Gigs this May Bank Holiday Weekend

Finally, some nice weather:-  Sunny Friday evening and I am looking forward to playing with Ged Foley and Steve Sweeney tonight and also on Sunday night in Padraigin’s. (9.30 start) Saturday night will be Taaffe’s in full swing: song  with Regis and tunes with Jimmy Dillon; party guaranteed!

New Zealand Radio Show

another fab New Zealand Program…and Chilean Horseman, title track of my latest CD with Lena Ullman amongst it (great tune by Skip Gorman!!)…you can listen online!
 
Playlist. Kidnappers Ceilidh, no. 460
Radio Kidnappers (NZ) 104.7MHz FM.
Broadcast: 25/03/2018 0004-0100 NZDT
Tune in at midnight Saturday, NZ time. Or click here for
STREAMING on http://pebbles.wizzhosting.co.nz/rk
 
Specialising in tradition-based instrumental music.
 
Artist: Title (Duration) (Composer/Lyricist) “Album title” Record Label CatNo, Date. (Medium) [Country] (E-Address) [Comment]
 
1. Bernadette Nic Gabhann: The Flowers of Redhill / The flax in bloom / The wind that shakes the barley (3.14) (Traditional; Traditional; Traditional) “Here to play” Bernadette Nic Gabhann BNG01, 2017. (CD) [IE] (https://irishfiddlemusic.com) [Ng 2419, Session #2867; Ng 641, Session #748; Ng 2077, Session #116]
 
2. Blás: Greenway / The train to Harlem (3.37) (Stephen Doherty; David Doocey) “Blás” Blás, 2016. (CD) [IE] (http://www.daviddoocey.com)
 
3. Sarah Bauhan: The long rain / The watchmaker / The otter’s holt / The high reel (5.03) (Sarah Bauhan; Traditional; Junior Crehan; Traditional) “Elmwood Station” Whistler’s Music 888295662901, 2017. (CD) [US] (http://www.sarahbauhan.com) [-; Ng 1398, Session #708; Ng 1487, Session #636; Ng 833, Session #44]
 
4. Maureen Minogue & Tom Cussen: Scotch Mary / Ships are sailing (2.27) (Traditional; Traditional) “It was great altogether: the continuing tradition of Irish music in London (disc 2) (The voice of the people)” Topic TSCD680T, 2015. (CD) [UK] (http://www.topicrecords.co.uk) [Ng 1732, Session #96; Ng 1766, Session #543]
 
5. Oliver Roland: Imelda Roland’s reel (1.16) (Imelda Roland) “It was mighty: the early days of Irish music in London (disc 3) (The voice of the people)” Topic TSCD679T, 2015. (CD) [UK] (http://www.topicrecords.co.uk) [Ng 890, Session #2735]
 
6. Tony O’Connell: Gneeveguilla polka / Gullane polka / Blackwater polka (3.25) (Traditional; Traditional; Traditional) “‘live and well” Tony O’Connell TOC120917, 2017. (CD) [IE] (https://tonyconcertina.wixsite.com/mymusic) [Ng 1417, Session #8675; Ng 4232, Session #2024; Ng 5599, Session #12756]
 
7. Karen Tweed & Tom McElvogue: Cuil aodha / Tell her I am / Con Cassidy’s jig (3.42) (Traditional; Traditional; Traditional) “Luckpenny” TMc Productions 0760625689140, 2017. (CD) [IE] (http://www.tommcelvogue.com) [Ng 2920, Session #825; Ng 1884, Session #161; Ng 2606, Session #1570]
 
8. Joel Mabus: Ukulele scrabble (2.24) (Joel Mabus) “Ukulele crimes” Fossil 2618, 2018. (CD) [US] (http://www.joelmabus.com)
 
9. Lena Ullman & Anna Falkenau: Chilean horsemen (2.24) (Skip Gorman) “I can hear you calling” Scroll Music SM1701, 2017. (CD) [IE] (http://annafalkenau.com)
 
10. Calum Stewart: Sueno’s stone (2.27) (Calum Stewart) “Tales from the North” Calum Stewart EMCD02, 2017. (CD) [SC] (http://www.calum-stewart.com)
 
11. Navá: Banish misfortune (3.11) (Traditional) “Tapestry” Navá 5391518342078, 2017. (CD) [IE] (http://www.navatheband.com) [Ng 113, Session #9]
 
12. Dave Flynn: Paddy Fahey’s reel no. 20 / Paddy Fahey’s reel no. 6 (4.38) (Paddy Fahey; Paddy Fahey) “Genre jumping the best of Dave Flynn vol. 2: Celtic strings” Frisbee Co. FRCD009, 2016. (CD) [IE] (http://www.daveflynn.com) [Ng 1504, Session #1402; Ng 1508, Session #859]
 
13. The Shandrum Céilí Band: The Fourth Dragoons (2.12) (Traditional) “The dawn” The Shandrum Céilí Band SCB001, 2017. (CD) [IE] (http://www.TheShandrum.com) [Ng 7166, Session #13362]
 
14. Kilfenora Céilí Band: Leyden’s reels: Reel of Bogie / Sailor on the rock / Mountain top / Stony steps (3.36) (Traditional; Traditional; Traditional; Traditional) “Century: a celebration of one hundred years” Kilfenora Céilí Band KCB100, 2009. (CD) [IE] (http://www.kilfenoraceiliband.com) [Ng 1662, Session #3307; Ng 1715, Session #765; Ng 1352, Session #529; Ng 1839, Session #571]
 
Radio Kidnappers extends thanks to the companies and individuals who have provided recordings for review/play on Folk on Sunday and Kidnappers Ceilidh. Feedback is welcome, especially if we get the song attributions wrong.
For more on Radio Kidnappers visit us at http://www.radiokidnappers.org.nz/prog_fos.php
 
Mitch and Robyn Park
(Folk on Sunday and Kidnappers Ceilidh, Radio Kidnappers 1431AM & 104.7FM)
https://www.facebook.com/folkonsunday
1214 Louie Street
Hastings, NEW ZEALAND 4122. +64-6-8785395
 
http://www.radiokidnappers.org.nz/prog_fos.php
Kidnappers Ceilidh STREAMING live Sundays at 0004 NZ time
Folk on Sunday STREAMING live Sundays at 1504 NZ time via http://www.radiokidnappers.org.nz/internet_audio.php

Review in Lonesome Highway

http://lonesomehighway.com/music-reviews/tag/nolan-mckelvey-dave-desmelik-lena-ullman

Lena Ullman & Anna Falkenau I Can Hear You Calling Scroll 

How lucky we are that these two noted musicians have, by different routes, ended up making their homes in Ireland and producing this wonderful collaborative album.

Lena Ullman is Swedish by birth, but has spent most of her adult life to date in the West of Ireland, where she has been immersed in, and influential in the Old Time and Irish traditional scene there, especially in Galway and Kinvara. She is a clawhammer banjo player with her own distinctive playing style.

Fiddler Anna Falkenau hails from Germany, by way of Scotland and the US. Classically trained, she has ‘converted’ to traditional playing and studied Irish fiddling in UCC and then American Old Time and South Indian music in the US. Regarded as a superb fiddler in the Irish tradition, here she brings many of her other influences to the fore.

The twelve tracks here, self produced (along with Ivan Murray) and recorded as live in the studio, consist of songs and instrumentals, both original and ‘traditional’.

Lena shows her songwriting skills on two tracks: Homeless highlights the plight of the many unfortunates currently sleeping on the streets of the country, while Blueberry is an equally plaintive lament of longing. Her delicate falsetto vocals and her playing recall Peggy Seeger – in fact the similarities are striking.

Anna’s cat, Apatchy, was the inspiration for her one original composition here – Apatchy Hunting In The Garden is a lively old timey tune that effectively immortalises the feline antics.

Lena’s slow tune Waiting For Anna leads me to suspect that Anna might have a reputation for tardiness somewhat akin to my own! More interestingly, this two part tune allows Anna to indulge her knowledge and love of South Indian music, and the result is beautiful, leaving this listener  wanting more.

Lena sings and plays her unhurried version of the traditional Red Rocking Chair, and also gives us her own take on the oft covered Black Jack David. On the set of hornpipes City of Savannah/ Ladies Choice/The Factory Smoke Anna’s fiddle playing sounds at its most ‘Irish’. On the remainder of the album, these (untutored) ears detect a Scandinavian feel to much of her playing.

Overall this is a superb album, that only improves with listening. Let’s hope it goes a little way towards raising the profile and popularity of this niche musical genre. (Eilís Boland)

“Blueberry” on NZ Folk Show

Delighted that there is another of our songs featured on New Zealand Radio Show; …listen on link below

Playlist. Folk on Sunday, no. 1113
Radio Kidnappers (NZ) 104.7MHz FM & 1431kHz AM.
Broadcast: 28/01/2018 1504-1600 NZDT
STREAMING LIVE: http://player.wizz.co.nz/kidnappers
REPEATING: Mon 5/02/2018 2100-2200 NZDT