Paul Simon Project – Maiden Voyage – #1. America

Paul Simon Project

An Irish tribute to a great songwriter & musician

Going Live on YouTube Thursday 14th February 2019

Ailie Blunnie // Paj // Josh Johnston //

Carol Keogh // SJ McArdle // Sive

with Marco Francescangeli & Rob Molumby 

The brainchild of Dublin pianist and songwriter Josh Johnston, the Paul Simon Project was born  of a desire to toast the man and the music he has created.

In January 2019, five of Ireland’s finest singer-songwriters and two musician friends were invited to Josh’s house in Dublin on a cold winter’s day. It was an afternoon of intense social and musical activity where, after a light lunch, the eight musicians set about arranging, rehearsing and performing six Paul Simon classics from across his career. At 6pm, they were joined by director of photography Alan Rogers who videoed each song in turn.

This meeting of musical minds, while also being fantastic fun, primarily pays homage to a songwriter who has provided musical company to three generations of families growing up. Paul Simon has recently retired from live performance with sixty-five years in the music industry to his credit. On that basis, we feel it is timely to tip the hat and thank him for the gift of his music.

His songs have formed the soundtrack to many lives and continue to be performed and re-interpreted by himself on stage and on his recent album In The Blue Light, as well as in cover versions in increasing quantities.

Over the course of 2019, the Paul Simon Project will add six covers to this oeuvre, with each of the singer-songwriters personally selecting a favourite tune and arranging it with the rest of the group. Creative decisions have been made in the choices and the arrangements while always staying true and sensitive to the spirit of the songs. The selections cover a wide span of songs from 1964 to 1992 and the videos will be uploaded gradually to YouTube via Josh Johnston’s channel.

To get the ball rolling, we are pleased to present the first video this Thursday 14th February. Dublin singer Carol Keogh (The Plague Monkeys, The Tycho Brahe, Autamata, The Natural History Museum, The Wicc) sings America from the Simon & Garfunkel 1968 LP Bookends.

Watch the video at

https://youtu.be/GYhTs3ztd1s

Videos will be uploaded roughly every two months throughout 2019.  For current info please see

www.joshjohnston.com/psp

Musicians (and where to find out more about them)

Carol Keogh – Vocal       www.carolkeogh.ie

Paj –Acoustic Guitar, Vocal   pajmusic.com

Josh Johnston –  Piano   www.joshjohnston.com

SJ McArdle – Electric Guitar, Vocal,   sjmcardle.com

Rob Molumby – Bass, Vocal  robertmolumby.com

Sive – Vocal   www.sivemusic.com

Ailie Blunnie – Vocal   ailieblunnie.com

Marco Francescangeli – Soprano Sax