Delaney Brothers Bluegrass

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

And a New Year is about to begin...

It's hard to believe that 2014 is drawing to a close. It has been quite the year, not only for the band, but in our personal lives as well. Losing Brother Ray was a blow, but we know he's still watching over the band as we continue to feel his presence and his influence.

For the most part, we had a very light concert schedule this past year as the band dealt with their loss, and regrouped to position themselves to take on new challenges in 2015. They actually got a jump start on things with their expanded holiday season shows, which were a hit everywhere they played. Not only did they imprint their signature sound on several holiday favorites, both new and old, but they even drew in other members of the Delaney Clan to join the festivities. Sister Mary Ann teamed up with her brother John for a beautiful duet of "Mary Did You Know" at the Homer Center for the Arts on November 30th. We had hoped she would make it out for the other shows, but New Jersey is quite the commute.

The other "special guest" that took the stage with the band was John's granddaughter - Jonathan's daughter - Katrina. In a rousing rendition of "Deck the Halls," she added a beautiful flute solo that brings a smile to my face just remembering it. She's really quite the musician, carrying on the Delaney tradition. I'm sure we'll be hearing more from her in the future. :)

Looking ahead to the coming year, we are continuing to search out new venues in which to share our love of music. We have several shows booked already, and a handful more that we're waiting to hear back on. The band is desiring to get out more and mingle with their fans, and hopefully make some new friends as well.

We're also working to keep in touch with folks more through our Facebook page (you can click the image at the top of our blog to be redirected there) and our website, as well as this blog. Please feel free to comment here or on Facebook and let us know if there's somewhere you'd like to see us play, or just to say hi. We're also trying to expand our reach, so please feel free to share our Facebook page/posts with your friends and family.

I'd like to close with an Irish blessing for all our dear friends, wherever you may be:

May your joys be as deep as the oceans,
Your troubles as light as its foam,
And may you find sweet peace of mind
Wherever you may roam.

Have a blessed 2015!

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Welcome to Holiday Season 2014!

We're really excited for this year's holiday season with the festive concerts we have planned! Our first show was Sunday (Nov. 30) at the Center for the Arts in Homer, NY. A good crowd came out to share the afternoon with us, and we had a great time. Sister Maryanne Delaney even came all the way from New Jersey to surprise the crowd by singing a beautiful duet with her brother John on the moving song, "Mary Did You Know." We're hoping the weather will hold and she'll be able to come back for the shows on December 13 and 14.

Be sure to check our website (www.delaneybrothers.com) for information on our other upcoming shows. We hope to see a lot of our friends out to join in the fun!