So what’s this heat about Astronomy in a Celtic music blog? Find out more as I write about Astronaut Cady Coleman with my special guest, Irish musician Martin Tourish.
I worked hard on my Robert Burns zeen that I just realize I have prepared nothing today. So I am just meandering through words and phrases and even creeping at the status posts all over facebook and Google + to find a spark of inspiration. Hey, I just realized something. I was having an interesting conversation with young genius Martin Tourish a few weeks ago about Astronomy. I was planning to write and article about it. I even asked him if he is interested in contributing an essay. But Martin is wrapped up in the mastering of his new album that I guess this is much of a bother although he always responds to shout outs. So I will take it from here. So glad that I still have the photos he showed me about an Irish American astronaut who played music in space. Yes yes you got it. She played a wooden flute and all sorts of flute up there in space!
First of all, I love Astronomy. From space explorations, black holes, galaxies and even quasars-you name them all, I will devour anything about space like a greedy black hole, that no humor can even escape haha. I found out I am not the only one who is crazy about the subject. Most of the traditional Irish musicians I interviewed are also fascinated with the same thing.
History tells us that the Celts were fascinated with astronomy and they used the stars as guides on their journeys. Heavenly bodies like the Pleiades and the red giant Aldebaran or the eye of the bull held special meaning to them. So it is not surprising that modern Celts became astronauts. Cady Coleman is one fine example!
Traditional Irish music has now boldly gone where no trad musician has gone before-even in space. So we were talking and then the topic about Cady Coleman popped up. I also read that she is also called by the name Katy, Cady and Catherine.
Martin said, ” I was very lucky to meet astronaut Katy Coleman a good few times. She was on the international space station – we’d some great conversations. I’m a huge fan of Stephen Hawkings!” (Down below is a picture taken from the page of Tim Edey. He actually gave me his blessing to use this one picture).
Leaving London and saying goodbye to legendary Nasa astronaut and fine flautist Cady Coleman and young genius Martin Tourish. Photo by Tim Edey.
He further added: ” I got to wear the jacket she wore in space – you missed that photo on my Facebook pictures!” I saw it indeed. “What an amazing meeting. She’s lovely – have you seen the clip of her playing Irish music in space?”
I told him no. So he sent me the the link to the clip and here it is:
“We played a tune at the royal Albert hall in June!Such a privilege! She’s so lovely. It’s with the Chieftains playing on the background. It was such a thrill. We rehearsed together back stage before playing – she’s a great player!Perfect! Anytime I see the space station go past Ireland I think of us playing An Dro back stage!”
He sent me another youtube link. “And here we are at the Royal Albert Hall” –
My conversation with Martin Tourish proved to be very fruitful. And Cady Coleman’s story gave with that warm feeling that will linger.
With a new EP just released and a full length album on its way, how interesting life is with these three Canadian lads who are filled with a cornucopia of musical ideas? And what happens when these ideas are rooted in traditional music? I got a chance to conduct an interview with James M Law, Graeme McGillivray and Jacob McCauley a trio better known as NUA.
As of this writing, the text was done by Jacob McCauley while the two remaining members contributed their answers in the background. It’s all three of them basically since they answered it together. He stated,” It was too confusing to write “I” or “me” because the reader won’t know who is talking. I typed it all up though, but as I wrote it I was getting feedback from James and Graeme and writing their answers and such.”
Please don’t forget to check the previous article about them. I did a review of their debut EP when it came out in November 16. Since then, the record received good reviews from a lot of Celtic music sites. It is fun when you share the music to your friends and they become equally passionate about it. This happened with Celtic Music Fan’s best pal Christi who also runs her blog Talk and Chatter. She said” They are good! I love their light touch and wonderful Celtic feel!Love this band! It has the pounding beat that is a grand Celtic tune with SO much more!” So dear readers, here is my Q&A with NUA:
I listened to the EP and seen the youtube videos. There are no loose ends and there is this high level of concentration. How do you three maintain this all throughout not just in one track but through all the tracks and live shows?
Well, the age old notion of “practice makes perfect” comes to mind! But in all honesty there are several reasons why. The first being how comfortable we are playing together. Obviously we have spent countless hours practicing, performing, recording, jamming etc. But it’s more than just time spent, we have a good connection as a group of players and that makes it a lot easier to work on material. Even at times when a certain gig is rushed, or a new tune/arrangement is introduced, we always seem to adapt quickly to it and work together nicely. The relationship between each instrument seems to always compliment nicely, which ultimately makes the rehearsing progress a lot easier. Another fact is that we all have had music in our lives since day one. That is a huge benefit as it kind of trains your ears to listen to every detail of the music (often without even knowing it). It helps the process of learning or creating new tunes and then preparing them for playing live or recording.
In some ways it is impossible to say why we maintain our “signature sound”. This may come as a shock, but we actually don’t get as much time to practice right now as we would like. Each member has other things on the go that takes time away from the group. Both James and Graeme are currently finishing up college and university (Graeme on Jazz Guitar, and James on Jazz Drums). They also have other musical engagements throughout the year. Jacob keeps a pretty busy schedule of performing and recording with various artists from around the globe, and also has an active teaching schedule. So all in all, it can be difficult at times to devote full attention to NUA. But we collectively feel that as NUA grows, and we naturally become busier with performances, tours, festivals etc. then we will naturally be devoting more time.
How did you three get together to form NUA?
It’s kind of hard to pinpoint an exact time that we decided to form NUA. Both James and Graeme have been playing together since they were 3 years old. James and Graeme met Jacob a few years ago after they started college and university in Toronto. After being immersed in the Toronto Irish scene, the three of us would run into each other at various jams around Toronto and that’s kind of how it started. Jacob was slowly introduced to some of the material that James and Graeme had written, and it’s safe to say that he was intrigued! As time went on, three of us began jamming more and more often and learning each other’s tunes. As Jacob had begun to learn most of the tunes, we began doing a few select performances locally. But this was long before we had discussed forming as a full-time trio. It was not until around early 2012 that we began discussing recording an album and forming together as a group. As we talked about it more and began planning, it was pretty evident that we we’re passionate about it and had an equally strong desire to work together.
How were the tracks pinned down? Did you three just got together one day and said hey let’s make this track that sounds like this…or you all sat together and spent hours and hours trying to come up with a concept?
Well, we basically had a good idea of what are favourite tracks were, and we decided that was a good place to start. Since the EP is only 4 tracks, we wanted it to showcase some of our best tracks that give people a pretty good idea of what we sound like. We actually have had enough material to do a full-length already, but an EP seemed like a good way to get our music out there before 2013. If we had instead chosen to start with a full-length album, we would still be working on it into the New Year. This way, we have some of our music out there, and next year we will release our full-length album.
The Draw and The Hijack were the first definite tracks picked, as they are some of the first tracks that we learned together as a group, and are certainly our favourites. They also are a superb example of our sound and feature each instrument really well. They were a natural choice. Martins Yellow Tea Pot was another tune that was written some time ago and one of the first ones we learned together as a group. I guess you could call it one of our slower tunes, but it showcases that not all of our music is fast or complex. Lastly, Fizzbuzz was sort of the wildcard of the EP. Fizzbuzz began as the last tune of a 3-tune original set. But were struggling with the arrangement and weren’t totally convinced that we want to leave it as a 3 tune set. But we knew that we really liked the third tune, so we had the idea to make it just a standalone tune. Graeme came up with a gorgeous chord progression, and that really made the tune. After we finished the arrangement and did a few rough recordings, we all felt really strongly that it was a keeper. So much so that we decided to make it the opening tune of the EP (previously it was The Draw). So all in all, after choosing the track listing of the EP it was fairly straight forward from there. The arrangements were done, so it was just a matter of recording it all.
Who is introspective type, the happy go lucky type and the one in between in terms of being a musician?
That’s a tough one! But after some lengthy discussion we think it’s safe to say that Jacob is the introspective type, Graeme is the happy go lucky type and James in the middle. Why you might ask? Jacob, being a percussionist, generally seems to pay close attention to every detail. Where on the other hand, Graeme has a knack for just sitting back and going with the flow, but when it comes time to work, he’s always on par. James is in the middle since he certainly also has an attention to detail, but also can be laid back at times.
What’s your idea of a great live show?
Well, really there is nothing like a really enthusiastic crowd. You could be playing the greatest venue on earth, but without a crowd that is really into the music, it would not be that enjoyable. That being said, almost every show is a different experience. The smaller shows of course tend to be a bit more intimate which is always nice, but the larger shows are a lot of fun because you are playing to many people. But ultimately (whether the concert be small or large) to have a room full of enthusiastic, trad-loving fans is certainly as enjoyable as it can get. Oh, and of course some free beer and food is great too!
How did you achieve such level of skill in terms of your favorite instruments?
We all began playing at a young age, and that of course is one of the best ways to reach a high level of skill on your instrument. With James and Graeme picking up Fiddle as young as 3 (and Guitar by 13) and Jacob starting with piano as young as 5 and moving on to bass, guitar and bodhrán shortly after, there was a lot of development in the younger years. I think it’s safe to say that since then, music and playing our instruments has been a huge passion for all three of us. Although we may not have known or planned to be playing music for a living, we each had the desire to become the best we could be on our favourite instruments. It really just takes the commitment and dedication to put in the practice time to reach that higher level of skill. It of course was the enjoyment as well; to play the instruments that we love, and eventually be able to do it to pay the bills. It’s a dream come true!
Your advice to teenagers who are interested in the trad music scene but are nervous because they might find it too difficult?
I think it’s safe to say that our advice for any musician would simply be to play for the love of it, not for the fame or to pay the bills. Sure, it’s lovely to gain exposure and of course to play music for a living, but ultimately one should play music simply because they love to. If a teenager is interested in getting into the trad scene, possibly starting a group, playing gigs, then just find the music that is your calling, find some like-minded musicians, and sit down and jam! If you feel that you are ready to perform, then start playing locally, anywhere, and get a feel for it. Go out there and have fun playing the music that you love!
How can fans reach you and also how can listeners help you promote the music? What is the most effective way (aside from buying the albums)
There are of course many ways to promote music, but in all of our experience in the music scene, it is pretty evident that one of the best ways other than buying albums is just simply word of mouth. Word of mouth can spread faster than anything else. When someone buys an album, if they like it, they will recommend it to their friends, and their friends, and so on. It is an essential aspect for a musician to have fans that are enthusiastic and talk about it. So don’t be afraid to speak up!
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I also got an update that Jacob wrote an article (entitled The Contemporary Bodhran Player) in The Living Tradition Magazine issue 94. According to Jacob: “The article is primarily about, well just what the title says, “The Contemporary Bodhran Player”. It focuses around my experiences in my career of getting to where I am today, and how the bodhran has evolved as a whole, with regards to the player as well as the instrument. As opposed to my DRUM! Magazine article in late 2011, this article takes on a much more personal approach and allowed me to share some of the things I have been working on, both technique wise, as well as musically and aspects of drum/tipper construction.”
I checked The Living Tradition Magazine and I told him that it looks amazing. He replied : “Yeah it is! It’s probably Europe’s (maybe in the worlds) most read traditional music magazine. They ship copies all over the place which is great.”
Video:
NUA live in Guelph, April 2012. Original composition by NUA
NUA is an innovative new trad trio, bringing a fresh and unique sound to traditional music, creating their own distinctive flavour with both original and traditional compositions from Ireland and Scotland. Based in Toronto, Canada, NUA consists of three members: award-winning fiddle player James M Law, versatile & tasteful guitarist Graeme McGillivray and award-winning bodhrán player Jacob McCauley. The interaction between the three is what really makes the music shine, whether it be their soaring melodies or tasteful grooves. The trio is also well known for their exciting incorporation of odd time signatures and poly rhythms, which give the music an electrifying lift and spontaneity.
Each member adds their own distinctive sound and influence to the music. Although they are a trio with a sole melody player, the brilliant multi-tasking of each member is demonstrated countless times with perhaps a guitar-driven flat-picked melody, rhythmic fiddle playing, or melodic bodhrán playing to add to the mix. The ability for each member to take on multiple roles is one of the staples of NUA. This adds to a thrilling live experience, and a “you just don’t know what’s coming next” approach!
NUA is currently preparing for the release of their first E.P and their debut album to be released early 2013.
Featuring: Moxie with the music video What Lies Behind the Wall, JP Trio and Last Track from Lyon France.
Perhaps the title of this post might come as a surprise but I took this line from an old mushy song from the 60s simply because youth is indeed a sweet time to experiment and to be insanely in love not just with people but with music. Yes this is not a post about love or love songs but about the love for traditional Irish music or any forms of music in the same musical culture.
January is not over yet but we have a huge batch of artists whose flowering talents are just waiting to be plucked and savoured to your satisfaction. We start this off with the world debut of What Lies Behind the Wall by Irish trad band Moxie. Just go to the search bar on the upper right of this side beside the header and type Moxie or Cillian Doheny and I am sure you will have links to interesting articles I wrote about this band.
What Lies Behind the Wall by Moxie.
Cillian Doheny Tenor Banjo / Nylon & Steel String Guitar / Mandola
Jos Kelly Button Accordian / Keyboard
Darren Roche Button Accordian / Nylon String Guitar
Ted Kelly Tenor Banjo / Tenor Guitar / Mandolin
Paddy Hazelton Percussion
Energy, style and craft: These are things that make any song captivating. Moxie made an electrifying debut with the music video to their track What Lies Behind the Wall. The track is already stunning on its own. Add a stylish black and white video and what you get is a great package of visual and aural treat. This is what a good trad video should be. Straight to the point, elegant and the focus is the music. Peter Clyne’s artistic vision captures the band at their most stunning: playing live music. I like that part in 0:50 when percussionist Paddy Hazelton starts tapping. It is like a build up of suspense only to be consummated when the band dips into heavier playing at 2:20. The whole ‘rain of notes’ element is brought about by Ted Kelly’s Tenor Banjo. Jos Kelly, Darren Roche all deliver exceptional playing along with their telegenic talents. And Cillian Doheny is rocking! I will quote from my previous review I wrote about this track:
What Lies Behind the Wall has notes tapping with suspense at the beginning of the track. It is like watching a flower bloom in hyper speed. Like all remarkable Irish bands playing traditional music, Moxie offers fresh approach to a tradition that has been around and is determined to stay.
Their sound is vibrant and the arrangements are intricate. This is traditional music with a cool twist. Sophisticated style blends with rustic simplicity making them one of a kind Irish band.
Band Bio:
Formed in late 2011 as part of the annual folk festival, Sligo Live, Moxie are a Sligo and Limerick based band that formed through years of musical friendships from playing together at certain festivals around Ireland. The band incorporates Irish music with other genres such as folk, rock and new age bluegrass. A vibrant new band playing an exciting mix of traditional based compositions with richly developed layers of fantastic harmony. The band includes JPTrio members, Ted Kelly (banjo, tenor guitar, vocals), Jos Kelly (button accordion, keyboard, vocals), Paddy Hazleton (percussion, vocals) and Limerick based musicians, accordion and melodeon powerhouse Darren Roche and virtuoso banjo & guitar player Cillian Doheny.
Fresh, hypnotic and amazing. The JP Trio is definitely you need to listen to. They describe their sound as Celtic roots funk. According to Cillian Doheny who recommended this trio: “They are so talented. Some of the members are in Moxie but its a totally different type of music. ” So let is get to know them better. JPTrio is composed of brothers Ted ( on banjo, tenor guitar and vocals) and Jos (button accordion, keyboards and vocals) Kelly, Paddy Hazleton (percussion and vocals), joined by Niamh Farrell for the lead vocals. JPTrio amazing fresh trad sounds incorporating their personal influences. According to their bio, all three musicians are founding members of Spraoi. They claim to be influenced by jazz along with traditional music. These influences result to a fusion which is described by critics as unique and exciting. Trivia: They recently won a Danny Kyle award at Celtic Connections.
From Ireland, we move to Lyon which is the place of good Irish music in France. Lyon is also the hometown of the band Shelta. More and more French Celtic musicians are making this huge impact in the trad scene for both old and young. Last Track is one of them. The duo are comprise of Jean Damei and Jean-Christophe Morel. Their meeting created a very strong bond of friendship and musical partnership. They are influenced by different styles including jazz and funk. Looking and listening to their live performances will tell you that they are musically matured and sophisticated. You can listen to their tracks and watch videos via their official website : http://lasttrackmusic.com/
The Celtic Music Fan would like to thank Cillian Doheny for this post. He’s the one who recommended these bands and for that A big thank you to him!
Also in this edition: The Bombadils, Ewan McClennan and Hot Releases.
From Cara & Old Blind Dogs Tour
Between Cara and Manran, between countries, Ryan Murphy takes time to share his musical news and the love of piping.
Our next guest isn’t new to this place. He’s been here before contributing his ideas about piping. Ryan Murphy is a musician with skill of the high order and musical commitments form both ends. But these don’t hinder his generosity to share his time with music enthusiasts. He lives in Limerick Ireland, a place famous for boasting talents like The Cranberries, Aphex twin and TV presenter Terry Wogan. If you are a film enthusiast then you might have seen Alan Parker’s Hollywood adaptation of Angela’s Ashes starring Robert Carlyle and Emily Watson, set in the same city.
Ryan Murphy is part of the Irish groups Cara and Ealu. I got myself a copy of Cara’s album “Long Distance Love’ which is now part of my recommended albums to have. They won the Irish Music Award for Top Group and Best New Irish Artist. There is a track in Long Distance Love called “Rain.” The song is originally by Patty Griffin but Cara added freshness to the track. Jeana Leslie heard the song from the TV series Bones. It inspired her and the band to cover the song in their own amazing style. Ryan Murphy played the uilleann pipes in the song. I was surprised how he managed to make it sound like a saxophone. It also proves that this instrument has a lot of expressive potential.
Ealu are a band that try to bridge the gap between Jazz and Traditional Irish music. “Escape” is an album of fresh approach to playing traditional instruments and melodies. The album stays with you because of its unique sound and. Here is a link to an album review I did when Escape came out: http://celticmusicfan.com/2012/02/19/escape-by-ealu/
The review has four sample tracks for you to listen.
As of this writing Ryan Murphy is now part of Manran. Manran made a great impression to Celtic music fans late last year when they released they Latha Math which shot into the UK top 40.
Apart from his piping skills he has this great sense of humor. He is any Celtic music fan’s best pal.
How is Ryan Murphy doing these days in terms of piping?
I am playing a lot between university and the gigs with the bands, lots of new challenges consistently presenting themselves which is great. Long story short the piping is going very well at the moment.
How’s touring with the bands for you this holiday?
Well I just got home from a tour with my new band ‘Mànran’ and I’m flying out to Germany later on today to link up with ‘Cara’. Touring over the holiday season can be stressful in the airports and not getting to have a proper ‘holiday season’ but the gigs have been and will be super. The audiences seem really loose this time of year which makes the gigs absolutely magic.
What can we expect from Cara next year?
Well we’re currently putting together a new album which will be released later this year. Some of the new material is very exciting, so I’m looking forward to getting into the studio and testing some of sets and songs live.
I love ” Rain” from Long Distance Love and you play the uilleann pipes like no other…you even make it sound like a saxophone. How did you achieve this technique?
Well… I’m not sure actually. I’ve been playing and listening to saxophone and jazz music a lot since I was about sixteen, so I imagine that over the last number of years some of the techniques and styles crept into my piping.
Do you have solo projects on the side?
At the moment I have no solo project on the side. The bands just keep me too busy at the moment to even think about it. It will happen someday but right now it’s just not the time.
Please complete this sentence: If I am not playing music ..
I am studying to finish my degree in the University of Limerick. Right now there is very little time for anything else.
Let’s say the show is about to start and you are about to play, what is the this thing that you do to yourself to keep you balanced and give your best performance all throughout the show?
A good game of fruit ninja on the iPhone will sort the nerves out in no time.
Cara, live at Ebertbad, Oberhausen 2012. Cara is Gudrun Walther – vocals,fiddle, accordeon, Jeana Leslie – vocals, fiddle, piano, Ryan Murphy – uilleann pipes, flutes, whistles, Jürgen Treyz – guitar, Rolf Wagels – bodhrán.
A song by Patty Griffin, played by Cara.
Photo gallery:
At Fleadh Ceoil Cavan 2012.
Cara live: With Jeana Leslie, Ryan Murphy, Gudrun Walther, Juergen Treyz and Rolf Wagels.
Cara: With Ryan Murphy, Rolf Wagels, Gudrun Walther, Jeana Leslie and Juergen Treyz.
Debut album by Manran(old line up)
Ealu: Ryan Murphy- Uilleann Pipes, Flute, Saxophone.
Cillian King- Concertina, Guitar, Banjo, Vocals.
Francis Ward- Piano.
Dermot Sheedy- Bodhrán, Drums, General Percussion.
Cover artwork of Ealu’s Escape
On wooden flute
Like a boss
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Fresh tune: The Bombadils – Peter’s Lament for the Death of the Duck
About the video: Original song written by the Bombadils. Copyright 2012. Filmed and recorded by Denis Martin at Stewart Hall – Point Claire, Montreal, Canada.
Following Sarah Frank’s Interview from last week is this nice tune from The Bombadils.
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The Captivating Tunes of Ewan McLennan
I was chatting with Jacob McCauley about an article he wrote for The Living Tradition magazine. On cover is Ewan McLennan whom I have read about before but never heard fully. I searched for a link to his website and I found it gives you the opportunity to hear his recordings. I was impressed. He has a deep but smooth sounding voice. His guitar playing is also delicate as if he is holding a little bird on his palms afraid to hurt it.
According to his bio:
Winner of the 2011 BBC Radio 2 Horizon Award and named FATEA Music Award’s ‘Best Male Vocalist of the Year’, Ewan McLennan is an emerging folk artist that has been making headlines. His music combines traditional folk, with an inevitable focus on the music of Scotland, as well as his own self-penned songs that are receiving critical acclaim in their own right. BBC Radio 2’s Mike Harding has said of Ewan, ‘he sings beautifully, with great sincerity and great empathy, he’s terrific!’. His guitar playing, described as ‘stunning’ , is influenced by the rigour and technique from his years of studying classical guitar, while retaining a unique and compelling sound in which his immersion in folk music is evident.
Meanwhile his debut album, Rags & Robes, has been receiving glowing reviews. Described as ‘a collection of truly captivating songs’, it was chosen as a ‘Top Ten Album of 2010’ by MOJO and has won numerous accolades in radio and print media.
According to The Root and Branch Review ‘he may well be the best singer you’ll hear all year’ while Maverick have said he is ‘quite possibly destined to become the UK’s finest folk singer!’.
Hot releases. Yes they are fresh from the oven ready to be served to sooth your hunger for Celtic music! Click each image to buy:
Orginally from Castletown Geoghegan, Co. Westmeath but now residence in Kilfenora Co. Clare, Colin Nea is among Ireland’s finest button accordion players. Winner of the prestigious All-Ireland Senior Button Accordion title in 1993 and 1994, Colin has firmly established himself among the upper echelon of Irish button accordionist. His second solo album entitle ‘Between the Jigs and the Reels’ has just been released and is available for sale and download in the online store.
The beauty of Cornwall through the eyes of Cornish Composer and Violinist Sue Aston. The DVD is a visual treat for anyone in love with the landscape of Cornwall and Celtic Music. The DVD features many of the videos seen on the Classical music channel oMusic (SKY TV) and includes the hits ‘The Home Coming’ and further tracks from Sue Aston’s albums Sacred Landscapes and Inspirational Journey. 1. The Home Coming 2.Escape to Freedom 3. Nancy’s Garden 4. Elly’s Theme 5. Sketches of Newlyn 6. Afternoon Tea 7. Madron Special Features Interview with Sue Aston Stills gallery Each DVD Includes a limited FREE personalised signed photograph from Sue Aston 7″ x 5″
This is NUA’s debut recording, featuring all original compositions. NUA is an innovative new trad trio bringing a fresh and unique sound to traditional music, creating their own distinctive flavour with both original and traditional compositions from Ireland and Scotland. Based in Toronto, Canada, NUA consists of three award-winning members: fiddle player James M Law, v guitarist Graeme McGillivray and bodhrán player Jacob McCaule
Full of atmosphere, and rich in its diverse representation of the world of Celtic music this is an exceptional, unique and original Celtic/Folk CD from two established musicians in the field.
The debut album from Barrule, consisting of new and traditional music from the Isle of Man. Alongside the trio, this eclectic album features appearances from guest musicians such as Manx gaelic singer Greg Joughin, guitarist Malcolm Stitt, pianist David Kilgallon, guitarist Dylan Fowler, Hurdy Gurdy player Clare Salaman, and bodhrán player Will Lang.
Mànran have quite literally rocketed to the top of the Scottish music scene with their powerful combination of Gaelic/English songs underpinned by driving Accordion, Fiddle, Flute and a backline of drum and bass to make any mouth water. Mànran are also the only band to host Highland and Uilleann pipes together in one line up to create a sound like no other.
In this edition: Eve Williams, Clan Suibhne, Dom Duff, Colin Nea, Connie Dover , Mark Harmer and Planxty.
It is 2013. Four years after I officially launched this site. In the past four years, I met a lot of talented musicians and listened to their amazing music. In the past four years I met interesting readers who turned out to be bloggers too. In the past four years I poured my heart out, experienced joy and at some point almost lost my sanity. But I never gave up blogging and maintaining this site. Despite the personal earthquakes I experienced in this life, this one seems to be left unscathed. This is my baby. This is my love. It’s been four years. And here’s The Celtic Music Fan looking forward to more discoveries, more mistakes, more success and more joy! Let the fun begin again.
Eve Williams-Twenty Miles from Home
Think of the soft approach of Cara Dillon and the vocal power of Evanescence.
It is always a great experience when I discover new music. This is only possible without a map. Personal maps obscure our chances of finding something new out there. Especially when we are so used to the formula we created and the comfort zone we find hard to let go. I wondered if this is the same thing that ran inside the mind of Eve Williams when she created Twenty Miles from Home.
It is an eclectic album full of surprises wrapped in a blanket of atmosphere. There are things that are consistently noticeable in the midst of variety. All the twelve tracks are melodic. Her voice is superb and full bodied. She is also a writer which explains her interesting lyrics references to classical literature.
In my other blog friend who is a guest blogger wrote about Music Theory. I think we have to admit that people who make artfully crafted music are those who at least in some part of their musical development, had undergone music studies. The maintaining discipline in creating and also in the performing part is probably hard because music is such an emotional medium. It is easy to get lost and let everything rip through.
Twenty Miles from Home strikes me as a balance of emotion and control. It is also a recording done with minimalist approach to instruments. This gives us a chance to hear how Eve can showcase her vocal talents. I sometimes find it hard to listen to something overly produced because you have a lot of sounds coming from every direction. Which in turn makes it hard to concentrate to the few aspects. But this album proves to be something that even listeners with short attention span can feast in.
I realized that listening to different systems also yield different results. When I listened to this through a computer, it didn’t give me too much probably due to the speakers. Then I put it in a CD player with good speakers. And the experience was something else. The whole album shimmers. The headphones also give you that intimate feel which focuses more on the nuances . I suggest you listen to all types of
Eve Williams
players and see which works for you.
Twenty Miles from Home is a beautiful album. Oblivion is one track with full arrangements and soaring vocals along with Tall Dark Stranger. These are orchestrated tracks. But I love the contrast of the spare arrangement on others like Broken Dolls (feat Scarlett Burnside), The Rock (feat. Dominik Boncza-Skrzynecki) and many more. Eve Williams is based in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is probably the beautiful landscapes that shaped her sound and sentiments. It it an album that can appeal to lovers of Sinead O’Connor, Cara Dillon and Evanescence. The combination of folk simplicity and operatic flourishes in her songs makes her one of the rising voices in the Irish music scene.
Older recordings
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Clan Suibhne Yank~Irish~Celtic Music Group
Clan Suibhne. Clan Suibhne They’re Not Just a Band, They’re a Clan clansuibhnegreengrassmusic.blogspot.com
Their unique “Roots” music, dubbed “Greengrass,” is a blend of traditional Irish/Celtic meets American Folk/Bluegrass tunes. “This genre existed long before the music we know as bluegrass. We were very surprised, but so honored to win an award for our music,” says Charles (C.W.) Farrell. The three Farrell brothers and cousin John Curran have become well known around the “Irish Riviera” for their signature style. They incorporate traditional instruments, including the mandolin and banjo, into traditional Irish music.
Celtic music is a family affair. You can see this in bands like Clannad, The Corrs, The Rankins among others. It is no surprise when a lot of American Irish bands are consist of family members. Irish and Scottish music have grown into stellar proportions in the United States in the past few years. This is an exciting age to start your own Celtic band because even though you can’t find listeners in your hometown, you know that there is this whole wild world which is the Internet. There will always be listeners for you out there!
Clan Suibhne (pronounced Sweeney)are a band based in New Jersey. They play acoustic music combining their Yank-Irish-Celtic Roots which they fondly mention in their website. Like I mentioned, they are a family group, acoustic and fun. They do solo, duo, trio & quartet arrangements throughout the New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York Tristate area.
This St Patrick’s Day 2013, they are scheduled to play at the Historical National Hotel in Frenchtown, NJ…and will be appearing at many other venues throughout the months of February, March and April 2013. Sounds like fun! Do check them out if you are in the area.
If you’ve been a listener since 1993(her debut album came out in 1991) and now it is 2013..surely there is something about Connie Dover. She is considered as one of the stalwarts in the Celtic genre. I think she is underrated considering the achievements she has. I don’t think I am totally biased when I say that being an American singer, she took such challenging steps in making sure she breaths authenticity in her every recording. Even to the point when she has to sing in Latin of Scots/Irish Gaelic.
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Before going solo, Connie Dover fronted this Missouri based bluegrass group. She is one American singer I really respect because her music is based in hard research and she yes she sings in Gaelic.
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Si Beag, Si Mhor
This composition by the famous Irish composer O’Carolan landed into facebook discussion with my friend Ralph who plays the tin whistle. I am so glad he raised this discussion up so I was able to do further research about the song. I discovered the other versions. There are many out there but I will just post two of them here. These are fine interpretations. I am crazy for uilleann pipes and that is why the one from Planxty appears in this edition. I am also a big fan of harp music specifically the Celtic harp. So let us get to know a wee bit more of this music.
Picture. Mark Harmer gauntssummergathering.com
In English it means: Little hill, big hill. It’s a reference to the fairy kingdoms.
It’s also translated as “it’s little, it’s big.”It’s sometimes titled “Sidhe Bheag, Sidhe Mhor” The tune is by Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738). O’Carolan’s works were published by his son in 1747. According to this timeline “Si Bheag Si Mhor” was the first piece O’Carolan composed upon the completion of his harp apprenticeship (1691).
According to Ralph: “I think a closer translation is ‘big hill, little hill’. I’m pretty sure it has something to do with a war of fairy clans but I’d like to know how the story goes. Wanna know who owned w/c hill and who won in the end.” Here we have two versions. The first one by Planxty and the second one by Celtic harper Mark Harmer:
Note: An in depth research by harpist Scott Hoye suggested a new light to the trivia on top . According to his source, Si Beg Si Mor is in fact a Scottish Tune, The Bonny Cuckoo. O’Carolan used the tune, made popular by the Ulster Scots, and wrote Irish lyrics for it. His poem was about the battle between two Faerie kingdoms. My big thanks to Scott for the info about this classic.
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Babel Pow Wow by Dom Duff
Breton musician Dom Duff is working on a new album. He is requesting the help of Breton music enthusiasts to help fund this project. As I
Dom Duff Babel Pow Wow Project
said in a conversation with a musician that music is a community. You get what you give. Dom Duff is very passionate about the culture of Brittany and its people. He was also one of our featured artists way back .
I chatted with him a few days ago. He was trying to put a video project to promote the album. This involves people speaking in their own dialects from all over the world. The video you see below is just one of the many he is trying to create between music session. This man in really busy these days!
Colin Nea and Enda Seery are cousins. They are also very supportive of each others music projects. The proud Enda was posting and tweeting about this wonderful review of his album Between the Jigs & the Reels with Jack Talty on a piano. I haven’t talked to Colin Nea yet but I have exchanges several pleasant messages with Enda. He is also releasing an album this year and I am sure Colin is going to advertise it too. It is great to see trad music growing. It is composed of family relations jamming together or with other musicians. Like I’ve mentioned before: Irish music is a family affair.
this wonderful review of his album Between the Jigs & the Reels with Jack Talty on a piano. I haven’t talked to Colin Nea yet but I have exchanges several pleasant messages with Enda. He is also releasing an album this year and I am sure Colin is going to advertise it too. It is great to see trad music growing. It is composed of family relations jamming together or with other musicians. Like I’ve mentioned before: Irish music is a family affair.
Celtic Music Fan 