ALBUM:
Getting Underway
TAYLOR USED:
615
712ce
555
410
SONG CLIPS:
The Rocky Road to Dublin
28K | 56K | MP3
Jolly Beggarman
28K | 56K | MP3
CONTACT INFO:
Jerry Casault
1519 Park Ave.
Bay City, MI 48708
Tel:
(517) 893-4901
E-mail:
jjc1 @concentric .net
Web:
www. hoolieonline .com
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Many a pint have been hoisted to Hoolie, the hale and hearty Michigan duo of Jerry Casault and Kathy Morris, both talented
singers and multi-instrumentalists who serve up rousing Irish pub songs, sea chanties, and traditional ballads with
authentic flair. Casault's bellowing, brogue-tinged voice, an emotive mix of bravado, emotion, and a storyteller's
phrasing, perfectly suits the music, while Morris's lusty voice can drive a robust lead or weave a stirring harmony
in with Casault's vocal lines. The duo's authentic instrumentation features Casault on guitar (a standard tuned 615,
712ce tuned to DADGAD, a 555 in DADGAD), harmonica, and bazouki; and Morris on a standard-tuned 410, tin whistle, banjo,
and bodrhan, endowing many of their songs with pulsing rhythms, urgency, and folk passion. The name "Hoolie" is Gaelic for
party, and what would an Irish party be without music that swings from rollicking to maudlin and back again.
Casault grew up in the Great Lakes port of Bay City, Michigan (on the Saginaw Bay), immersed not only in his hometown's
maritime heritage, but also in the Celtic music that his Irish-born mother exposed him to from his earliest years. Casault
joined the navy as a young adult, and spent time playing with musicians and fishermen in the villages of Newfoundland. He
also spent two years busking the streets of Europe.
Hoolie's popularity among fans prompted the recording of Getting Underway, the duo's first release since forming in 1994.
The collection culls together traditional Irish tunes, spare but powerful chanteys, and original compositions from both
Casault and Morris. Both excel at evoking the narrative power of the music, and they artfully capture the many moods of sea
life - hardship, bravery, brutality, excitement, the return home - and Irish tales that amble down both humorous ("A Wee Alibi")
and heartrending paths.
In addition to their spirited pub gigs, formal events, and festivals, Casault and Morris also run workshops on the history
of sea chanties, playing the bodhran, DADGAD tuning, and diatonic harmonicas.
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