Guest Host for WFUV, Sunday July 25th

Performing live in the WFUV studio has always been a thrill, but when Liz Noonan, the producer of Ceol na nGael, asked me to come up this Sunday, July 25th, and be their guest host and have Celtic Cross perform live, I was beyond excited! What an honor to be their first guest host and put together the program's play list of all my favorite Irish songs and artists. August 8th, Eileen Ivers will also be hosting the program and hopefully play something live in the studio with her awesome band, Immigrant Soul!

If your house was like mine, WFUV would be blaring from the kitchen radio every Sunday morning as breakfast was being made! My Mom would take it upon herself to give "dance lessons" around the kitchen as one of her favorite songs would be played! I have often wondered how I learned the words of so many Irish songs and it had to be from hearing them every week on Ceol na nGael. I can also remember the first time Celtic Cross was played on the radio. My phone rang off the hook with friends and family calling to let us know we were on. I remember turning up the volume and standing around the radio with my brothers, John and Kenny, listening, as if we had never heard the song before! :)

So this Sunday, July 25th, be sure to keep the tradition alive and tune into 90.7 fm, from 12 noon-4 pm. Celtic Cross will be performing live around 2:00.

WFUV Press Release...

Kathleen Fee and Eileen Ivers Guest Host WFUV's Ceol na nGael

New York, NY-Kathleen Fee and Eileen Ivers will co-host WFUV's Irish music and news show Ceol na nGael this summer, covering for Ireland-bound host Colleen Taylor. As guest hosts, the two celebrated Irish musicians will join host Kerri Gallagher to treat listeners to the songs they like to listen to at home and talk about all their favorite artists. Celtic Cross lead vocalist Kathleen Fee will guest host on Sunday, July 25^th, while fiddler Eileen Ivers fills in on Sunday, August 8^th. As a special bonus, Celtic Cross will perform live on the July 25th show, as will fiddler Martin Hayes.

"Who better to have guest host than Kathleen and Eileen?" said Ceol na nGaelproducer Liz Noonan. "Their love of Irish music is palpable and I'm looking forward to being turned on to some music I've never heard before."

Ceol na nGael began as the brainchild of Fordham University students Gerry Murphy and Mary McGuire in 1974. The program quickly evolved into a radio haven for New York's Irish music lovers, many of whom regularly dedicate songs to one another and keep abreast of Irish community events through Ceol na nGael's "bulletin boards." Other program highlights include weekly news and sports reports from Ireland.

WFUV is a non-commercial, listener-supported public radio station, licensed to Fordham University for over 60 years. Serving the New York area as well as an international audience on the web, and a leader in contemporary music radio, WFUV is Rock & Roots Radio, offering an eclectic mix of rock, singer-songwriters, blues, world and other music, plus headlines from National Public Radio and local news.

Is Irish Music on the Decline? Wow... Not In My Circles...

Read this...

http://ramblinghouse.wordpress.com/2008/11/07/downbeat-trend-for-irish-music/

This is an interesting blog post I came accross... suggesting a "downbeat trend" in interest in Irish music over the last few years based on Google web searches on "Irish Music."

I would not have guessed this at all based on the ever expanding number of and attendance at Irish Music festivals and the increasing attendance at Irish music classes and arts groups that I have seen over the last few years.

While the data don't lie... maybe people aren't searching for it cause they have already found it?

P

  

New CDs From Two of Our Favorites... Solas & The Duhks

Two very cool groups... favorites of several of us in Celtic Cross... have recently released new CDs that are must listens for folks who love Celtic/Irish music.

The Duhks are a cool folk funk Celtic playing group from Manitoba that have put out several great records over the last year. Awesome songwriting is their hallmark... especially in "Dance Hall Girls" & "You and I" from a previous release... both of which remain in my iPod most played tracks.

Their new release is called Fast Paced World is a great listen... grungy and tough and well played, and so well written. The track "You Don't See It" has literally been played dozens of times on my iPod already. Very very cool trad playing on this... groundbreaking stuff in a time when so much new Celtic stuff is so so neopunk influenced. This is much more New Orleans funk meets Seattle grunge meets Nashville folk.

And the masters themselves... Solas also have a brand new record out called "For Love and Laughter." No one plays Celtic or Irish traditional music better in this writer's humble opinion... and Solas is at the top of their game in this new CD. The harmonies played between Winifred Horan's fiddle and Mick McAuley's accordion actually send chills up my back. Interestingly, members of the Duhk's actually played with Solas on several tracks... and you can hear essence of these two groups dovetail elegantly. An awesome pairing of two great styles.

Both are must have records... and both are on iTunes or available through the band websites above. Enjoy...

Where To Hear Cool New Celtic Tunes?

I have to admit my increasing boredom with the endless rehashing of the same old same old Irish music that our parents and their parents listened too... not necessarily done any differently or better. Sure there are splashy new over produced groups and gorgeous new singers busting out their take on Red Is The Rose, but I always hunger for something new... something creative. Personally, the next "new" cover version of the Fields of Athenry may put me over the edge...

Interestingly, this is really not so in the traditional arena, where even the most popular and cherished tunes can be played by a new talented player, and given entirely new life, edge and groove.

I really think that the early versions are usually the more interesting renditions. Recently, on Larry Kirwin's Sirius Celtic Crush radio program, I caught an old Clancy Brothers live recording of The Patriot Game from the early 60s... likely one of the initial recordings of that song. The passion in that track was so intense and palpable, clearly driven from the then current historical events that inspired the song. I suggest that there may not be a singer or group alive who will sing that with the same raw passion and purpose the way they did in the 60s.

Oh but I am sure they will try...

But there is hope... courtesy of Internet and satellite radio. If you long for something new like me, there are a number of regular programs of new, different, or obscure Irish and Celtic music recordings available... often just a click away.

In just the last year or two, I have been turned on to a bunch of new and innovative Celtic/Irish groups... including Green Man, Enter The Haggis, The Elders, Peatbog Fairies and Greenwich Meantime to name a few. There are tons more... there is hope folks. Here are a few ideas...

First, you can download and listen to brief shows called podcasts either on your PC or iPod. There are literally thousands of podcasts available on any topic you can think of, including Celtic music. Podcasts are a timely and fresh way of hearing new groups from across the country and the world. Here are my favorites...


www.celticmusicnews.com
Hosted by Aaron Drake.
Subscribe with iTunes.

www.celticmusicpodcast.com
Hosted by Marc Gunn.
Subscribe with iTunes

www.clevelandcelticpodcast.com
Hosted by Wendy Lee Donahue


You can sometimes even hear Celtic Cross on these podcasts... which we are always grateful.

As I mentioned earlier, for those of you who have Sirius Satellite Radio... don't miss the Celtic Crush program, hosted by our friend Larry Kirwin from Black 47. This program on Saturday mornings and Tuesday evenings always offers a different perspective on interesting Irish and Celtic music.

So... check these spots out and see if you can find something new. Also... make sure to comment about where you find your new music, spread the word!

P

Kathleen's First Blog...A Little Celtic Cross History!

So this is my first blog, and I figured I should introduce myself and tell you a little about me and the band. My name is Kathleen Fee and I have been singing since I could talk and been with Celtic Cross from the beginning.

My two older brothers, John (accordion) and Kenny (fiddle) are in Celtic Cross, as well as Frankie McCormick (banjo/mandolin), Pat Dineen (bass), Walter Ensor (guitars) and Dave Barckow (drums.) These guys are my best friends and we really have a blast together!!

My Dad, Sean Vesey, comes from Charlestown, Mayo and my Mom, Kathy Ross is from Drumlish, Longford. When I was 8, my family moved back to Ireland and we lived in Dromod, Leitrim. My two brothers, John and Kenny, and I attended Annaduff Primary School, in Leitrim, for 2 years.

During the 2 years that we lived there, we had a difficult time settling into Irish living. When we were in America we were Irish and when we were in Ireland we were American. The kids we went to school with loved to tease us and call us "Narrowback Yankees." Finally, one day on the school playground, my brother John exploded and beat the sh*t out of 3 boys who were tormenting him. Well that was the end of the "Narrowback Yankee" name calling. After that, they just called him the "Incredible Hulk!"

My best childhood memories are of the time we spent in Ireland. My Grandparents lived on farms and although they didn't have much, they did know how to laugh and make the most out of life. When we moved back to the States, they were heartbroken, but we did return every August for a few weeks.

In the song Who I Am, there is a reference to saying good bye to my Grandma. She hated when the Summer was over, and were were leaving. She would always say, "I might never see you again. Sure I might die over the winter." All the while she would be shoving a few pound into our pockets for some "sweets." Every August there she would be, waiting at the gate for us when we returned. Spending that time in Ireland, really solidified the strong Irish connection that John, Ken and I have.

My parents would always say that were were so lucky to have the opportunity to learn an instrument, something they never had. They especially loved to throw that out to us as were were whining about having to practice. I started singing when I was about 5. John has been playing the accordion since he was around 10. Ken has been playing the violin since he was 8 and is also an All-Ireland champion.

When we came back to the States, my brothers and I started playing at small parties and Irish ceilis. Our first real gig was at a bar, across from Van Cortland Park, in the Bronx. I was 16 at the time and we played there every Sunday. Some of our friends would come down and jam with us, and that is eventually how Celtic Cross got started. The song, Those Were The Days is a lot about those times in the Bronx.

So let me tell you a little about my other "brothers," in the band. Walter Ensor is a Rockaway Beach, Queens native. Walter has been an incredible influence on Celtic Cross. He brings with him a vast knowledge and perspective of many types of music, ranging from the Grateful Dead to bluegrass. What I admire most about Walter is his ability to listen to something, particularly something new we are working on, and know exactly what it needs or what it's missing, to make it complete.

Pat Dineen, has also been an intrinsic part of Celtic Cross and was instrumental in writing and creating our new CD. Like ourselves, Pat has Irish immigrant parents from Cork and Monaghan. He grew up in Queens and was also immersed in Irish music from an early age. Pat is great at throwing out new song ideas and getting us all together to write and help finish each other's work. He is constantly writing and pushes the rest of us to continue working on songs and tune ideas.

Frankie McCormick grew up in Northern Ireland, in the county Tyrone. As you can imagine, he has loads and loads of stories of what it was like growing up when the "troubles" were a very real thing. He is an amazing banjo and mandolin player and has competed and won All-Irelands too many times to count. We love to refer to him as the human metronome because his rhythm is always dead on. Frankie has an incredible sense of humor and brings that with him to every gig.

Dave Barckow is another Queens kid and has a broad musical background. Along with being an amazing drummer and singer, he also plays the guitar. Before Celtic Cross, he toured the US with a signed heavy metal band. Dave also knows when to kick things into high gear. He was also incredibly invaluable in the writing of the song Shores of America.

So if you haven't heard our new CD yet, go to our website, www.celticcross.com, where you can listen to the tracks. When we set out to write the CD, we wanted to tell the story of us, which is uniquely Irish American. We really wanted to create something that spoke about our experiences and what it is like to be an Irish American. Of course you're always a little unsure of how something new will be received. There is no better feeling for all of us, than performing our own material and having an audience into it and singing along. My only misgiving is that we did not do this sooner.

I will do a future blog about what inspired each track and some of the inspiration behind the writing. If you have any specific questions for me, or any other member of Celtic Cross, you can email us directly through our website.

Cheers-Kathleen