After hearing several cuts from Bap Kennedy’s “Domestic Blues” on the greatest bluegrass station on Earth (WDVX), I was determined to get a copy of this 1999 CD.
But couldn’t find one anywhere. The Irish guitarist’s CD is apparently out of print, and the only used copies I was able to find are on Amazon, which I boycott for obscure personal reasons, and on Ebay, where bidding was consistently driving it up into the $30 range.
But last week, I saw a copy on Ebay with only 2 hours left in the auction, so I put in a $20 max bid and managed to reel it in for $15. Worth every penny and proof that patience pays in Ebay auctions. It’s almost always worth waiting for the high bidders to wear themselves out on early offerings before swooping in and getting it for a reasonable price later.
The CD is produced by Steve Earl and also features him on several cuts, as well as Jerry Douglas, Peter Rowan and Nanci Griffith. My favorite cuts are “Mostly Water” and “Unforgiven.” If you stumble across a copy of this, snap it up. If you e-mail me, I might be benevolent enough to burn you a copy.
Now Playing: The Shankill And The Falls from the album “Domestic Blues” by Bap Kennedy
7 replies on “The elusive Bap Kennedy”
what kind of name is “bap”?! how do you get the likes of steve earl, jerry douglas, peter rowan nad nanci griffith on a debut effort?! i’m guessing that the guy must just ooze talent… tho i’ve never heard him.
Don’t know what kind of name Bap is, but I’m mighty proud to discover him before you did. I’m almost always on the receiving end of your recommendations. Speaking of which, I saw the Mammals in Knoxville a few weeks ago. Great music, though the crowd was a bit sparse. Tao Rodriguez sure plays a mean banjo. Coulda swore he was wailing on an electric guitar at one point. Also, I just noticed their new website offers downloads from some of their best live stuff. Worth checking out …
http://www.themammals.net/index.html
Hello from the great Paific Northwest Coast of the USA!
I love your comments about Bap’s music! And I hope by now you have a copy of his new album, “The Big Picture” which debuted on 28 February 2005.
If you’re interested, I built a fansite for Bap about 6 months ago … Would love you to take a look if you’ve the time and inclination … contains gigs, photos, bio, reviews, discography, etc. It’s at http://www.bapsfriends.com.
Do check out his new album … I really think it’s his best yet!
Best,
Shirley
Awesome site, Shirley. I Googled Bap and really didn’t find a lot on him. His site is OK, but yours has a lot more depth. Nice work.
I do intend to pick up a few more of his CDs so I’ll start with “The Big Picture.” I’ll also keep an eye out for a U.S. tour. Would be fun to see him live …
He is opening for Mark Knopfler on the US the tour.
I thought his name was Bob, so it must be pronounced Bop. I saw him with James Walbourne who is an unbelievable slide guitar player in June when they opened for Mark Knopfler. I thought they were awesome, I enjoyed it more than the Sultan of Swing’s set, although his set was good. I would love to see Bap again, but I think the odds of seeing him and Walbourne together again are slim. anyone know if his new album is available in the US at a reasonable price? I bought Domestic Blues and Lonely Street off of amazon.com. I paid like $5 for Lonely Street and $25. for Domestic Blues. Now Domestic Blues is $60 on Amazon.
First heard Bap’s “Vampire” on a movie soundtrack and was blown away. Same as you, trying to get “Domestic Blues” without paying $60! Have “Lonely Street”, it’s very good. If you could burn a copy of Domestic Blues for me, your benevolence would be appreciated. I could burn you a few of my favorites as well.