BY SEÁN P. FEENY
As part of only a select number of performances this summer, legendary Irish singer Mary Black comes to Donegal for two dates as part of the Earagail Arts Festival.
These days Mary picks and chooses her concert locations, but never forgets to add a Donegal date in her tours. "We always include a date in Donegal and I'm really looking forward to performing in Dunlewey and McGrory's in Culdaff again," said Mary, "I still mainly do theatre shows but once in a while it's nice to do these intimate venues, such as McGrory's where we had a fantastic night a couple of years ago."
It's now over 25 years since Mary parted with folk group General Humbert to go solo, fast forward to the present the singer's latest album, DVD and song book release celebrates the beautiful work that she has created in her distinguished career as an artist.
She said: "We released the DVD and the CD, both entitled Twenty-five Years, Twenty-five Songs, late last year and I was just flabbergasted by the response.
"To coincide with this release we also published The Song Book again also entitled Twenty-five Years, Twenty-five Songs as the old book was no longer available."
With the release of her new collection Mary said there was a great kick in requests for live shows which saw her perform across Ireland, Belgium and The Netherlands.
"We were so busy right up until April, but I've been able to take a break from things since and we only have a few festivals lined up for the summer," said Mary.
In a career that spans three decades, you would think that Mary has seen and experienced everything on offer in the world of music, but she never expected to record with a famous Hollywood Star, a for many years has been an admirer of her work.
"American producer John McEuen contacted my manager and husband, Joe [O'Reilly] and told him that he was recording Steve Martin's new album and he wanted Mary to sing on it. "Steve, who is an accomplished musician, wrote song called The Calico Train and as they felt it had an Irish sound, they wanted an Irish singer and John told Joe that Steve had been a fan of mine for many years, I couldn't believe it," she laughed, 'Steve had wanted Mary to come over to New York to record the track, but as she had just come back from the Big Apple the recording was done back in Dublin.
Mary said: "John and Steve and some friends actually then decided to come over and join us for the recording. Now of course I was excited and a little nervous about meet such a big star, but when Steve arrived he told me he had felt the same way about meeting me."
Unlike the many characters he has played on television and the silver screen, Mary said Steve is a very quiet gentleman. "After we finished recording we all went for dinner together and everyone loosened up and we really had a lovely chat.
"The guys wanted us to take them to a trad session, now this was the Friday before Christmas, so you can imagine what the pubs were like.
"We took them to The Cobblestone and there was a great session going on with several uilleann pipe players, a flautist and a fiddle player who were sitting in the corner away from the crowds, we joined them and the guys got out their five-string banjos and played a few tunes. I think it was a great thrill for them before they flew back home on Steve's private jet that night."
Mary said she really enjoyed the experience of recording for Steve. "I think he was very pleased with the result, we weren't sure at first if it could work, but thankfully it did.
Being part of Steve's album, The Crow, also created a renewed interest and demand for Mary in America. "Right up until September 2007 I toured America every year without fail, but over the past year with things slowing down with the recession we decided not to go.
"However, I'm hoping to head over very soon and it would be so nice to be able to invite Steve on stage to perform with me if he was about when I'm over there," she said.
Taking things at a much slower paces these days, Mary said she has left the pressure behind her and is enjoying her work more than ever these days.
"I'm down here in West Kerry at the moment just a couple of miles fro Dingle enjoying my time off and looking forward to the concerts we have during the summer.
"I've slowed things down and I'm not killing myself anymore, there's less pressure than when I was first started out and the result is a more relaxed and content Mary Black who is really enjoying herself a lot more," she laughed.
During her career Mary has worked with some households musicians, groups and producers such as Frankie Gavin and De Dannan and guitarist/producer Declan Sinnott, but there is one musician, producer and Donegal native that she has worked with for over 20 years.
She said: "Billy [Robinson] has played such an important part in what I have done over the past two decades. Every time we are on stage or in the studio he makes us sound so beautifully, he's a very talented and loyal sound engineer and producer and I couldn't speak more highly of him."
With so much experience and knowledge of the music industry to pass on Mary has watched closely over the musical careers of her children, Danny O'Reilly [lead singer of The Coronas] and her daughter Roisín, who will be opening for her mother at her Donegal concerts.
"It's great to be able to help younger artists in any way you can, that's why my husband Joe recently signed another young group called The Chapters to 3ú Records.
"We had seen them supporting The Coronas and when we heard that their record deal had fallen through we thought we'd take a chance with them as we were very impressed.
"We have the know-how and it's great to be able to support young artists whether it's our own children or other acts," said Mary.
See Mary Black at McGrory's, Culdaff on Thursday, July 16 at 8pm and at Ionad Cois Locha (Lakeside Centre), Dunlewey on Friday, July 17. For more log onto www.mary-black.net and for tickets go to www.eaf.ie or call the festival hotline on Tel 07491 20777.
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