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What Happened In Lorient, Tremolo Band and More..

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 2 Comments

Breton traditional music band “Bagad de Lann Bihoue” performs a traditional Breton dance on August 7, 2011 in Lorient, in Brittany in northwestern France, during the celtic nations Great Parade of the “Festival Interceltique de Lorient” (Interceltic Festival of Lorient). It is the 41st edition of the event, the world largest gathering of Celtic cultures which aims at promoting the interceltism.(Fred Tanneau/AFP/Getty Images)
 
 

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The “One Voice” project that I am launching it is still in the works. I am still waiting for contributions from other musicians. It is hard  now especially that most of them are on tour. I have to wait and waiting in not my strong point. I feel like I just feel like jumping  because I am so excited about this and it is taking too long to happen.

“One Voice” is a collective effort of Celtic musicians and their views about Peace. It’s nice to read the quotes I got.  Everyone has something  to say.  I like this happening because I know musicians are also curious about what their fellow artists are going to say. So it should be great. So many troubling things happened recently both personal and global in scale. Reading something positive for a change is what we must do.

Now let’s get the ball rolling. Here is an amazing video I got from youtube about the Interceltique Festival in Lorient France. This is Breton festival at its finest. I have been following this for years and I am hoping one day, I’ll get to go and feel totally immersed in music and  sweat. It’s like Woodstock-without the drugged hippies. LOL! I like the old guys near the end of the video(around 12:21 and how they’re rockin’ it! That’s the spirit papa bears! I am really howling here!

The Lorient celtic festival is one of Brittany’s biggest events in the year, held over 10 days from 5th -14th August 2011, it made for a great day out. This Video was taken on the afternoon and evening of Wednesday 10th August, some of the bands that were playing that day were ‘Mask ha Boutik’ who were a joy to watch and open this video and ‘Doolin’ are also featured. Over the 10 day event over 2000 bands play, its a case of just walking around the town centre and a new band starts playing. The event starts early in the day and runs into the early hours each morning, friends said they were there until 4am last Saturday and had a fantastic night.

The streets are packed with people enjoying the event and everyone is just there to enjoy themselfs.

http://www.brittanyholidaycottagetorent.com

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Tremolo and Elva MacGowan perform in the Cobblestone Dublin 29/07/11. Tremolo – Donall Donnelly (fiddle), Karl Nesbitt (flute/bouzouki), Donncha Moynihan (guitar), Stijn VanBeek (uilleann pipes).

Tremolo band pack the heat for the following reasons. All the members  are accomplished musicians. Each has his own successful solo project. The music is innovative and melodic. They are very active in the national music scene. Karl Nesbitt whom I had the honor to interview is a member and he updates me once in a while. You should check their live shows and also get to hear their wonderful tunes.

http://tremoloband.com

http://www.karlnesbitt.com/

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Ronan Browne – one of those pipers who show an amazing sense of humor while playing one of those temperamental instruments. I love the flourishes he makes here.

More info from youtube:

This is the beautiful air Port na bPúcaí (The Music of the Fairies) from the Blasket Islands. It was said that islanders heard a mystical music and, thinking it was disquieted spirits, they made this air using the notes they heard in an attempt to placate the unhappy ghosts.

Recent thinking suggests that they were, in fact, listening to whale-song reverberating through the canvas hulls of their boats. In the mid 1990s I went rooting through some cassettes of whale song and there in the middle of the Orca (Killer Whale) section I heard the opening notes of Port na bPúcaí!

This air has been a favourite of mine since I first heard it played by Seán Potts and Paddy Moloney on their 1974 Claddagh LP. It sounds gorgeous on my old 1840/50s Harrington union pipes; the regulators, unable to provide “safe” accompaniment and resorting to discord, paint a fitting seascape for our king Dolphin!

This video was filmed by Fionnula Flanagan during a concert of Róisín Elsafty, Siobhán Armstrong and myself at St. Nicholas’ medieval church, Galway in May, 2011. The concert was staged by the Galway Early Music Festival.

Donie’s Message of Peace

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 2 Comments

A guilty conscience needs to confess. A work of art is a confession.
Albert Camus

An artist is always alone – if he is an artist. No, what the artist needs is loneliness.
Henry Miller

Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in.
Amy Lowell

Photo Courtesy: Mary Ryan

Great weekend to you folks! Today I am showcasing the works of my friend Donie Ryan who is from Dublin. We have been friends for years. Every now and then he updates me with what he’s doing. It is really great to be able to talk to someone who is passionate with what he does and also like music!

Donie and I have been discussing about what’s happening around. In this vein I recall when a dear friend told me about the bombing in Norway. “It’s in the news!” I was so perturbed realizing how detached my life has been , avoiding the evening news. Things like this make people want to do something. Donie did and he is sharing his thoughts with us today here at CMF.

Photo courtesy of Mary Ryan

Photo courtesy of Mary Ryan

So can you tell us more about the story behind the painting?

As most people are horrified by war, I’m trying to make a statement about it.
It’s a new theme I and will be doing more of this series , silhouettes of war, the horror of it and what it does to people.
Art reflects the state of mind of the society. Do you think art can be healing too?
Yes in a way, comforting, if the viewer understands the painting I hope it gives them solace that other people are trying to make a difference.
The more people who see the work, the more it might enter their thoughts about war.
I started this theme because of the horrors in the middle east,  Syria and so on, things on the news that make you sick.
How long did you work in this painting? And what’s the approximated dimension?
about 10 to 12 hours
and the size?
38 x 22
Donie sent me this video by Phil Lynott and from then on I became a fan of this man’s music!
I believe that painters, like musicians, need clusters of like-minded people for support and inspiration. Do you hang out with other artists,running around with you in Dublin? And what are they like?
I have more musician friends than artists. Well I only have two artist friends
and their styles are quite different and also better as they went to art school. But it’s always good to get their constructive criticism, even though I generally don’t listen to them.
Hahahahaha I like that!
People always say ” you should of done this or not done that”, but these people are not artists, and every stroke is there for a reason.
So a series devoted to this idea is on the works. How long is it going to be?
im not sure but I’d like to do six anyway. But as I’ve told you,  I am going to Canada for a year, and I’m sure I’ll be painting over there too.
Will there be plans for an show of all the paintings you’ve done through the years?
I’d love to but they are all over the place due to a  lot of borrowing and transporting.Someday… hopefully not  after my funeral hahaha .
Picture courtesy of Dav Nagle

Snapshots of Moments in Songs: Abby Green(Interview)

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 3 Comments

Abby Green takes us into the the recording adventure she undertook for the second album “Fig for a Kiss”. She explains to us the joys and hardships that came into fruition as the album was finally completed. But this was without the “frustration and gnashing of teeth”– things that happen when you want something best to be put out.

Abby Green - Trillium 5-course Irish Cittern / Bouzouki & voice* EJ Jones - Scottish Smallpipes, Flute, Borders Pipes * Michelle Levy - Fiddle * Cayla Cardiff - harmony vocals * Ceridwyn Mizera - harmony vocals * Randy Miller - Mixing, mastering * Cecily Johnson - Photography

Abby Green - Trillium 5-course Irish Cittern / Bouzouki & voice* EJ Jones - Scottish Smallpipes, Flute, Borders Pipes * Michelle Levy - Fiddle * Cayla Cardiff - harmony vocals * Ceridwyn Mizera - harmony vocals * Randy Miller - Mixing, mastering * Cecily Johnson - Photography

Such a joy when a postman delivered this wonderful CD  to me.Though, I had to wait a while  since I live on the other side of the globe. But music transcends borders. The album cover is grass green. Just like the over all atmosphere of the album. There is  that dominant organic feel to it. Her first album Éiníní already received praises.

What inspired you to put up the Fig For A Kiss Album?

A recording project is a way a musician can take a snapshot of your musical growth, love, experiences. As long as I am collecting songs, performing, learning from other musicians, I will be inspired to do another recording project. These are the 10 of the many songs I have loved, learned and developed over the last few years.

What’s it like working on the tracks?

The hard part about recording is that it’s forever. The snapshot part I said before is both good and bad… well exciting and scary. I love this music, it’s exciting to record it and be able to share it. The scary part is that it’s forever. Did I sing my best? Did I arrange the song in a way that tells the story with the rise of conflict and resolution? There are so many things to think about and consider. I want each track to be enjoyable, unique, and representative of my abilities and love. There is much frustration and gnashing of teeth in the process, but in the end, I admit that I actually really like my CD! So the reward is a project I can be proud to present.

I agree with what you said about recording as ‘forever’ because it is there for life. Do you consider yourself as a perfectionist?

I want it to be the best I can do right now… Sometimes it’s hard to capture the best performance when you have the mic on and a studio full of sound technicians. When it comes to editing, though, I find that I want the overall FEEL of the track to be a certain way, but the specific solos and scientific precision doesn’t interest me so much. In fact, the slight imperfections make music real. For me, music is all about feeling.

What are the valuable lessons you learned working with this kind of project?

I learned that I have some amazingly talented and creative friends. I already knew that, but they made it quite obvious with the way they played and sang and added to the songs on this CD.

Who are the musicians you dreamed of working on future projects?

I don’t dream of anyone specific, just the people who share my musical loves and desire to learn and share music. I always look forward to meeting more people who fit that description.

Tell us about the instruments( mandolin and cittern) you always use and what made you choose them.

I play a Davy Stuart octave mandolin named Molly, and I play a Trillium Irish cittern named Trixie. I started learning to play(cittern) this type of instrument because I love tunes AND songs. This instrument has a low enough range that it is nice to accompany singing, and because it is tuned like a mandolin or violin, I can work toward playing tunes – the tuning works well under the fingers theoretically.

Your great voice simply belongs to Gaelic tracks of your album. I will cite Trua Gan Peata. You sound like someone whose Gaelic is her first language. I do know that it is not. How did you cultivate this?

First, I believe non-native speakers or learners of any language should respect the language and tradition they are tackling. Take the time to learn even a little. I went to classes to learn Irish for a couple of years….. that’s not a long time, but it was enough time to at least give me some knowledge to start with AND to make contacts with teachers across the globe. Now, I approach each song with the lyrics written in front of me, a recording or a native Irish speaker, and access to teachers who will help me put a few pieces together. Second, you have to be willing to let go of the fear of butchering the language. If you fear it, you will mess it up. I teach mini workshops where non-speakers can learn a song or two. The hardest part is letting go of the idea that you will offend an Irish person if your Irish is a bit off. I think most Irish think it’s flattering that their language is so special that there are people willing to take the time and just try it. The songs will die if everyone is afraid to try them. Try it, you don’t have to go into a recording studio next week, just try it, enjoy it, appreciate the language for its uniqueness, and sing!

Molly Ban is such a tragic song. How did it find its way into the list?

A friend recommended that I listen to the Chieftains and Alison Krauss version of Molly Ban. There are recordings on YouTube. It’s been on my list of songs to work on for years and now I play it regularly even at my most lively shows.

What are the songs in this album that you can consider close to your heart?

They all really really are. Between the work that my fellow musician friends added and the time and energy it took to make each one something worth hearing, they are all very special… most of them so much so that I still cry to hear them. Even down to the album photography. It honors me so much to be surrounded by such talented people.

I love pipe music and Ae fond Kiss has a lovely one. Was this decision to include that an accidental one or was this intended?

Definitely(intended). That song was always going to have pipes. Some tracks, the ideas would change along the way, but that one was always planned to have pipes.

Amazing answers Abby. Last words?

Last words? Hahaha. I love what I do – I love the travel and the meeting people, sharing music with all sorts of musicians and listeners. I love learning and growing through my work with others. Traditional music is all about learning from others and being willing to pass it on. We miss out on that idea with all of our computers and TVs and iPods. I highly recommend going out and singing, playing, learning something new… or at least participate by being in the audience.

learn more here: http://www.abbygreen.com/

Buy her albums here: http://www.abbygreen.com/purchase.html

Enda Seery: Magic in the Tin Whistle (Interview)

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 2 Comments

Traditional Irish Musician on Whistle/Flute/Keyboard from the heart of Ireland talks to CMF!

Passion affects people around you. When you love what you do, everyone will feel it. This awareness creates enthusiasm. And therefore in your own way, you affect the universe. It’s like magic: The ability to make people  hope..and even  dream…

There are artists who make you feel a certain way about how they play music. You don’t even have to understand what the music is about to appreciate it. Sometimes there are tunes that don’t need words to express that feeling. You just listen  and then you connect. Just like that. This transcends  everything. Today, a musician is going to make that example.

Enda Seery from Streamstown, Co. Westmeath, Ireland sets the standard for the tin whistle. His  album The Winding Clock (Traditional, Folk, Celtic)has 13 tracks that will serenade your ears with wistful and cheerful tunes. The sound of this instrument has never been sweeter or softer. When not involved with music, he is teaching Irish language . This passion in preserving  tradition  is reflected in his style of playing. His original compositions made there way, along with the traditional tunes in The Winding Clock. Between gigs and and working on a second album, I was able to squeeze the time for him to be our guest!

Hi Enda, you have been getting a lot of positive reviews regarding your playing style. I can tell that you are an instrumentalist who gives more emphasis on the beauty of playing rather than the speed . There is richness and grace in every note. How long did it take you to perfect this style of playing?

Thanks a lot for your kind comments. In my opinion too many trad players today try to place too much emphasis on speed rather than respecting the tune(s) they are playing. I like to keep the tune pure. Just last week at a show I noticed some young players trying to do too much with a tune, basically trying to be too fancy. Tradition shouldn’t be tampered with! I have perfected my style over a number of years by listening to all types of players, not just Whistlers. I always try to play for a few hours a day to keep perfecting my style and repertoire of tunes.

You play traditional tunes and you also compose. What are the challenges you undertake doing both?

To be honest I don’t see it as a challenge. Composing is something that I take for granted now. I love to mix and match old traditional tunes with my own compositions. I make sure though to keep my compositions in the traditional idiom. I was delighted to hear some reviewers and experts alike say that my compositions on ‘The Winding Clock’ album integrated well with the other traditional tunes.

‘The Winding Clock’ has received positive reviews. You are also recording your second album “High and Low”. What will listeners expect to hear in this second album?

I suppose the dreaded second album can be tricky after the first but I had a lot of material, especially new compositions left over after the recording of ‘The Winding Clock’. I am going to take my time recording the second album ‘High and Low'(a reference to my use of high and low Whistles). I am about to start a Masters in Trad Music Performance at the Irish World Academy, University Limerick so I won’t have a lot of time for recording. Listeners though can expect to hear a lot of new compositions between reels, jigs, hornpipes, polkas, airs and instrumentals. I am also going to record a few tracks on the Trad Flute and Low Whistle.

 You will play whistles, low whistle, flute and keyboards in this new album. Are there other musicians you will be working in this project?

Yes, John Byrne will again hopefully work with me on this album. Myself and John have started to do a number of gigs and performances as a duo recently. He is a gifted Guitar player as well as a talented Banjo player. I will provide a lot more Keyboard backing on this album too. I will be recording again at Black Rose Studio, Kilcock, Co. Kildare with Rob Laird as Sound Engineer. There might one or two other guest musicians in the pipeline too.

Tell us about your involvement in Comhaltas ‘Seisiun’ show .

The Comhaltas run ‘Seisiun’ show is a series of shows that runs throughout July and August in venues all over Ireland. This year I am playing but also producing in the show at Aras an Mhuilinn, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. I would hope that I have put my own personality on the show in Mullingar. I have added in Sean Nos Dancing and and new compositions to the show. Producing and arranging is something that I would like to do a lot more of in the future. I am lucky to be working with some great people in the resident group of Aras an Mhuilinn: ‘Ceoltoiri an Mhuilinn’. Audience attendances have been good so far. Aras an Mhuilinn is a beautiful venue in a prime location in Mullingar, a venue that is there to be used by Comhaltas branches of Counties Westmeath, Offaly, Laois and Longford.

 So what are the plans you have later this year musically

I’m starting a Masters in Trad Music Performance at the Irish World Academy of Music Limerick in September. Really looking forward to working with some fantastic people there. I hope to fit in a few recording sessions for the High and Low album too at Black Rose Studio. Also I am due to play on the main stage with a number of my friends at the new Green Village Festival at Castletown Geoghegan Co Westmeath on Sat September 24th.

 What are the best traditional albums you’d recommend to our readers?

Danny O Mahony’s new album ‘In Retrospect’. Liz Carroll and John Doyle ‘Double Play’. Steph Geremia ‘Open Road’ and of course ‘The Winding Clock’!

And lastly: what’s your message to our readers?

Traditional Irish Music has never been stronger so get out and buy or download the music. The music is part of what makes us Irish. It can raise the spirits of a nation. Finally for whistle players remember that it can become your main instrument and as we say in Irish cleachtadh a dhéanann máistreacht!(practice makes perfect).

Well said Enda!

Get your copies of The Winding Clock here

Additional info:  ‘The Winding Clock’ was released in November 2010. Recorded at Black Rose Studio, Kilcock, Co. Kildare. Accompanient on album provided by John Byrne on Guitar from Mullingar, Co. Westmeath and Colin Hogg on Bodhran from Castletown Geoghegan, Co. Westmeath. Ciarán Seery(Button Accordion), Siobhán Seery(Flute) and Pádraig Seery(Fiddle) all from Streamstown also feature on the album.

http://www.endaseery.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/Mrwhistleman1000

http://www.myspace.com/endaseery/music/songs/the-winding-clock-80753714

Andy “Slim” Black : Songs That Get To You (Interview)

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 5 Comments

 

It is hard to listen to the songs of Andy Black without feeling anything (even if you are a guy who is not into lyrics). He sings about personal experiences. It’s like he is writing your diary then reads it aloud. Any song becomes powerful when you realize that you are living your life in its every line. His voice is raw, cathartic and attractive in a bluesy way. Maybe you are undergoing something powerful and life-changing. Maybe you are just lonely. Maybe you are thinking of a missed soul mate or of things that could never be. Either way his songs will speak to you.

That is why I  rank musicians as a different breed. There is something in what they do that gets to you. There are no boundaries. Music can touch you in a way that is so intimate. We live lonely lives. There are the lucky ones who get to find someone that really “gets” them. There are those who are not so lucky. It makes you realize how powerful music is in relating to people and how they connect to it. We need someone to confide with. And if we don’t get that, we look for comfort in a song.

I was having an interesting discussion a friend the other day. There are moments in your life that you can’t understand. Situations that are hard to analyze because they are impossible to define. It takes a really great poet to unravel this for you. Sometimes it can be moments when you accidentally stumble on a song which makes you say: Hey! This is exactly what I am feeling!

I owe this stanza to my friend Christi who discovered it:
“Like a north wind whistlin’ down the sky
I got a song, I got a song
Like the whippoorwill and the baby’s cry
I got a song, I got a song
And I carry it with me and I sing it loud
If it gets me nowhere, I’ll go there proud.”
-Jim Croce

I found a way to let Andy “Slim” Black explain his songs that will be included in his upcoming album. I was glad he was able to get back to me right away despite his touring schedule. For people who are not into Celtic music, they will find something out of these tracks in a personal level. Or you can just enjoy the Irishness of his music.

Please tell me more about the tracks in your http://soundcloud.com/slimmusic and how were they conceived?

All the tracks on my soundcloud are gonna be on my forthcoming LP ‘Gallows Tree Tales’ – which will be a collection of stories about all sorts of things, from broken hearts, to alcoholics, crazy love, obsessions, and lunacy, but above all else it’ll be shot through with loads of love, emotion, and a heavy portion of fun!

Sounds like heavy stuff ! Now, “Lay Me Down” is a personal favorite. What’s the inspiration behind this track?

Lay Me Down is a kind of double song – on one level it’s a love song about a fairly unhealthy relationship, and on the other it’s a song sung from an addict to his poison of choice in the vein of Perfect Day or Golden Brown. And it’s meant to be a right laugh at the same time. I’m well proud of the ukulele break on this one!

All of the songs  speak to the heart and soul. I tell you man, the first few tracks sent a punch right into my heart. They’re all so true.

Really appreciate your feedback too mate. I’m currently trying to finish a couple more songs at the moment and have just finished a session with a couple of trad Irish players who have added uilleann pipes and flutes and whistles to a few of the tracks on my record which sound just beautiful – you will love.

I’m currently reworking the air to Galway Bay with my own new lyrics – the song will be called The Gallows Tree, and the Celtic thing is all over that.

The plan is to finish this record by the fall – I’m off to USA next month for a month to go to Burning Man festival (in Nevada desert) where I’m actually playing a gig too which’ll be a right laff), and once the record’s done I’ll be getting a band together around it and going gigging.

Wow, Uillean pipes, flutes and whistles sound very Irish! Tell me who are your current Irish favorites and what are the bands you grow up to listening.

I’m not a massive encyclopedia of music history, but I love Luke Kelly for his astounding voice, the Pogues obviously, and Christie Moore for his knack of telling a story. Two English folks that are firmly in this tradition that I also love are Ewan Maccoll for his songwriting, and a current one would be Chris Wood, who did a stunning track called Hollow Point about the Brazilian guy who got shot by the UK government on the tube a few years back… I didn’t grow up listening to any Irish music really – but Mark Knopfler massively informed my childhood – we used to swap Dire Straits records at school when I was 10 years old! He has Celtic blood running through him – and I love Knopfler to bits – he tells great story songs too.

Heart and Soul is another tear jerker. You really write songs that cut straight to the heart. Are these biographical or observations of other people’s relationships?

Heart & Soul is actually the only track I’ve done that I didn’t write. It’s an old song by me best mate Jim Gipson. (www.soundcloud.com/jimgipson) He recorded it a few years back in my studio and it just tore me to bits so I had to cover it. . . . I added a Beatlesy bit at the end which is kinda the outro but apart from that it’s his baby. Yeah that one is a straight direct love song, and not normally the sort of thing I write – well at least not for this project. I guess this album is really a third-person / story song beast in terms of the lyrics. I went to visit some good mates of mine in West Cork a couple of years ago, and one of me mates Donie has a habit of getting drunk and singing all manner of old airs, and when I went back to the UK I had all these airs and melodies bouncing round my head, together with the memories of all the nights I’d spent in pubs listening to all the trad players and old songs, and that’s what sparked off the songs you’re listening to now. I love the Irish / Celtic ways with minor chords and heartbreaking melodies, but just as much as that I love the Irish way of telling stories and tales, and handing them down through the generations, so I wanted to do a kind of storytales record in this spirit. So some tracks are about me or my experiences and some about people / characters I’ve met, and some (like Cadogan 129) are more historical tales – that one’s about the very first murder on Britain’s railways in 1864 very near where I live in Hackney, London).

Name the top 5 albums that saved your life 🙂

Ryan Adams – Gold

Fleetwood Mac – Tusk

Pink Floyd – Dark Side Of The Moon

John Martyn – Solid Air

Sugar – Copper Blue