From: owner-curiouser@smoe.org (curiouser) To: curiouser-digest@smoe.org Subject: curiouser V2 #19 Reply-To: curiouser@smoe.org Sender: owner-curiouser@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-curiouser@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-List-Info: http://www.io.com/~mcurry/curiouser.html curiouser Tuesday, July 4 2000 Volume 02 : Number 019 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Susan McKeown/Lunasa/Johnny Cunningham news [Michael Curry Subject: Susan McKeown/Lunasa/Johnny Cunningham news >Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2000 14:20:21 -0400 >From: Sheila-na-Gig Music >Subject: SHEILA-NA-GIG NEWSLETTER JULY 2000 > >>>>>>SHEILA-NA-GIG MUSIC ONLINE NEWSLETTER - JULY 2000<<<<< > > >************************************************* > >>>>>GREETINGS!!....from the folks at Sheila-na-Gig. >Hope you are all having a wonderful summer. > >We've got lots to tell you. Here's an outline. > >- SUSAN has a new album of traditional songs; details on the >upcoming release 'Lowlands' > >- SHEILA-NA-GIG MUSIC - the agency > >- JOHNNY CUNNINGHAM & SUSAN McKEOWN on Tour > >- LUNASA > >- Summer in the City: SUSAN McKEOWN & THE CHANTING HOUSE and >LUNASA in concert in NYC for FREE. > >-OTHER NEWS > > > >************************************************* > >>>>'LOWLANDS' - A NEW ALBUM OF TRADITIONAL SONGS FROM SUSAN<<<< > >Susan has completed a new album of songs from Ireland and Scotland, >entitled 'Lowlands', which will be released in September, 2000. The >album was begun in August 1999 and was chiefly recorded at Mission >Sound in Brooklyn (http://www.missionsoundstudio.com). As you can >expect from Susan, these songs are set in unusual musical landscapes, >so the sounds of kora, kabal, and erhu (chinese fiddle) are heard >alongside the traditional uilleann pipes, whistles and bodhrán. >Jamshied Sharifi once again brings his unique sound to some of the >songs on 'LOWLANDS', and other musical guests include Johnny >Cunningham, Aidan Brennan, Joanie Madden, Michelle Kinney, stellar >bassist Glen Moore from the group Oregon, the band Lúnasa, Wang >Guowei on erhu (chinese fiddle) and Malian kora player Mamadou >Diabate. > >We are very happy to announce formally that Susan McKeown has just >signed a deal for the release of a traditional album with independent >label, GREEN LINNET RECORDS. After considering several options for a >label with which to pursue traditional recordings, Green Linnet has >made an offer that we couldn't refuse. > >After more than 25 years as an independent label, Green Linnet has >become the premier Celtic Music label in the USA, with a very strong >international profile. And it's the home of some of our favourite >traditional artists. > >The album contains traditional songs in English and Gaelic, with one >original song - the chilling 'Dark Horse on the Wind' by the late >Liam Weldon, one of Susan's favourite songwriters. > >We'll be putting together tour dates to coincide with the release, >and as usual there'll be a competition with prizes of concert >tickets, t-shirts and albums. > >We'll keep you posted. > >***************************************************************** >>>>>>>>SUSAN McKEOWN & THE CHANTING HOUSE at GLASTONBURY<<<<<<<<< > >- Susan's first gig in England was at the Acoustic Stage at >GLASTONBURY (http://www.glastonbury-festival.co.uk/), Sunday 25 >June 2000, with Jon Spurney and Lindsey Horner. > >***************************************************************** >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>SHEILA-NA-GIG MUSIC AGENCY<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< > >Last year was one of considerable expansion for SHEILA-NA-GIG MUSIC. >In 1993, Susan McKeown started Sheila-na-Gig Music as a sole >proprietorship to handle the business of her song publishing. In >1995-1996, with the release of Susan's debut, 'BONES', the company >became an independent record label. > >Last year, in 1998, SHEILA-NA-GIG became a Limited Liability Company >(LLC). It's business endeavours now include that of booking agency. >While continuing to represent Susan McKeown & the Chanting House, we >are proud that by the end of 1999, we added three artists to our >roster: Irish supergroup Lúnasa, Scots fiddler/composer Johnny >Cunningham for concerts with Susan McKeown and Aidan Brennan, and the >American songwriter Casey Neill. > >Please log on and visit http://www.sheilanagig.com and keep up with >the news on the Sheila-na-Gig Artists, and please feel free to give >us your feedback! > > >***************************************************************** >>>>>>>>>>>JOHNNY CUNNINGHAM AND SUSAN McKEOWN ON TOUR <<<<<<<<<<< > >JOHNNY CUNNINGHAM joins Sheila-na-Gig Music on a non-exclusive basis >for concert tours with Susan McKeown on vocals and Aidan Brennan on >guitar. This is a unique show which began as a showcase for Johnny's >award-winning musical score of 'Peter & Wendy', and has developed >into a magical evening of traditional music and song, exploring >various themes. Not only is Johnny a master of the fiddle and a >legend in Scots traditional music from his days in the seminal >'Silly Wizard', he's a riot onstage as well..... > >Johnny Cunningham & Susan McKeown, with Aidan Brennan have been >touring across the nation in recent months, from California to >Chicago and numerous dates on the East Coast. A New York Times >review following their appearance at Symphony Space read: > >"Ms. McKeown's lustrous, melancholy alto and her Irish songs - >full of sailors and broken-hearted lovers - were at the center of >the trio with Johnny Cunningham and Aidan Brennan. She sang modal >melodies in English and Gaelic and sometimes drummed on a bodhran >in arrangements modernized by Mr. Brennan's inventive guitar. With >syncopation and unexpected harmony, he steered the tunes away from >familiar paths. > >Susan McKeown also sang music from "Peter & Wendy", Johnny >Cunningham's adaptation of "Peter Pan", including a tango >delivered by a crocodile with a Transylvanian accent. Mr. >Cunningham provided traceries of obbligato. As he joshed with >the audience between songs, a flurry of socks was inexplicably >tossed onstage." > >- Jon Pareles, © New York Times, April 4 2000 > >Susan, Johnny and Aidan will be touring together in the U.S. in >November and December 2000. > >******************************************************** > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>LUNASA<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< > >We'd be surprised if there's an Irish music fan on the planet who >hasn't heard of LUNASA by now. The Irish supergroup has claimed it's >place among the great Irish groups of our time, earning strong, >strong praise from all corners. Lúnasa's first US release >'Otherworld' (on Green Linnet) was named #1 album of 1999 by The >Irish Echo and The Irish Voice, and Jon Pareles, in his annual New >York Times round-up of 1999's best world music releases named the >work of two Irish acts: The Chieftains and Lúnasa. > >Lúnasa has been represented in the US and Canada by Sheila-na-Gig >since the beginning of 1999, and completed 3 successful North >American tours without the benefit of a CD release. Their audiences >and name recognition grew steadily throughout the year with the >result that, within weeks of the release of 'Otherworld' in October >1999, Green Linnet declared it the label's fastest selling, and of >course, one of their most successful releases. Ever. > >Lúnasa will be back on tour in the US and Canada, July 28 - October 1. > >More information at: > > http://house-of-music.com/sng/Lunasa/tourdates.html > >>>>>SUSAN McKEOWN & THE CHANTING HOUSE and LUNASA in concert<<<<< > >Mark your calendars; on the evening of Friday 28 July, Prospect Park >is the place to be for what will be THE hip acoustic music event and >THE Irish music event of the Summer. SUSAN McKEOWN & THE CHANTING >HOUSE and LUNASA together onstage for a double bill at Celebrate >Brooklyn Music Series at the Prospect Park Bandshell. $3 suggested >donation. Hosted by radio WFUV. > >http://www.brooklynx.org/whoweare/celebrate/schedule/index.html >http://www.wfuv.org > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>OTHER NEWS<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< > >Congratulations to our friends Whirligig who have released their >second album, SPIN, with our friends 1-800-PRIME CD. Whirligig is an >exciting musical group with an innovative edge, superb arrangements >of traditional and original tunes, and the wonderful voice of Lisa >Moscatiello. >Susan performs background vocals with Terre Roche on the >radio-friendly 'Revolution Earth', and on her own 'Through the Bitter >Frost & Snow', on which the Whirlgiggers perform a beautiful >arrangement and segue smoothly into a Matt Darriau composition. > >************************ >Sheila-na-Gig Music, LLC >http://www.sheilanagig.com > ------------------------------ End of curiouser V2 #19 ***********************