Thanks to all those who have been in touch to say how much they enjoyed my various contributions to two CD releases last year. Although neither were solo releases, their releases were two of the most important events in my career to date.

“Close Your Eyes”, which I recorded with Dutch singer Truly DiVine was launched almost exactly a year ago from the date of this post and we decided to stop gigging almost immediately after we launched it. We are both extremely proud of the CD (and it is still available from this website) but the pushing to get it out as well as some differences in opinion in how to proceed as a duo made the partnership a little less relaxed and it was decided to park it in August after a final concert in Arthurs. Funnily enough, I saw the CD as a springboard to greater things but it ended up being a swansong. That’s the way life happens sometimes.

I was involved in The Lazy Band‘s album preparations for 18 months of the 9 years that the idea had been gestating. The 10 piece band convened in my aunt’s livingroom in Galway for a week in early January 2016 and recorded a very charming CD that reflected all the band member’s musical and personal interests. Having moved slowly for 8 years, it went from recording to release in 8 months. Some change of pace. Some of us almost came to blows over it but we’re all still friends thankfully. You can buy copies of the CD online from www.thelazyband.ie but for the full experience you should go along to a Lazy Band session on the last Monday of the month in Arthurs on Thomas Street, Dublin 8.

2017 is all about new possibilities and new possibilities arising from old seeds. I am in the process of recording a long awaited follow up to 2010’s piano solo disc, The Shape Of Things. The working title for this is The Art Of Saving Lives. Not sure yet if that is too pretentious but it’s fitting with the vibe of the tracks already recorded. Basic tracks for several tracks were recorded before The Shape Of Things was recorded but I am now proceeding with a vengeance on developing them and hopefully completing the project late this year or early in 2018. It is an ensemble record in the mould of Asylum Harbour and features songs and instrumentals.

In 2008, I started working in a very sporadic fashion with Norwegian singer-songwriter Hege-Anita Skjaervik. We, with the help of many friends and accomplices, have tapped away in our spare time at recording an album of her songs and we are looking forward to releasing it in Norway and Ireland this June 2017. We will be playing with many of the band from the album in Whelan’s (upstairs) in Dublin on Thursday June 22nd. Keep the date in your diary. In the meantime, you can listen or even download the first single from the album by going to her website and clicking on the Recordings tab.

I have also recently started playing gigs with Wexford-born, New York resident singer-songwriter Pierce Turner. A pianist himself, he recorded a CD in a Lutheran church in Manhattan. When he came over to tour it, he decided to play at the Unitarian Church in Dublin and asked me to insert the pipe organ parts from the record. My pleasure. He will come over again this June but this time we are playing in Whelans as well as in St. Iberius Church in Wexford. Dates to follow.

See you on the road.