If one wanted to analyze the power and influence of traditional Irish music particularly as it hit the shores of Americay over the last century, perhaps the ethno-musicologists could center on Tony DeMarco, an Irish Italian American from Brooklyn as a classic case study.
This particular fellow has only been around for half that time, but so keen and voracious was his appetite for Irish music that he absorbed much of what preceded him by coming along into the music when the house sessions were still a vital and direct link to the "Ould Country," as it was commonly referred over four decades ago.
His musicianship was pretty impressive as well which gave him entrée to all the great house parties where the music - particularly Sligo style - was front and center in New York City.
But growing up in the 1960s and 1970s in New York City allowed exposure to all kinds of music for those with insatiable curiosity and the chops to explore whatever struck your fancy, even if it meant fleeing the Big Apple to go the source, whether it was blue-grass or the green grass of Sligo.
Even in a city as vast as New York where legends abound, it would be hard to find a melting pot that could contain the likes of Tony DeMarco whose long-awaited solo album, Tony DeMarco: New York Irish Fiddler the Sligo Indians has just been released by the prestigious Smithsonian Folkways label.
The title bears some explanation perhaps to some who are not familiar with the Irish trad music over the past three decades in New York City. DeMarco was recognized in his early twenties (he is 53 now) along with the younger Brian Conway as the Sligo-style descendants of those giants like Michael Coleman, James Morrison, Lad O'Beirne, Larry Redican, Andy McGann and Paddy Reynolds in New York City.
He and Conway even carried on the dual fiddling tradition as documented on their Green Linnet recording Apples in Winter so long ago it existed on cassette tape for too long before CD technology caught up to it.
Both took their fiddling styles into the session circuit away from the households in various pubs around town, with Tony the most recognizable session fiddler in NYC where he has held sway at Paddy Reilly's for almost 20 years, and the 11th Street Bar in the East Village for over a decade, where his eclectic diversity was recognized by Kenny Connors as a lure to attract musicians of all stripes of folk and popular music.
The longtime public visibility made him the New York Irish fiddler to hometowners and visitors who were looking for a quality session on Manhattan Island. The Sligo Indians reference reverts back to his long-hair hippie days when he and his bandmate from the Flying Cloud, Cesar Pacifici, made a memorable impression on the locals in Gurteen, Co. Sligo for both their counter-culture demeanor and fierce playing.
It seems like everywhere DeMarco goes, people are happy to see him and to be around him especially when music is involved.
The CD carries 15 tracks recorded with an all-star cast from both Ireland (Charlie Lennon, Seamie O'Dowd, Peter Horan, Seamus Tansey and Junior Davey) along with U.S. mates John Doyle, Kevin Burke, Jerry O'Sullivan, Fionn O'Lochlainn, John Pattitucci, Tom English, Natalie Haas and Eddie Bobe.
The spotlight is very clearly on Tony's fiddle work, which shines through the various tracks with a complexity that we have come to expect from a very discerning musician whose approach to the music is anything but predictable. It's not a straight-forward recording of tunes only in the Sligo style, but rather it is one that has been heavily touched by the sensitivity and devotion to the music that survived and triumphed over so many obstacles, not the least of which has been denigration from mass-popular culture in Ireland or over here.
The new release comes with an information-packed booklet of 32 pages between the covers which was thoughtfully and thoroughly prepared by fellow musicians Don Meade and Mick Moloney, along with some personally revealing liner notes throughout by Tony himself which give context and greater appreciation to the tracks he selected for this recording.
Tony is following up his Blarney Star engagement of last week with another release party on Thursday, June 5 starting at 9 p.m. at his Paddy Reilly's session gig.
The quietude and acoustics there did help you appreciate the artist in Tony DeMarco but we all know that he is more of a "party guy" who likes his libations as freely as his musical expressions.
For more information on ordering the CD go to his new webpage at www.tonydemarcomusic.net.