Texas singer records Paul’s song

Dublin songwriter Paul Cunningham is chuffed with his American breakthrough release. Sooner or Later is the new single from Curtis Braly who duets with Kimberly Caldwell on the song that may well open further doors for the Dubliner. Paul, who was a member of the Ramparts band, took time out to concentrate on writing some songs. Nashville appealed to him and the style of his compositions.

“When I want to get a song recorded, I send them off to a studio in Nashville. They record a demo of the song there. When I get it back, I pitch it to labels, publishers, artists and managers,” says Paul.

All the hard work paid off when Nashville-based publishing company, Studio Gold Music, took a liking to Sooner or Later. Curtis Braly, who hails from Houston, Texas, loved it too. Paul recently met the owner of the company, Mike Mouret, and his wife, while on a visit to Nashville. Over dinner they told Paul about their plans for the song and a video. A regular at the IMRO seminars here in Ireland, Paul was especially pleased to get a strong recommendation from renowned songwriter,Paul Williams. From Dublin to Nashville, Paul is on the country trail in style.

Reunion time for

The Three Amigos

The Three Amigos are reforming for a nine-date tour in January. Robert Mizzell, Jimmy Buckley and Patrick Feeney came together a few years ago to perform as a trio. Since then, they have concentrated mainly on their own individual careers but now they are set to make a return under the guidance of promoter Joe Finnegan. A Trucks and Trains medley has been issued ahead of the reunion, the same selection they performed on The Late Late Show. The Amigos launch their comeback tour in Claremorris on 6 January and will conclude in Limerick on 27 January.

Blue Ridge Right on Track

The Blue Ridge Band have released their debut album. Right On Track features 14 songs from the Galway band who are creating quite a stir on the dancing circuit. The album contains many traditional country songs that are sure to prove popular The members of the band are Paul and Seamus Dullaghan, John Walsh and the acclaimed trad accordion player Gary Quinn.

The Ultimate

Collection from Frank McCaffrey

Frank McCaffrey has long been one of our foremost country singers. It is hard to believe that 45 years have now elapsed since the young man from Westport joined Margo and The Country Folk as a bass player in the1970s.

Frank later fronted the band along with Frankie Carroll from near Tuam, who has resided in America for many years. In the 1980s, Frank was among the early pioneers of the solo show and he cultivated a large following in many clubs in towns around England. He quickly realised there was a strong and loyal market among the native English people and this was to serve him well when he later concentrated on the UK theatre circuit.

Frank has performed alongside all the big names on the Irish country circuit and also featured on the same bills as George Jones and Tom Jones. When time permits, he still plays the occasional show with Westport Town Brass Band. He also operates his own studios at his home just outside Westport.

This week sees the release of Frank McCaffrey - The Ultimate Collection, a three CD pack which features 67 songs. It includes some albums transferred from his early vinyl albums and which have not been available for many years. Some of his superb material from the 1970s, such as the Merle Haggard standard, Do They Ever Think Of Me, to Faded Love and The Shores of Lough Bann, are included here. Fans of Frank will treasure The Ultimate Collection.