Gavin James • Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

I must admit, I have a huge musical crush on Irishman Gavin James. It is a longstanding problem, begun a few decades ago when I couldn't get enough of Van Morrison, followed by my love for the music of U2. More recently, I'll admit to my preoccupation with the music of Brian Kennedy, and to adding Gavin to the list. So when I saw he had posted a Christmas song, I couldn't wait to watch the video. When I saw it was "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", a song written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane for the 1944 MGM musical 'Meet Me In St. Louis', I knew I was in trouble. The song was introduced by the great Judy Garland, and quickly became a holiday classic. In this video, Gavin gives the song a new twist with his live performance that makes a very happy man. This is Gavin James singing "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas".

Gavin recently released a live album of which I am particularly fond. 'Live at Whelans' is wonderful, I just can't get enough of it. Seriously! But I will try to get my heart in check, and review it for you soon. To learn more about Gavin James, visit his official website. You can also 'like' him on Facebook, and 'follow' him on Twitter.

Brian Kennedy • A Look At...

The path to me finding new artists is often more scenic route than expressway, and such is the case with talented Irishman Brian Kennedy. I was a fan of Westlife, and still look up the boys since they broke up (Mark Feehily, I am still waiting for your album). A search about Kian Egan's new music led me to 'The Voice of Ireland', which brought me to discover Brian Kennedy, one of the coaches in the first season. His voice intrigued me, and he looked a bit familiar. But then again, handsome Irishmen definitely have their appeal. Further inquiries informed me he had sung with Van Morrison for a few years, including in a few music videos. (Ha! I had seen him before.) I also learned that Brian had come out in 2009, and has continued to write and record great music since. In the four months since I found him, I now have five of his albums, as well as some other wonderful singles. And I bet I will be collecting more soon...

I have to say, I have been captivated by his voice from the first time I heard it. Sure, he might have the looks to turn heads, but when he sings, I feel myself catch my breath. Take, for instance, his song "Hollow" off his debut album, 'The Great War of Words'. The song was written by Kennedy, and he performed it to perfection. I loved the phrasing, and the rhythmic feel of the song. It did feel like a song by the great Joni Mitchell. And what's not to love about a handsome boy with a guitar? This is the music video for "Hollow", the 1990 single by Brian Kennedy.

That first day, while I was listening to what I could, and watching all the videos available to me, one song drew into the lead in the race to be my early favorite. It was the title track of his sophomore album, released in 1996. "A Better Man" has a wonderful moody feel, a little brooding, and maybe a bit of yearning. It was written by Kennedy, Jon Lind and Phil Pickett. This is the official music video for Brian Kennedy's "A Better Man".

The second cut on the 'A Better Man' album is another song I loved immediately, and it came as no surprise for me that it was written by Brian. Once again, I was captured by the mood of the song. This time out, there is a wonderful joy, and I can't help but be swept up in it. It starts off with such a timid sound, the feel of insecurity love can bring comes out. But as the song goes on, Brian gives me the feel of strength building as love grows. I wish I could find a copy of a music video, but until then this is a lyric video for "For One Kiss".

When it comes to sheer joy, it is hard to imagine a song that captures that spirit more than the last offering is this post. Again, the song penned by Kennedy was featured on the 1996 album 'A Better Man'. "Life, Love, and Happiness" has such warmth, such strength, and such love behind it, I can't help but listen to it time and time again. Since I couldn't find an official music video for it, I am offering you a clip for the DVD 'Live in Belfast', released in 2004. I tell you, if I could make this song my official theme song, I would be one very happy man. Please enjoy the live version of "Life, Love, and Happiness".

I am telling you, since I found his music about four months ago, I have been somewhat obsessed with Brian Kennedy's music. And this has taken me longer to write than it truly should have. Why, you might ask? Because while I was typing and watching videos, I went on to eBay and purchased two more albums, and a DVD. Yes, the 'Live in Belfast' DVD from which the clip for "Live, Love, and Happiness" was taken. It, 'The Great War of Words', and 'Now That I Know What I Want' should be arriving in the next week or so. While I cannot be definite, I am beginning to think I have a problem, and I might be addicted to the music of Brian Kennedy. Well, not a problem, really. More of an issue of having great taste. You can find all four of the songs featured on his album 'Won't You Take Me Home: The RCA Years', which can be found on iTunes and Amazon. This was the first one I purchased, although it was far (so very far) from the last. To learn more about Brian Kennedy, visit his official website. You can also 'follow' him on Twitter, and 'like' him on Facebook.

St. Patrick's Day with Brian Kennedy

As I have said before, I come across music in the oddest of ways sometimes. Recently, I was checking out links about Kian Egan, a former member of Westlife, who is releasing a solo album. I found out he just won 'I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here', and is also a mentor on the show 'Voice of Ireland'. One of the other mentors on the first season of the show was Brian Kennedy, who I vaguely remembered as a backup singer for Van Morrison. So I decided to check him out, and soon found myself fascinated by his solo music. I also learned he had come out, and is now an out and proud Irishman! And, I have to say, a yummy treat to look at, as well as to hear.

I am particularly fond of his Pop music, but since this is St. Patrick's Day, I thought I might decide to go with some of his traditional Irish Folk now, and give you some of his Pop at some future date. Kennedy has certainly given me enough material, having released 'On Song' in 2003, and 'On Song 2: Red Sails in the Sunset' in 2005. 'The Bohemian Girl' is an opera by Irish composer Michael William Balfe that opened in 1843. The best known song from the opera is "I Dreampt I Dwelt in Marble Halls", which has been recorded by some of the best names in Irish Folk. Kennedy recorded the song for his 2003 release. This is Brian Kennedy with the great Sinéad O'Connor singing "I Dreampt I Dwelt in Marble Halls".

"The Fields of Athenry" was written in the 1970s by Irish singer/songwriter Pete St. John. The song speaks to the time of the Great Irish Famine of the 19th Century. It talks about a man who steals food for his starving family, only to be caught and sentenced to prison in Australia. While the song is fictional, it was certainly possible during the time. This is Brian Kennedy singing "The Fields of Athenry", as it appears on the album 'On Song'.

"The Homes of Donegal" is an Irish ballad written by songwriter Seán McBride in 1955. McBride was a school teacher, and wrote the lyrics set to a melody around since the 18th century. While many sang the song, it was singer/songwriter Paul Brady who is most closely associated with the song. So it is not surprising that when Kennedy recorded the song for his 'On Song' album, he did it as a duet with Brady. The is the result, the recoding of "The Homes of Donegal" by Brian Kennedy, featuring Paul Brady.

In closing, I thought I would offer up this lovely live performance captured by a fan. The song is "Carrikfergus", also off the 'On Song' album. It is named after a town in Northern Ireland, so it is no wonder the Belfast native sings the song. The song is lovely and romantic, and Kennedy sings it with such authenticity, I cannot resist it. This is Brian Kennedy singing "Carrickfergus" as a London cafe in 2009.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! For more about Brian Kennedy, visit his official website. You can also 'like' him on Facebook, and 'follow' him on Twitter. Neither of the 'On Song' albums are available in the online stores. I know, what a bummer! You can find it as an import on Amazon. I'm keeping an eye on ebay to see what comes up. In just a short time, I am already amassing quite the collection.

When Irish Ladies Are Singing

Clockwise: Celtic Woman, Sinead O'Connor, Enya, and Moya Brennan.

To get an early start on the St. Patrick's Day festivities, I thought I would allow some of the more recent Irish voices to come out to play. I understand I am a couple of days early, but wanted to do this nonetheless. Yes, I know, Saturday nights are usually the place for ladies singing torch songs from at least 50 years ago, but just for tonight, I thought I would invite some great singers who have been in a recording studio more recently than that. And I will start with Celtic Moan, a group of four vocalists and one fiddler, all Irish lassies, to capitalize on the 'Celtic' craze begun by Michael Flatley and 'Riverdance' so many years ago. The show, which first toured the United States in 1996, and officially opened on Broadway in 2000. The show focused on Irish dancing, and hence, showcased Irish music. Celtic Woman was put together to tour in Ireland, the UK, and world-wide. They became very popular, and soon were seen in fundraising specials for PBS. They were so profitable, they also spawned Celtic Thunder, the male version first seen in 2007. Here is Celtic Woman singing "Danny Boy".

Now, there is no way I could speak about Irish music without bringing in a favorite of mine, Sinéad O'Connor. Yes, she has done a fair share of Pop songs in her career, but Sinéad has always been very proud of her heritage, and recorded some great traditional music as well. On her album 'Sean-Nós Nua', she recorded some great songs, including the next song up, "Her Mantle So Green". The song is a beautiful but heartbreaking story of a young soldier going off to war, leaving behind the young girl he loves. This is Sinéad O'Connor singing "Her Mantle So Green'.

Many consider Moya Brennan the 'First Lady of Celtic Music', from her time as the lead singer and driving force behind the great band, Clannad. The band combined the more traditional sound of Celtic music with the Pop of the time as they took new themes and wrote songs that sounded like they could have been sung in Irish pubs for decades. Their sound was so authentic, so real, they were almost irresistible. I still remember the first time I heard them, when they released "In A Lifetime" with the boys of U2 in 1986, some 28 years ago. I love their version of "Siúil a Rún", a traditional Irish song. The title can be translated as "Go, my love", or even "Walk (away), my love". For, off their 1976 release 'Dúlamán', this is Clannad singing "Siúil a Rún".

My final entry for the post is from Enya, a woman who made a career out of combining the Celtic sound with New Age inspirations. Her sound was unique and yet very Irish, and was playing on the radios all around the world. What some didn't know that she was born Enya Brennan, and started her career in the family band, Clannad. That is right, she is Moya's sister. In 1988, Enya released her first solo album, 'Watermark'. While "Orinoco Flow" was the breakthrough hit off the album, I liked the song "Na Laetha Geal M'óige". The title translates to "The Bright Days of My Youth", a wistful look back to a time when the singer was full of hope and innocence. This is Enya singing "Na Laetha Geal M'óige".

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!

Van Morrison • Days Like This

Once I decided to go with the great Irish singer/songwriter Van Morrison, this whole thing took an interesting turn. I started off by thinking I would be posting a song I love, "These Are The Days", but as I was looking for that on YouTube, I came across "Days Like This", and I immediately knew I would have to go with it. Plus, as I watched the video, I thought to myself the backup singer, well, he's really hot. By the second time he was on screen, I was thinking I recognized him, but had no idea from where. This sent me to Wikipedia, where I discovered the hot guy was Irish singer Brian Kennedy, whose music I just discovered in the last week, and I had been listening to a collection of his hits, 'The RCA Years'. Well, it seems as though he started out as a background singer with Van Morrison, and I had his voice in my collection for a very long time. And that is because I really do love Van Morrison, and he's been part of my musical collection since I was in high school. Morrison's music was so interesting to me for not only did I love it, but I was also able to witness it evolve, for it really never sounded the same. This is Van Morrison singing "Days Like This", the title track off his 1995 album.

Have a great weekend!

Lovely Ladies of Ireland

Clockwise: Mary O'Hara; Ruby Murray; Bridie Gallagher; and Lisa Hannigan.

While I know that St. Patrick's Day is not until tomorrow, I thought it would be fun to do a little research, and bring some Irish vocalists to the blog. I must admit, my collection of Irish singers consists of U2, the Corrs, Sinéad O'Conner, Van Morrison, Chris Keys, and Clannad, so research was in order. So I set off doing searches with Google, and one of the first names I came up with was the lovely Mary O'Hara. She began her climb to fame in Sligo, Ireland, also the home of Westlife. In the early 1950s, O'Hara was still a teen, but appearing on Irish television and radio, and winning music competitions. She played the harp, and had a stunning voice, perfect for singing some traditional Irish music. In the mid1950s, she married and moved to the United States, only to have he husband die 18 months later. Distraught, she joined a convent, and was out of music for more than a decade, only to go back to music. She was immediately popular in Ireland, and soon was popular all over Europe again. Here she singing the traditional song "Danny Boy", accompanying herself on the harp.

Ruby Murray was first discovered in Belfast at the age of 12, appearing on television to sing. But she went back to school full-time for two years, when child labor laws no longer applied. By the time she was 10, she was singing weekly on television, and started a fun of hit songs. While the 1950s were her best years on the charts, she continued making music and touring live for the next few decades. He died in 1996. Much of her music revolved around her Irish roots, like her gorgeous version of "Cockles and Mussels (Molly Malone)", the traditional Irish favorite.

Unlike the other ladies in this post, Lisa Hannigan is currently making music, having only been active for the last decade or so. Lisa first gained noticed as a member of Damian Rice's band, before embarking on her solo career in 2007. She has released two albums to date, both getting great notices in the press. But I discovered her when she sang with the legendary Irish band The Chieftains, performing the traditional ballad "My Lagan Love". It is stunning, and once I heard it, I could not resist the urge to post it.

Bridie Gallagher was also known as "The Girl From Donegal", for it was true, and it was also the name of one of her early hits, released in 1958. From the mid 1950s to the turn of the century, Bridie was making music, being extremely popular across the British empire, selling out shows in Ireland, England, and Australia. While she wasn't on the charts in the last few decades of the last century, she was still touring and making people happy. She retired in 2000, and lived in Belfast. She passed in 2012, and taken back to Donegal to be buried. She will long be remembered as someone who loved to sing songs that focused on her homeland, including her 1959 hit "Moonlight in Mayo".

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Kiss Me, I'm Irish Day!

Yes, it is St. Patrick's Day. And I love me some Irish music, and thought it was a fantastic chance to put some out there. I've never been to Ireland, although some in the family have, to visit relatives who still live there. Hope to get the chance someday. Above are some beautiful pictures of the country I found online. Gorgeous!

So, here are some of my favorite Irish singers. In deciding to do this post, it took me forever, for I was having a field day going through a variety of artists and songs. Finally, I pared the list down to include Sinead O'Connor, The Corrs, Bono, Van Morris and the Chieftains. Honestly, I had a great time listing to this before I finished off the post, Even when I went back. That means I really like this one! First, I'll start with Ronan Keating, who really does have a lovely voice which is well-suited to singing traditional music.

Ronan Keating The Wild Mountain Thyme



Ronan Keating Carrickfergus



Van Morrison & The Chieftains - Celtic Ray



The Chieftains & the Corrs - Instrumental



The Chieftains & Sinead O'Connor - The Foggy Dew



The Corrs & Bono


So Happy St. Patick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day - Jay Brannan

I thought we might go on a little tour of Dublin with Jay Brannan, a Soundtrack favorite, as he arrives there for a gig. We are on the plane with him, do a quick tour, and then go to Crawdaddy's with him. There is a taste of the other acts playing there, and finally we get to see him play Molly Malone in Dublin. Dear God, that boy has such a gorgeous voice.



For more on Jay, visit his official website here. If you like his voice, buy his music, and go see him performing live when he is in your area. He will not disappoint.

Happy St. Patrick's Day - Westlife

Left to right: Shane Filian, Kian Egan, Nicky Byrne, Mark Feehily.

Indeed, first they were five, then four, boys from Ireland who had a major impact on the British music scene, and were signed by Sony/BMG executive Simon Cowell in 1998. They came together as a boy band, singing pop songs with an R & B flavor, and have gone on to soundly conquered the world, save the US. But they have matured, both as men and as performers, and have placed themselves in more of an adult contemporary feel, prolonging the life of the band for more than most bands of the era. While they have maintained a pop sound, they did record the song You Raise Me Up for the 205 album Face To Face with a strong Celtic feel. That should come as no surprise, considering the boys are from Ireland, and the music was written by Rolf Løvland and the lyrics by Brendan Graham for the movie Secret Garden. The melody is based on a traditional Irish tune (especially the opening phrase of its chorus), the Londonderry Air, which is best known as the usual tune to the 1910 song Danny Boy.

Happy St. Patrick's Day - Ronan Keating

While he had some some nice solo music, for the sake of the holiday I shall still with a couple of his more Celtic songs. Unlike his pop work with Boyzone, his solo material was more private, with a hint of Celtic folk to it. But never so much as on Songs For My Mother, the album he put out after the passing of his mother after a battle with cancer. It was a compilation of songs his mother wanted to hear him sing, and he did it, a tribute to a son's love for his mother. He was finally able to release it last year.



Wild Mountain Thyme is an Irish folk song, written by William McPeake, a native of Belfast, Northern Ireland, and first recorded in 1957. It has been recorded by countless artists, including Judy Collins, Joan Baez, The Clancy Brothers, Van Morrison and James Taylor.



The final track on the album is This Is Your Song, written by Keating a month after his mother's passing. It is highly personal and touching. I include it here not because it has a strong Celtic flavor, but because it was the cap on the album that contained the other two songs, and I think it is a lovely song.



For more about Ronan, check out his official website here. You can also find information about him on the official website for Boyzone here, whose album just came out and was the top selling album of last week.

Worth Another Listen - Clannad

Clannad was an Irish group steeped in the tradition of Irish Folk and New Age music. The nucleus of the group was a family, with brothers, sisters and uncles making up the roster. Lead singer was Moya Brennan, whose sister, Enya, went on to considerable success. Frankly, I'll take Moya any day of the week. Although they came together in the 70s, it was the 80s where Clannad found their success, recording for movie soundtracks like Harry's Game and television shows like Robin of Sherwood. In 1986, the band recorded the song In A Lifetime with Bono, lead singer of Irish supergroup U2, although it was re-released in 1992 to a much greater response. It is their most successful song to date. The band still plays and tours together.