George Murphy

A Holiday Album For All

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Also in this edition: Marc Gunn, Celtic Twist/Holland and Palmley Duo and Jamie Smith’s MABON

Album Review: Together for Christmas(Various artists)

A CONTEMPORARY CELTIC CHRISTMAS COLLECTION’ with Larry Kirwan, The High Kings, Damien Dempsey, The Elders, Kyf Brewer, Cherish the Ladies + more!
What’s holiday without Celtic musicians coming together in one albumTogether for Christmas CD cover
Together for Christmas CD cover

right? I am listening to Together for Christmas and I see great reasons to own this album. It contains eclectic sounds from rock, jazz to classical. I also noticed the huge efforts placed by the contributing bands, sound people and solo artists each track.

Songs from Together for Christmas is something you can listen to again and again because it is an amazing gift you want to unwrap and play either through your headphones or huge speakers. It has the great casting and track order. Lots and lots of surprises!

The Elders make  perfect album opening due to the upbeat and catchy melodies of Christmas Day. Solid harmonies, strings and stirring chorus can get you up your feet. Ashley Davis moves me with her terrific voice. Fans of Sarah McLachlan and Loreena McKennitt will warm up to her haunting and captivating style in Nolaig Moon. Her voice is so good I sometimes overlook the craft placed in this song which is equaly amazing! I will definitely check more of her own projects.

John Munnelly adds that Beatlesque touch with the jolly Happy Christmas. Cherish the Ladies offers a fine  instrumental track in Deck the Halls. Take it from the pros in the genre. A combination of traditional carol sounds and Irish jigs.

Kyf Brewer’s gruff vocals and upbeat pace of Whiskey for Christmas will keep you humming and tapping up to the end of the end..Emma Kate Tobia soars with her angelic soprano that adds a magical touch to this album. It creates a soothing balance like watching snow crystals fall slowly to the ground. Walking in the Air is true to its title in every way.

Track Dogs is a band with nice surprises. They do a kind of alternative rock with a touch of shoegazer sound. The Celtic Tenors top the bill with Silent Night. Those who got their album Feels Like Home will know what to expect. The Celtic Tenors are like the Three Musketeers. When they blend their talents they make powerful songs.

Happy Xmas is a popular tune originally done by Lennon and Ono. Sarah Mclachlan also covered this track. It is nice to finally hear it in another interpretation through Larry Kerwan and Ashley Davis.The Wild Colonial Bhoys surprise us with their punk inspired sound that has both the hint of The Beach Boys and Traditional Irish sound.

Damien Dempsey’s almost a capella rendition of Oh Holy Night  showcases his robust voice while keeping true to the atmosphere of the song..The High Kings give us the new sheen to Driving Home for Christmas. It’s another classic!  I was crossing my fingers when I saw this in the tracklisting. I didn’t want to be disappointed. And  good enough, The High Kings add freshness to this classic. They make it very Irish yet preserving the spirit of the original composition by Chris Rea.

The Temple Bar Band feat. Dave Brown and Claire Pelo make a beautiful nod to 2000 Miles (originally done by the Pretenders). This time, you hear the choir of children.. And yes! Clair Pelo has a terrific voice. George Murphy Feat Emma Kate Tobia   don’t need further intro with Fairy Tale of New York. This track was released as a single last year. I am glad that it finally  made it to this compilation. Their talents are amazing together.

Tara O’Grady closes this compilation with her jazzy take on Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. Everyone’s style stands up. The range of artistry and genre covered by the artists who contributed their talents in this release are wide. You will enjoy it!

Special thanks to Anita Daly

ANITA DALY
DALY COMMUNICATIONS for this wonderful album.

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Gigs, news etc!

Ok, now get ready for the mentionables!

CELTIC CHRISTMAS SHOW by Marc Gunn

Image from Marc Gunn

Image from Marc Gunn

Mark has been a blogging buddy since I started this site in 2009. This fella is a huge volcano of creativity. He is a great example for those who want to keep the Celtic Music scene alive.

From Marc:

“In addition to fine tuning my Christmas playlist, I finished a Celtic Christmas drinking songs show for the Pub Songs Podcast.   I also started compiling songs two shows exclusively for the Celtic Christmas Podcast.  The first goes online today!

I invite you to listen to the Celtic Christmas Podcast.  It features Celtic Christmas shows from many of the top Celtic podcasts online.  I didn’t update it last year, but I’m bringing it back again in 2012.  Subscribe at http://celticchristmaspodcast.com/”

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Christmas Track :Snowfall-Celtic Twist/Holland and Palmley Duo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfmeLnqn1rM&feature=youtu.be

This track reminds me of a little music box. The high bell sounds are really great to hear. The heavenly voice  of Phil Holland is something you don’t want to miss here. The kind of feeling you want to have when you think of this season. I think more and more, the Holland and Palmley dou are transitioning into what I can only describe as breath taking sound! They have evolved in terms of artistry and so do we!

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Jamie Smith’s MABON – NEWS – NEW TOUR DATES 2013 ANNOUNCED

LORESPOSTER!cid_2F5941A2-0ED1-4617-9C76-9F7872FDA6B7

Fans of the amazing Welsh Celtic band Jamie Smith’s MABON will have something to rejoice this 2013. Tour dates are announced!

According to John Eeles (Facilitator /  Sound Engineer):

“The band have just wrapped up a great year, with sold out shows during the recently completed tour and widespread critical acclaim for their new album.

2013 is already gearing up to be a busy year, both in the U.K. and abroad, with plans afoot to put a European tour in place, and dates in Canada and Scandinavia in the pipeline.”
For more information on the shows and the band go to the website :
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So there you have it folks. More news to come. Stay tuned to my next edition which is still about Celtic music news for you.

 

Emma Kate Tobia & George Murphy duet: A Fairy Tale

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FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK

A duet with

EMMA KATE TOBIA & GEORGE MURPHY

Performing the iconic Pogues Christmas song


Way back the same month last year I reviewed Emma Kate Tobia‘s album. Earlier than that (around October 26) I also featured George Murphy’s The Ballad of Archie Thompson. Who would have thought that these two notable vocalists would eventually record a song together? So what do they have in common? My answer …..(rolling drums and trumpets!): powerful vocals and amazing charisma.

Emma Kate Tobia’s classically trained soprano and George Murphy’s Dublin howl can tackle arena style venues . So you might think this is another one of those operatic renditions that calls to mind classical crossover performance. Yes and wrong. Miss Tobia’s voice maybe suited for powerful performances, yet in delivery, she is dubbed as Ireland’s angelic soprano. I have observed time and time again how she skillfully switches her singing,  from Sean-nós  to operatic, with an ease of a giselle. Together, the two singers created a magical song that is indeed a fairy tale for the season.

From the onset of the piano chords comes George Murphy’s strong (but this time wood- meets- whiskey-slick)vocals. It’s  a gradual track that picks up pace as Emma Kate Tobia’s part comes in. The prominent tin whistle and guitars evoke that acoustic folk feel.  According to the info :

The original song was written and released in 1987 by Irish rock band, The Pogues, it was a duet between lead singer Shane McGowan and Kirsty MacColl. The song swiftly became a hit, reaching #1 in the Irish charts. It is frequently voted the Number One Best Christmas song of all time in various television, radio and magazine related polls in Ireland and the UK. This new version was recorded in Dublin at Ashtown Studios this past fall with an amzing group of musicians including Dave Brown on guitar and mandolin (he holds the Guinness World Book of Records for most consecutive hours playing guitar!) and traditional players from Chicago, Johnny and Cormac McCarthy on whistles and piano respectively.

Fairytale of New York is available for download at iTunes and at http://www.cdbaby.com

Here’s the direct link to download:

http://www.cdbaby.com/AlbumDetails.aspx?AlbumID=emmakatetobia2

Thanks to Anita Daly  for the exclusive preview of this wonderful track.

Webhttp://www.emmakatetobia.com

http://www.myspace.com/emmakatetobia

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Celtic Ambience

My friend Paula O’Brien(http://www.myspace.com/paulaobrienuk)  from the UK whom I had a pleasure meeting and befriending in facebook shared two beautiful tracks with me. Paula is half Irish and she is known for her elecro music. These  two tunes are relaxing and I want to share it to you my readers, hoping you get that reflective feel of the season as it starts to kick in.

The first track is called Carousel by Troy Donockley (born 30 May 1964) who  is an English composer and multi-instrumentalist most known for his playing of uillean pipes. It’s from his album “The Unseen Stream“(1998 remastered in 2005).

The second track is called “Seoladh Na Ngamhna” by The Dirk Campbell Band from the compilation album “Celtic Ambience”.

George Murphy ‘The Ballads of Archie Thompson’ CD out October 1st

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George Murphy has an album you will love!

‘You’re a Star’ is Ireland’s  equivalent of American Idol. George Murphy became a rising star of that show which paved the way for his latest release. It is an album filled with Irish humor and it is so irresistible you want the whole family to listen near the fireplace-now that holiday’s getting nearer!

This is from a press release I got from Fior:

“George is the most exciting vocal find in Ireland…” Phil Coulter

“George has a voice beyond his years.”  Ronnie Drew

In 2004 George Murphy was just out of secondary school when he burst onto the Irish music scene after his show stealing performances on the Irish equivalent to American Idol, ‘You’re a Star’.  He landed a record deal and a number one triple platinum album followed, leading to extensive tours of the country and collaborations with the greats of Irish music including The Dubliners, Phil Coulter, The Furey’s, Aslan and Paddy Casey.

George Murphy, who hails from the north Dublin suburb of Beaumont, had never performed as a singer before his audition and subsequent rise to fame. His voice has been described as a cross between Luke Kelly and Bruce Springsteen and has a maturity that attracts fans of all ages.  The Irish music magazine Hot Press summed it up:  “For a 17 year-old to possess such a wildly evocative Dublin howl is extraordinary to the point of being unbelievable.”

George is releasing his first CD here in the US called ‘The Ballads of Archie Thompson’. The boy from Beaumont, still young at 24, has created a new collection of songs, some new, some old, but all with a fresh perspective. Tracks on the new album include ‘The Foggy Dew’ featuring John Sheahan and Barney McKenna of the Dubliners, a cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Sara’ featuring Christy Dignam of Aslan and the renowned ‘Auld Triangle’.

To explain the title and song selection on the album George says, “Archie Thompson is a fictional character, a well bearded big bellied man who exists in almost every Irish bar…his stories and songs would consist of his experiences as a young man and how he lived his life…these stories are his legacy.” The album is a collaboration with the musicians known as The Black Donnelly’s, named after immigrant Irish gang in Hells Kitchen New York, the band has played and toured with many renowned performers and were the backing band for Ronnie Drew and Terry Woods of the Pogues.

To quote Hot Press again: “George Murphy is a serious contender.”


Tracks

1. The Foggy Dew (with John and Barney from The Dubliners)
2. The Lifeboat Mona
3. Sara (with Christy Dignam)
4. Round This Town
5. Peggy Gordon
6. The Ballad Of Springhill
7. Star of the County Down (with John and Barney from The Dubliners)
8. The Auld Triangle
9. Ballad of Archie Thompson
10. No Night Out In The Jail

The Ballads of Archie Thompson is available on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-ballads-archie-thompson/id327511201

or this link

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If you haven’t gotten a copy of Barleyjuice’s latest album ‘Skulduggery Street’ then better grab one soon!