Hometown Blues by Mary Stokes Band

This collection of acoustic Blues songs was recorded during several sessions in Sonic Studio, Dublin, between the years 1999 and 2002. ‘Hometown Blues’ was originally released on CD in October, 2002 in preparation for the Mary Stokes Band’s annual appearance at the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival in Counihan’s Bar, Cork.
The initial run of 300 CDs sold out over the course of the festival weekend, and before we could get another run manufactured, we began work on a new project which demanded all of our concentration. The official release and launch of ‘Hometown Blues’ was temporarily postponed while we released and promoted our new, full band electric record ‘Clouds in My Heart’, recorded live in Bruxelles Pub, Dublin. We were, and remain, very happy with how ‘Clouds’ turned out, and it became the primary focus of our attention at that time.
Eventually, ‘Hometown Blues’ was overlooked and faded from our thoughts. Occasionally fans would ask if it was still available, and we were always pleased when people described what an emotional impact it had on them. As it turned out, the ‘temporary’ postponement for releasing ‘Hometown Blues’ ended up being twenty three years long!
When the distinguished radio broadcaster Bernard Clarke found a copy of the album in a second hand CD stall at an outdoor market, he began playing selections from it on his show ‘The Blue of the Night’ on RTE Lyric fm. Bernard is an exceptionally learned and respected
musicologist, and his unexpected enthusiasm for the album inspired us to revisit it. We found that the original recordings still existed in the Sonic archives, and studio owner and engineer Al Cowan used his considerable expertise to recover and restore the album. We brought it up to date by adding two new acoustic bonus tracks recorded recently with our current band, featuring Sarah Michelle on guitar.
The earliest incarnation of the Mary Stokes Band began as an acoustic trio with Mary, Brian Palm on harmonica and Sam Cloud on guitar. We played at sessions and parties in Brian’s famous flat in Percy Place back in the 1980’s, we busked for hours at a time on Grafton Street, we played in many small clubs and pubs around Dublin. In 1983 we recorded in a flat on Waterloo Road using homemade equipment, gathered around a single microphone. We created a twenty song cassette tape of acoustic Blues which we had professionally duplicated, and had available for sale at live gigs. The tape received its radio debut courtesy of producer and broadcaster P.J. Curtis on his long running Blues radio programme on RTE. Many of the songs we performed back then also appear on ‘Hometown Blues’, making it somewhat of a journey
through our back catalogue, and a return to the very early days of our career.
Other than the wide variety of musicians performing on the album, another outstanding characteristic of this record is its combination of traditional acoustic Blues music and Traditional Irish music. The mixture of instrumentation and sensibility of these two art forms was suggested
to us over dinner in a conversation with our friend the legendary Bluesman Taj Mahal. In 1999, Taj was performing in Dublin’s HQ with an all acoustic band composed of musicians from West Africa, and we opened the show for him with our own acoustic lineup. Two of the songs on this album were recorded live at that gig; Louisiana Red’s ‘Where is My Friend?’ and Derroll Adam’s ‘Portland Town’. Taj Mahal insisted that when we next met, he hoped we would have a Blues album with a Traditional Irish feel…
Two years later we were performing in England at the Bishopstock Blues Festival on a bill that included Taj Mahal, Johnny Winter, Van Morrison, Nina Simone, Gary Moore, Booker T & the MGs, Peter Green, Mighty Mo Rogers and others. We were watching Van Morrison’s show when the festival promoter approached Mary with the news that Taj Mahal was in the VIP area asking to see her. We sat at a big table drinking wine together when Mary produced a copy of ‘Hometown Blues’ and presented it to Taj, pointing out several tracks which included Bodhran,
Irish Harp, Tin Whistles, Harpsichord and Bouzouki, in addition to our reworking of a poem by W.B. Yeats. Taj was quietly pleased, and as he carefully examined the CD, Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper and Duck Dunn walked into the room. We had met at a party the night before, and Mary greeted them cheerfully as they hovered around the door. She then bid them to sit down and join us, while she casually asked if everyone knew each other. Upon hearing that they had never met, Mary Stokes proceeded to introduce these four living legends of American music to each other while she set out three fresh wine glasses and poured each of them a drink.
‘Hometown Blues’ is a richly evocative offering which addresses many serious issues of personal isolation and love lost, dislocation, alienation and loneliness. It contains several songs about the destructive futility of war, and it describes the need to keep moving through life by walking, driving or taking a train. There are repeated references about the pain of being mistreated and the desire to be left in peace, the contemplation of death is a regular theme. Although this is undeniably a dark record, it also celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the triumph of art over adversity. In the forlorn beauty of a vocal lament the depth of the
soul is explored and exposed here.
‘Hometown Blues’ is peppered with guest appearances from some of Ireland’s greatest musicians including our long time friend and colleague Liam O’Maonlai who superbly plays a wide range of instruments across several tracks. Sublime singer Mary Coughlan performs a vocal duet with Mary Stokes, as does one of Ireland’s most beloved vocalists Bree Harris. Frankie Lane, Paul Kelly, ‘Banjo’ Bill Whelan and many other legendary Irish musicians lend their considerable talents to this heartfelt album.
In addition to classic Blues songs by Son House, Rev. Gary Davis, Frank Stokes, Memphis Minnie, Jimmy Rogers, Lillian Glynn, Big Bill Broonzy and others, ‘Hometown Blues’ includes
three exceptional original songs. The haunting ‘Bad News’, (inspired by an unfinished Phil Lynott song) is a passionate tribute to one of Ireland’s greatest Rockers, while the album’s new closing track ‘My Voodoo Doll’ is an emotional ode to our times. A reworking of the W.B. Yeats poem ‘When You Are Old’ produced an atmospheric hybrid of poetry, Irish Trad music and Blues.
This album is a tribute to the creative energy, independent motivation and extraordinary talent of the myriad musicians who comprised the Mary Stokes Band, past and present.

Mary Stokes Band: Ireland’s foremost award winning Blues Band, 30+ years established international reputation, performing with Blues Greats - John Lee Hooker, BB King, Taj Mahal, Bo Diddley, Fats Domino & many more; Blues Festivals & Venues across Ireland, USA, Europe; Over 10 album releases; Mary's passionate, vocals, Featuring Brian Palm: harmonica, Passionate, Powerful Evocative and moving.