naked in new york

Catch La Unica at New York City’s The Shrine

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I did two articles about La Unica and I am always attuned to what’s going on with bands who got their names in this page. So it is always a pleasure to present to you what’s happening to them. Later this month, La Unica will be  playing at a New York City venue called Shrine. This is going to be an exciting musical even because you know what to expect from La Unica right? It will be a night filled with Latin grooves and Celtic melodies. Plus I have mentioned about the cover of the U2 song( With or Without You) which is something you should hear live! I mentioned that because I am once again listening to U2’s The Joshua Tree. A fantastic album. This cover is worth hearing because they added their own twist to it.


Meanwhile…

Irish actor/book author Alan Cooke a.k.a The Wild Irish Poet is writing a new book. Details are hush hush at this time but he shared a passage from that book. Here it is:

She lied back on the bed and gradually dozed off the jet lag claiming her. She had another strange dream…
  She is walking in a field of blood. There are many people. Bone faces and dying. Broken bodies. Crawling around her putting grass in their mouths. She walks through the fields of many thousands of Irish men and women. She comes across an open bare piece of land. She wept at all the pain. The sky rumbled above her. She looked up and could hear terrible screams so far up above her head. She felt dizzy and fell to her knees. Her hands on the dying earth. She felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned around and was confronted by the face of an old woman. Her face was sunken. Her skin hung off her body in terrible folds. She was a human bone. Her eyes were bulging and filled with some terrible pity of all the ages.  The woman has old grey hair and bald patches around her head. She held out her sickly hands as if pleading to her. She tried to cry out but only a low moaning sound was heard. She was frozen. The sky turned a velvet black. The sun was erased and all the sickly millions wept in unison. The woman fell against her and shattered into a thousand pieces. ..’
She awoke and for a second she could not breathe.

Sounds like a horror novel to me. But let us wait and see. He wrote two books about his experiences in the literary vein of James Joyce: Naked in New York and The Spirit of Ireland. These are two books I enjoyed reading and I am sure you will too. But there are details of  thriller he is polishing which has a Hollywood movie potential. I will give you the details when it is out.

And Lastly…

Enjoy this lovely track from singer/songwriter John Breen!

Truth and Dare:The Wild Irish Poet (a.k.a. Alan Cooke) Interview .

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Alan Cooke

Alan Cooke. a.k.a.  is an Emmy-winning actor/poet/novelist who just released his literary piece called Naked in New York. The book is the  result of his experiences, when he embarked on a journey to New York city just after the 9/11. He has acted and written since the 90s and then one day he just decided to leave it all behind and take a plunge into the unknown.

Naked in New York is a coming of age for the soul. He mentioned to me in one of our conversations that if he put all of his experiences in New York on text, then it would have taken him more than a thousand pages. This is a book of poetic beauty that flows in abundance through the pages. There are moments of pure illumination amidst the harsh realities in which he describes without sugar-coating. The poetry of his ideas are implied rather than expressed. And it is through one’s poetic soul that the beauty of his experiences is revealed.

This interview is kind of amusing. I have told him to hurry with the interview and not be distracted by other topics. We were doing a sort of dare. If you’ve followed one of his radio interviews, you will realize that he has an ample sense of humor.

“Ok last time give me those questions. I’ll do them right NOW.” The zeal of an Irishman! So we started with the interview.

“Hold on.” I was sifting through my original questions.

“Hurry up.” I was imagining him with that cocky smile at the other side of the monitor. And we started.

Alan with the release of Naked in New York, what do you plan to accomplish personally?

Well this is the first of three books. Naked in New York is a debut. I would like to go to New York this summer and read and promote the book if possible.

You have done stage and acting and I know your are very musically inclined. Any plans to dipping your vocal chords into an EP devoted to Irish music in the future?

Click to enlarge

I doubt it. I adore music. I adore the sounds of Ireland and the breath and depth of musicians. I do have a strong singing voice but I might make my own single one day . I like to try out new mediums who knows..

How do you feel about the reception towards Naked in New York?

Well whomever has read it has been very moved in many ways. But the promotional aspect I find exhausting. It is way more difficult than writing the book I have to admit. But then it only takes one piece of media coverage or the right person to read the book to bring it to a much larger audience.

Are you planning to do a sort of book tour in a form of public readings in the US?

I would love to yes. I am a performer. I am an orator. I am not a writer hiding out. I love to be in the world. In front of people speaking my words. I like to try and transform a room with the connection between teller and listener. That is the crux of all art.

You have upcoming projects. Can you give us an update on them?

Well as I said, I have two other books. The Spirit of Ireland and Jack Tully and the Midnight Killer. I hope to release both of them this spring. One must keep creating. Keep the candle burning in the midst of dark times. Someone out there could be moved or changed by your work. So I try never to give up.

You often discuss this light and dark contrast in the Irish psyche which is also the focus of your thriller Jack Tully and the Midnight killer. What do you think in brief paragraph, might have caused this phenomena?

Our history. Our colonization. Our religious repression. We are a mythic native culture at our root base. We are powerful poetic and magical in a sense. Our previous overlords knew this and crushed and starved and enslaved us for hundreds of years. So although we have a gift still in our Celtic souls, it is split I believe. At one side is a beauty for poetry and laughter and lightness. On the other is self loathing, self-destruction and hatred of our identity. You see it in the drink culture and the low expectations and learned helplessness that is very dominant here. So I like to explore that in my writing. But I think soon the Irish will rise into the full version of themselves again. Into the colour light and beauty of their own soul. They need to see and explore the myths. They need to cast out shame and sadness and realize we are powerful. Self love is the key. This landscape is filled with such amazing magic and depth. We only have to walk into it and say I AM.

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Tell me more about your spoken words via youtube. You have released 3 so far right? What inspires you to make those?
Well I am an actor who hasn’t acted in quite a while. So my narrations are really my way of exploring my performance and my writing together. Both are intrinsically linked. The power of voice and the word is such a potent force when used for good. That is why I try and make these videos to combat so much destructive messages in the media.

I am curious what you have in your music player right now. Can you give me at least five Irish albums you are listening to?

Oh.. ! Well not many. I like the old U2 Albums when they were less concerned about massive profit and more about art. I like Thin Lizzy and also a lot of Uileann Pipe players. I love the Dubliners and Luke Kelly. I need to listen to more music again. !

You mentioned once that the book is a distilled version of what really happened in New York. If you’ve decided to write the story as is, it would have taken you a thousand pages. But as you mentioned, it’s more like an ‘art writing’ but also autobiographical. How did you decide which scenes in your life made it to the book and what didn’t and why?

It flowed in a certain rhythm. It was more an exploration of my feelings related to the experience than the actual experience if that makes sense. All reality is subjective. All magic or true experience is blended at times. I needed a certain level of discernment and trust of my gift to allow the flow to happen. What seemed important at the time of my journey became oddly trivial and then what seemed like an innocent road or a tiny moment became this momentous occasion in the book. I guess it is all perspective. There is no real truths only that which is your feeling of what you believed at the time. New york was such an overwhelming environment that I can only conclude my writing ultimately helped me undo the knots in my soul from the experience.

Let’s do another plug here. Where can they buy your book and the various formats that they can buy of naked in New York?

Well if they go to www.wildirishpoet.com they can buy the audio version of the book. If they go to www.amazon.com/author/wildirishpoet they can guy the kindle version .

Cat:”She is a godless. She is my familiar. Very very special. deeply intelligent and been through it all with me from New York to here.”
Click to enlarge.

Three more questions.

I’ll kill you.

Work it.

What is your idea of a good Irish holiday Alan?

Roaming the west in a car. Going to Kerry, Cork, Connemara. The wild ragged west of Ireland with the people, the food and hopefully in the summer. The long evenings and the sunsets and the magic of animals and mountains. It is all there in the very substance of every tree and river and in the eyes of the old people here. Magic in Ireland will never die.

So …what do you think? Should we stop here? Do you want 10 more questions?

No that’s enough let it roll. Off to do yoga in my house and weights, then porridge.

Copyright 2012 – Alan Cooke and Wild Poet Films. All footage is copyrighted. His Blog: www.wildirishpoet.blogspot.com
Buy the book on http://www.wildirishpoet.com on Audio release soon. Email to order your copy : wildpoetfilms@gmail.com

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Huzzah!

It is another interesting week for our featured artist edition. We have Alan Cooke above and also links in this column that you should check out because they are interesting! There are things that are yet to happen which will be revealed through my conversation with an artist. Yes, you will get an idea how I talk regularly.

Here’s the fifth teaser for the Kevin O’ Donnell album:

Kevin O'Donnell

Kevin O’Donnell

The Album Release

DEEP IS THE WELL will be released and available online Friday, May 3rd for purchase from iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby. A music video for the first single “Factory Girl” will be launched April 16th. Stay tuned for Album Release Events scheduled for May in the Chicagoland area, which will feature many of the guest artists on the album. More at www.deepisthewell.com.

Here’s the latest post from the Saw Doctors fan page: Later this year we are hoping to publish a book featuring 100 songs of The Saw Doctors. We will post a song each day as we reveal the 100.

We are looking for any photographs, stories or memories related to each of the songs for inclusion in the book. So let us know if you have a suggested contribution in the comments section.

Song #1 has to be the first song on our first album and also our first number 1 single 🙂

All 100 songs are available for download on iTunes and on CD from http://shop.sawdoctors/. And here’s the video: ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TRJ5CG_jIs

Eve Williams

Eve Williams

Check this track by Eve Williams. According to Eve: “It’s a song called Miranda based on the Tempest by myself, Andrew Price and Stuart Revnell. Stuart produced the song and he put a lot of work into the vocals.”

More at http://www.evewilliamsmusic.com/

Jenne Lennon

Jenne Lennon
Click to enlarge.

A Brief conversation with Singer/Songwriter, Writer, Composer, and Native American Rights Activist Jenne Lennon.

How are you Baxter? Its been ages……

I know Jenne but it is timeless in Celticland so it only seems like yesterday the vibes are still the same if you have anything you want me to post let me know id be happy to post it.

oh thank you! yes, a lot going on here. We signed with San Juan records and such. But, I was thinking of you. Last we talked you were feeling down. Are your spirits any better? New year….new energies…

Yes it is Jenne. Just like trees everything has its season. This is spring lol  

That’s good news! It is, although in chicago, today was our first day of sunshine and relatively warm weather. By warm I mean 45 F compared to -2 F!

Oh ok. Yeah brrrrrrr haha. Here it is the start of summer in the Philippines so it is getting hot. Kind of silent around due to the lent.

Absolutely. But this amazing city is making up for it. Incredible Celtic music here. A bit of a world music resurgence going on now.
Yes, I imagine it is silent due to lent. I am jealous of the weather though, my best friend who is Filipino told me not to be so jealous as its very humid there, hehe!

You will get one too. In a couple of weeks. Yeah! humid indeed haha. I am doing my blogging outside where there’s moving air and birds…flowers etc

Hehe….I hope so. Although our summers are very hard and humid as well. My ancestors were not cut out for it. I am Irish after all…..I can’t take strong heat or cold.That sounds lovely! what time is it there?

Yeah I can imagine it must be hard for northern skins. Here it is 10 am.http://www.blogtalkradio.com/aww1/2013/03/27/alan-cooke-irish-emmy-winning-writer-actor-filmmaker  Listening to the wild Irish poet.

Nice! It’s 9:00 p.m. here. Are we 11 hours apart? Thanks for the link!

Yeah 11 hours.

But, this summer I will be in South Africa, which it will be winter then hehe.

In which I asked her about Shishonnah and a possible online interview.

Oh, great! I would love to talk to you about Shishonnah and the work I am doing in South Africa. I’ve started working with the Chicago Childrens choir and it has completely changed my life. My dream is coming true to go to South Africa this summer if I can manage to raise the funds….

Ok. So info is just in your site right? I can just go there and read. I just want to make sure I am asking relevant questions.

Sure. Or, you can ask me anything you like. I can update you about anything. But, yes, the south African stuff is all on the site. Except for my work with The Chicago children’s choir (who you HAVE to check out) very famous. You would love their stuff

Ok. I would like an update on the Chicago children’s choir. I can just study the south African thing on your site.

Yes, anything you’d like that organization really changed my life. Its been incredible. I will be touring with one of the choirs next month and they will be singing my arrangement of “siuil a ruin” and I’ll be a guest soloist. Too cool! And how are things with you? How is the blog?

I told her about the subscribers have increased and I am introducing changes to the blog. We chatted for a few more minutes before we said goodbye and will be talking again soon.

About Jenne

Site maintained by Glencoe Records and Healing Sun Productions. This is a promotional page for Singer/Songwriter, Writer, Composer, and Native American Rights Activist Jenne Lennon. One half of the World Fusion duo Shishonnah, Creator and owner Glencoe Records, an indie world music label.
www.glencoerecords.com
www.jennelennon.com
www.shishonnah.com
Congratulations Dónal McCague!
Dónal McCague

Matt Molloy ag bronnadh gradam Ceoltóir Óg na Bliana -Young Musician of the Year ar Dónal McCague Click for details.

 

The Gatherin’, Katherine Moller and Pay-Day Motors

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Hello readers. I want to bring your attention to The Gathering. The place is in Kansas state. So what can one expect in The Gathering?According to Damien McCarron of The Indugers who got a call and who is also playing in this video: ” They play rugby with crosses on fire, there’s all sorts of crazy fire stuff and a 40 ft bonfire. It’s in the of nowhere about 10 hours from a city and people come from Japan and Scotland.There’s a banquet, the highland sports, the warriors are fed first, then the chosen ones, that’s the musicians and then it goes on. So many traditions in play and the rule is there’s no rules, yet everything works like clockwork.”

Amazing isn’t it? That’s bringing the Arthurian culture right in the heartland of America so you gotta expect something unique. By the way according to Damien McCarron that sword is 8.4 lbs.

Location:
North of Cedar Bluff State Park
Exit 135 I-70, S 13 miles on Hwy 147
Information:
Aos Dana
Village of WaKeeney
202 S. 1st St
WaKeeney, KS 67672

Phone: (785) 743-2200
or (785) 743-6670
FAX: (785) 743-6480

Click the youtube video to get more info.

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Katherine Moller

Katherine Moller

…where the explosive fusion of Celtic fiddle meets the elegant grace of classical violin…

Have you listened to any tracks of Katherine Moller lately? I think you should give this Canadian fiddler a listen because her music is exciting. There is that amazing thing that happens when Classical grace meets the explosive passion of traditional music. I think her music got the balance of two. Listen to more of her samples here because writing alone could not give justice to her amazing talent. http://www.katherinemoller.ca

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Guess what landed in my email this week:

Robin Roberts & Billie Preston

Robin Roberts & Billie Preston

Artists: Robin Roberts & Billie Preston   

Album:Pay-Day Motors

Robin Roberts & Billie Preston
Album: Pay-Day Motors.

From:Wichita, KS, USA

Style: Folk, Bluegrass, Blues

This album promises a feel good kind of vibe. Listen to it after the rain and it will surely sooth your nerves and at the same time make you pay attention to the instruments use in this recording. You get to hear harmonica, acoustic guitars and female vocals harmonizing with the male lead.

Although Country Music might not appeal to all but when you really listen and realize that even if you don’t like the style, you got to admire the craft then all’s well. We hear a banjo on Afraid. The sound production is crisp and clear. It has that kind of brittle clarity but this is ok since it highlights the other instruments like fiddles in the background.

Those who love Irish country music and Bluegrass will embrace the sound of Pay-Day Motors. Expect only the best in musicians who have ripened in their craft. Like I said, even if you don’t like the style you can’t ignore the beauty of the craft. And yes after repeated listens it will grow on you. But as for me, it has already grown on me because I love this type of music.

Links:

Website: http://rr-bp.com
Style of music: Folk, Bluegrass, Blues
MySpace:
CDBaby:
SonicBids:
SoundClick:
PureVolume: n/a
iTunes: http://www.facebook.com/folkgrass.odyssey
Other: http://www.picketfencefurniture.com

There goes my album review.

***

Huzzah!

Hi readers. There is a delay as you have noticed. This edition should have been uploaded yesterday but an accident with my right hand took writing away for a while. Well writing and physical work. It is hard to lift heavy objects after a slight injury. Anyway most of my friends in facebook knows about this but I just want to spare you the gory details so we move on. I am posting a part of a press release for the upcoming album by Kevin O’Donnell:

Kevin o donnel

Ceolwind Productions presents:

Long awaited return of singer-songwriter and author Kevin O’Donnell to the folk music scene.

After a 15 year hiatus from playing Irish music, Kevin O’Donnell now presents his first ever solo work. 3 years in the making, DEEP IS THE WELL is an ambitious collection of original songs telling the tale of an Irish-American family through multiple generations. These poignant, emotional songs are framed by extraordinary musicianship. DEEP IS THE WELL is produced by Maurice Lennon (of Stockton’s Wing) and in addition to Kevin featuresJim DeWan, Finbar Furey, Larry Gray, Kathleen Keane, Bill Lanphier, Maurice Lennon, Haley O’Donnell, John Rice, John Williams, and Jessica Willis.

Listen to Deep is the Well, and follow the descendants of Michael Fagan, a 19th century Irish immigrant, through 170 years of struggle for the American Dream. Their experiences still echo in the places they called home – from the forgotten prairie towns of the industrial heartland to the insular steel mill culture rimming the lower Great Lakes; from Times Square in New York City to the San Joaquin Valley in California; and from the frozen copper country of Lake Superior to the rain-soaked suburbs of the Pacific Northwest.

Preview

 

Prior to the release, preview the song “Factory Girl”, keep informed on the album and release events, and, beginning May 3rd, purchase your copy of DEEP IS THE WELL on the web at www.deepisthewell.com.

 

Second part of this coming up on the next post.

Just another piece worth checking out concerning our artist of the week Brian Cunningham : http://vzaar.com/videos/888627

Naked in New York

Naked in New York by Alan Cooke: For those of you of don’t have a copy of this amazing book, now is your chance to grab one or two. I read it and it’s like a symphony…only this time with words, not music. For those who are into poetic writing in the vein of Jack Kerouac, Henry David Thoreau and the like, you will certainly love this literary piece. http://www.wildirishpoet.com/

Moya Brennan

This is good news to aspiring new talents. The first lady of Celtic music Moya Brennan is helping emerging and enthusiastic singers, songwriters, musicians and bands by giving them a new platform to perform on : http://donegalnews.com/2013/03/moya-brennan-launches-her-new-clubeo-this-sunday/

 

Enter the Haggis-The Modest Revolution

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Featuring: Book review:Naked in New York, Nolwenn Leroy, Mandolin Improvisation in A minor track, Karen Marshalsay, Clannad 70s flashback and John Breen‘s new track.

ENTER THE HAGGIS

ENTER THE HAGGIS

The Modest Revolution by Enter the Haggis is courting mainstream listeners. The songs are all catchy with pop hooks and definitive Celtic sound. The style has always been part of the band’s emblem since they formed in 1996. The songs stick like bread and maple syrup. And I mean stick immediately after hearing the first track Year of the Rat. Strings and uilleann pipes hug the chorus- verse -chorus structure. It is  a tune that is also radio friendly.

I mentioned about maple syrup hinting that they are from Canada. Yes a nation that has contributed amazing acts in all genres all over the world including Celtic  music. Now we move to the second track Can’t Trust the News. Yes who does these days? Everything seems to be filled with agenda. This song has a chorus that’s really easy to remember and also great to sing.

“trust your eyes
they will follow the light
it’s a new tragic story
trust your heart
it will swallow the dark
it’s a mecca of heartache and doom
you can’t trust the news.”

You bet I am singing along to this part raising my voice the way lead singer  Brian Buchanan does. Craig Downie knows how to make a listener smile with his trumpet playing. There are lots of great arrangements all over The Modest Revolution.

Down the Line is straight ahead alternative rock with hints of ska and blues. I like that part that starts at 2:50, where the drums create these beats of anticipation amidst the teasing bass lines of Mark Abraham, only to explode in a harmonica driven instrumental riffs around 2:56. I encourage you to check that part out and tell me if I am wrong. These guys know how to start the fire!

Scarecrow is upbeat with a touch of cajun, bluegrass and even melodic style reminiscent of American band Gin Blossoms.

“if you fall
fall with grace
don’t let ’em see the fear upon your face
if you break
break the reins
it’s better up in lights than down in flames.” Yes another great singalong chorus that never fails to please listeners across genres.

Balto has that Celtic fiddling that will temp you to do step dancing. Trevor Lewington  gets listeners on their feet. This is also made solid by Bruce McCarthy’s drumming. After the adrenaline rush of the previous tracks, we are greeted by the gentler Letters.

your love is a compass rose
steadfast through this sand and stone
wind, carry these letters home to Joan
old memories come to life
a last dance in this amber light
wind, carry these letters home tonight

By this time one can notice the beautiful lyricism that wraps around Enter the Haggis. The guitar riffs are contained during the verse part which sets the mood for the song. Instrumental bonanza near the end part of this track along with the rolling drums that make up an ecstatic listening experience. Pardon is another alternative rock driven track. It is an ok song for me. But Hindsight pulls my interest due to its unique arrangement. It almost sounds like a hymn.

Footnote is groovy with a pop rock kind of vibe.  Copper Leaves in a little bit country.The kind of track you would be glad to play in your car when you are driving long distance. Blackout dips into a relaxing mood in the first verse only to build up into an emotional release in the chorus part.

Up in Lights closes the album with a spiritual vibe. I think it is a perfect placement of the track. kind of serenade after the energetic arena rock vibe of the entire album. Yes this is Celtic rock with a top 40 appeal. This is likely to be embraced by old and new listeners…even those who are not familiar with the genre. Actually it sounds hip. Very urban, sophisticated and can fit anywhere. But the Celtic vibe is definitely there. The band just made sure that part is accessible to all.

Credits:

Mark Abraham – bass guitar, vocals
Brian Buchanan – vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, accordion, fiddle, banjo
Craig Downie – trumpet, flugelhorn, bagpipes, whistle, glockenspiel, harmonica, vocals
Trevor Lewington – vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo, octave mandolin, B3, Farfisa
Bruce McCarthy – drums, percussion, vocals

Guest vocalists: The Adam Ezra Group, Erin “Izzy” Griffin, Catherine Wiegand, Kelly Elvin, Claire Rayton

Uilleann Pipes on “Year of the Rat”: Tyler Duncan

Additional Piano and B3: Joel Goodwin

Additional Percussion: Tim Price, Dave Wallace

Meaty claps and thunderous stomps: Matt Elvin, Kelly Elvin, Ellen Griffin, Erin “Izzy” Griffin, Dave Wallace, Catherine Wiegand, Claire Rayton, Patty Volpi

Cello: Michael Olsen

All music and lyrics copyright Enter The Haggis, 2012 (SOCAN/ASCAP.)
All arrangements by Enter The Haggis. Published by Firebrand Entertainment Inc.

Recorded at Saint Claire Recording Company in Lexington, KY – October, 2012.

Produced, engineered and mixed by Zach McNees

Assistant Engineers: Tim Price and Cailon Williams

Mastered by Leon Zervos at Studios 301 in Sydney, Australia

Photography by Rosco Weber

Album art and packaging design by Brian Buchanan

Gallery

***

Book review:Naked in New York by Emmy Winning Irish actor/poet Alan Cooke.

http://youtu.be/VoVOnxcdJjg

A beautiful journey…

It seems that all great literary pieces of the world always include a rite of passage. Of a story about leaving the familiar and walking into the unknown. Dante’s The Divine Comedy starts with

“In the midway of this our mortal life,
I found me in a gloomy wood, astray….”

Jack Kerouac also made the same allusion with his real life road trip that resulted to a book On the Road. Now I am not going continue quoting tall literature or set a serious tone because I am just an ordinary reader like you. So what’s a blogger thought after reading Naked in New York by Irish multi Emmy nominated actor writer and film maker Alan Cooke?

Well, to start with, the book reads like music. He writes in a distinctive rhythmic pace. This isn’t the 3-minute-pop-song you-hear-on-the-radio kind of style. Think of a symphony. And though readers might miss the fact that this is an artistic writing using autobiography as vehicle, the sad scenes in Naked in New York are embellished by defining moments.

” History is littered with those that chose to never go outside of the familiar, men and women, dreamers that ached but refused a calling to another life and yet remained behind to toil a groove into a long weary existence.” Alan Cooke made a recurring theme along that line all throughout his book. Anyone who has undergone a personal awakening knows that this is the truth. We all want to know something behind this mundane existence. And we do unfamiliar things so that one day we may drink to that fountain of precious memory to say: I have done that. I know what it’s like!

The story takes off as he starts leaving for New York. ” My God are you mad? That place is burning.” Says the cab driver to him. Ah to be a poet in a huge city.

” As New York drew near, I look out the window and finally saw the skyline of Manhattan. I saw the ridges and jagged lines of America’s greatest city. It looks surreal. The plane veered towards JFK. I could not take my eyes off the city. It already had me in its gaze.”

There are patters of microscopic observations in passages like…

I walked down the steps and through the tunnel. The faces seemed mute and sullen. It was a sharp reminded of what had happened here. I had been above the earth in silence for many hours and now I felt the sudden rush of America.”

The thing about Naked in New York is that it is part commentary, part poetry and part autobiography. It is populated by interesting characters. Alan Cooke has this deep compassion for the lost and the forgotten :the old raggedy Ann dolls that got tossed because someone’s got a new toy to play with.

From a crazy landlady:

“I quickly found another place to live and confronted her with my deposit. But she wailed and screamed and made excuses, run out the door and did not come back.”

To being a victim of hit and run:

“…suddenly a car smashes me into an abyss. Death takes its aim at me and I am alone. This road where I lie in the Bronx is cold and full of treachery.”

His narration includes subway mad men, good friends, death of a relative an being broke, cold and sick: “My sanity vanished in these panicked moment yet something deeper was allowing this to happen, to strip away the primal essence in New York. I felt naked in New York in these moments, alone and exposed, a wire cut by a sharp blade.”

Naked in New York takes us on an emotional ride but never losing the theme in which the story revolves upon: The transformation of a poetic soul in a vast city called New York. And although this is a book about his own journey, it never fails to evoke a kind of universal familiarity in all of us. After all, we have taken the same decision through different roads. And we have either safely arrived or broken. But we know this feeling. We know this symphony of the soul that transforms us into better beings. A kinder and more profound version of ourselves. It is a brilliant book that reads like fine wine. I recommend it to everyone who loves Irish writers and also the great city, the capital of the world called New York.

Bio:

In search of a grand adventure, Alan Cooke decided to move to New York in 2001. Has has been an actor, writer and film maker in Dublin since the 90s. While there, he created artistic projects. One of them  was an improvised film about his life in the city as an Irish Immigrant called ‘ Home.’ It gave him an Emmy award.

to quote his Amazon bio:

“He got 6 A list stars to become involved in the project including Mike Myers Woody Allen, Susan Sarandon and Woody Allen. They all felt they needed to support a positive film about New York. Alan then went on to win an Emmy for his writing on the film. He continued his writing and acting and developed all his diaries thoughts and musings into what has become his debut literary memoir ‘ Naked In New York.’

‘ The Spirit of Ireland – An Odyssey Home’ is his follow up memoir.  He is currently trying to develop a documentary film of The Spirit of Ireland. He also has a radio podcast show called ‘ The Wild Hour Show’ which is a series of conversations with artists , actors, writers, singers and explorers from around the world.

Alan will also be releasing a thriller set in Ireland called ‘ Jack Tully and the Midnight Killer’. The first in a series about the life of a tough heroic small town cop who lives on the wild coast of southern Ireland and his pursuit of the criminal underworld in dark times.”

He currently lives near the epic Cliffs of Moher on the West Coast of Ireland.

SITES : www.wildirishpoet.com
www.thespiritofirelandfilm.wordpress.com
www.thewildhourshow.wordpress.com
www.homethemovie.com
Facebook : http:// www.facebook.com/wildirishpoet
Twitter : @wildirishpoet

Get your own copy of Naked in New York through Amazon.

Alan Cooke picture

Alan Cooke a.k.a. The Wild Irish Poet

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Huzzah!

Mama mia! You can’t believe the reaction I got after hearing Nolwenn Leroy‘s rendition of a Kate Bush classic Wuthering Heights. She nailed it! I tell you this woman is so amazing! If you haven’t heard of her then check out my database and type Nolwenn Leroy and you will get results from previous articles I wrote about her. In this Women’s Awareness Month Nolwenn Leroy certainly carries the flag with her achievements. More of this event here: http://www.mytaratata.com/Pages/EMISSIONS_voir.aspx?TvShowId=510

Traditional music meets futuristic online teaching

Online teaching has revolutionized the way Irish traditional musicians teach music. Read more of this interesting article by Martin Doyle. If you love mandolin music, check out this Mandolin Improvisation in A minor track by American musician Thomas McGregor. It really highlights the gentleness of the mandolin sound without the distraction of other instruments.

Now, if you are a harp student and you want to learn the instrument, Karen Marshalsay is taking advantage of online teaching as well:“I do skype harp lessons as do some other Scottish players – and I’ll be doing my first UHI lecture on Scottish harp from my home this month – looking forward to how that works out – with lecturer and students all over the highlands and beyond!” Check out more about her harp lessons and music via: http://www.karenmarshalsay.com/ and http://scottishharpmusic.wordpress.com/

Clannad 70s flashback

Before Clannad embarked in their huge musical success in th 80s, they sound like this in the 70s. I confess I prefer their 80s and beyond music; more than their earlier efforts. But like any listener one has certain mood swings in listening to music. So it is really great to be able to get back to the simpler audio recordings of the 70s  where everything was raw. No one was cheating in terms of effects. That video was taken during their live performance in Germany. German people really appreciate Irish music.

Before we close this episode, check out John Breen‘s new track uploaded via youtube. It looks like inspiration is boiling in the heart of our favorite Irish singer/songwriter. Have a listen to The Night Visiting Song.