Paul Jarvis

An Irish Christmas to Keep Us Floating

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Moya Brennan – Vocals, Harp, Keyboards
Paul Byrne – Drums, Bodhran, Timpani, Tubular Bells, PercussionMoya Brennan an Irish Christmas
Fionan De Barra – Guitars, Bouzouki, Keyboards, Vocals
Cormac De Barra – Harp, Vocals
Éamonn Galldubh – Uilleann Pipes, Whistles, Flute
Yoshinobi Izumi – Electric Bass
Sam Jackson – Piano, Keyboards
Sinéad Madden – Fiddle, Vocals
Frances Mitchell – Keyboards

Additional musicians

Máire Breatnach – Viola, Fiddle
Anthony Drennan – Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Dobro
Úna Ní Chanainn – Cello
Tim Jarvis – Keyboards
Aisling and Paul Jarvis – Vocals on Oíche Chiúin

I can understand why some people get allergic to Christmas songs. It’s because these artists come up with the same old thing. And people get tired of it. I mean, I imagine those vocal acrobats that can make any reindeer suffer vertigo. Give me a break! This season is all about Christmas songs-of a different kind. And I think no better December it is than to celebrate  it with An Irish Christmas by Moya Brennan.

I love the way the Carol of the Bells was arrange to give that ‘suspense’ and haunting feel. Then the song explodes into choir and percussion-plus of course, Moya Brennan’s amazing harp. Some tracks are in Gaelic so it works for me. My favorite is Gabriel’s Message. It’s a track covered by such diverse artists as Sting but none had the impact as this arrangement of Moya Brennan has. This tune has a long history that goes all the way back to the Basque. Read the full history here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel’s_Message

The reason something like this works again and again is due to the style. Celtic music styles will never go old. Because it is already old. Go figure 😉

This Christmas doesn’t promise us happiness.  Personally, I am dealing with few tragedies myself and I know some of you are too.But music is there to keep me afloat. I love this and will play this every year!

New mp3 samples for your listening pleasure..

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Featuring:Layne Greene, Coda, Mickey Harte, Andrew Slim Black, Dan Aston and James M Law!

Good day folks. I spent the whole day listening and uploading songs. This happened because I received recordings from the following artists and it is nice to credit their work as well as getting you to know them one by one. Music helps us remember and it eases our pains and anger. I love the fact that music is my substitute for tons and tons of chocolate I could have swallowed trying to ease the blues of the past few weeks. I am glad to tell you that I am ok now. It  could have been difficult without music. I am featuring one by one. I have CDs on my shelf right now but I can’t cram them all here. Instead, I will take it one at a time. I am giving you a sampler at the end of this article. That way you will decide what artist you are going to pick up when you start shopping for records.

Pre release : Layne Greene EP

A new EP by Canadian folk musician Layne Greene (who is based in Nova Scotia) is in the works for final release. There are four tracks in the EP : Break, Iron Town, Winter Song and Working Man. Some of these tracks have been uploaded via his youtube, soundcloud and myspace pages. The only difference is that he actually made modifications and worked with jazz guitarist Alex MacNeil. Alex has a friend by the name of Shawn Bisson. Shawn did all the mixing/engineering for the session. He’s an actual sound engineer, and he just happened to be around and tagged along for the session. The artwork will be done by graphic artist Julie Meyer. For the  sample of Iron Town please refer to the bottom of this article where I posted all the sound samples for your listening pleasure.

Lyrics of Iron Town:

Words and music by Layne Greene

We built this town
on island waters
we wear ourselves down
with ropes and shovels

while days go by
and we sleep away
our time

we’ll wake to find
a restless state of mind
and all our thoughts
are leaving this place behind

while days go by
and sleep away
our lies

and we build the round
this iron town
and we’ll sit around
in our iron town
in our town

Lyrics printed with permission to the composer.

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Featured Videos: Coda-The Briar & The Rose/Elsafty, Armstrong & Browne in Concert

I like Tom Waits and when my friend Jimmy sent me a link to this video I was pleasantly surprised.  I was hooked. I keep on looking and listening. These guys gave me goosebumps! The second video is interesting in a sense that it is the most ‘traditional’ of all my post.

Róisín Elsafty — vocal
Siobhán Armstrong — early Irish harp
Ronan Browne — Union pipes, bansuri, tin whistle

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Our pic of the Day: Moya Brennan and Family

Moya Brennan: Going to Glastonbury with the family. We’ll all be performing the Croissant Neuf Stage Saturday afternoon. Maybe see you there? 3 June 2011
Tim , Moya, Paul and Aisling Jarvis. The reason why I found this photo fascinating is because it tells us that Irish music will always be a family affair. It is nice to see Moya and family looking relaxed and ready for musical action.

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Listening To: Mickey Harte-Forward to reality

I got a big surprise when I received a complimentary CD in the mail.

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Featured MP3s

Iron Town is taken from an upcoming EP. Title is in the works.

Bordertown is taken from an album Forward to Reality to be officially launched on September 16.

Peggy Gordon is taken from the new album of Andrew “Slim” Black called Gallows Tree Tales.

Way Home by Dan Aston. He is a singer/songwriter based in Cornwall. He is working on a debut CD which will be out in 2013.

The Thistle and The Daffodil by James M Law.

Paul Jarvis: Thoughts from the Youngest of The Brennans

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Making funny faces:Paul and Aisling

Making funny faces:Paul and Aisling

Our week opens heralding the month of May, the celebration of Beltane. My friend Jenny said it is Spring in Europe, the season of love.  Spring reminds us of the beauty of youth, the freshness of everything, the first bloom of flowers and the warm colors of the day. They say it is the youth that carries the legacy of our ancestors into the new era. I believe so. And since youth is our theme for this week, I have the honor to present to you my guest , who is young, musical and Irish.

Paul Jarvis is the son of Tim Jarvis, a freelance photographer and Moya Brennan lead singer of Clannad and the First Lady of Celtic music.  He performed in his mother’s recording at an age of four! He  also sometimes perform side by side his sister Aisling. Music is in the genes. You will find out through this nice  one on one with Paul.

  • How is it like growing up with the Brennans?

I love it, but I don’t really have anything to compare it to. There such a great family. The best is when all nine of the Brennan brothers and sisters go up to Donegal for Christmas. There is always something mad happening! It is quite hard for Olive my auntie to come over because of living in Australia, but when she does come she often brings my cousin Callum over, whom i get on very well with, and in Ireland I spend a lot of time with Pól’s son Ember, he’s a great lad!

One of those rare moments with Mom

One of those rare moments with Mom

 

  • Your mom has performed many concerts. Does she sometimes bring you along?

I have traveled quite a lot with my mum. She does many gigs in Europe so it’s not too hard to go and meet her, and sometimes (but very rarely) she takes us to places such as America or Tanzania. We kind of turn them into holidays while we’re there as well. So it can be a great experience! Although my sister, Aisling, has started to travel a lot more with my mum. She plays with her regularly now.

  • In Whisper to the Wild Water, you appeared narrating a speech in Gaelic about St Francis of the Assisi. It’s a beautiful piece. How old were you at that time? It’s a moving track.

I was, I think four years old at the time of recording. At the time I didn’t have a clue what the words meant because it was all in Irish and I couldn’t speak it back then. When recording my mum sat next to me and told me the words and then i repeated it into the mic, and that’s how it was recorded. i was also asked to go over to sing it in Japan, but I was too scared of the crowds at that age, so I never performed it live with my mum.

  • Your sister Aisling is also getting involved with music and also performed with your mom. Do you wish to follow the same path someday?

I would love to start playing with my mum in the future, I just need to up my standard, so it should be good if I do get around to it in the next few years. i wouldn’t be able to play next year though because I have my big school exams, but after.

  • You are currently studying right? What type of music do the guys listen in your college?

Yes, I am in my secondary school currently and I do eight subjects, one of which is music. It is mostly classical music but there is some Irish traditional music as well.

  • How do fans of Clannad and your mom treat you when they spot you?

There are a few of my mum’s fans who would recognize me but apart from that, I don’t think they would recognize me!