Tim Korry 2012

Friday, September 21, 2012

Carrigaline and Killarney- Tim Korry Music 2012 Blog

The day began with a fine fresh fish breakfast inside the dining porch area of The Atheneum House. This grand Georgian home, previously owned by ship builders, was a great backdrop for a quiet breakfast. I love the choices in an Irish breakfast. While Americans are stuck with pancakes, waffles, processed cereals, GMO corn, and wheat based breakfasts, the Irish are using locally sourced fresh ingredients. The local meats and sausages, tomatoes, fish, cheese, and even the old “beans on toast” are an outstanding change. After breakfast we took some pics, packed up, and headed out.

A man working outside the house gave us some great tips on what to see around Cork and Carrigaline. He also mentioned that there were a lot of Keily’s in the Waterford and Cork area. It would require weeks to find out if anyone was a relation… cool all the same and it did confirm that the Keily part of our family indeed was from this area.

We were blessed with some wider roads today on the way to the Jameson Distillery. Still, it was very tight passing through the streets of Middleton. Jameson stands as a really interesting historical marker from the 1700’s regardless if you like their whiskey or not. Well worth the trip and their café isn’t bad either… Jameson and ginger is a new favorite…We continued on to Carrigaline to search for Coolmore Castle where my great great grandparent’s worked. We found the location after asking directions at a petrol station and receiving some tips on getting there from a delightful lady with bright red hair. As we drove the rainy winding road up to the gate houses, we noticed a young guy bringing in his groceries. We asked if it would be okay to follow down the road to the estate, which had a threatening private property sign posted out front. He told us we could walk the 1K or try to drive it. We opted for the driving but it proved to be too intense for our little Euro car. The potholes were downright unnerving. It was very cool to at least see the area and the gate houses that my relatives may have even lived in. So we were off again, back through some of the Cork traffic on the road to Killarney.

After some confusing direction and disorienting roundabouts, we finally made it to the Chelmsford House where we met the very kind and gracious innkeepers Pat and Louise Griffin. We were literally in a residential neighborhood overlooking the mountains. Yes… the rain and mist continued as it seemed to follow us the entire time. After a pint of room temperature Guinness and a good chat with Louise, we headed down to the Killarney town center. Although we arrived a little late, some stores were still open and most pubs. I bought a Mucros tweed hat to wear in the constant drizzle. This proved to be a slick idea. The hat was made locally at the Muckross House which in itself looked like a glorious estate to visit. Well, maybe next time. After a bit of walking through the stormy streets of Killarney, we settled on Spanish tapas for dinner. After feeling a bit tapped out on energy, we retired early. It had been a long day of drizzly driving through several different locations. Tomorrow it will be on to the Ring of Kerry…

Friday, August 17, 2012

Waterford, IRE 2012

Waterford 5/8/12

So there we were, checking out of the Trinity Capital Hotel and grabbing a cab for a short yet confusing ride to the rental car place. See ya Dublin, now it starts…. Hey, whats bigger than a Smart Car and smaller than a Mini? The very nice people behind the desk of the car rental place explained just how to get out of town… an easy way that didn’t require GPS. The truth however is that it took about 25 minutes of left hand turns, asking strangers for directions, and completely stressful roundabout driving… and I wasn’t the driver. Somehow by the grace of God we made it out of the city and continued a somewhat “white knuckled” trip on very small tight roads to Glendalough. This place was now the oldest I had ever seen (11^th Century) Medieval and absolutely brilliant! This is the ancient Irish place one envisions with its Celtic crosses, weathered graves, monastic ruins, and fantastical landscapes. The Wicklow mountains contained fields of the sweetest vanilla smelling yellow flowered thorn bushes. It was misting and a bit wet but absolutely incredible and intense experience.

After several trips down the left side of the same roads (one was an area where ‘Braveheart’ was filmed) we found our direction. We continued on to Waterford fully frazzled from the drive. I personally, not being the driver, could have used a few pints… We stopped into a kind little pub along the road for a chicken and dressing sandwich then continued into the unknown. A few passes by our hotel in Waterford and we finally found it. The Atheneum House was a stately ‘Downton Abbey’ looking place and a breath of relief after a stressful driving but amazing day. We were told that walking into town would take about 15 minutes. Driving at this point was out of the question, yet I believe we walked at least 2 miles into town. I was beginning to notice a theme in the “Irish directions”…I’ve heard that part of my family comes from the Cork/Waterford area so this was a great opportunity to sort out the vibe of this town. We walked passed several pubs, Inns, and colorful buildings all in a row on our way to Reginald’s Tower.The ancient Viking tower was absolutely brilliant and now the oldest thing I had seen (900 A.D.) It was a fantastic museum in a tower of vibes and history that I did not expect to encounter. Off a tip from the locals, we headed to T & H Doolan’s pub which is the oldest pub in the area. We stepped in for some traditional Irish stew & local ales and ended up staying for live traditional music several hours later. This place is a must see for the blown glass windows, a wall inside from the ancient city of Waterford, and the place that Sinead O’Connor regularly sang at before becoming famous. It was a great time despite the old drunken homeless guy outside talking to himself and everyone else in very expressive language…oh, and the smelly Austrians at the pub who must tend not to be fond of deodorant. Oh, “Stinky Rick Steves” looking guy and the sometimes rude “Euro”crowd could not keep us away from the local cool Irish folks. Now out of concern for safety, the darkened un-researched streets, and unfamiliarity with the town I was all over hiring a cab for the way back. No, we were not going to walk back in a dark strange sea port… Liza and I found a cab after visiting a now vacant cab stand on George St. Thank God he was looking out for us. It’s been a long amazingly interesting, and intense day. A wee bit of Jameson & Coke and it’s off to bed as the RTE plays on the tele….

Friday, July 6, 2012

Ireland 2012: Dublin Day Two

Our first “Irish breakfast” was fantastically healthy… but seriously…. Very good. I prefer the Irish breakfast over the American version any day. I was no longer tired but my feet were still sore and stomach fully ready for a breakfast of black & white pudding, scones, beans, ham, bangers, & tomato. It was absolutely brilliant and quickly became my breakfast plan for the whole trip. We started on our way down the bustling streets to Trinity College. Moving through the college students and busloads of tourists was like a game of Pac Man but worth all the dodging around. The campus literally is a place of living history. Still in use, it’s been an educational center since the 1500’s. The architecture was amazing and stately. The middle courtyard was tree lined and green. I’m still sorting out the fact that I am physically in Ireland. It is unreal yet quite real if that makes any sense. We travelled down the lane to the Grafton St. area which was teeming with shoppers from all over Europe. I could no longer tell that we were in Dublin. In fact we had a glass of wine in a French bistro surrounded by absolutely no Irish. The crowd was French and I could not pronounce the label of the rich oaky red I was drinking. St. Steven’s Green, from 1663, was a peaceful wooded park filled with Swans, nature lovers, and lots of people with umbrellas… which we were not. Yes, the weather changes 3 seasons in one day…really. We stopped by Dublin’s famous Walton’s Music store and I snagged a cheap but cool new electric acoustic guitar at a decent price. The trick now will be getting it back to the states. Now I can take a piece of Ireland with me on stage. After dropping the guitar by the room we continued walking in search of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. A swing by O’neil’s pub provided a filling lunch of fresh cut corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, veggies, gravy with a nice Smithwick’s to wash it down. Great and friendly place! We were even told not to go by “the flats” that held the little rock throwing ruffians we encountered the day before. Yeah, things looked a bit dodgy that day… On we continued to the amazing St. Patrick’s Cathedral (1192). The building and grounds were history spoken through space and monument. I don’t think that any picture could do it justice. Down the medieval path we stepped to Christchurch (1030). This church is easily the oldest building I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, we were to late to step inside an take a tour. The outside was in extremely good condition and the bells continued to ring out with strength and glory. I hope to one day see inside of this intense haunting structure. Across the street we stopped by Leo Burdock’s fish and chip shop. I didn’t care that Tom Cruise and Liam Neeson were big fans of the place but I’ve heard of it’s great reputation since 1913. Let me tell you that cooking in “drippings” instead of modern oil is amazing! Enough said… We did also duck into a huge mall to get out of the rain for a bit. It was gigantic, white, had lots of windows, and very bright… unfortunately it was closing so we continued on our path. Rounding our way back to the hotel through scattered storms and sun we stopped into a sort of college/Shaun of the Dead dive bar for a pint of Smithwick’s. The Irish beer just tastes better here. I believe it’s a freshness thing but maybe it’s just because I’m here… no, actually it’s better… and expensive. Tomorrow is the car rental and left hand driving business as we leave Dublin.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Ireland 2012- Dublin

Dublin 5/6/12

Landed early in the morning. Time traveling above the clouds & brought down to a waking dream landscape of unfamiliar ways and voices. After a sleepless night on a grand airplane with fantastic food (that’s right), we were ready to hop the airbus to the Trinity College area of Dublin. As the bus rolled along we past what seemed like ancient residences and unusual stores and markets under a non existent skyline…which was a welcomed sign. The bus left us off in an area that looked like something out of history books yet extremely massive and real. Cars and buses hurriedly rushing past as we trudged down the bumpy cobblestone street with suitcases in tow. The Trinity Capital Hotel was a sight to behold with it's exotic Victorian "world traveler" type theme. I didn't know if we were in Dublin or Morocco...seriously. Extremely large couches and chairs filled rooms of antique suitcases, rich colors, and a fusion of Eastern music in the background. Walking down the hallway to our room seemed like a mix of a fun-house of dark reds and blues and some sort of an abstract art museum with complimentary colorful themes every step down the hall. There was a fire station right out side our window several floors below. An occasional beep, honk, or page was heard but nothing major. Once "settled" and sorted out with Euros, we took a walk down to the Long Stone. This was an ancient looking pub with a sort of druidic Victorian China closet feel. The fish and chips were outstanding and the discovery of HP & brown sauce fascinating and delicious! The Asian waitress working in the Irish pub seemed strange as she was more interested in carrying on a conversation with another Asian fellow than pouring a nice pint for the other patrons... oh well, I'm in Dublin! We took a cab ride from an interesting and knowledgeable taxi driver shortly after. He gave us a bit of a history tour on the way to the Guinness storehouse. The cobblestone streets of the St. James Gate Brewery were singing a song of older days, sweat, and lore. The brewery location itself had become a grand museum with a 360 degree lounge atop. The lounge served as a tasting room (crowded one at that) and a great place to observe Dublin as a whole. A short walk down to the Brazen Head proved to be a great follow up. It's medieval structure retained an energy of spirits past and "spirits" present. The warm and cozy inside pub was filled with people jamming out to a traditional set of folk tunes. The outside open air bar proved to be a great place for people watching. Many would step out for a puff and break into song, and some just to grab a quick bite before the next set. We continued down the road moving through an interesting area that seemed as if it was out of the movie "The Butcher Boy". Two gangs of kids were pointing squirt guns at each other from across the street yelling and actually throwing rocks. They were throwing rocks at girls passing by and yelling, "Hit the hippie" at a college student walking by with a bit of an afro. We seemed to be spared as the main little ringleader looked at us and shouted, " Your fyne, your fyne!" as he held the other kids back. Still a few rocks whistled by as the little devil continued to scold a cohort in this weird cease fire in the rock war incident. It felt more like Belfast than Dublin. We traveled along the river Liffey to The Clarence, which is owned by Bono and the Edge. We stopped into the Octagon Bar inside The Clarence for a pint and to check this place out. Pretty pricey, as most things are in Dublin, but cool pub. I struck up a conversation with an older man from Cork. He gave me a good bit of advice on what to see, tipping, and whiskey. Very interesting all around...and yes, we heard that the Edge was there. The word is that Bono and the Edge sometimes make appearances in the pub. Apparently the Edge was taking a break from the family for a bit as we overheard on of the bartenders say that "Edgey was coming at 6". Down the road again we past through sort of a circus environment with pubs, restaurants, and loads of people called Temple Bar.This place was nuts and not for the "gentle folks" as our friend from the Clarence said. We had supper back at the Trinity Capital. It was very good but not traditional fare. Our very friendly waiter, John, talked to us for quite a while and planned on meeting us out at Temple Bar later in the night. We were beat on this first day but ventured out anyway. The pubs were massively insanely crowded and the streets felt like a big fraternity party as the next day was a "bankers holiday". Tired and dazed from an adventurous full day, it was time to finally sleep.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Strange Horses is an album that reminds me of a trip through an art museum. Every song summons dream landscapes of sound, mood, and a particular moment in time. It is the end of an era and the beginning of a new path. Live in studio versions of songs from the Music From Earth CD and new remixes from the Between the Sun & the Moon fill the album with rich textures and dramatic themes. Strange Horses is bound to excite the ears from start to finish from the roar of ‘A Night at the Points East’ and ‘Memory You Are’ to remixes of ‘The World’ & ‘9 Sticks’. More to follow....

Saturday, March 31, 2012

This is Now - Tim Korry - Music Art

The last half of 2011 until now was consumed with writing and recording. The first musical adventure of sorts will be a retrospective & remix album called Strange Horses. The collection will contain several songs from the Music From Earth CD played live in the studio. This unreleased 2009 recording features musicians Tracy Graff on drums and Timmy Wolf from Rhinocerotic on bass. All songs were engineered by Neil Wargolet, also a former Rhino sound guy. These songs captured a moment in time after the release of Music From Earth in which we were playing some loud rock & roll shows focused on guitar, harmony, and drums. Other tracks on the album will be remixes from Between the Sun & the Moon that push more in the direction of the current electronic sound. I will be working with BTSM artist John Hansen on the album cover art. Currently I am meeting with new drummer Cliff McGrew (CMac) to discuss the direction of future live shows with the addition of sequencing. CMac has a great history of working with “drum & bass” DJ’swhile he was stationed overseas in Germany. We are looking forward to future live engagements with the addition of new people, instruments, and styles. I am currently working with a new music studio (Amp Productions) on mixing, recording, & mastering. Amp Productions will be assisting in remixing ‘9 Sticks’, affectionately called ‘James Stix’ due to it’s James Bond sounding strings and cinematic percussion. The next release will follow shortly after….