Ryan Murphy: About Techniques and Styles(Interview)

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Also in this edition: The Bombadils, Ewan McClennan and Hot Releases.

From Cara & Old Blind Dogs Tour

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.

More info about Ryan Murphy:

http://manran.co.uk/wp/

http://www.cara-music.com/

http://www.ealumusic.com/

http://www.myspace.com/ealumusic

https://twitter.com/ealumusic

http://www.myspace.com/ryanmurphyealu

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ealu/48183…

http://facebook.com/ryanmurphymusic

Videos:

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:

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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

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!’.

More here: http://www.ewanmclennan.co.uk/

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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.

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. MadronSpecial Features Interview with Sue Aston Stills galleryEach DVD Includes a limited FREE personalised signed photograph from Sue Aston 7" x 5"

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Throw your music map and dive!

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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

New CD from UK based singer/songwriter Eve Williams

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

Singer Eve Williams

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

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.

http://www.reverbnation.com/clansuibhne
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clan-Suibhne/240984553900
http://clansuibhnegreengrassmusic.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/ClanSuibhne

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Connie Dover and what makes her amazing.

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

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 Proje

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!

Please check this one out:

More here: http://www.kisskissbankbank.com/fr/projects/dom-duff-album-babel-pow-wow-2013

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Wonderful Review of trad album by Colin Nea

Fair play to Colin Nea on a great review from TradConnect-Enda Seery: http://tradconnect.com/profiles/blogs/album-review-colin-nea-between-the-jigs-the-reels

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.

Violinist Sarah Frank of The Bombadils (Interview)

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Also in this edition, music by:Mary Jane Lamond and Wendy MacIsaac,Grace, Hewat & Polwart – ‘disappearance set, Best Bluegrass Clog Dancing Video,MacKelmore & Ryan Lewis- “Irish Celebration”,Celtic Woman – Orinoco Flow,Clannad – I Will Find You, Connie Dover – Peggy and Her Gallant Soldier, Ma Zadig A Ma Mamm( Brittany) traditional Breton folk song,  Mary Jane Lamond – Bòg A’Lochain, Cheers – Bard, She Moved Through The Fair by Celtic Twist/Holland and Palmley and presenting 67 Music!

Canadian violinist Sarah Frank  of  The Bombadils discusses creativity, singing and recording more this 2013!.”

Two album releases, live performances  and collaborations:  Sarah Frank is becoming one of Canada’s bright young star in the  folk scene. The prestigious McGill University school of music brought her, Luke Fraser Anh Phung, Evan Stewart and former member Noam Bierstone to form The Bombadils. I have watched their growth as a band since the release of their first album. Now the Bombadils are reaching out to new territories. Some of them made collaborations with other musicians(along with a solo project between Sarah and Luke Fraser) while still being true to their roots and going strong with their distinctive style of music.

Sarah Frank  is the four-piece ensemble’s violinist and vocalist. She has this sweet silky voice that sounds effortless even in the midst of playing a fast tune with her instrument. The Bombadils have traveled and played in different places all over Canada. The video diaries they created about their tour in the east coast were memorable. They played music and clowned around while on a VIA train ride. They are great and witty entertainers. After accomplishing interviews with one half of the band already, I’d say you better keep them on the radar. Because something is always going on. To hear them live is really worth it. And having The Bombadils music is to have something to keep you company when you long for a sound that’s inspiring, comforting and beautiful. Sarah Frank is our artist of the week.

CMF:What inspired you to pick the violin up as your main instrument?

Sarah Frank:When I was four years old, my parents asked me if I wanted to play violin or cello. I didn’t know what a cello was, and the word violin sounded familiar, so I said violin.

There were five of you in the band, unfortunately Noam left for France! How will the band be able to fit the new arrangement of four people in future recordings?

We’re sad that Noam left! We decided that he can’t be replaced. So now we have the challenge of finding percussion within our own instruments. Evan and I are incorporating more “chopping” (dropping the bow against the strings as percussion), and Anh is beat-boxing from time to time. Traditional bluegrass has been our main inspiration for finding a way to create percussion without a drummer.

Who are your earliest musical influences?  If we raid your record collection, what can we find there?

To be honest, I was really bad at listening to music when I was younger! But I listened to the Suzuki method violin recordings, as well as the music my dad had playing in the kitchen (Leonard Cohen, KD Lang, Neil Young, Dire Straights, Bob Dylan, Glenn Gould… lots more) and CBC radio. In the last few days I’ve been listening to The Monroe Brothers, random Youtube videos of Stuart Duncan, Meaghan Smith, Rose Cousins, and my friend, Rachel Baiman in her duo, 10 String Symphony.

Tell us about the Bombadils blog (http://thebombadils.tumblr.com/)now that we are seeing more updates plus more videos from you!

We’ve been meaning to make a blog and upload more videos for a while now, but it was put on hold while we were finishing up our studies at McGill University. We’ve all graduated now, so we’re happy to have more time to put into making videos and blog posts.

I love Hint! I see that it is the first time Luke’s mandolin playing is showcased on a video but you mentioned that he has played it before on various tracks. I also realize that Evan has this elegant style in composing music. Anh makes lush sound with her flute. What do you think of the whole band in terms of progressing musically?

I love the music that Anh, Luke, and Evan make! I also love playing with them because they know how to laugh and not to take themselves too seriously. I think this all brings positive energy to rehearsal and to the stage, and helps us remember that, even if the music isn’t perfect, (which it never is!) it’s appreciating how music brings people together that’s most important.

I think we have readers who are also independent musicians and band members and with this thought, would you care to share how Fill Your Boots came to be?Can you tell us the amount of work, time and also the financing aspects that shaped the album up to its release?

“Fill Your Boots!” was a lot of fun and took a lot of time, and it was all worth it. We were really lucky to have our friend, Duncan Ferguson, as our recording engineer and co-producer. The album served as a school project for him so we had access to the studios there, although the accessibility was limited to overnight. We often started recording at 11 P.M. and stopped around 4 in the morning. It took some getting used to, and we definitely got silly at times, but it all worked out. As far as the financial aspect of things, we used a website called Indiegogo to raise funds ahead of time. People were really supportive and pre-ordered CDs, t-shirts, and other goodies. http://www.indiegogo.com/the-bombadils

You have this certain style of singing which reminds me of how a flute sounds like. How did you achieve your technique and how do you maintain your voice through gigs after gigs.

I’m not someone who naturally knows how to project or sing with good technique, but I’ve always loved singing and really wanted to make that a regular part of the music I make. So when I was in high school I starting saving up money for voice lessons, and that’s still what I do. My teacher right now, in Montreal, is Jonathan Patterson, and I think he is the best ever. He really made me realize that the voice is an instrument to be learned like any other, and that different timbre, tone, and volume can be created if you practice just like you would practice another musical instrument.

What’s waiting for The Bombadils this 2013?

In February we are touring Alberta, and we’re looking forward especially to opening for Lennie Gallant at the Calgary Folk Club. We’re planning on touring the east coast of Canada again, and in the fall, we’d really like to make a big loop that will bring us through the eastern States. We’d also like to record more this year!

It seems this Canadian artist has a bright future! Check more of her and The Bombadils here:

Additional video:

Recorded at MMR studio at McGill University in Montreal.
Please visit http://www.audiolens.ca/site/ for more information.
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Band Members: Sarah Frank, Evan Stewart, Noam Bierstone, Luke Fraser, and Anh Phung
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Producer: Duncan Ferguson
Sound Engineers: Duncan Ferguson, Benjamin Smith
Video Editing: Denis Martin
Camera: Denis Martin, Phil Gosselin, and Pouya Hamidi

  Gallery

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Another online Celtic music site worth checking: 67 Music!
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This site is run by my friend Steve Behrens and it is one of the top notch sites in terms of promoting Celtic music. The site is also very easy to navigate and offers a variety of things that will keep you browsing for hours.
 What is 67 Music about:67 Music is a music media and promotions company exclusive to Celtic Music.  Our primary goal is to bring global attention and recognition to Celtic music in all it’s forms, and to the artists who make it.  We seek also to bring together organizations and companies into a tight knit Celtic community, inform fans of new events and releases, and maintain the grand heritage.
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Celtic music shuffle.
I will make it a habit to post diverse music as much as possible. This is a diverse musical culture we have embracing everything in a global scope.

Mary Jane Lamond and Wendy MacIsaac – “Seinn”

There is something about Mary Jane Lamond’s singing that’s intriguing and addicting!

Latest release from Mary Jane Lamond and Wendy MacIsaac, “Seinn”, available at http://maryjaneandwendy.com/.

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Grace, Hewat & Polwart – ‘disappearance set’

Three amazing artists share the stage to render one of the most beautiful songs to come out of the Orkney Folk Festival. Each has something special to offer vocally and instrumentally.

Annie Grace, Corrina Hewat and Karine Polwart at the 2008 Orkney Folk Festival. This is the medley of songs they named the ‘disappearance set’, teasingly nicknamed by Martin Simpson their ‘separation anxiety set’. I like how the power surges around 4:54.

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  Best Bluegrass Clog Dancing Video Ever Made

Aside from the fact that it is in black and white, it conveys an old world authenticity.  The music is amazing. It is by filmmaker David Hoffman. You can get this video from amazon and also from www.thehoffmancollection.com

About: Visit http://www.createspace.com/204609 to get this entire program.Each scene in this classic bluegrass documentary present incredible mountain music and dancing. Bluegrass Roots lets you experience the real people and music that dominated the southern mountains 50 years ago. It presents the most extraordinary singers, players and dancers the BlueGrass Mountains had to offer. Most of the songs are classics, including Mountain Dew. This scene was filmed at Bascom Lunsford’s home in his living room. When the film aired on TV, TV Guide gave it a full-page review because most Americans had never seen Bluegrass and Country music.
David Hoffman – filmmaker

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MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS – “Irish Celebration” (Official Music Video)

This video has already received 4.4million views in youtube. It is rap and contains explicit expression.

PRODUCED BY – Ryan Lewis
VIOLIN – Andrew Joslyn
TRUMPET – Owuor Arunga
ADDITIONAL VOCALS – Tim Haggerty, Noah Goldberg

DIRECTOR: Stephan Gray
DP – Ryan Purcell
B CAMERA – Stephan Gray
C Camera – Ryan Lewis
AC – William Brody & Conor Hair
GAFFER – Tred Baylis
KEY GRIP – Blue Boy
HAIR/MAKEUP – Shawn Shelton
PRODUCER – Bret Seeger
EDIT – Stephan Gray

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Celtic Woman – Orinoco Flow

This is a great performance . I admire the production everyone has put up to keep this together. This is a song composed and performed originally by Enya and it reach the top of the UK and US charts in 1989.

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Clannad – I Will Find You (Official video)

Wow it took me decades to find an official video to the song taken from the first ever Clannad album I got.

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Connie Dover – Peggy and Her Gallant Soldier

If Ever I Return is an amazing album filled with artfully crafted songs and timeless melodies. Connie Dover is a gem to be listened to for generations. What attracted me to this song is the tempo and also the love story between Peggy and her lover soldier.

You can get her recordings here: http://www.conniedover.com/recordings.shtml

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MA ZADIG A MA MAMM ( BRITTANY) traditional Breton folk song

Wow I am glad I stumbled upon this amazing song from Brittany!

Brittany,vocals, frame drums, Breton, Celtic folk songs, traditional
Celtic folk music, Adam Reid, Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, Wales, SANDRA REID – VOICE

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Mary Jane Lamond – Bòg A’Lochain

This is the 6th track  from her album Suas E!

Lyrics and translations here: http://www.maryjanelamond.com/lyrics/suas/6.htm

Listen to more of Suas E! Here: http://www.myspace.com/maryjanelamond/music/albums/suas-e-16152627

You can view her entire catalog via Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Jane-Lamond/e/B000APADAM

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She Moved Through The Fair by Celtic Twist/Holland and Palmley

Info: Celtic Twist’s unique take on this timeless classic. Arranged and performed by Phil Holland and Dave Palmley of Celtic Twist. From their album Twist in the Tale available by writing via the contact form on the website.http://hollandandpalmley.wix.com/celtictwist

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 Cheers – Bard (Official Music Video 2012)

They project high energy live shows and amazing musicianship.Members are from the Czech Republic which is now a place with growing Celtic scene headed by bands like Poitin and also the band from this video Cheers!

Celtic Folk-Punk
http://bandzone.cz/cheers
Režie: Pája Junek + motivy z filmu Stakonický dudák (Karel Steklý, 1955)
http://www.junekfilm.cz

Celtic Music Whimsy

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In this edition:  Enda Seery, Fraser Fifield, Celtic Twist/Holland and Palmley, The Picts, Irish Music Ottawa Blog, and 9 Celtic music videos from youtube!

Videos: Seth Lakeman-Race to be King, Loreena McKennitt-Dante’s Prayer, Fraser Fifield- ‘Drawing Maps’, Rachel Hair Trio-Tsunami Jack, Eluveitie-Inis Mona, Enya-Book of Days, The Chieftains/Sean Keane-Drowsy Maggie, Seamus Ennis-An Poc Ar Buile and Ashley Macisaac-News Show in Japan.

Night Swimmers III by Eva McCauley

Night Swimmers III by Eva McCauley

How I got saved by a 16-year old artist!

I have a confession. Around Monday of last week, I was getting anxious because I usually have the Artist of the Week ready for publishing every the next day. But everyone was busy due to the holiday rush and no one was able to commit. Yours truly was experiencing panic. When I set a schedule, I stick to it not because I have a boss. After all, I own this site, no one pays me to write and I don’t earn my living by blogging. It is my passion for Celtic music and musicians that drive the itch. I have no partner in this. The same goes for my other blog Sphere Music. I do everything from ground up including the design and the decision of what I am going to feature next.

If you want to be part of my upcoming artist of the week, it is so simple. I get my recommendation from (your)peers in the music scene. Also, when I set my sights on you, then you get to be featured here. I write for the readers but I also write for the musicians. It is a practical thing to do. It helps musicians get to know other talents and this could be beneficial if they are looking for someone to jam with when they are in another country. From England, Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Cornwall, Isle of Man, North America and other parts of the world, I have started building a network of artists. I feel like a super spider! Bloggers have the passion to keep the music scene alive. We are the Rolling Stones, Hot Press and Billboard magazine of Celtic music-well maybe not your typical journalism major but I try to make it interesting as much as possible.

Now we were talking about the incident last week right? Well it was the 16 year old Quinn Bachand who saved me. He’s the one who’s able to commit and he did an interesting interview! You can read this week’s interview about him to know more.

So what do we have for the start of the year?

Síocháin na Tuaithe Preview (New Album from Enda Seery in 2013)

Enda Seery is very excited about the release of his second album scheduled this year. He sent me demo clips of the few album tracks and they sound really amazing even in their rough states. I am sure the finished album will be fantastic.

16 tracks of Traditional Irish Music and Song… Coming soon in 2013!

http://www.endaseery.com

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A Flurry of Recordings from Fraser Fifield

Guess who is hardworking this year and last year in the world of Traditional and Jazz music? Fraser Fifield is everywhere. Here is a nice article where he appeared: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/music/music-news/scottish-jazz-federation-launch-tours-1498666  He recently got his left arm broken. Get well soon Fraser!

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My House by Celtic Twist/Holland and Palmley

From Phil and Dave: “Everyone has a dream…however small, however simple…as long as its your dream and it makes you happy”.

This is a beautiful song!I like how Phil’s vocal style has evolved. It is softer and warmer now. I really love these guys. I mean they are not just part of my favorite circle of Celtic musicians but they also full of love and support. Wonderful friends and wonderful musicians. Such a rare combination.

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The Picts New Year Concert

Check out the photos from Douglas McQueen Hunter and the rest of  The Picts.

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Irish Music Ottawa Blog

I am proud to represent one of my peers from Canada. This is one of the most comprehensive sites I have ever seen. If you are in a band, an avid Irish music listener, if you are looking for gigs or want to know what’s going on, check this site. According to Craig who runs Irish Music Ottawa: This not-for-profit webpage provides links to primarily Ottawa Valley, and Irish Traditional Music (ITM), activities in, or within a few hours of the Ottawa / National Capital Region of Canada.  Music is a shared experience between musicians and the audience. That’s the spirit!

http://www.irishmusicottawa.ca/

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The rest of my facebook posts:

I love posting videos on facebook because I am driven by the mood of the moment and the kind of music that suits that mood. I was looking back and I already posted a lot this week so I am sharing this with you in case we are not facebook friends. Just to give you an idea what I thought were hot music!

Happy New Year!!!

Quinn Bachand: Teen Power in Trad Music (Interview)

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Also in this edition: Mànran – Latha Math, Simple Celtic Phrases and Eluveitie – Live @ Graspop Metal Meeting.

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Young Canadian Celtic guitar superstar Quinn Bachand exclusive interview with The Celtic Music Fan.

At 13 Quinn Bachand already shared the stage with notable names in Celtic music. He has videos all over youtube performing with the likes of Natalie MacMaster and Ashley MacIsaac. It is amazing to remember that it’s been only a few years since he and his sister Qristina got catapulted into Canada’s capital of Celtic music-the East Coast from their native British Columbia, and finally  the world. Yes like any teenager he goes to school and does his homework . It seems this year is very musical for the Bachands so I decided to get an update. The last interview I did with him was April 13 of 2011.

To be 16 and being serious in doing the kind of music he likes, what is it like?  There is also this question I wanted to ask but was not included in my first interview: Why trad music and not other types of music in an age where teenagers do dance or rock? Quinn gives surprising answers to this interview:

Your tour calendar says your next performance will be on January 26 , 2013 with “Quinn Bachand and Friends – An evening of Celtic, Roots and Jazz Music.” What are you busy doing these days?

Yes, Qristina is living in Amsterdam, so we haven’t been doing as many smaller/in-town gigs. More festivals and a concert here and there. We’re doing a tour of the Yukon in February, that will be a lot of fun. I’ve just started a group with my friend Richard Moody, from “the Bills”, and “Acoustically Inclined” so we’re just getting started. It will be Richard and I with rhythm guitar and bass playing the music of Django Reinhardt, “Gypsy Jazz.”

You have just finished doing  the Celtic Christmas Ceilidh show with your sister at the Knox. How was it?

The Christmas concert was a lot of fun! It was sold out, which is great since Qristina was coming all the way from Amsterdam. It was wonderful to see so many of our friends from Victoria that we hadn’t seen in a long time, and new ones too!

Please tell me more about this wonderful video:Lady Be Good – Performed by Richard Moody, you & Aaron Watson.

 

That is Richard and I, with our friend Aaron Watson. That was the first time we ever played together. It was a jazz vespers gig in Deep Cove, Saanich (Victoria). We’re playing the old Gershwin classic, Lady be Good!

It’s been more than a year since you and your sister released the album Family. How are things in the recording aspect of both your careers? Any plans for a new album?

I’ve been looking at making a solo album myself of a lot of different things, from straight ahead Celtic stuff with me on banjo, fiddle, guitar, and whatever else, to jazz. And everything in between like French Canadian waltz with Adrian Dolan on accordion, and old time Canadian swinging tunes with Daniel Lapp on the fiddle or trumpet. It’s all being thrown around and we haven’t made any decisions. I have recorded a couple of Celtic demos though.

Qristina and I are also planning on doing another record. She’s been growing a lot as a vocalist, so it would have a lot more songs on it than the last one. She’s learned a lot of awesome tunes while she’s been in Amsterdam so she’ll throw those all on the table!

Your Mom Marie is very supportive of your music. Does she go with both of you on tours?

Our mom does manage us, since I was so young (still kinda am) she or my dad, have been going with us on our tours. But I’m older than I was before and touring with ma big sis is alright with them! As long as we don’t kill each other it’s all good. Qristina’s boyfriend, Felix, will be our referee on this Yukon tour coming up.

If you were given a chance to create your own band on the side, what kind of music would it be and what instruments would be included?

I couldn’t really decide! There’s so many  instrumental arrangements of the style of music I play, alone. And so many styles I haven’t ever played that I like to listen to. A lot of those elements are slowly coming into Qristina and my set. I’ve just bought a midi bass pedal (a foot organ) that I can control to do bass notes, or swells (that you can hear on the last album). Things like that will allow me to play more banjo and fiddle in the set.

Now that you have toured the world and played with the best artists in the scene, what’s the reception like when you go back to your native British Columbia?

We’ve had the honour of playing with a lot of great musicians and some of our idols. I’m 16 so I’m still in school and my life is kind of separate from the music stuff. A lot of kids at my school don’t know about my music. It’s very separate. But the people in the music scene here are still the same towards me, we respect each other!

Being in an age where you can literally do anything musically and somehow get away with it, what makes you stick to traditional music instead of doing the things that other people do, meaning pursuing either mainstream rock or pop?

I really love trad music. It rocks pretty hard I think. I listen to some of that stuff though, and threw some cool effects from the electric guitar on the last album tastefully, and we’ll keep doing that and experiment.

More of Quinn and Qristina: www.qbachand.com

Videos:

A set of reels we captured in our hotel room during Kansas City Irish Fest 2011. The tunes are The Dash to Portobello (by Sean Ryan) and I believe the second tune is Jim Donoghue’s. The whistle is an MK low D made by Misha Somerville, Quinn’s guitar made by by his dad, Adrian Bachand.-Zach Leger.

Gallery

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Featured video:Mànran – Latha Math

Manran hit the UK top 40 which is a wonder considering that the song is entirely in Gaelic and yes it is such an honor to celebrate the distinctive style, freshness and the coolness of the Celtic circle!

Info: Mànran are the hottest new band on the Scottish music scene. Combining driving accordion, fiddle, Highland pipes, Uilleann pipes and flute with powerful songs in English and Gaelic, all underpinned by rocking drums and bass. Though the band is a fairly recent collaboration, each member has been dazzling crowds in Scotland and throughout the world with various line-ups for a number of years but now unite to create Mànran: the fresh, unstoppable sound of modern Gaelic Scotland. Since coming together in June 2010 the band have already played at festivals in Europe and Scotland. The band have enjoyed gigs at Celtica in Italy, The Hebridean Celtic Festival in Lewis and are looking forward to a busy 2011.

Mànran are hoping to become the first band in the 21st century to take a Gaelic song into the official UK top 40. The song, “Latha Math,” was written by lead singer Norrie MacIver and it will be released on the 17th of January. It will be available for download only on iTunes. The single was produced by two of the countries top producers, Calum Malcolm (Wet Wet Wet, Simple Minds and Runrig) and also legendary accordion player and musician Phil Cunningham.

After a very successful start to 2011 after appearing on the BBC Alba hogmanay show the band are now turning their attention by making history and taking “Latha Math” to the UK Top 40!!

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Simple Celtic Phrases:

Saying good night in all the Celtic languages:

Codladh sámh-Irish

Oidhche mhath-Scottish

Nos da-Welsh

Nos dha-Cornish

Ken ar wech all-Breton

Oie vie-Manx.

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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in Celtic languages:

Bliain úr faoi shéan is faoi mhaise duit!-Irish

Nollaig chridheil agus bliadhna mhath ùr! -Scottish

Nadolig llawen a blwyddyn newydd dda-Welsh

Nollick Ghennal as Blein Vie Noa-Manx

Nedeleg laouen ha bloavezh mat-Breton

Looan Blethen Noweth-Cornish.

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Eluveitie – Live @ Graspop Metal Meeting, 23.06.12

Thanks to YouTube’s improvement we can now view a full concert. This one is by Celtic metal band from Switzerland . They are called Eluveitie. From wiki: The lyrics are often in the extinct language Gaulish. The name of the band comes from graffiti on a vessel from Mantua (ca. 300 BC).[10] The inscription in Etruscan letters reads eluveitie, which has been interpreted as the Etruscan form of the Celtic (h)elvetios (“the Helvetian”), presumably referring to a man of Helvetian descent living in Mantua.

Visit the band website: http://eluveitie.ch

Video is Published on Jun 25, 2012

Captured by Stucker
http://www.eluveitie.ru

00:00 Prologue
01:05 Helvetios
05:20 Luxtos
09:40 Neverland
14:20 Meet the Enemy
18:20 A Rose for Epona
22:45 Inis Mona
28:40 Alesia
33:10 Uxellodunon
38:30 Kingdom come Undone
42:35 Havoc
47:33 Epilogue