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Musician and SCP poet Jeff Eardley performs the traditional Irish tunes “The Tenpenny Bit” and “Kesh Jig” in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Enjoy!

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Jeff Eardley lives in the heart of England near to the Peak District National Park and is a local musician playing guitar, mandolin and piano steeped in the music of America, including the likes of Ry Cooder, Paul Simon, and particularly Hank Williams.

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21 Responses

  1. Margaret Coats

    Thanks, Jeff! Very much enjoyed. We’ll be singing The Lorica as recessional at church this morning.

    Reply
    • Jeff Eardley

      Thanks Margaret. I hope you had a peaceful day and hopefully a musical evening.

      Reply
  2. Paul A. Freeman

    What a way to wake up! I’m out of breath, Jeff.

    Great stuff.

    Reply
  3. jd

    Very well done, Jeff. With the rather intriguing title, though, I would love some words.
    Or are the two traditional jigs also? That would be quite the coincidence.

    Reply
    • Jeff Eardley

      Thank you jd. You are right. They are both traditional Irish session tunes. The Kesh jig is probably the best known of them all.

      Reply
  4. Roy E. Peterson

    Jeff, the apex of poetry is music as beautifully performed by you. What a perfect way to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day.

    Reply
    • Jeff Eardley

      Thank you Roy for your most graceful comment. Hope you are having a good day.

      Reply
  6. Brian A. Yapko

    Awesome.music, Jeff! Thank you for this gift. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

    Reply
  7. James A. Tweedie

    Music and poetry are like fraternal twins; distinctly different yet inseparably the same. Happy Paddy’s Day to all, with a tip o’ the hat to Jeff (and, hopefully, a few tips IN his hat as well, when he performs his music in some lively venue this evening).

    Reply
  8. Jeff Eardley

    Oh thank you James. Any comment from a fellow musician is like icing on the cake, or the froth on a chilled pint of Guinness. Interesting to see how Chicago does this so well, even turning the river green.
    Thanks for the kind comment.

    Reply
  10. C.B Anderson

    A delightful interlude, as usual. Did you play both instruments? Bluegrass, which developed from Appalachian mountain music brough over by Scotch-Irish immigrants, is still my favorite genre.

    Reply
  11. Jeff Eardley

    CB, there are actually 3 instruments, mandolin, guitar and bass. I got into bluegrass after that amazing soundtrack to the Bonnie and Clyde movie and played the banjo for years. I have since recovered.
    Banjo players bear the brunt of many gags. My favourite…What is the difference between an onion and a banjo?…No-one cries when you chop up a banjo. Happy St Patrick’s to you. Hope you are having a good one. Chicago looks a great place to be tonight.

    Reply
  12. Susan Jarvis Bryant

    Jeff, this treat is St. Patrick’s Day perfection! I thank you wholeheartedly for sending me on a trip down memory lane to an Irish pub at London Bridge that was full of the wonders of the Emerald Isle… every day of the year! Thank you for sharing your musical gifts.

    Reply
    • Jeff Eardley

      Thanks Susan. Yes, I remember the days when every town had an Irish pub or two. They seem to have died out these days, which is a pity as the music is so congenial to large gatherings of revellers. It is a privilege to share today with you, Jeffrey and Roy. Best wishes to you guys.

      Reply

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