Kate McNamara

[david_boveri]

very nice. i can see that mary mcnamara is her teacher from her control of the tone but the rhythm and phrasing is all her own.

[Dave Lawton]

Last week (here we go again) at the Catskills festival I had the honor of getting to hear (and talk to) Kate McNamara from County Clare. I listened to snipets of her CD beforehand and absolutely loved it, so I organized a private lesson and I semi stalked her during the week. Some friend of mine told her I put a GPS on her concertina, I hope it didn't freak her out too much :-)

 

Anyhow, this is very subjective, and based on my personnal tastes, but there's something magical about Kate's playing. Her ornamentations are lovely, subtle and tasteful, but I'd say her strong point is the bounce in her music. It's as if the whole room starts moving and bouncing when she starts playing, I'm not sure how she manages to do that, but it seems to be a natural gift of hers. She's playing East Clare style (she did tell me, I would not really recognize east from west) and interestingly, she's using the right side of her concertina much more than some players like Noel Hill, Edel Fox, etc. Her default high D/E is on the RH, not LH. She's learned a lot from Mary McNamara (not related) but added a more 'modern' touch to her playing and has developed her own style.

 

I asked her if I could post a clip of her here. She agreed, she'd rather have a clip from her CD posted but I don't feel comfortable posting copyrighted stuff, but here's a nice clip from a listening session with Mike Rafferty, Willie Kelly and other heros. Felix Dolan is on the piano. She's playing a C/G Suttner.

 

Here's the clip

 

This is not a professional recording, but it gives a good idea of her overall style. I love her CD, "Are you that concertina player?", and I'm sure you'll definitely hear more of her in the future.

 

That's it, I'm done with my post-Catskills marketing :-)

 

So enjoyable I decided to order her CD. I found it at Custys trad Music shop

[michael sam wild]

Just been listening to Kate's CD and Mary MacN on Anglo International.

 

Mary gives The Road to Sligo as the Trip to Sligo, same tune as Kate's which she names as The Road...

 

 

O'Neill gives Trip to Sligo as a 6/8 Jig . Trips to are usually Jigs I find

 

 

Just a bit of random info. I've not investigated The Tar Road to Sligo yet or the new Road ...

[Snorre]

O'Neill gives Trip to Sligo as a 6/8 Jig . Trips to are usually Jigs I find

Hmm.. The Trip to [Windsor/Herves/Manilla/Pakistan/Durrow/Miriam's/Nenagh/Dublin/Birmingham/Fanore] are all reels

Just a bit of random info. I've not investigated The Tar Road to Sligo yet or the new Road ...

Either way (or Road) you're bound to end up in Sligo....

Edited August 14, 2009 by Snorre

[Daniel Hersh]

Reviving this old thread to link to a fairly new video of her playing: https://fb.watch/at15p2y1Xj/

 

Edited January 11, 2022 by Daniel Hersh

[Alan Day]

I do not play much Irish Music but I have learnt from Kate and Mary the technique of bellows control for double and triple note playing.

Al

[Doug Barr]

Sounds like it is time for a new CD from her! 

 

[Azalin]

Wow such lift and swing.

[Peter Laban]

<Never mind, off-topic  Sunday morning. thoughts>

Edited August 4, 2019 by Peter Laban