News

Local Irish singer records love letter to Catskills

By Jim Planck

EAST DURHAM — If the “come hither” sounds of a Uillean pipe, the lilting, haunting call of a plaintive tin whistle, and the equally lilting tones of an Irish colleen performing ballads, traditionals, and contemporary songs takes you back to Ireland — or fills your longing to get there — then go to the Shamrock House in East Durham on Saturday night, and listen to local Irish-American singer Kitty Kelly perform selections from her new CD, “Catskill Fever.”

Kelly is debuting her CD with a launch party Saturday evening that will start at 9 p.m. and run at least until 1 a.m., and — in addition to her own band — there will be a substantial number of guest Irish musicians passing through and sitting in.

Kelly is no stranger to the Shamrock House. Her grandmother owned and ran it since the 1930s, and since her passing, the facility continues its success in the capable hands of her uncle.

Of her CD, Kelly said it’s been a multi-year effort.

“I had the idea for years,” said Kelly. “I’ve been singing for 20 years with all sorts of Irish bands, and about four-and-a-half years ago I put my own band together.”

It was about a year-and-a-half after that when she began her work on the CD, so she’s been working on it for approximately two years, and the end product is well worth it.

Whether you’re a confirmed lover of Irish music or not, “Catskill Fever” is a CD that will capture your attention with its musical purity, lyrical clarity, and direct sincerity, for — as Kelly readily admits — she is an avid advocate of the Catskills, and uses music to help the cause.

“I’m using music as a vehicle to promote the Catskills,” she said. “I promote the CD, but I also promote the Catskills. It helps all the Irish bands and the region.”

When Kelly plays outside the region she always brings tourism brochures and flyers with her to distribute to folks.

She noted that, seasonally, the Catskills are just getting ready to go into the popular fall foliage season, which people always enjoy.

“The Catskills are alive and well,” said Kelly, “and you’re coming into one of the most beautiful seasons — the fall.”

It is that love of the region that helped make the CD happen.

The title track, “Catskill Fever” — written by Irish veteran musician and family friend Carl Corcoran — was selected, Kelly said, because it captures that feeling for the Catskills that she wants all folks to have.

Her CD liner notes explain, “There is nowhere else in the United States that I know of, where so much Irish culture was celebrated against such a beautiful backdrop of scenery.”

“It was this backdrop that served as the setting for much of my life,” she wrote, “and which provided me with many wonderful memories.”

“Because of this, I chose ‘Catskill Fever’ as my title track.”

Kelly said she is actively soliciting Catskill Fever-type stories to document the love that people have for the area.

“So we’re asking people to share their own ‘Catskill Fever’ stories,” she said, “to write them out, or e-mail them.”

“They need to be documented, starting in the ’30s, like people whose parents met here in the Catskills,” she said.

Kelly noted, for example, that one couple who met on the front porch of the Shamrock House in the 1960s has been coming back every year since.

“’Catskill Fever’ can mean different things to different people — something about the area that they love, and keeps them coming back,” she explained.

The title song itself carries the flavor of an Irish reel, and Corcoran’s lyrics — he wrote the song after moving back to Ireland, Kelly said — speak with heartfelt affection for his days in East Durham and the Catskills.

Kelly’s rendition of it accordingly conveys that feeling, and it is a tune to please the ear.

Other songs on the CD include Irish traditionals like “Cliffs of Doneen” and “Galway Shawl,” ballads like “Come By The Hills” and “Will You Go Lassie Go,” and contemporary works like “Passionate Kisses” and “All Of Me.”

Altogether, there are 16 cuts on the CD, and the timeless flavor and heritage of Ireland pervades throughout.

“Most of the songs are songs that I’ve been singing, and which seem to resonate well with people,” said Kelly. “There are a few that not too many people have done, plus some classics, so it’s a combination.”

Overall, the CD is a solid piece of Irish musical pleasure, and well worth taking the opportunity to see it — and much more — performed live.

So if you have a yearning for green hills, balmy zephyrs, and a peace in the spirit, there’s a little bit o’ Ireland in Greene County and it’s called East Durham.

And on Saturday night, the dance around the pot o’gold is at the Shamrock House. Bring your bodhran.

Reader Comments

Submit a Comment