlands, and appeared with The Chieftains
at Boston Symphony Hall
. In 1998, Derrane was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann
(North American Province) for his contribution to Irish traditional music. In 2004 The National Endowment for the Arts annually awarded him a Heritage Fellowship. In 2006 he appeared at the National Folk Festival (USA)
.
Joe Derrane and Carl Hession.
Joe Derrane, Frankie Gavin and Brian McGrath.
Joe Derrane and Jerry O'Brien.
Joe Derrane, Séamus Connolly and John McGann.
Joe Derrane and John McGann
Anthology - Tulla Ceili Band, Joe Derrane, Tom Doherty et al.
Anthology - Deanta, Capercaillie, Altan, Joe Derrane, Kornog, Eileen Ivers, Silly Wizard et al.
Derrane's parents were Irish immigrants. His father played accordion and his mother the fiddle. At the age of 10, young Joe began playing a one-row diatonic button accordion
Diatonic button accordion
A diatonic button accordion or melodeon is a type of button accordion where the melody-side keyboard is limited to the notes of diatonic scales in a small number of keys...
or melodeon, taking lessons with Jerry O'Brien, who had arrived freom Kinsale
Kinsale
Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...
, County Cork, Ireland. By the age of 14 he was performing at the thriving "kitchen rackets" (house parties) on the Boston Irish scene. He soon upgraded to a 2-row D/C# accordion (the standard "American Irish" tuning of the time), and by the age of 17 was a leading musician in the Irish dancehalls on Dudley Street, Roxbury
Roxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868...
. This brought him exposure on radio. In 1947-48 he recorded eight 78rpm singles (16 sides) of Irish dance tunes, which were widely admired for Derrane's vigorous, accurate and highly ornamented playing.
By the late 1950s the Irish dancehalls in Roxbury were in terminal decline. By this time Derrane was married with children, and needed to continue supplementing his income through music. He switched to piano accordion and formed a band to play for weddings and similar engagements, moving away from traditional Irish music to popular music and music from other traditions, including Italian and Jewish. By the mid-1970s musical tastes had changed once more and Derrane again switched instruments, moving to electronic keyboards. He retired from music in 1990.
The story might have ended there, but in 1993 Rego Records reissued the 16 78rpm cuts on CD (Irish Accordion). The recordings again generated considerable interest. Many assumed that the man who had made them in the late 1940s had died. On learning that Joe Derrane was still alive, journalist Earle Hitchener contacted him, after which Derrane started playing the button accordion again. In 1994 he was invited to perform at the Wolf Trap Festival
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, known locally in the Washington, D.C. area as simply Wolf Trap, is a performing arts center located on 130 acres of national park land in Wolf Trap, Virginia...
in Vienna, Virginia
Vienna, Virginia
Vienna is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 15,687. Significantly more people live in zip codes with the Vienna postal addresses bordered approximately by Interstate 66 on the south, Interstate 495 on the east, Route 7 to...
. He practiced intensively in preparation for what he thought would be the last appearance of his life. His hour-long virtuoso performance (accompanied by Felix Dolan, piano) received a rapturous response from the audience of 1,200 and relaunched a second career as a button accordionist.
Since 1994 Joe Derrane has recorded two solo albums and four collaborations with prestigious players. He has appeared on radio and television many times, including The Pure Drop on Irish TV (RTE
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
). He was the subject of a documentary by Frank Ferrel, As Played By Joe Derrane, and of another broadcast by TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
as part of its Sé mo laoch series. He has toured Canada, Switzerland and the Netherlands, and appeared with The Chieftains
The Chieftains
The Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
at Boston Symphony Hall
Symphony Hall, Boston
Symphony Hall is a concert hall located at 301 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by McKim, Mead and White, it was built in 1900 for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which continues to make the hall its home. The hall was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1999...
. In 1998, Derrane was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann
Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann
Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann is the primary Irish organisation dedicated to the promotion of the music, song, dance and the language of Ireland. The name of the organisation is often abbreviated to Comhaltas or CCÉ...
(North American Province) for his contribution to Irish traditional music. In 2004 The National Endowment for the Arts annually awarded him a Heritage Fellowship. In 2006 he appeared at the National Folk Festival (USA)
National Folk Festival (USA)
The National Folk Festival is an itinerant folk festival in the United States. Since 1934, it has been run by the National Council for the Traditional Arts and has been presented in 26 communities around the nation...
.
Discography
Solo albums- Irish Accordion (1993, reissued 1995) (singles from the 1940s)
- Give Us Another (1995)
- The Tie That Binds (1998)
Joe Derrane and Carl Hession.
- Return To Inis Mor (1996)
Joe Derrane, Frankie Gavin and Brian McGrath.
- Ireland's Harvest (2002)
Joe Derrane and Jerry O'Brien.
- Irish Accordion Masters (1996)
Joe Derrane, Séamus Connolly and John McGann.
- The Boston Edge (2004)
Joe Derrane and John McGann
- The Man behind The Box (2005)
Anthology - Tulla Ceili Band, Joe Derrane, Tom Doherty et al.
- Baby Let Me Squeeze Your Box (2007)
Anthology - Deanta, Capercaillie, Altan, Joe Derrane, Kornog, Eileen Ivers, Silly Wizard et al.
- Green Linnet Records: 25 Years of Celtic Music (2006)