To New York by rail

We said our goodbyes to Boston and Cape Cod and stepped onto an Amtrak train for New York.
The views along the way made the journey most enjoyable - lots of open spaces with sea/river views.

When we arrived at Penn station, New York, we went straight to using the subway.

This was the final leg of our journey - 4 nights in New York.  Three of those nights included jazz gigs.  On Monday we went to the Village Vanguard to hear the Big Band. This is an intimate venue.  We were sitting right beside the pianist, Jim McNeely. Each member of the band was superb and it was obvious they were having fun.

John Philip Murray with Jim McNeely at the Village Vanguard

Afterwards we raced across to East village to the Nuyorican Poets Café.  The open mic was in full throttle with some powerful voices.  We paid the entrance fee and I put my name down to read.  The atmosphere was alive with the audience clicking their fingers in support of the performer.

Nuyorican Poets Café

The formidable emcee was the actor Caridad de La Luz.  She directed the event seamlessly and orchestrated a particularly warm welcome (popping their cherry) for those who were reading in public for the first time.

Bernadette Gallagher with Caridad de La Luz at the Nuyorican Poets Café

I entered with trepidation, read two poems and when I left it was with warmth and hugs.

Bernadette Gallagher after reading at the Nuyorican Poets Café

Mookie Mania, Bernadette Gallagher & John Philip Murray 

outside the Nuyorican Poets Café

With a very kind friend, Fintan, we walked the Highline, marvelled at the staircase to nowhere and the construction workers dangling from steel beams on skyscrapers in the midst of creation.  We visited Zabars, the grocery store that seems to have everything.

The Bloomberg building (on wheels) and the staircase to nowhere in the background.

On Tues night we went to the Zinc bar to hear Vic Juris, guitar, Jay Anderson on double bass and Adam Nussbaum, drums.  Vic played a piece in tribute to Larry Coryell who we heard in the Crane Lane in 2016, shortly before he died.  Larry was a lovely warm person as well as a brilliant musician. Vic played a piece he wrote for his wife and a Puerto Rican piece that I particularly enjoyed.

Vic Juris, guitar, Jay Anderson on double bass and Adam Nussbaum, drums 

at Zinc

On Wed we went to Mezzrow's to hear the pianist David Torkanowsky who we heard in New Orleans.  David was accompanied by Evan Christopher on clarinet.  They brought the sounds of New Orleans to NY.  It seems we were destined to be here on our last night and stayed for the second set.

David Torkanowsky and Evan Christopher 

at Mezzrow's

Encouraged by Evan we went up the street to Smalls, a sister venue to Mezzrow's and heard Mike Karn's jazz band - Mike Karn, double bass, Harry Allen, sax, Larry Fuller, piano and Aaron Kimmel, drums.  They were joined by John Pizzarelli on guitar.  This was a mesmeric experience.

Aaron Kimmel

Larry Fuller, piano; John Pizzarelli, guitar and Mike Karn, double bass

John Pizzarelli, guitar; Mike Karn, double bass and Harry Allen, sax

During our stay we walked, stood, sat and held our breaths at the deep water holes where the Twin Towers once stood and ascended to a height of 102 floors to see the city from a different perspective.

One World Trade Centre 

Butterfly above the place where the Twin Towers stood

This journey to the US has changed and enriched our understanding of this vast place.

From New Orleans to Boston and The James

Family and friends are the reason we included Boston in our trip. I was particularly interested in visiting The James pub & restaurant in Needham,  a short train journey from Boston.

So proud of The James logo which has a photo of my dad, Stuart's grandfather John Gallagher (John John Jimmy)

The James - train stop at Needham

Spirit Airlines brought us from New Orleans to Boston - about a three hour flight.

We stayed with my nephew Stuart Henry and his wife Jen.  Stuart, from Galway, co-owns The James with Cormac Dowling from Bray, Co Wicklow.

The James is a popular spot with locals and visitors.  The train from Boston stops right outside.

Our train conductor, John Slymon - his mother is from Derreen, outside Athenry

We ate there on two separate nights and the atmosphere was electric.  Our first visit was on a Monday which is a 'fish & chips' night - just what we needed to recover after our trip up from New Orleans.  Jazz night was on Wed - music by The C.R.A.F.T. club - Kim Maria Araiza Piano and amazing vocals, Richard Hale Shaw, Bass and Howard Rubenstein, Sax.  John Philip just happened to have his sticks and sat in for a few numbers raising the temperature all round!

 The C.R.A.F.T. club - Kim Maria Araiza Piano/vocals, Richard Hale Shaw, Bass and Howard Rubenstein, Sax

The C.R.A.F.T. club - with John Philip Murray playing drums.

Catching up with other Boston based friends, Annette and Tony Payne

We enjoyed our time at The James - the food, staff, craic and music but to get a non biased view read the article by Devra First
in The Boston Globe

'But what makes it a real Irish pub is the way everyone comes and is welcomed: friends, sweethearts, grandparents, babies, the commuters who walk off the train and directly into the stone building beside the tracks, all mingling together. It’s the spirit of the place.' Devra First

We enjoyed spending time with Stuart, Jen, Dubh, Annette, Tony and Miley.   We had a run on one of the many off road trails around Boston and Cape Cod.  An intimate poetry reading is a memory I will treasure.

Dubh

Miley

One of the many trails around Boston

Great to meet up with Stuart and Jen

Sunset at Cape Cod

Down the Mississippi to New Orleans

It would be a great trip to travel by or near the Mississippi from the source to the Gulf of Mexico.  We had to settle for flying over this wonderful river from Minnesota to New Orleans.  Spirit landed us safely at the Louis Armstrong International Airport.  The four hour journey was quickened by reading 'Windy Day at Kabekona' by Thomas R. Smith.  I particularly enjoyed reading 'On the Road to New Orleans'.  I reproduce this poem by Thomas with his permission.

'On the Road to New Orleans' by Thomas R. Smith from 'Windy Day at Kabekona' New & Selected Prose Poems published by White Wine Press, Buffalo, New York.

We felt totally at home in New Orleans.  The people are especially friendly and warm.  We loved their way of talking - 'hey baby', 'c'mon'.

Second line parade - New Orleans wedding

It is easy to get around New Orleans by walking, streetcar, bus, taxi/uber.

It is a great privilege to travel with a musician as we got to hear great music most nights:
At Snug Harbor on Tuesday we saw the Stanton Moore Trio - David Torkanowsky on piano and Peter Harris on double bass.  They were joined, for a few numbers, by  superb vocalist Ed Perkins.  We returned to Snug Harbor the following night for the Uptown Jazz Orchestra.  The food at Snug is also good.  Thursday saw us travel uptown to the Maple Leaf Bar to hear Johnny Vidacovich, Joe Ashlar and Steve Masakowski.  The Maple Leaf reminds us of the Crane Lane in Cork.

John Philip Murray with New Orleans drummer Willie Green

Johnny Vidacovich and his band at Maple Leaf

Another evening saw us take a street car, bus and a walk in a quiet street at night arriving to join a queue of about 20 others waiting to get into Bacchanal. We sat in the courtyard with our wine and shrimps listening to the Willie Green Jazz Band.  John Philip was asked to play a number which happened to be the last tune of the evening.  The musicians were open, warm and supportive.

My motto when travelling is to 'be there'.  So we didn't get to see all the sights but did visit a number of places including the Voodoo Museum.  We also took a trip on the steamboat Sanchez and took the ferry to Algiers - two worthwhile and enjoyable excursions.

From the Voodoo Museum

New Orleans has an abundance of excellent restaurants.  We loved the Ruby Slipper and De Zat.

I am not a follower of ball games but it is impossible to be in New Orleans and not become a Saints fan!

On our final night we were lucky to hear the incredible vocalist Germaine Bazzle and jazz trio at the Sonesta Hotel.  The bass player, Peter Harris, who we met at Snug Harbor told us about this gig and I am so glad we got to it.

Germaine Bazzle singing at The Jazz Playhouse, Sonesta Hotel, New Orleans, 15th Sept 2019

New Orleans has a special place in our hearts and we hope to return.

US 2019 - Minnesota

Our first visit to the US in almost 40 years.  I visited New York in 1982 and my husband visited Baltimore where his sister lived in 1985.

At the first poetry reading by Poets Abroad which I organised at Books Upstairs in Dublin in 2016.  Leslie Thomas came from the US and I suggested to Leslie that if she organised the reading in Minnesota in 2019 that I would definitely go as that would be my 60th birthday.

So, after 40 years we traveled by train to Dublin and with Are Lingus flew directly to Minneapolis St. Paul.

We stayed on Leslie and John's boat in a little town called Afton on the St. Croix river.  We ran every other day and strolled up the road to the Afton Inn for flat bread and other local delicacies and beers or around the corner to the bike/coffee shop or Swirl wine bar.

We met a few of Leslie's friends including a sculptor/painter, Kate Sullivan who has a wonderful workshop where the local community meet to create together.

We visited Hudson, a short trip by boat or car.  We traveled to St.Paul where we met up with our Wisconsin friend, Mary Broad at The Black Dog.  There was an open mic/jazz jam where John Philip sang 'Lush Life'.  We were entertained by various musicians for the afternoon/evening.

Left to right: Frances Browner, Leslie Thomas,  Bernadette Gallagher, Thomas R. Smith, Kay Lee Penton and Barbara deCoursey Roy.

Our poetry reading on Sat 7th Sept in Afton Museum was well attended with only standing room available as our guest poet Thomas R. Smith started to read.  The other readers were Frances Browner, Barbara deCoursey Roy, Bernadette Gallagher, Kay Lee Penton and Leslie Thomas.

Afterwards Thomas R. Smith said ' I can say honestly that it was one of the absolute best group readings I've been part of, every reader substantial and distinct.' 

The audience was attentive and appreciative.  Jim Rogers connected with my work and kindly gave me a copy of his 'The Collector of Shadows'.  Jim (James Silas Rogers) will read at the Clifden Arts Festival along with Eileen Sheehan on 26th Sept.  This will be a super collaboration by two fine poets.

From the left, musician and painter, John Philip Murray & poet Jim Rogers.