The traditional Irish music scene in Baltimore is seriously underrated — at least according to Billy McComiskey.
“Just about any night of the week, if you go out, you can hear good traditional Irish music. It’s just one of those understated things,” the Parkville resident said.
A master of the Irish button accordion, McComiskey began studying the instrument in first grade, then honed his skills in his early teens with the late accordion player Sean McGlynn. His love and respect for traditional Irish music is evident in “Outside the Box,” his first studio release in more than 25 years.
Did you grow up in a musical household?
My father is from Northern Ireland, and my mother’s parents were from the Republic of Ireland. My mother loved to dance and sing Irish music, and all of my mother’s family played something. It’s just handed down from one generation to another.
They brought this culture over with them, and naturally, when they got to America, they congregated around like-minded people. So I was pretty well exposed to the real thing.
What is Irish traditional music exactly?
Irish traditional music is a very old art form; it’s been a part of Irish culture for centuries. You can do anything you want with it — whistle it, hum it, play it, sing it, dance to it, write it, or just kind of gather around it — that’s the beautiful thing.
How did you go about deciding what to place on the new record?
I was more concerned with making a recording that anyone can listen to. I just happened to be fortunate enough to work with some of the most highly accomplished Irish musicians in North America. So I composed some tunes, collected a few that I really liked, and it seemed like everything else fell into place.
IF YOU GO
Billy McComiskey Album Release Party and Jam
Where: Creative Alliance at the Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave., Baltimore
When: 7 p.m. Sunday
Tickets: $17 to $20
Info: www.creativealliance.org
