Pittsburgh Irish Sessions

Traditional sessions are a wonderful and unique piece of Irish culture. They are fun gatherings of musicians and music lovers, for sharing tunes, craic, and pints. Featuring instruments anyone would recognize, like fiddles and banjos, as well as more esoteric options, like bouzoukis and uilleann pipes, they’re also a great way for spectators to get a little taste of Ireland. Traditionally, sessions were held in the kitchen of a musical family’s house. Today they’re generally held in Irish pubs, although house sessions are not unheard of. Wherever a group of trad musicians gathers, it’s hard to stop a session from breaking out. Irish sessions are not jam sessions in the rock or jazz sense of the term, as improvisation is generally not welcome. Musicians come knowing a subset of the overall group repertoire and jump in and out of the playing for tunes they are familiar with. Most sessions also have a leader or leaders, experienced musicians with a wide knowledge of tunes and Irish musical traditions who help keep the music flowing.

This group generally meets weekly, or 3-4 times a month with rotating locations. Be sure to visit https://pghsessions.com/ for up-to-date information. You can also check out their Facebook page for more.