Mary Murphy is an Irish singer and songwriter working and living in Santa Barbara, California – a transatlantic connection not only in an artistic sense, because Mary is also the partner of the equally wonderful Californian guitarist Paul Keim (Paul's own music can be heard on his exquisite Taxim album "CUESTA GRADE"). "ALWAYS A FLAME" is Mary Murphy's debut release on Taxim. It presents a dedicated artist with a very individual perspective - due to a life lived in more than one culture: "My life has forced me to straddle two worlds and cultures, that of Ireland and the U.S. Through music and songwriting I try to achieve a synthesis of the experience of both worlds." A great love and fascination for each other's (musical) culture presently dominates the Irish-American view. Celtic traditions are a source of providing identity for many Irish-born Americans, and Irish music fans are fascinated by the multi-faceted shadings of U.S. roots music. Major artists from Bonnie Raitt to Sting have infused their music with a touch of "Irish roots" and it is astounding how popular celtic music has become in the process all over the world - even in a pop context. Mary Murphy is certainly no protagonist of a romanticised view on Ireland, but her life's story still includes many of the staple elements of an Irish biography. Mary Murphy was born into a Dublin family whose favorite pastime was song and dance: "My earliest memories are of my family singing and dancing together. My father played the accordion and had a beautiful voice. We have an old reel to reel tape of the family singing together just a few weeks before my father died. There is one rebel song I am singing excitedly with my sister Una (we were 6 and 8 at the time) and you can hear my father in the background saying 'slow down would you, slow down!'. Exhuberance is definitely a family trait. I remember being captivated by music as a child... especially when it came to harmonies. I spent a huge part of my younger years glued to my record player... then my stereo... now it's a CD player. Not much has changed! I am still a hound for harmonies. I don't remember a time when music was not a major part of my life." Mary Murphy is not a traditionalist in a strict sense. "ALWAYS A FLAME" presents a highly individualistic and very accessible fusion comprised of Americana, pop, folk, traditional and contemporary Irish and world beat elements. "ALWAYS A FLAME" is the creative pinnacle of her career so far. A career that had started in 1986 with the release of an album of children's songs under the name Mary Murphy and the Troon Sisters. With "The Rising of the Road" (1991) Mary presented a collection of favorite folksongs as a follow-up. "Yearnings" (1996) and "Thirty Waves Out" (1999) finally introduced her poetic and inspired original material. Besides of being a charismatic performer, her recordings have always been played on the radio in Ireland, Canada, and the Unites States. "ALWAYS A FLAME" collects Mary Murphy's recent original material, embellished by her moving interpretation of two songs by the influential Kate Wolf and Gillian Welch. Listening to the album in its entirety, it becomes evident why Mary's vocals have been favorably compared to those of Mary Black, Emmylou Harris or even Joan Baez. Mary's performing career so far has included appearances with the mighty Chieftains and opening for guitar wizard Leo Kottke. Her CD releases have received widespread airplay on American and Canadian radio. Besides the small but exquisite band featuring Paul Keim, there are some very special guests to be heard on "ALWAYS A FLAME": Glen Phillips (backing vocals) was the creative mastermind behind the very successful rock outfit Toad The Wet Sprocket from Santa Barbara. Glen is currently recording his first solo album. Flute player Pedro Eustache is from Venezuela and a member of various symphony orchestra in his home country and the US. He has studied with Ravi Shankar and worked extensively for latin pop stars Gloria Estefan and José Feliciano. French violin player Gilles Apap is from Nice, France, and was a student and close friend of the late Sir Yehudi Menuhin. He's the concert master of the Santa Barbara Phiharmonic Orchestra and teaches at the University of Benares in India. The French/German ARTE TV channel recently dedicated a whole evening to Gilles' life and music. The wonderful Irish accordion player John Whelan contributes some ever-popular Irish atmospheres, and the harp-playing of Tom Ball is adding some Californian blues shadings. Indeed quite an illustrious group of players that Mary Murphy was fortunate to assemble for "ALWAYS A FLAME" and indicative of the special musical fusion to be heard on this excellent record! Sooner or later every songwriter is confronted with the question where his or her material is coming from. Mary Murphy has this to say as an answer: "It's very mixed actually. There are lots of songs that come from my own experiences and emotions. Then there are those that I write from entering a character, much like an actor or actress would do. Those are usually characters I relate to on a deep level. Then there are characters I may not relate to but can empathize with like the character in 'Hugh's Dilemma'. And then there are always the ones that come from who knows where, and I don't ask."; The material on "ALWAYS A FLAME" confirms this statement and presents some autobiographic material ("The Answer", "Fiery Arrow", "Always a Flame"), a number of stories ("Hugh's Dilemma", "Freedom Is") and songs with a distinct spiritual quality like the already mentioned covers ("Across the Great Divide" and"Orphan Girl"). Mary Murphy digs deep into these songs and lives up to her own demands for artistic and personal integrity time and again: "I made myself promises to pursue my dreams, stay focused, have the courage to overcome what may seem like insurmountable obstacles and to stay in integrity with myself while pushing forward. It included a big stipulation that if I should be fortunate enough to receive something as wonderful as major attention that I would not become an arrogant self-possessed ass. So how am I doing so far? ... If I could write my own epitaph, I would refer to an old Irish song called 'The Parting Glass' that I recorded and worte two extra verses for. I think it would have to be the last verse that I wrote:
There is a wish I would leave behind To all the comrades I have walked beside To all of those I have come to know Through laughter or deep sorrow And that would be that you should find Your way through life with an open heart With mine unfurled I'll softly call Good night and joy be with you all."
Mary Murphy's ALWAYS A FLAME is a remarkable achievement by a remarkable woman. She will surely gain a huge following in the market of the likes of Lucinda Williams, Tara MacLean, Sarah McLachlan, Nanci Griffith, Maura O'Connell and Enya.
