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Ronnie Drew's 'Last Session' turns to jazz
Late folk legend Ronnie Drew looked to jazz to fulfill his final musical
ambition on the last album he recorded before his death.
The former Dubliner’s final collection of songs, entitled The Last Session: A Fond Farewell , draws on traditional jazz influences - a genre Drew believed had eluded him during his long career.
His son, Phelim Drew, said the album, which features duets with some of the country’s best-known musicians, gave his father a purpose during the months before his death last August.
“When Dad recorded this album he still had hopes of recovery so he didn’t regard it as his last,” he said. “At the time he was very sick so the album gave him a reason to get up and out and work.
“He felt that jazz was a style he hadn’t really investigated so he got to get rid of that regret.”
He was joined in the studio by a host of musicians including Shane McGowan, Emmanuel Lawler, Mary Coughlan and Mike Hanrahan, whom he also counted as friends. The collection includes old favourites such as Molly Malone , along with McGowan’s A Rainy Night In Soho and The Auld Triangle and We had it all written by Mike Hanrahan.
The album, which goes on release on Friday, was recorded from last November to May this year - just three months before Drew lost his battle with cancer. A donation from each CD sold will be made to a cancer charity chosen by the family.
Plans are also in the pipeline to release a book on Drew’s life that the singer had been working on during the months before his death.
A Biography of Ronnie including some stories Ronnie had been working on in recent years. It will be published by Penguin Ireland and will be released in a couple of months.
A new Album of songs recorded by Ronnie in the past 12 months produced by Jazz guitarist Hugh Buckley will be released before Christmas.
Ronnie Drew died peacefully with him family by his side on 16th August.
Funeral Mass at Greystones Catholic Church Tuesday Aug. 19th at 10 AM
MAY HE REST IN PEACE NOW
September.
Ronnie has no plans for live shows in the near future. He is busy working on a book and documentary on his life and work to date.
June 2007
This month we remember Deirdre Drew, a great lady who has moved on to the next level. Ronnie would like to thank everyone for their kind words of support through e-mail and post. It gives him great strength.
thank You.
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Ronnie is currently reading for a series of childrens stories from the Oscar Wilde collection. we will post details as soon as we get them.
Great to see Ronnie on the mend after a tough few months of illness.
more shows will be announced for later on in the year.
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IRISH TIMES REVIEW March 2005
NEW YORK REVIEWS Dec 2004
NEW YORK Mar 2004
RONNIE DREW
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Ronnie
Drew was born and reared in Dun Laoghaire on the coast of south County
Dublin. At an early age he realised he was not cut out for a 'nine to
five' job, especially of the a.m. variety and so in the mid-fifties he
emigrated to Spain and lived there for three years. During his time in
Spain he taught english, learned Spanish and studied art the of Flamenco
guitar. On his return to Dublin, Ronnie met the late John Molloy, a renowned
actor, who invited him to perform in a show at Dublin's Gate theatre.
Ronnie worked with John in various theatrical shows, singing, acting and
playing guitar. It was at this stage Ronnie learned the discipline and
art of stagecraft.
In 1962 'The Dubliners' appeared from the back room of O'Donoghues Pub on Dublin's Baggot Street. Their style of music created quite a stir. In 1967 they released 'Seven Drunken Nights' entering the British Top Ten with an appearance on BBC's Top of the Pops. In 1995 they appeared once again on the show with Shane McGowan and the Pogues, with their single 'The Irish Rover'. Throughout his career Ronnie has recorded and toured with a wide variety of groups and artists including, The Hothouse Flowers, Stocktons Wing, De Dannan, Donal Lunny, Giles Servat, Antonio Breschi, and collaborated with World Music legend Jah Wobble on a recent recording 'Invaders of the Heart' featuring the works of famous Celtic poets.
On the theatrical side he has appeared in Sean O'Casey's 'Purple Dust' at the Peacock theatre, Dublin, 'Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat' at the Gaiety theatre, 'Sleeping Beauty, Babes in the Wood' and a successful run with renowned actor / comedian Niall Tobin in 'Bells of Hell'.
In
1997 Ronnie teamed up with ex-Stockton's Wing frontman Mike
Hanrahan and together they wrote and performed the critically
acclaimed 'Ronnie I Hardly Knew Ya'. The show had an eight week run at
the Andrews Lane Theatre in Dublin, followed by a nationwide tour of Irish
theatres and a successful appearance at the 1998 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
They have also taken the show to Israel, The Chech Republic, Hungary,
Denmark,The USA and the UK.
Along the way Ronnie has released a number of solo recordings, his first being 'Guaranteed Dubliner' in 1978. In 1995, after leaving the Dubliners. he recorded and released 'Dirty Rotten Shame' featuring songs specially written for him by Bono, Elvis Costello, Shane McGowan and many More. The album which was produced by ex-Moving Hearts sax player Keith Donald also featured Dublin rock band Aslan. In 1998 Ronnie recorded and released 'The Humour Is On Me Now', produced by his stage partner Mike Hanrahan, it is a collection of songs including old classics from Delia Murphy, Sean O'Casey, and Paddy Kavanagh side by side with new songs from Johnny Duhan, Shane McGowan and Mike Hanrahan. It also includes a Brendan Kennelly poem and great music from some of Ireland's finest musicians Maura Breatnach, Martin O'Connor, Kieran Hanrahan and Ronnie's old friend from the Dubliners John Sheehan.
Ronnie records a live set with Eleanor Shanly and Mike Hanrahan in 2002 and tours Ireland and Germany.
In 2005 Ronnie released a live recording , An Evening with Ronnie Drew and Mike Hanrahan. An Evening with Ronnie Drew was produced by River Productions (Riverdance) at Andrews Lane Theatre in Dublin and also ran at The Irish Arts Centre in New York.
In 2005 Ronnie headlined the 10th anniversary Rory Gallagher festival in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal.
The Legends of Irish Folk featuring Ronnie with Liam Clancy, Finbar Furey, Jim Mc Cann and Paddy Reilly opens at The Gaiety Theatre Dublin in September. The album enters the Irish Charts at number 5.
Ronnie with Milo O Shea New York Irish Arts Center March 2004
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"Hold on, I'm racking my brains....no, I can't think of a single reason why you shouldn't go to see 'Ronnie I Hardly Knew Ya!'. Singer, songwriter, sometime actor and all-round purveyor of craic, Ronnie Drew's show opened to tumultuous approval at Andrew's Lane Theatre in Dublin last night. From the anecdote about his ill-fated stint at the telephone exchange, through encounters with Behan and Kavanagh, to the ballads he does so incomparably, the former Dubliners frontman was in absolute top form. Even if he hadn't been, the magic spells weaved by guitarist Mike Hanrahan would have made the evening worthwhile. Embarrassingly brilliant - his playing had me sighing audibly"
Chris Lowry - Irish Independent
"One of Dublin's best loved sons (and the one with the most distinctive voice) hit the stage last night for an evening of music chat and craic. From the moment he growled "Good Evening", Ronnie Drew established an immediate rapport with the audience. Ronnie, I Hardly Knew Ya consists of a clever mix of songs and anecdotes that lead seamlessly into each other. ~Ronnie tells tales of the literary greats like Brendan Behan and Patrick Kavanagh - and their drinking escapades. At the heart of the show there is the unique humour of Dublin. Ronnie freely admits that he's not the best guitarist or singer in the world - but it's his lack of slick professionalism on stage that adds to the charm and character of this gravelly-voiced loveable rogue. At the end of the evening, I wasn't sure who enjoyed themselves more - Ronnie or the audience!"
Linda Higgins - Evening Herald
"Ronnie Drew's latest offering, The Humour I On Me Now, is a must for all fans of the ex-Dubliner and a definite maybe for the yet-to-be-converted to the joy of traditional Irish music. Ronnie's unique and powerful voice is ably assisted by a host of Ireland's finest traditional musicians, including, Maire Breathnach, Mairtin O'Connor, Kieran Hanrahan, and John Sheehan. Ex-Stockton's Wing frontman Mike Hanrahan produces. The Collection includes a host of classics from the era of Patrick Kavanagh and Sean O'Casey and some more modern numbers from Shane McGowan and Johnny Duhan."
Karen Murray - Irish World
"That seasoned showman, Ronnie Drew, does not overly indulge in Flourishes. In Ronnie, I Hardly Knew Ya, he just walks on and plunges into his act, here consisting of a well-chosen selection of songs, poems and anectdotes. His trick is simply in the delivery, and by the end he has revealed himself to be a superb entertainer.."
Gerry Colgan - The Irish Times Click for Main Site MIKE HANRAHAN
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