albums

Emerging Dou from the Celtic/World Pool :Shishonnah

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 1 Comment

Jenne Lennon answers our questions through Skype about her new project with fellow musician Liz Madden.

Photo taken by John Sisson

Photo taken by John Sisson

[3:46:07 AM] jose romel labatos: Hi Jenne, so new updates about your recording?
[3:47:56 AM] Jenne Lennon: Hello there Baxter. As a matter of fact, yes and thank you for asking.
[3:48:23 AM] Jenne Lennon: I was waiting to tell you until our recordings and press stuff and new photos are up, but I can give you a fair amount of details if you would like. 🙂
[3:49:13 AM] jose romel labatos: Sure 🙂 It would be a nice preview for the proper  launching 😉 So how many tracks are we expecting here?
[3:54:00 AM] Jenne Lennon: 4 to be exact. It will feature myself and Liz Madden from Dublin. She and I have teamed up to form Shishonnah. We are a duo. We sing all of the vocal parts and play just about all of the instruments. We write all of our own music. It’s a fusion of Celtic and world music. Very similar to the style of my last single “Anam/Spirit”
[3:54:35 AM] Jenne Lennon: Our first 4 tracks will be on the site in November. A full length album in early 2011, and the european release in the summer
[3:57:43 AM] jose romel labatos: Wow sounds amazing! How was the recording process like? Was it fun in the studio and did those tracks get a fair amount of time to get recorded?
[4:00:46 AM] Jenne Lennon: Well, so far we have only done initial demo recordings. A smaller amount of the instrumentation and vocal parts than we are planning, but it’s been an absolute joy to work with Liz. We are true partners. Writing and recording with her has undoubtedly been the most creatively fulfilling experience of my life
[4:01:54 AM] jose romel labatos: I subscribe to your blog and I know you’ve been anywhere. You love to travel. Do we expect to hear autobiographical stuff in these recordings?
[4:03:18 AM] Jenne Lennon: Oh, definitely. Both Liz and I travel across the world and the U.S. on a regular basis, and both of us have been greatly affected by our travels and the people we have met. Every song contains bits and pieces of Jenne and Liz and our experiences

Liz Madden

Liz Madden

[4:06:07 AM] jose romel labatos: How did you meet Liz?
[4:08:55 AM] Jenne Lennon: It’s a funny story. She used to sing with the successful Irish duo Rua. I was performed on the Chants Du Femmes concert alongside Rua at the Lorient Interceltique Festival in 2006. We tried staying in touch over the years, but always seemed to miss each other when I was in Dublin. Liz ended up marrying a wonderful man from Arkansas and she relocated to the states. We have been inseparable ever since.
[4:18:21 AM] jose romel labatos: That’s very interesting indeed!I am now listening to Liz myspace page. I notice that both of you have powerful expressive voices!  What will your fans expect in this album …vocally?


[4:22:52 AM] Jenne Lennon: Vocally, they will hear a very different use of style and technique from both Liz and I. We are both trained in many different styles besides classically, celtic, and musical theatre. Fans will hear native american, african, and eastern european inspired vocals, mixed in with the familiar styles that they normally hear from Liz and I.
[4:24:42 AM] jose romel labatos: I am so crazy about world instruments. What will we be hearing from both of you instrumentally?
[4:25:56 AM] Jenne Lennon: many different types of world percussion, Asian, African, Celtic, and native american mostly. Some Spanish instrumentation and of course, native american flute. We will also be using extremely old instruments, like the hurdy gurdy and some renaissance inspired sounds.
[4:26:29 AM] Jenne Lennon: oh, and of course, the good old Irish instrumentation at points.
[4:30:44 AM] jose romel labatos: I love the hurdy gurdy! I am glad I will hearing that one here. this appears to be a rich musical treat for all of us. so how many tracks are we expecting to hear in the album when it’s finished?
[4:31:45 AM] Jenne Lennon: Lol. That’s the difficult part. Between the two of us, we have written about 3 albums worth of music. Narrowing it down will be tough. We’re hoping to do the standard 12-14 tracks, maybe 16 at the most.
[4:33:13 AM] jose romel labatos: Sounds great! Yes because with the influences and discipline you both have , I am sure listeners will want more. Anything else we should know about this project?
[4:35:05 AM] Jenne Lennon: Thank you. Well, we are in the works to launch or own radio podcast in the new year. We are also working on an original score for Antigone, which will premiere in February, plus the release of a compilation album through our company Glencoe Records/Healing Sun Productions, along with several concerts in the U.S., Europe, and the U.K. in the Spring and Summer
[4:35:57 AM] jose romel labatos: Sounds like this is going to be a blast for 2011.
[4:36:24 AM] Jenne Lennon: Indeed. I truly hope so. But, it’s always a blast with Liz.

For more information visit:

http://www.myspace.com/jennelennon

and

http://www.myspace.com/lizmadden

Loreena McKennitt Releases New Traditional Album

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 5 Comments

Irish-Canadian singer Loreena McKennitt has once again opened another chapter in her  recording career. The Wind that Shakes the Barley is an old Irish hymn reminiscent of the ‘troubles’. According to Quinlan Road, this is a trip back to her roots that shaped her first recording venture with “Elemental’ in 1985.

As a fan of Ms McKennitt, I am excited to hear this news which I originally got from Unity, the official Enya forum.

Read more here: http://www.quinlanroad.com/newsandviews/currentupdates.asp?id=913

Tracks:

  1. AS I ROVED OUT
  2. ON A BRIGHT MAY MORNING
  3. BRIAN BORUS MARCH
  4. DOWN BY THE SALLY GARDENS
  5. THE STAR OF THE COUNTY DOWN
  6. THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY
  7. THE DEATH OF QUEEN JANE
  8. THE EMIGRATION TUNES
  9. THE PARTING GLASS

Celtic Dreams, Vol. 1:Grab your Copies!

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 4 Comments

Celtic Dreams is one exciting compilation with fresh talents you might have heard already and those you are yet to discover. It contains one song from Jenne Lennon called Anam/Spirit which displays her vocal prowess and skill in gathering atmosphere even in stripped down acoustic settings.  Quickstar has goodies to share and this is one interesting album from a label that unites artists from all parts of the globe sharing one common musical culture.

Prevews and samples can be found here

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Check  out the Weekly Inspiration : http://www.weeklyinspiration.co.uk/Art/Blog/Blog.html

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Check this out:

Tim Edey playing his brand new Saltarelle Melodeon

Beautiful isn’t it?

Check his site: http://www.myspace.com/timedey

…And take a look at this beautiful Paul Taggart Album:



A Lament for Patricia

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 3 Comments

I learned today that Patricia Neal passed away at 84 due to lung cancer. I remember her fondly as 2-E (Mrs. Failenson) in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. This woman had a strong screen presence further fuelled by her husky voice. More of the story here: http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-patricia-neal-20100810,0,5106158.story?page=1

I could not think of a better song to dedicate to her passing than this song by the Scottish group Capercaillie. Tighinn Air A’mhuir Am Fear A Phosas Mi is taken from their album Nàdurra.


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Ad for the new Sue Aston album:


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Follow Folk/World band No Crows via facebook and twitter

Ark by Brendan Perry and Mary Fahl’s Gravity(Tentative Album Title)

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 6 Comments

I spent my late teens listening to World/Medieval/Celtic/Fusion duo Dead Can Dance . I admit it’s the voice of Irishman Brendan Perry that really got to me. It’s a haunting baritone that reminds you of  quiet walks on a cemetery during a faintly windy night. I  almost own all of Dead Can Dance album (on audio cassettes) and most of them now on mp3s so I can bring them along when I travel.

You have to understand what it did to me when I heard that he just released a new album called Ark. This is closer to the sound ‘feel’ he did for Dead Can Dance. Recorded in his home studio Quivvy Church ( it’s really an old church in Ireland he bought and converted into a recording studio) this 8-track album will be something to treasure for years to come. A totally rewarding listening experience! Check out the latest news about Brendan Perry here.

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Mary Fahl is getting busy this year as two of her albums are about to be released : Mary Fahl: From the Dark Side of the Moon (to be released in 2010) and  Gravity (Tentative Title) – 10-song album to be released in 2010…I love this update! Recently I chatted with Mary about the three tracks that was floating around : Ghost of Me, Red Sunset and White Bird. These are demos she made with Bob Riley of Grace Pool. Bob passed away sadly and they were left forgotten .  Let’s hope Mary will consider re-recording them because they will blow your mind away with their beauty. Full discography here.

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Nigel Eaton

If you love excellent Hurdy-Gurdy music, then you should never miss Nigel Eaton’s  myspace page. He played with Loreena McKennitt (1996-2006) I love the sound of this instrument and I think it deserves more exposure.

About the Hurdy-Gurdy


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On Jenne Lennon

…She became a friend in facebook and wrote me a sweet message. As always Jenne will remain a favorite here @ Celtic Music Fan because of her wonderful talent and fresh approach in Celtic Music. How she sounds like? Here’s how she describes her music: A combination of Clannad, Lisa Gerard, Enya, Loreena McKennitt…plus let me add a passionate intensity close of Janis Joplin.

Listen to: http://www.myspace.com/jennelennon and read her blog. There’s also this interview I posted.   Check out her rendition of Marble Halls  from The Bohemian Girl, an Irish Opera by Michael William Balfe.

thanks to knoeful for posting this video and providing additional info…

(Jenne Lennon performs with Indiana University’s International Vocal Ensemble at the Mary Goetze farewell concert in April, 2007. Goetze founded both the IU Childrens Choir and the International Vocal Ensemble, giving performance opportunities and musical learning to youngsters as well as university students who are not music majors. Lennon is a Chicago based Celtic singer dubbed the Janis Joplin of Celtic Music! http://www.glencoerecords.com/ “I Dreamt That I Dwelt in Marble Halls” is also called “The Gipsy Girl’s Dream” It comes from the opera “The Bohemian Girl.”)