Summer Solstice for Tully and Baker

Never has the singer-songwriter been more recognised or appreciated in the music world than they are in this millennium. More and more artists are writing and performing their songs and many have reached the pinnacle of their field. Figures such as Tom Baxter, Katie Melua and Dublin"s own Damien Dempsey have become household names. Their musical genius and exceptional arrangements have propelled them to the stratosphere of music in this end of the world, but one new name could, and should, be joining them soon. Trim singer-songwriter Gerry Tully has travelled the scene for a while now. He is a quiet, unassuming sort of character who prefers to let his music do the talking, but there is not doubting his overwhelming ability to capture a moment in time or a spark of life in his beautiful music. Tully has just released his new album of self-penned song, 'Leaves Fall Down", and upon first listening the audience will be gripped be the passion, soulfulness and meaning in every word. The arrangements are top class and the production values are excellent. They are the staple requirements that are necessary for any good album, but what sets Tully aside from those production values is his poetic use of words, his description of life, love and all other matters of the heart. There is a warmth about every song that keeps the toe tapping and the soul rejoicing. World-renowned musician Don Baker lends his distinctive style of harmonica playing to track four 'News For You". Damien Dempsey is being propelled as the new face of Irish culture. He is being touted as the next generation Dubliners, Christy Moore and even the late great Christy Hennessy, but why do we need a next generation? Tully encompasses all those attributes in a traditional, non forced style. Comparisons to Moore, Hennessy or Luke Kelly embarrass the Trim man, but they still need to be made. Those legends of Irish folk will never be bettered or even equalled, but very few will come as close as Tully when aiming to strike a chord with a traditional audience. Already Tully has attracted admiration from those at the very top of the music industry in Ireland. The legendary Baker has aligned himself to the Trim man and the pair will hold an intimate night in the Solstice, Navan on Saturday, 5th July that is sure to be a sell-out. Baker is one of Ireland"s finest ever musicians. Not only is he the world"s greatest harmonica player, but his subtle tones and witty penmanship have set him apart from his contemporaries. It is an honour for Tully to have an admirer such as Baker and testament to Tully"s ability that such a great musician has taken an interest in his music. Tully grew up in a musical family and taught himself to play guitar at an early age. His earliest influences were his parent"s singsongs at home, traditional music, and his love of poetry. After leaving school half way through his secondary education, Tully worked various daytime jobs but continued to hone his vocal and instrumental skills by gigging solo and also with many other bands. He has played in various music genres including a country band, heavy metal group and traditional/ballad outfits. In 2002 Tully released a six-track demo CD called 'Grist for the Mill" which met with great acclaim and has featured on RTE national radio. In 2003 he joined forces with two friends to form a traditional group 'Coisir'. They embarked on a tour of Germany in 2004 with 'Sessions From The Hearth" covering 17 cities in 17 nights. They also appeared on Brendan Begley"s award winning program 'Gantry". Together they released a CD called 'On The Right Track". The four songs on the CD are also penned by Tully and have gained great favour with audiences and critics alike. During this time, Tully also found time to tour on the festival circuit in America and Europe with other Irish musicians. The Trim man has played support to a host of well-known artists including Dervish, The Fureys, The Hothouse Flowers, Mundy, and The Dubliners, and featured on the Working Class Heroes Tour with Baker, Ronnie Drew, and Finbar Furey. In 2004 he decided to become a full time musician and build a solo career. He started gigging in the hotels, pubs and clubs mainly in the Leinster area. Tully is a very strong solo performer. He uses various guitar tunings and self-taught finger styles to enhance his flair for story telling. He has a strong on-stage presence, and his confident powerful singing voice leaves the listener in no doubt that he is in every sense of the word a true performer. Tully has received praise from many sources. Jackie Hayden of Hot Press Magazine said 'Gerry has a robust voice ideal for mainstream, pop, or folk tunes, and he oozes confidence as a performer echoing back to early Dillon and Tom Paxton', while Irish Music Magazine"s Sean Laffey declares that 'Tully is a talent at work, and one to watch out for'. Musicreview.com gave Tully"s new album a glowing review. 'Gerry Tully has put together fantastic piece of work, 13 tracks of pure entertainment. You can hear heavy blues influences but he hides it well with his Irish folk vocal and country blues riffs. 'In Your Eyes" is the first track on the album and it gives the impression it could be a stunning tune, capping the likes of Paddy Casey and Declan O"Rourke, with very catchy and superb lyrics. 'News For You", with the special appearance of Don Baker on harmonica, kicks and moves like a blue frog on a winter morning. The lyrics are great and Don sounds fantastic on harp. 'Thank You For Calling" has a nice balance and feel to the song, it sounds a bit like Mundy"s 'July", but better. Guitar sounds great and the lick adds a nice spiller to the track, excellent stuff. Like many songwriters of Gerry"s style in Ireland, which is a cul de sac for this kind of sound, I feel the USA would open their arms to this guy and he may even get a hit or two over there.' Glowing stuff indeed, we have not heard the last of Gerry Tully.