Chasing Granny's Spirit in a Chevy
Traditional Music Provided By My Dad
Thursday night the NYC St. Patrick’s Day parade committee hosted their annual gala at the New York Athletic Club overlooking Central Park. The parade’s Grand Marshal, NBC’s CEO, Francis Comerford was present, as well as a number of Irish performers - Celtic Women, Celtic Thunder, and of course, my dad, Tom O’Grady (that’s him on the far left). He played his fiddle with his traditional Irish music band Ceoltoiri as attendees feasted on shepards pie and a turkey carvery while enjoying everything the parade offers - pipe and drum bands, Irish step dancers, marines, flags, men in kilts, and the most green neckties and dresses you’ve ever seen in one room. The feet were sore from dancing to songs such as “Las Vegas in the Hills of Donegal.” By the end of the evening, the joint was jumping with the feel of an upscale Irish wedding, minus the tea and sandwiches after the band left the stage. And the cold drizzle that greeted us at the door upon leaving the event made us feel like we had the full Irish experience. But I’m looking forward to that sun shine on 5th Avenue during the parade when the Irish rule New York for the day - the best day of the year!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
March Madness Begins at Irish Arts Center
March is one of the best times of the year in New York if you are Irish, and not just on St. Patrick’s day. The entire month is packed with events from traditional music sessions to parades to readings to dances. I’ll be performing every night for a full week starting next weekend. So I decided to take in some other events before the continuous requests for Danny Boy begin.
Last night I attended the opening of I heart Alice heart I, the U.S. debut of a new play written and directed by Amy Conroy who acts with Clare Barrett in this two woman show at the Irish Arts Center http://irishartscenter.org/. The young actors play two retired women who come out of the closet late in life and find each other in a shopping center in Ireland. Its documentary style theater portrays a love story celebrating the mundane and beautiful moments of every relationship.
A reception was held in the lobby afterwards and Irish Consulate Noel Kilkenny and his wife Hanora were present as the audience gasped when the young actors emerged from back stage in their daily, youthful attire, no longer wearing the wigs and make-up that transformed them into their aged but lovable characters.
I couldn’t help but notice how lovely the writer looked standing before one of the paintings exhibited in the lobby in the Borderlands collection by Irish artist Kate Arslanian from County Armagh. Kate captured the countryside in vibrant abstraction and I was inspired to capture the actors and other friends in front of each painting in dramatic fashion. Above is the result of our efforts.
Tribute Tuesday - Brighter Than the Sun
Here’s my cover of Colbie Caillat’s upbeat song. I recorded it with Darren Wallis on guitar and drums. The photo was taken by Lauren Fedders in Donegal, Ireland on the beach down the lane from my parents’ house. (Yes, that is summertime, wool wrap and all.)
If you have a request of a song you’d like me to cover, email me on my web site http://taraogradymusic.com/ I’m always looking for new songs to sing. As poet and philosopher Mark Nepo writes, “Yet another song the heart must sing to open the gate of all there is.”
My Chevy Family Continues the Tradition
My brother Tom and his wife Nannette just purchased a 2012 Chevy Traverse. They drove down to Florida last week from New York with their three boys Liam, Connor and Declan. They enjoyed their visit ziplining over alligators and going to the Space Center with my Aunt Peg who took that first cross country road trip with my Granny and my teenage dad in their 1957 Chevy Bel Air.
Here’s to tradition! Here’s to Chevrolet!
Happy Birthday to a Local Legend
This weekend my granny’s first cousin, Packie Manus Byrne, turned 95. They threw him a three-day party in Ardara, County Donegal. I just called him to say happy birthday, but he couldn’t talk. His couch was filled with musicians visiting from the Netherlands and France. They sounded young too, like in their twenties.
Packie Manus is a generous musician and composer. If an artist from Canada or Australia is making an album, he or she, usually a she as he has a way with the ladies, takes residence in his home in Ireland and he writes original songs for them at no cost. He doesn’t even copyright them. He doesn’t believe anyone should own music. Music is for sharing with the world, he says.
He has shared his music with the world since he left home to join the circus in the 1930s. He was a major part of the folk music scene in the 1960s touring all of Europe. People still can’t get enough of him today. I’m lucky to be related to him. He even wrote a song for me once called “If Tara Were Here.” You can learn more about my charming cousin at http://www.rogermillington.com/
Happy birthday Packie!
My Funny Valentine Sweet Comic Valentine
This is the photo on the cover of the Brooklyn Paper this week. They did an article about my song, Love on the Underground, about missed connections on the subway. http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/35/6/dtg_subwaylove_2012_02_10_bk.html
The missed connections section on Craigslist is so popular, that the NYC Transit Museum is hosting a party tonight in honor of star-crossed subway riders. They are also playing my video for the song I wrote about lost love in the tunnels under this great metropolis. Imagine, my work in a museum! I visited the museum this weekend and found a 1960 advertisement for Chevrolet in one of the old subway cars.
Here are some of the best missed connections posts from 2011:
http://cltampa.com/dailyloaf/archives/2012/02/14/the-best-missed-connections-of-2011#.TzqvtLGPVLd
I will unfortunately miss my connection at the museum tonight. I’m heading to Smith Magazine’s storytelling event about Love & Heartbreak. They’ve asked me to perform an original song using their six-word memoir format. One of the lines of my song is “I’m not picky. Must have teeth.”
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Tribute Tuesday - Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’
I’m going to begin a segment I call Tribute Tuesdays, when I will post videos of myself singing other people’s songs. I performed this particular song Sunday night at the legendary Swing 46 Jazz & Supper Club in front of diners and swing dancers. I was inspired by a recent recording I made over the weekend on a reggae album that is going to get airplay in Japan. The producer had me sing this song but on a reggae track. It was fun to do, and sounded so interesting that I couldn’t resist but try it out in a swing style during a live gig. The boys and I didn’t rehearse it before the show, so I think they did a smashing job.
By the way, on the way up to Woodstock to the studio where I recorded the reggae tracks, I saw a turquois 1957 Chevy parked on the side of the road. It was the first time I’d seen one since new year’s day. It was a lovely way to start 2012, seeing a red Bel Air drive by me. Here’s to hearing lots of new music and seeing lots of vintage Chevy’s on and off the road in 2012!
