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NEW ALBUM CROSSING THE CAUSEWAY IS  HERE! found.ee/marybeth

“Mary Beth has an incredible ability to take traditional folk songs and just imbue them with modern song-writing sensibility.” – Jeff Douglas, CBC Mainstreet

Original songs and old standards, fresh and familiar tunes are swapped in satisfying arrangements. There’s many a rough edge here, many a wry smile, and many a moment of pure joy.” – Alex Monaghan, Irish Music Magazine

“What’s most impressive is Carty’s ability to shine in all these different musical and vocal styles, bouncing back and forth between languages, old trad numbers, her new adaptations, and her own compositions.” – Bob Mersereau, Top 100 Canadian Singles Author

“Her voice has a gentle and understated quality that dances through the sometimes complex melodies and Gaelic lyrics seemingly effortlessly, while at times showcasing a gorgeous resonance.” – Roots Music Canada

“Widely known for her prowess on the guitar and the accordion as much as singing, Mary Beth pays tribute to diverse cultural roots with her second album.” – Corey Leblanc, Port Hawkesbury Reporter

It’s here! CROSSING THE CAUSEWAY  is my second solo CD, and it fuses traditional songs, instrumental tunes, and original songs.  The album could be categorized as Canadian Celtic, folk, and world music. I play multiple instruments on the album including accordion, guitar, bass, jaw harp, bones, triangle, shakers, tambourine, feet, cow-bells, and washboard, and the project also features some of Cape Breton’s best Celtic musicians and singers including Colin Grant (Rum Ragged), Bradley Murphy (Mhira Blood), and Donnie Calabrese (Sprag Session), and guest vocalists including Cassie and Maggie.  

CROSSING THE CAUSEWAY c’est mon deuxième CD solo, un œuvre du cœur qui fusionne des chansons traditionnelles, des airs instrumentaux et des chansons originales. L’album pourrait être classé comme musique celtique canadienne, folk et musique du monde. Je joue de plusieurs instruments sur l’album, y compris l’accordéon, la guitare, la basse, la guimbarde, les os, le triangle, les shakers, le tambourin, les pieds, les cloches de vache et la planche à laver. Le projet présente également certains des meilleurs musiciens et chanteurs celtiques du Cap-Breton, dont Colin Grant (Rum Ragged), Bradley Murphy (Mhira Blood), et Donnie Calabrese (Sprag Session) , ainsi que des chanteurs invités dont Cassie et Maggie.

CROSSING THE CAUSEWAY  takes us on a multicultural journey seeking to connect the cultural traditions of eastern Nova Scotia that inspired the album, and features songs in English (1, 3, 6, 10, 11, 12), Gaelic (3, 4, 7), and French (2, 8), with tributes to Mi’kmaq culture (1, 13) and Black Loyalist traditions (3). I’ve included three original songs (1, 6,12) and three up-tempo instrumental tunes adapted to the accordion (5, 8, 14) that fit into this eclectic collection, as well as two cover songs that offer moments of nostalgia, Rita MacNeil’s “Moonlight and Clover” (10) and Ronnie MacEachern’s tongue in cheek cult classic “Driver MacIvor” (11).

CROSSING THE CAUSEWAY nous emmène dans un voyage multiculturel cherchant à relier les traditions culturelles de l’est de la Nouvelle-Écosse qui ont inspiré l’album, et propose des chansons en gaélique (3, 4, 7) et français (2, 8), avec des hommages à la culture Mi’kmaq (1, 13) et aux traditions loyalistes noires (3). J’ai inclus trois chansons originales (1, 6,12) et trois airs instrumentaux adaptés à l’accordéon (5, 8, 14) qui s’intègrent dans cette collection éclectique, ainsi que deux reprises qui offrent des moments de nostalgie, “Moonlight and Clover” de Rita MacNeil (10) et le classique de Ronnie MacEachern, “Driver MacIvor” (11).

I’ve also released a video for Òran Boisdale, filmed by David Overmars of Shoebox Studios. This traditional waulking song takes on a floating quality with the wispy chorus vocals of Robyn Carrigan and Sine-Mairi MacDoungall, the creative violin of Colin Grant with the ethereal piano of Bradley Murphy who joins in on vocals as well

Je viens également de sortir une vidéo pour la chanson en langue gaélique-écossaise Òran Boisdale (Faìl ì Faìl). Cette chanson traditionnelle prend une sonorité flottante avec les chœurs vaporeux de Robyn Carrigan, Sìne-Màiri MacDougall et Bradley Murphy, et le violon créatif de Colin Grant.