BERKSHIRES MUSIC BEAT USA 19

BERKSHIRES MUSIC BEAT USA 19
songs of a coal miner’s son
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A BLOG FOR MUSIC-LOVERS

With Gene Christy & Rod MacDow

episode nineteen . . .

Well, we’re rolling right along with 2014! . . . and it looks like at long last another St Paddy’s season is about to wash over our tippling rowboat and take us out to “the sea that surrounds us,” as they say in Ireland, a sea of suds, no doubt, flowing from the tap anywhere and everywhere, from Sydney in Australia to San Francisco in North America, and all the way round to Sligo on the edge of Europe and back again!—just the way we like it this time of year!

Therefore, we proudly proclaim that this week’s

FEATURED ARTIST OF THE WEEK

here at

BERKSHIRES MUSIC BEAT USA

Shall be nominated to be

The Berkshires’ premier Celtic musical duo

RAKISH PADDY

Click on the link below and you’ll be taken away to a cyper-place where you’ll hear a clip of Rakish Paddy doing an abbreviated rendition of the old traditional Irish ballad, “The Wild Colonial Boy!”

http://rakishpaddyband.com/audio/Wild_Colonial_Boy_clip_0-90_hifi.m3u

We’ll be hearing plenty of trax from Rakish Paddy today—but—who are they? Let me introduce you to

Lead Vocalist and holding down rhythm guitar, Perry Daniels!

PERRY DANIELS

Perry is a singer, songwriter and rhythm guitarist. He has fronted various Irish and Celtic bands in Western MA, and upstate NY. Originally a percussionist early on in life, Perry has been performing music since the age of ten. His rhythmic guitar style, and smooth-bold vocals provide a solid foundation for the band to build upon.

And . . the inestimable . . the ineffable . .

Eileen Markland !

EILEEN MARKLAND

Eileen brings with her a wide range of experiences in fiddle and violin performance and teaching. In 2001 she was appointed by the US Dept. of State as an “American Cultural Specialist” and traveled to Benin, West Africa with Project Troubador. In 2002 she performed at the UN Peace Summit in Switzerland, and in 2004 … she organized and lead “OPERATION WORLD HARMONY,” a cross-cultural music and education tour in Niamey, Niger. More recently she’s performed in Paris, Venice, Dublin, and throughout the Northeastern USA.

BTW, “Rakish Paddy” is an Irish reel, well-known to players in the seisun tradition—and that’s the tune the band is named after!

Let’s hear again from Perry and Eileen!

This time it will be a slice of one of my all-time favorites, “Back Home in Derry,” written by the Irish Republican martyr Bobby Sands, to the well-known tune by Gordon Lightfoot, written in prison while on hunger-strike in the north of Ireland—just click on the link below to hear this soulful ballad, so heart-rendered by Perry on the vocal, with Eileen on tin whistle this time!

And where can you see—and hear!—Rakish Paddy, this St Patrick’s season?

Over the years, they’ve become so popular, you would have to say—they’re everywhere! Here’s a short list—

Fri Feb 28th Polish Falcons Pittsfield Jimmy Fund Raiser 8-11p
Sat Mar 1st Bread and Bottle Red Hook, NY 7-10p
Fri Mar 7th McGrath’s Irish Pub, Killington, VT 7-10ish
Sat Mar 8th McGarth’s 2nd Night! 7-10ish
Fri Mar 14th Albany AOH 7-11
Sat Mar 15th Albany AOH 5-9 Parade Day!
Mon Mar 17th ** St Patrick’s Day! Gavin’s Irish Country Inn 1-3p
Fri Mar 21st Fife & Drum Restaurant & Inn
Sun Mar 23rd Wahconah Country Club
“Rock On” Scholarship Benefit for budding young musicians . .

For more details, maps, directions, phone numbers, just click on the link below, to take you directly to RP’s website:

And now it’s time to sit back, relax and listen to a couple of full-length tracks that will amply illustrate the mastery and artistry of Rakish Paddy!!—here’s their rendition of “Whisky in the Jar!”

(incidentally, the reel “Rakish Paddy” is tagged onto the end of this first track—so you can hear it for yourself!)

And now the famous 1920s Irish rebel tune, “Boys of the Old Brigade!”

Last but not least, this next ballad was written by Dougie Maclean, and is performed here by Perry Daniels on lead vocal: it’s called “Ready for the Storm.”

If you can’t make it to one of Rakish Paddy’s gigs yourself—for some unknown reason—like—you live in Salt Lake City—we’re happy we were able to bring them to your living room laptop today!

And as for me, Gene Christy, I’ll be around, too. In fact, last Sunday I was in Matunuck Beach, Rhode Island, to team up with old buddy Bill McElaney from Donegal, who flew up all the way from Florida just for the day, and we performed the rites for

–FINNEGAN’S WAKE!

At Tara’s on Matunuck Beach Road,

TARA’S TIPPERARY TAVERN !

Here we are, together again!

L to R GENE CHRISTY AND BILLY MAC !!

My band, the Dossers, with myself, Bill Morrison and Rick Marquis, will be playing in Pittsfield on

Saturday Mar 15th for the Irish-American Club Annual Dinner at the Elks on Union Street 5 – 9 pm for your Irish musical listening and dancing pleasure . . .

The Dossers are, L to R, Rick Marquis on vocals, banjo, and mandolin, Gene Christy on vocals and Roland all-digital accordion, and Bill Morrison, on vocals and rhythm guitar

And on Monday the 17th, St Paddy’s Day, we’ll be at Portsmitt’s Lakeway Restaurant, corner of Peck’s Road and Valentine Road, in Pittsfield, from 4 – 7p and beyond, as long as they can stand up!

SEND MONEY & GET A TEE-SHIRT! $99 ea.!!!

Myself, well you can catch me doing my solo act at The Marketplace Café, North Street in Pittsfield, Fri Mar 14th, and Fri Mar 21st, from 6.30 to 8.30 pm—

As well as in Great Barrington, on Wednesday, Mar 12th, 11a – 1p, for the Italian Club’s luncheon—and we promise to do some Irish there as well!

As they say in Italy – – Ciao! And in Ireland – – Slan!

Catch us next week, same time, same station, here at

BERKSHIRES MUSIC BEAT USA

Meanwhile, visit our friends:

Bobby Sweet at http://bobbysweet.com/
Eddie Dillon at http://clancybrothersandtommymakem.com/ed_01.htm

And Jessica Roemischer at http://pianobeautiful.com/

Fair thee well, Titanic!

Titanic on her way . . .