Heather Gessey – fiddle/vocals
Seth Tinsley – guitars/vocals
Andrew Waite – piano accordion
Hometown: Newcastle
Album: ‘The Hidden Spoon’ released February 2013!
Thirty seconds into the Hidden Spoon, and I knew already that Tyde has something special to offer to discriminating ears. Their brand of electro folk and textured sound have something to do with their Newcastle environment. Mesmerizing melodies, angelic male and female vocals are just few of the many qualities you can find when you listen to Tyde. They have mastered the art of groove. They are also well acquainted with modern music and they use various styles to create their own original sound.
Most of the songs have folk goodness coupled with interesting samples and loops. They are true to what they are known for: creating punchy, danceable and intricate tunes. It is no wonder they’re part of the finalists in the BBC Radio2 Young Folk Awards in 2008. The music is rooted to the spirit of British Isles. Its brilliance is all over the tracks and the haunting qualities of these tracks are the things that make Tyde special even to those who are not into Celtic music. Fresh, modern and dynamic. The ever-changing soundscapes and moods that their songs evoke upon the listeners are here to stay and will be enjoyed through generations.
Tyde are a 3 piece that draw upon influences from every corner of the British Isles and beyond to deliver music and song that is dynamic, fresh and quite brilliantly played. In 2008, as finalists in the BBC Radio2 Young Folk Awards they captured the hearts of the live and broadcast audience. Then through several club and festival appearances in 2009 they began to build a strong following with their great sets and infectious onstage character. Tyde’s hotly anticipated debut album was launched in spring 2010 by Mrs Casey Records.
“Three brilliant players with a musical maturity way beyond their years. Their music goes straight to the heart of the audience, with an appeal second to none. A must for a concert venues. Pure Joy.” Tom McConville
“The best young band I’ve heard in years” Mike Harding – BBC Radio2
“Fantastic musicianship… If I could play like them now I’d be very happy, If I could play like them when I was their age I’d probably be living in the Bahamas!” Damien Barber – The Demon Barbers
“Watch out Lau!” Spiral Earth
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Huzzah!
Surprise? I know it’s not even a few days and I have this post. Something occurred to me today. I told myself why wait? Why put a schedule in what I do? When I feel like writing then write. I am prolific (hahaha) that’s why I blog in three more sites other than the two that I already own. Yes my brain has that capacity, so why limit it? So expect that I would no longer be putting numbers to what I do. This is me and I live my life free.
Well, he has his own program where he interviews people in all walks of life. The conversation is up an hour-long and it’s a spot on type of thing. And this is where this other side of him, the media side really shines. http://thewildhourshow.wordpress.com/
Click for details
Blair Dunlop is our next interview artist to be featured here. Ok no more surprises. I am letting you know what to expect this early.
Click for details
if you haven’t yet, now is your chance to add something to unique to your collection of Celtic albums. Sahara is a duo of Singer/Songwriters Trish and Dave Long. They are based in Mornington Peninsula, that’s in Australia and they’re originally from Ireland. I have their new CD A New Beginning and I really enjoyed it and continues to do so.
Micka O’Brien – The Ballad of the Downtrodden: Always a pleasure to discover young artists through recommendations of friends. This time we have Micka O’Brien and recommended by CMF’s best pal John Breen:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gsy7Y0SWaU&feature=youtu.be
Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill performing together. Wow what an amazing performance. According to Enda Seery:” I could listen to this all day!” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96bKIE37gwQ
From Sahara: The stained glass is from St. Benin’s Church Kilbennan Co. Galway and we were very taken with it. Have a lovely St. Patrick’s Day!!
Happy St Patrick’s to you all. I don’t say day because it should the whole week..well not just the whole week. Why not the whole month? Let’s all be in green the whole month. Let me start this show with this reading of the James Joyce classic The Dead. This is the end part where Gretta Conroy tells her husband Gabriel about a secret she had kept all these years. This is where he laments their situation. The narration is read by Alan Cooke who is currently promoting his book Naked in New York. If you haven’t gotten your copy then I suggest you should. It is a great read. You can finish it in one setting and his prose flows like wine. The book is in the right widget of this site.
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I mentioned in my facebook page today that I am posting my whole soundcloud channel so here it is. Not all of them are what you would consider Celtic but soundcloud won’t allow me to post more tracks on my other account after reaching a certain limit. I am planning to add more capacity to post in this account. Yes please enjoy all the tracks. These are music from artists who approved to have their songs uploaded by yours truly via soundcloud as a way to promote the music and albums.
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Huzzah!
Welcome to the flexibility channel where I can talk about anything related to music. For the past few months I see a decline on people who add up comments in this section. I think I am to be blamed because in the blogosphere the way it works is this: you leave comments to other people’s pages so that you get comments in return. Just like in facebook: share and be shared. This principle applies to all social networking sites. The only place I apply this sort of practice is through twitter and google plus. Because micro blogging doesn’t really require so much to do. All you have to do is just to retweet something that you think will benefit your followers. The same goes for google plus. I hardly tweet about my life these days because I am trying to shape my image as an informative blogger rather than an artistic/expressive one. I think this explains why my twitter followers have doubled. It is all about content and not about what I ate or where I partied for the last twenty four hours. Although it is tempting because it is really nice to share about what is going on in my life, however I also need to keep in mind my responsibility to the readers.
The way I understand it, the reason why you visit this site is to find out what is going on in the Celtic music scene. And that is exactly what I am trying to propagate. I want to impart a sort of tabloid/entertainment but which is also informative. And certainly NOT academic. Nope there are sites for that and we are all here to have fun. Yes that’s why I created this site. I want to experience the fun in Celtic music. I don’t even get paid for writing or keeping schedules for this site. If one day this will disappear I don’t think it is really that much of a big deal because we all had our time and our fun. But it will break my heart because this is my baby. If you only knew the things that happened to me because I made this. And they are not really happy things. There was even one time when I thought there was no point of going on because it proved to be more of a curse than a blessing. But then again music is always a blessing. And if we remember that we are doing something because we have fun doing it rather than because we are trying to maintain a schedule or we are answering to someone, then I think we are in the right track.
Now I have several links I want to share with you all. Here they are
Danny Boy from the muppets. Please take note that moderation is important. You don’t want to end up like the muppets hahaha: http://youtu.be/OCbuRA_D3KU
In this edition: Sahara, Declan Sinnott and Dave Hum
A great weekend to all you readers of this page. We have great albums worth listening and I will tell you what I like about them. Enjoy and listen to the music samples.
Sahara: A New Beginning
Genre: Original Contemporary Celtic Rock Jazz Eclectic
Members: Dave Long vocals, guitar keyboards & sequencing
Trish Long vocals, sax, flute, flageolet, recorder keyboards & sequencing
Release date: October 2012
Sample track:
Fans of Bruce Hornsby, Van Morrison and Marc Cohn will certainly welcome Sahara’s A New Beginning with open arms. The duo of Trish and Dave long incorporate a broader spectrum of musical styles. There are hints of smooth jazz, pop rock and Celtic. In terms of instrumental delivery, I’d say hands down to both of them. Their years performing on stage and recording the way they want their albums to sound, ripened and made their music intoxicating like fine wine. It is the confidence brought about by the test of time, elements and LIFE that we all go through. There are certainly events that shake us rendering us incapable of moving. But it is the call of artistic desire that always brings us into a sense of purpose. This optimistic thought is present all over the album’s 10 tracks.
Sweetness, pain, laughter: these are emotions that surround A New Beginning. There are other atmospheric surprises like The Promise which possesses a definitive Celtic sound. The vocal layering and melody lean into Clannad and Loreena McKennitt. Other titles like Right the Wrongs and A New Beginning are songs that anyone who has gone through tough times can relate to.
The Sweetest Thing, track four, delivers the “get into the Irish pub” kind of sentiment. It has that relaxed atmosphere of being with someone you loved through the years. It says that you don’t have to hide anything because you can be who you are with the right person.
Let’s Unite affirms the belief that we can all get through our differences if we realize our similarities. I reflected on this and also remember all the natural disasters like earthquakes, famine, disease and poverty. We aren’t invincible. So why should we fight each other when nature is already fighting us and diminishing our numbers? Must we also contribute to the pain? The song has that Irish marching beat.
It Could be True is an example of someone continuing to “court” a beloved through the years in the relationship. I think it is telling us that winning someone’s heart doesn’t stop after marriage. It continues and there is never a morning when you wake up with a sense of wonderment and challenge to continue loving against all odds. The nice sound of the recorder glides throughout like a nightingale.
Renovating my Igloo is groovy. Fans of Talking Heads can relate to the 80’s New Wave style. Another tribute to being with someone through thick and thin and also the idea that nothing is constant but change. But love the a unifying and constant force.
Is it only Me has a rocking feel. Both vocal and instrumental arrangement set the example of musical excellence. Rainy Day At Shady Creek explores the world of Jazz and Bluegrass. It sounds like traditional Irish music gone crazy. I love it though. Such a nice ending for this album that needs repeated listens.
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Declan Sinnott: I love the noise it makes
Genre: Folk Rock
Players:
Declan Sinnott: Lead vocals, guitars and various instruments
Owen O’Brien: Keyboards, piano.
Release date: September 2012
Sun Shine In is the carrier single off this new album by former member of Horslips (before they became official) and Moving Hearts. He is associated with both sisters Mary and Frances Black. He currently plays and tours with Christy Moore. “ I love the noise it makes “( a quote he loved from John Lennon when asked whether in music it is the lyrics or the melody he prefers ) was released on 7 September 2012 in Ireland and on 10 and 11 September in the UK and USA respectively.
There are twelve tracks. They are on the easy folk rock style that’s catchy and groovy. Everything in this album sticks together. The sonic quality is amazing, partly through the efforts of Tim Martin and Ian Cooper courtesy of Metropolis Studios. The album has a nice packaging imitating the cardboard style CD. The liner notes are informative and excellent especially in terms of visuals. There are photos of Declan with co-songwriter Owen O’Brien in the studio. The consoles he uses for recording will make a record junkie drool. In one photo, there is a room filled with ethnic instruments (African), synthesizers, assorted guitars and drums.
This album feels like a bunch of hay stacked and tightened in great detail. Craftsmanship and art are combine creating a collection of songs that is timeless and also at home with today’s folk rock top 40. His voice is just the right combination of time tested roughness and whiskey smoothness that goes down easily. Sun Shine is bound to stay in your head for along time with its melody and easy breezy delivery.
Other tracks like Blood Rushing Through These Veins, I See the World From Here, Corrina, Corrina, Broken Glass and Circle Round the Sun beg for covers due to their amazing sentiments, and heartfelt lyrics. Other tracks like Me and My Dark Companion and Ocean are bluesy and finely executed that they will spawn more covers and jams in years to come. One sweet surprise is the ambient track called Orbit found at the end of the album. It is actually a remake of a traditional tune. I think it is an awesome way to close such excellent album. I like the fact that I won I love the noise it makes and yeah I love it…I love the music it makes!
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Celtic and Bluegrass 5 String banjo Album 2
Genre Instrumental – Celtic – Bluegrass – Old Time – Traditional – Original – Banjo Music
Banjo – Guitar – Mandolin – Bass – Harmonica – Keyboards – Percussion – Programming-All by Dave Hum.
Released Date: August 2011
Sample track:
Album two is a progress to album one of Dave Hum’s top notch banjo playing. I haven’t met anyone who plays like a deity. Expect tracks combining Irish, Bluegrass and Celtic music. Album 2 is composed of 21 tracks. Other artists would have released this as a double album. But you see folks, Dave Hum doesn’t boast his talents through promotion. He relies so much on the word of the mouth and social networking to showcase his craft.
He does everything here. But the star instrument is the banjo. It would be unfair not to mention his expertise in the guitar, bass, mandolin, keyboards, harmonica and percussion. Cluck the Old Hen is a track that has been around in youtube and never gets old. Check out his wild harmonica intro in this track. This is good bluegrass music. Other tracks really hardcore trad music because these are titles that are not familiar to me. He plays them all like he has known them all his life. One fine example is Nashville Blues which is track 15 in this album.
Everything in this collection has the polished sheen of expensive and worn pair of shoes. You could never go wrong picking up this album. I think it is the best banjo album I have heard in years. His artwork has also flourished. It shows bolder and deeper colors. The Irish Traveller has come a long way and is trying to explore new territories. Dave Hum has a wizard’s fingers and a chemist’s intelligence in merging and breaking apart the mystery of tunes. His playing is innovative yet rooted deeply in the past. Album 2 of Celtic and Bluegrass 5 String Banjo is a must have and it plays well in any season.
Martin Tourish talks to The Celtic Music Fan about composing, performing and the top 5 albums that influenced him musically.
It is great when few conversations happen beyond the interview. Our guest this week is prolific musician/composer Martin Tourish who is in the middle of his PhD studies. He lent his time to answer several questions related to his career and Irish music in general. He has just started mixing his new album. We had a little craic about Donegal winning the All Ireland Gaelic football final. So everyone over there is happy! Christmas is a great time to visit the place for the Frankie Kennedy Winter School.
According to Martin: “In Donegal they pass one fiddle around everybody in the room and everyone has to play whether they can barely play a tune or are brilliant. There’s always huge respect.” He is working on a lot of projects. I got to hear songs from An Tain. It is about the Irish saga set into music. Years ago I was over Makati and stumbled upon a copy of The Táin (1969, Oxford University Press) by Thomas Kinsella and that book opened the whole new world of Irish myths to me. So to know that a musician is doing another interpretation of that is amazing news. According to Martin: “This album that we made is based upon the book but it’s sung here using a proto-gaelic language as found in the oldest known text.” The song interpretations he made for this project are haunting, beautiful and captivating. The interesting use of modern and traditional instruments are fascinating. So are the vocals and scales that were applied. There’s so much atmosphere and richness in the melodies. So even if you don’t understand Gaelic you will be able to follow the plot as long as you have read the book.
I also have the honor to hear his Midori Suite. The Japanese/ Irish piece he wrote for a charity in Japan. The classical training he had took a front seat here. Martin could well be a movie composer of epic scenes. I love the combination of Japanese and Irish styles especially the part with the harp and female vocals. And then I got the Raincoats of Dijon – a track he recorded for Naxos with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. This is another moving piece of a different style. It’s a waltz that crosses between Strauss and Disney Classics. With all these in mind, I realize that one day Martin Tourish will be making lots of music that other musicians will play. So yes I am crossing my fingers.
Here’s a little trivia: When he was in the Philippines, he was with Cape Breton fiddler Gillian Boucher, Irish fiddler Fergal Scahill, Mickey Martin and the sean nós dancer Emma O’Sullivan. They were playing a charity concert for the kids of smokey mountain so they formed the band just for that. He actually only met them either on the plane or over in Manila. A Trad session in a jeepney is one of his goals! He further stated that he enjoyed the experience and he felt totally at home.
Now on with our interview:
Hi Martin, welcome to our artist of the week interview. It is an honor to have you as my guest. I read your bio and it describes your life as one devoted to music. How’s the experience writing articles for the “Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland”?
It’s an honor to be your guest! It was a great experience to write a number of articles for the Enyclopaedia of Music in Ireland. The research unearthed a great deal of new information on the subjects, only a small amount of which could be included in each of the articles. Regarding the article that I wrote on the piano accordion, reading the first description of the instrument being performed in Ireland was one of those magical moments. I often pass the venue in Dublin in which it was first heard and imagine the music that might have been played!
You came from Donegal which brought us legendary bands like Clannad and Altan. I see that your cousin Ciaran plays for Altan. Your childhood must have been a very musical one.
Donegal is an amazing place and recently, I had the honor of playing a concert with Altan and Clannad at the Fleadh in Cavan. There actually wasn’t music in my immediate family but that was probably a good thing. I had no idea that there was any difference between genres and so I played everything I heard and could reproduce. This openness to every type of music has stayed with me since. Once the heart is in it, it will be good!
Your first album was released in 2005 which gained top reviews and honors. You are working on a new one right? Please tell us what listeners can expect in this new album.
The new album has been developed over the past four years and it is quite different to Clan Ranald, and maybe quite different from anything else! The aim of the album was to try to be as honest as possible in trying to capture the spirit of the music, moment, and musicians who took part. It’s almost entirely comprised of my compositions, with some reworking of traditional material. Really, it documents the interactions and experiences of the past four years and I hope that people will enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed it. We’re mixing it at the moment so stay tuned!
You’ve been around the world and one of those places you’ve been to was the Philippines! How was the experience?
The Philippines trip was amazing and I remember every minute of it! The people were really warm and friendly and in particular, I remember stumbling across a singer/songwriter night in a bar in Makati City and playing piano in the house band before going to the birthday party of one of the musicians! I really hope to make a return visit at some point in the future and this time, stay longer than four days!
What is it about being in the trad scene that you like?
I’m actually involved in many different scenes in Ireland but it’s the people that make each scene a joy to be involved in. The trad scene in Dublin is particularly interesting because being a small city, musicians from different scenes get an opportunity to meet and explore each other’s traditions. Everything seems to exist side-by-side and one can dip in and out of each when the mood is right!
What do you plan to accomplish before the year ends and what’s in store for 2013 for you musically?
I hope to have both my PhD and album completed before the year is done and for 2013, I’m hoping to focus almost solely on music. As always, I’ll be playing with various musicians under my own name and with a wide variety of other musicians, bands and projects, specifically with the bands of which I’m a member: The Convergence Ensemble, and Deep End of the Ford. I’m working around the clock on plans for 2013 but at the moment, they’ve to be kept under wraps. But every year something amazing always seems to happen and if that trend continues, it’ll be better than anything I could have imagined!
What are the challenges composing music in the traditional style and do you have other musical styles that you are working on as of the moment?
Well I never compose music as a task, it just flows out in response to something when it’s ready and sticks if it’s good! It’s the most natural thing in the world and when I compose a piece of music, it’s usually fully formed. A few days ago I wrote eight tunes in about two hours for a sean-nós dancing tutorial DVD by the dancer Mary Beth Taylor, which is to be released before the end of the year. The chemistry and rhythm from her steps made the music flow and those are always special moments. Following from my Japanese – Irish piece called The Midori Suite, I’ll be writing a concert length program of material in this style. I’ll also be in Italy in October producing an album of songs by the novelist Oscar McLennin, and working on a program of world music in Brittany in November with the clarinetist Dylan Gully. Plenty of diversity!
Can you name us the top 5 albums that influenced you?
Altan’s Runaway Sunday (But really all of their albums!)
Mary Black’s Mary Black Live (particularly for Steve Cooney’s song Just a Journey)
Frank Cassidy’s Níl Gar Ann (aesthetically and creatively)
Alyth McCormack & Triona Marshall’s Red & Gold (a masterclass in tone, colour and great story telling)
Zbigniew Preisner’s Requiem For My Friend
I enjoyed chatting with Martin Tourish and I am sure this interview has given you an idea about his music and projects. You can listen to his music through:
http://www.LiveTrad.com
Featuring Ciarán Tourish (fiddle), Martin Tourish (piano accordion), Tim Edey (guitar), Tríona Marshall (harp), Alyth McCormack (voice), Thomas Charles Marshall, Philip Horan (shakuhachi), Fran Marshall (voice) & Morgan Crowley (voice) performing ‘Suite for Japan’, composed by Martin Tourish. This was recorded at the Aid Japan for Children concert at St. Ann’s Church, Dawson St., Dublin, to aid and support Japanese children effected by the 2011 earthquake & tsunami. Recorded and edited by Martin Moylan on behalf of Aid Japan for Children, and provided subsequently to LiveTrad.com.
The last part of the concert was with a special appearance by
PADDY Mc MENIMEN, CONNIE & MERLA DROST-BYRNE
14.08.2010, Kilcar, co.Donegalh
A Great Documentary which Martin also appears in.
A documentary by journalists / film makers Malou Fickling and Robert Gustafsson about Traditional Irish music in a changing Ireland. Set in rural and urban Ireland (Donegal and Dublin) this piece takes a look at the history, themes, preservation and evolution of Irish music. Musicians interviewed include Martin Tourish (TG4 Young Musician of the year 2008), Danny Diamond and Dinny McLaughlin.
Language: English Version
This production was entirely conceived, shot and edited by Malou Fickling and Robert Gustafsson. It was created for a final college project for Journalism and Media Production at Linnaeus University, Sweden.
For more information email Malou Fickling at Malfic@hotmail.com
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Proud to announce the release of Sahara’s latest CD ‘A New Beginning’ – now available from iTunes, Amazon and other music outlets!!
Samples are available in the link below. I found them totally uplifting and beautiful. The production is superb. A must have for those who love genre bending music that exudes warmth and elegance.
Luke Fraser plays guitar/vocals for The Bombadils and Raftmen. Once in a while he drops by for a chat. This is one of the videos that made it to our conversation.
From “A Christmas Celtic Sojourn”, recorded live at the Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 19, 2009. Tunes composed by Liz Carroll; choreography/improv by Nic Gariess.
For information about tickets, CD recordings, and celtic radio programming, visit http://www.wgbh.org/celtic
Expect the unexpected. That’s my line for this month while my hands are full due to the season’s madness. There’s no snow from where I am but friends are sending me the chill right now-in a good way. Exchanging gifts are really fun. I stumbled across this info about where exchanging gifts started:
We have many recorded events in history that show the giving and receiving of gifts dates back at least to the 4th century. St. Nicholas, a Christian Bishop, was known for his generosity in giving to those less fortunate than he, as well as giving to children of all backgrounds simply because he felt they needed to savor their childhood, and have joyous times to remember (contrary to the beliefs of that time, which would suggest that boys even as young as 8 be sent to work to help earn income for their families and girls as young as 5 to help their mothers with the housework and meal preparation). The most common gift given were homemade foods and sweets, oranges (this was a huge treat due to the fact they were very rare), handcrafted gifts such as socks, sweaters, dresses, nightgowns, blankets, tables, chairs, and other handmade useful items. This tradition began with St. Nicholas in Turkey. It moved throughout the world very quickly, and before the 10th century is is supposed that nearly every country was participating in this exchange. More here.
Slim sent a link to his new video and I love it. It’s the familiar Slim attitude with a great sense of humor and amazing arrangement. You can’t deny that this video can really make you smile.
“Just a little something I knocked out – thanks to Mel Torme and Bob Wells for penning the most beautiful Christmas song ever, my Canon camera for the ‘color swap’ feature, and French flatmate Alex for the Santa hat). Hope you enjoy the bizarre face-pulling – not sure what happened there….. Merry Christmas everyone. x :o)”-Slim
Taken from the Elysian Dreams album by Shishonnah. Produced by Shishonnah & Roland Labana. Shishonnah are Liz Madden & Jenne Lennon.
Fans of Shishonnah will have something to look forward to. Jenne and I talked over skype about her upcoming projects. This is what I got:
[12/23/2011 5:29:53 AM] Jenne Lennon: Hi there! And merry Christmas to you! Well, things are getting very exciting over at Glencoe/healing sun. Album sales are doing well and the response to the music has been overwhelmingly positive. We are blown away by the response. We are in the midst of the normal licensing and publishing negotiating stages of releasing an album and are working on our 2012 performance schedule which kicks off in Chicago in march. Summer dates will also be announced later, along with several other projects we are working on. So, right now we are preparing to celebrate the holidays. I’m off to Galicia in just a few days. January starts our rehearsals with the back up singers and players so, it looks to be a lovely finish to 2011 and great start of 2013 🙂 Sorry 2012….iPhones!
Celtic Music Fan 