|
Straight from the Bottle
 A couple
of years ago I went along to my regular Sunday session in Rhinecliff, New
York to hear The McCarthy Brothers, and I have never been quite the same
since. The three brothers and a few friends tore through reels, jigs and
songs with a virtuosity and joy I’ve yet to hear again, except when
I have the luck to catch them playing in New York City. I got to know the
ringleader, Denny, and persuaded him to write a bit about the boys.
The brothers, in chronological order: Kevin, 37, NYC police officer
(accordion). Denis, 35, NYC firefighter (fiddle, tin whistle). Brian,
23, NYC Board of Education (bodhrán). I’ll let Denny take
it up from there:
The Brothers McCarthy
“All three of us were born and bred in the Fordham Road section
of the Bronx from Irish immigrants. Our father Denis (from Castleisland,
County Kerry) and mother Mary (Tuam, County Galway) started Kevin and
myself into Trad-Irish music from an early age. While neither parent played
an instrument they were both very influential in helping us learn the
music.
We both went to The Martin Mulvihill School of Irish Music where Martin
taught us the notion that music was so much more than just the notes on
a piece of paper. If we weren’t going to play the tunes with feeling
then we shouldn’t even bother playing at all. His style of teaching
was a bit unconventional but it must have worked because he turned out
many All-Ireland champion players including most notably Eileen Ivers
and Joannie Madden.
During the mid-80s, Kevin and myself went back and forth to Ireland to
compete in the Fleadh and were fortunate enough to win a few times in
solo, duet and band competitions. Somehow I have four ‘All-Ireland’s’
on the fiddle. I’m not exactly sure what that can get me at the
diner at three in the morning but I guess it’s a cool thing to say
when there’s an awkward pause in a conversation. For example, “Sorry
for your loss, ma’am. It’s terrible how your husband passed
away while sitting on the toilet . . . um, er . . . did I ever mention
that I won the All-Ireland on the fiddle four times?” See, it works
like a charm every time.
Anyway, as me and Kevin started getting older we began the whole natural
process of losing interest in playing Irish music. I think some of it
was due to the fact that we weren’t getting the joy out of playing
from the competition end. We were still too young to play out in a social
setting (i.e. the bars) and girls were much more appealing. My girlfriend
(now wife) never knew I played the fiddle for the first four years we
went out. So as time went on Kevin became a cop, my dad passed away suddenly
and a short time later I became a correction officer on Rikers Island.
With that, no one was around to teach my younger brother Brian how to
play the music, but anyway, at the time he was more interested in basketball
and gangsta rap. However, we ALL never stopped listening to Trad music.
So about eight years ago, me and Kevin were out after marching in the
parade on St. Patrick’s Day and heard a band called Shilelagh Law
(www.halfthebottle.com) playing at a bar. A few months later it turned
out they were in need of a fiddler so after a few beers and possibly a
few shots, I showed up one night to their gig and sat in with them. A
little while after that Kevin joined in as well. That was the spark that
was needed to get us off our asses and start playing again. Three albums
(currently working on number four) and hundreds of shows later we’re
still at it – doing irreversible damage to our collective livers.
Which brings us back to Brian. After his failed rap career he came out
and saw us playing one night with Shilelagh Law. It was there he fell
for the bodhrán and picked it up instantly. He’s always had
the music in him; he just never had the opportunity to play it. It was
through this scene that he hooked up with some players of his own age
and they formed a band called Sullivan’s Jack (www.sullivansjack.com).
These days, we are trying to recapture the years we lost not playing by
going to as many seisiúns around the area and playing with as many
different people as possible. Jameson’s Revenge is not so much a
band as it is just a roving group of like-minded musicians who play for
the sheer joy of it. We never rehearse, and the lineup of players is always
different. It keeps it fresh. We also run a seisiún every Sunday
up at the Rambling House in Woodlawn, the Bronx.
Like I said, there’s not much to tell.”
Thanks, Denny, for that great insight into the best of Irish-American
family dynamics. If I win a Pulitzer Prize for this, I’ll be sure
to buy you a pint.
NEW RELEASES
Straight from the Bottle
Anyone who wants to hear what a great seisiún sounds like in full
throttle, with a glorious mix of live tunes and songs from virtuoso performers
all: pick up the latest Jameson’s Revenge CD, Straight from the
Bottle, at: www.cdbaby/cd/jamesonsrevenge.com.
 Keep it
Simple
Van Morrison has a new CD of all original songs, Keep It Simple —
what is left to say about The Man? I’ve certainly written plenty,
as a thirty-plus-years hero of mine, and this new one of course both delights
and infuriates. The latter-day mix of angst, anger and love he has made
his own are all here, set against more than usually spare but sonic arrangements,
hence the title, all sung with a casual phrasing and timing most singers
spend their lives trying to achieve. It’s a mixed bag, even for
die-hard fans, but you can’t help but love it!
 Ships
in the Forest
Karan Casey has just released her first CD on the Compass Records label,
Ships in the Forest, and as always, her rich, honeyed voice is set against
the finest of traditional Irish instrumentation, including husband Niall
Vallely on concertina and Kris Drever on guitar. Much like her English
counterpart June Tabor, Karan is drawn to the dark side of traditional
music — songs of futile wars, lost loves, and okay, found loves
too. A deeply melancholic, haunting set, it includes the great Joni Mitchell’s
“Fiddle and the Drum” and Karan’s original settings
to classics such as “I Once Loved a Lass.” Karan, as she herself
notes, has balanced the joy of raising her two small children with her
ongoing musical career, and with this CD remains Ireland’s leading
chanteuse.
 The Story
So Far
Also on the Compass label, Lúnasa has released a ten-year retrospective,
The Story So Far. If you don’t have all their CDs, here is an essential
compilation put together by founding member Trevor Hutchinson. Famous
for being a tour-de-force all-instrumental group, the only thing more
I could wish for is that each set be introduced by the irrepressible Kevin
Crawford. I caught the band in New York City a few months ago on a double
bill with Dervish, and more recently Kevin on tour with Donal Clancy and
Cillian Vallely, and his craic between sets is a joy to hear (the only
other that comes close is in fact Cathie Jordan of Dervish, so it was
a rare night at Connolly’s). So how’s about a live one, boys?
You’re the greatest.
And last but not least, a good friend and fellow band member Jude Roberts
has a CD, Stained Glass Afterglow, a set of original Irish and American
songs. All are wonderful glowing tales of love and legend sung in a pure
lilting voice with mostly acoustic backing. One song in particular, “Amanda
McRae,” should be covered by any number of Irish singers, and is
worth the price of the CD alone. For more info: www.myspace.com/heyjuderoberts.
So that’s it for now — keep buying the good stuff —
these artists need you! – I.W.
|
