Fifty years and going strong!
The Chieftains concert was last night, and what a night it was! My hands are still sore from clapping.
Paddy Maloney can still bring his tin whistle to life, and he soothed his sensitive uilleann pipes (relative to the bagpipes) with a humidifier during the show to protect them from the dry Utah air.
Adorable, bald-headed Matt Molloy, looking quite dapper in his winter white sport coat, was incredible on the flute. Where does that man find all that air to make all that beautiful music come out of those 66-year old lungs? I can't wait to order a pint at Matt Molloy's pub in Westport, Co. Mayo, in early May. What an interesting life he's led, and what tales have surely been told in that pub!
Kevin Conneff performed a stunning a cappella ballad about an emigrant returning to Ireland to find things quite different from how he'd left them (sad, as usual). Kevin's performance on the bodhran (a traditional Celtic drum) was remarkable to watch. He's a whiz with the tipper (aka beater), the instrument used to rap on the drum. It's double-ended, held in the center, and flicked back and forth so quickly at times that it's a blur. He moved the tipper to the edge at times to create a different type of sound. There are lots of youtube videos showing how the bodhran is played, if you're interested. It's really cool.
One of the guest fiddlers was Jon Pilatzke, a Canadian, and he was nothing short of AMAZING. Just when you thought he was perhaps the most talented one on stage, a surprise guest named Nathan was brought out on stage and began performing an Ottawa valley step dance - something you might expect to see if tap-dancer Gregory Hines were to put his unique twist on an Irish step dance: flamoyant, precise, athletic, and memorable. To the crowd's wild surprise, Jon put down his fiddle and joined Nathan in the dance. We didn't yet know that they were brothers, but their symmetry and timing were impeccable. Turns out that they're part of a team called "The Step Crew" (http://stepcrew.com) and are on tour with the Chieftains. The Step Crew also includes the beautiful Cara Butler, an extremely fit, red-headed female dancer who must be in her late 40s, having been with the Chieftains since 1992. Watching her dance last night, I assumed she was maybe 25. She was leaping and flying effortlessly through the air as though suspended by wire cables. Methinks I need to get myself to the gym!
I would encourage anyone who's anywhere near a town on the Chieftains tour to get yourself a ticket to their show. The evening far surpassed our expectations with its surprises, variety, and toe-tapping Celtic rhythms. We even had a taste of the Rolling Stones at one point. Go, while they're still around. You won't regret it!
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The Chieftains Can Still Tear It Up
Fifty years and going strong!
The Chieftains concert was last night, and what a night it was! My hands are still sore from clapping.
Paddy Maloney can still bring his tin whistle to life, and he soothed his sensitive uilleann pipes (relative to the bagpipes) with a humidifier during the show to protect them from the dry Utah air.
Adorable, bald-headed Matt Molloy, looking quite dapper in his winter white sport coat, was incredible on the flute. Where does that man find all that air to make all that beautiful music come out of those 66-year old lungs? I can't wait to order a pint at Matt Molloy's pub in Westport, Co. Mayo, in early May. What an interesting life he's led, and what tales have surely been told in that pub!
Kevin Conneff performed a stunning a cappella ballad about an emigrant returning to Ireland to find things quite different from how he'd left them (sad, as usual). Kevin's performance on the bodhran (a traditional Celtic drum) was remarkable to watch. He's a whiz with the tipper (aka beater), the instrument used to rap on the drum. It's double-ended, held in the center, and flicked back and forth so quickly at times that it's a blur. He moved the tipper to the edge at times to create a different type of sound. There are lots of youtube videos showing how the bodhran is played, if you're interested. It's really cool.
One of the guest fiddlers was Jon Pilatzke, a Canadian, and he was nothing short of AMAZING. Just when you thought he was perhaps the most talented one on stage, a surprise guest named Nathan was brought out on stage and began performing an Ottawa valley step dance - something you might expect to see if tap-dancer Gregory Hines were to put his unique twist on an Irish step dance: flamoyant, precise, athletic, and memorable. To the crowd's wild surprise, Jon put down his fiddle and joined Nathan in the dance. We didn't yet know that they were brothers, but their symmetry and timing were impeccable. Turns out that they're part of a team called "The Step Crew" (http://stepcrew.com) and are on tour with the Chieftains. The Step Crew also includes the beautiful Cara Butler, an extremely fit, red-headed female dancer who must be in her late 40s, having been with the Chieftains since 1992. Watching her dance last night, I assumed she was maybe 25. She was leaping and flying effortlessly through the air as though suspended by wire cables. Methinks I need to get myself to the gym!
I would encourage anyone who's anywhere near a town on the Chieftains tour to get yourself a ticket to their show. The evening far surpassed our expectations with its surprises, variety, and toe-tapping Celtic rhythms. We even had a taste of the Rolling Stones at one point. Go, while they're still around. You won't regret it!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Lyrics to Molly Bán
http://youtu.be/xOpY0wQdJ5w
"Molly Bán (Bawn)"
Come all ye young fellas /
That handle a gun /
Beware of night rambling /
By the setting of the sun /
And beware of an accident /
That happened of late /
To young Molly Bán /
And sad was her fate. /
She was going to her uncles /
When a shower came on /
She went under a green bush /
The shower to shun. /
Her white apron wrapped around her /
He took her for a swan /
But a hush and a sigh /
T’was his own Molly Bán. /
He quickly ran to her /
And found she was dead /
And there on her bosom /
Where he soaked, tears he shed. /
He ran home to his father /
With his gun in his hand /
Saying "Father dear father /
I have shot Molly Bán." /
Her white apron wrapped around her /
He took her for a swan /
But a hush and a sigh /
T’was his own Molly Bán. /
He roamed near the place /
Where his true love was slain /
He wept bitter tears /
But his cries were in vain /
As he looked on the lake /
A swan glided by /
And the sun slowly sank /
In the gray of sky. /
Saturday, January 12, 2013
The Chieftains' 50th Anniversary Tour
The Chieftains, a traditional Irish band formed in 1962, is still celebrating their 50th anniversary, and they're on tour in the United States over the next three months. In honor of my 50th birthday (!), they'll be making a tour stop in Salt Lake City in mid-February, and yes, we have tickets!
Here's a link to the Chieftains' website with the tour dates: http://www.thechieftains.com/main/ The show will be held at Kingsbury Hall, the grand performing arts center located on the University of Utah campus.
In order to properly prepare for the big event, I'll be sure to have plenty of Guinness on hand, and I've ordered one of their CDs, "Wide World Over," described on Amazon as follows:
"One of the elements that's made the Chieftains the stellar Celtic band in the world is their love of innovative collaborations with mainstream pop stars. The Wide World Over: A 40-Year Celebration gathers into a single collection some of the Irish ensemble's most memorable moments, including predictable alliances with artists such as Van Morrison, who sings "Shenandoah" to additional backing by the Irish Film Orchestra, and unlikely pairings like the Rolling Stones, who add a rock kick and the "Satisfaction" riff to "The Rocky Road to Dublin." Cross-cultural experts Linda Ronstadt and Los Lobos demonstrate their versatility on the Mexican ditties "Txalaparta" and "Guadalupe," on which pipes and pennywhistle don't seem a whisker out of place, while Ricky Skaggs points to the Irish and British roots of American country music on the rousing "Cotton-Eyed Joe." Art Garfunkel, Sting, Sinead O'Connor, Joni Mitchell, and Elvis Costello are also featured in classic performances with the 40-year-old Irish band, while a brand-new collaboration with Ziggy Marley yields a gorgeous Don Was-produced rendition of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song." The cliché that there's a bit of the Irish in all of us proves true in this wide-ranging, constantly rewarding, and frequently surprising collection. And the tracks on which the Chieftains go it alone are also a gas. --Bob Tarte"
And, as usual, I provide you with the link to the CD on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wide-World-Over-Year-Celebration/dp/B00005YT8U/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1358008484&sr=1-1&keywords=chieftains+wide+world+over
Can't wait to pour myself a pint and pop in this CD. Hearing a traditional Irish band collaborate with Ziggy Marley on "Redemption Song," one of my all-time favorite reggae songs, should be something indeed, a true cultural mind-twister. It reminds me of an experience 25 years ago when I was in a bar in central Australia, and an Aboriginal woman picked up the mic and sang, "I'm Proud to be an Oakie from Muskogee." She belted out the lyrics with joyful enthusiasm and not a small amount of inebriation, and 25 years haven't erased one bit of the vivid memory I have of her in that dark, smoky little bar on a corner in Alice Springs. Trying to integrate something that seems so wildly discordant is an experience that should come more often than once every 25 years.
OK, I can't wait for the Amazon delivery. For the listening pleasure of all:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnJgIq48C9k
Here's a link to the Chieftains' website with the tour dates: http://www.thechieftains.com/main/ The show will be held at Kingsbury Hall, the grand performing arts center located on the University of Utah campus.
In order to properly prepare for the big event, I'll be sure to have plenty of Guinness on hand, and I've ordered one of their CDs, "Wide World Over," described on Amazon as follows:
"One of the elements that's made the Chieftains the stellar Celtic band in the world is their love of innovative collaborations with mainstream pop stars. The Wide World Over: A 40-Year Celebration gathers into a single collection some of the Irish ensemble's most memorable moments, including predictable alliances with artists such as Van Morrison, who sings "Shenandoah" to additional backing by the Irish Film Orchestra, and unlikely pairings like the Rolling Stones, who add a rock kick and the "Satisfaction" riff to "The Rocky Road to Dublin." Cross-cultural experts Linda Ronstadt and Los Lobos demonstrate their versatility on the Mexican ditties "Txalaparta" and "Guadalupe," on which pipes and pennywhistle don't seem a whisker out of place, while Ricky Skaggs points to the Irish and British roots of American country music on the rousing "Cotton-Eyed Joe." Art Garfunkel, Sting, Sinead O'Connor, Joni Mitchell, and Elvis Costello are also featured in classic performances with the 40-year-old Irish band, while a brand-new collaboration with Ziggy Marley yields a gorgeous Don Was-produced rendition of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song." The cliché that there's a bit of the Irish in all of us proves true in this wide-ranging, constantly rewarding, and frequently surprising collection. And the tracks on which the Chieftains go it alone are also a gas. --Bob Tarte"
And, as usual, I provide you with the link to the CD on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wide-World-Over-Year-Celebration/dp/B00005YT8U/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1358008484&sr=1-1&keywords=chieftains+wide+world+over
Can't wait to pour myself a pint and pop in this CD. Hearing a traditional Irish band collaborate with Ziggy Marley on "Redemption Song," one of my all-time favorite reggae songs, should be something indeed, a true cultural mind-twister. It reminds me of an experience 25 years ago when I was in a bar in central Australia, and an Aboriginal woman picked up the mic and sang, "I'm Proud to be an Oakie from Muskogee." She belted out the lyrics with joyful enthusiasm and not a small amount of inebriation, and 25 years haven't erased one bit of the vivid memory I have of her in that dark, smoky little bar on a corner in Alice Springs. Trying to integrate something that seems so wildly discordant is an experience that should come more often than once every 25 years.
Emancipate Yourselves From Mental Slavery...
OK, I can't wait for the Amazon delivery. For the listening pleasure of all:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnJgIq48C9k
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