Judd Heartsill was inspired to take up button accordion in 1997 after hearing the incomparable Jackie Daly play live with Patrick Street. He has recorded three albums with his friends from Houston’s Irish Traditional band, “The Jig is Up”, and also particularly enjoys playing for set dancers. He is really grateful to play with the wonderful Irish musicians around the state of Texas, and grateful for the new generation of musicians coming up. Judd plays in C#/D tuning. He advocates that box players should copy fiddlers, and that fiddlers should copy pipers. He advocates that everybody should copy harpists. He believes Joe Cooley is fairly correct in saying that “Irish music… is the only music that brings people to their senses” (although in secret he sometimes comes to his senses while listening to Thelonious Monk).