| Joe Derrane | |
|---|---|
Joe Derrane, 2005 |
|
| Background information | |
| Born | 16 March 1930 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Genres | Irish |
| Occupations | Musician |
| Instruments | Button accordion |
| Years active | 1947–present |
Joe Derrane (Boston, Massachusetts, 16 March 1930) 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).
Solo albums
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.