Emer Kenny

Parting Glass, Emer Kenny’s gorgeous new CD is a reflection of Ireland today, a cultural (and economic) center that is awash in the influence of the ‘new’ Europe. Emer Kenny is an artist, like her fellow countrywoman Sinead O’Connor or America’s Norah Jones, who reflects her time, with a deep understanding of musical history. While the rich traditions of Ireland are celebrated in such airs as “She Moved Through The Fair”, “Sally Garden” and the title track, innovation abounds. There are Moorish and Spanish influences, readily apparent on “Moll Dubh” (pronounced ‘moll dove’) and in the handclap rhythms of “Breton Dance”.

Along the way we are treated to Emer’s take on English folk (“Scarborough Fair”) - produced with a decidedly Daniel Lanois-esque flair -, the music of Brittany (“An Hini a Garan”), and “Rambling Boys Of Pleasure”, a lost Irish ballad rediscovered in America in the 1800s and sent back home - all recast with touches of jazz, African and European flourishes. “Cast A Spell”, “Rescue Me” and “Emer’s Jig”, all penned by Ms. Kenny, round out the CD perfectly, encapsulating the albums forward-looking “traditionalism.”

Emer Kenny started playing harp at the age of nine. While still in her teens, she won an Alfred Byte Scholarship to study composition and harp at the College of Music, Dublin and Trinity College of Music London. While firmly rooted in the myriad traditions of her Irish homeland, Ms. Kenny has cultivated a unique style all her own, calling on many genres of influences.

Her critically and commercially successful first album Emer Kenny (1997) showcased her original – and quite haunting - vocal style and songwriting talents. Emer’s celebrated cover of The Stranglers’ “Golden Brown” was re-mixed by Junior Vasquez and brought Emer to the attention of a broader audience while the track “Heaven” was used in commercials, television and film on both sides of the Atlantic. The video for “Heaven” garnered airplay on MTV, M2 and other video channels. Her second album Fades Into Day (2000) found Emer stretching into more of a pop direction eliciting rave reviews - including a critics choice in Billboard magazine – and more mainstream radio airplay.

Emer’s new work, Parting Glass is an album full of tradition, modernity and passion. It will be released on Triloka records on August 10.