In the middle of the United States we have vast oceans of grass. We call them prairies. On the British Isles, the square mileage is a bit more subdued, but they have some, too. They are called moors. Expanses of grasslands that feed man and animal and provide a living. But in some places, they craft magik. Sarah Copus’ debut solo album is…

Jens Kommnick

Redwood

Independent Release

The Celtic Diaspora Knows No Bounds

A couple of decades ago a German boy had a love affair that none could have predicted. It was German born acoustic guitarist Jens Kommnick and he fell in love with…

I put on the uniquely named Burning Bridget Cleary album, Pressed For Time, and I think, these kids just got off the boat from the Old Sod and are trying to make it in America. Well, this energetic and talented quartet is from Philadelphia and recently returned from playing in Ireland. The irony of it all is not lost on…

I have to say I was disappointed after hearing Erwilian’s new album, Light from Darkness. I was disappointed that I had not heard of their previous two albums, Renovata and Midwinter’s Night. This mostly acoustic thirteen-track album is completely refreshing. I read with amusement other’s comparisons of Erwilian’s…

Like the rest of the world, since 2008, life has just not been that much fun, so I tend to celebrate the little things in life, a call from a client asking for a quote, finishing a job, or better still, having corrective eye surgery that lets me see like a young man again. So I decided to celebrate by jumping in the car and driving to the mountains and touring Cades Cove, a well-visited primitive…

The reason I fell in love with Celtic music was because of a Clannad. The band consists of Ciarán, Moya and Pól of the family Brennan and their uncles, Pádraig and Noel Duggan. There sound is legendary.

In 1985 I used to watch TV with a signal…

It is not often that a single artist defines a genre, but then there is John Doyle and Traditional Irish music to consider. Doyle seems to be a Jack of all musical trades and a master of all. Great composer, lyricist and performer. I had the pleasure of watching him perform in an old church in Knoxville, Tennessee on a cold January night. The turnout was not as large as I thought it would be, but…