Blarney Rubble
The members of Blarney Rubble first met at a weekly jam session of old time and traditional tunes that Mike Jenner hosted at his home in Bakersfield back in 1996. The first gigging incarnation of the group, which included Carla Brown on fiddle, Brenda Hunter on hammered dulcimer, Matt Sarad on guitar, Mike Jenner on banjo and Dave Ogden on bouzouki got together to play a St. Patrick's Day party for free beer in 1997. The name was a joke that Brenda thought up, seeing as how Matt just happened to be a huge Flintstones fan and even had a life size Barney Rubble doll. The shamrock festooned doll was a feature at all the early gigs with Matt and Mike, and the name took on a life of its own.
The Blarney Rubble CD was recorded after Matt and Mike decided they were more interested in playing bluegrass and headed off in that direction. Brenda, Carla and Dave are on the CD. The trio gigged around SoCal until 2001, when Carla moved and Brenda joined an all-women Celtic band in Bakersfield called Mama's Midlife Crisis.
Where Are They Now?
- Brenda Hunter is currently directing the choirs at a high school in Bakersfield, CA and playing in the popular SoCal all-women Celtic ensemble Banshee in the Kitchen.
- Carla Brown is building a house in Pinyon Hills, CA with her new husband, mandolin player Steve Lawson. Carla's playing as well as ever, and has become a popular violin teacher in the area.
- Matt Sarad is teaching 8th grade in Shafter, CA, lives in Bakersfield and plays bass in the Slim the Drifter band with his son Alex on guitar. He also plays a mean fingerstyle guitar and is developing a very latent interest in Harleys.
- Mike Jenner married his lovely wife Jean the year after leaving Blarney Rubble, and they now have two young sons. Mike is the editor of the local Bakersfield newspaper "The Californian."
The Blarney Rubble CD
Click on a song title link to play a 90-second, 1.5MB MP3 sample tune clip! Please be patient while it downloads.
- Polkas: Denis Murphy's / Bill Sullivan's / John Ryan's (4:47)
- Jigs: The Road to Lisdoonvarna / Sean Ryan's / The Kesh (4:39)
- Return to Fingal / Kemp's Jig (4:06)
- O'Carolan's Quarrel With the Landlady (4:52)
- The Ballydesmond Polkas #1 and 2 (4:12)
- Slip Jigs: The Butterfly / Down the Brae (5:03)
- Jigs: Lambert's / Tobin's / Morrison's (3:55)
- Waltzes: Margaret's / Cape Sky (4:23)
- Planxty Irwin / The Wise Maid (4:06)
- Full Rigged Ship / New Rigged Ship (3:54)
- Innisheer (3:16)
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