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BELFAST—Thursday, July 18, Willy Kelly celebrated the release of his new compact disc Another Day at his Belfast Summer Nights performance on High Street. Kelly, who’s been a part of the Maine music scene for the last 25 years has appeared on area and national stages with the likes of Doc and Merle Watson, Bill Monroe, John Hartford, Jud Strunk, Leo Kotke, Bela Fleck, David Bromberg and Taj Mahal.
Another Day features Kelly’s talents as guitarist, songwriter, singer, record producer and arranger. Kelly and longtime bandmates Joe Allard and Jeff Dinsmore do most of the singing and playing. The songs themselves reveal a musical maturity that Kelly has earned through the years. Among the tracks are Don’t Fall for a Machine (an upbeat piece inspired by Data on Star Trek), Song for Adam, Three Dragons and Drop the Rock. Song for Adam recalls Camden drummer Adam Smith who died as a young man a few years back. The piece has a sweet 6/4 rhythm a lovely tune and the lyric “truth be known, I miss the man” simply states the feelings of so many in these parts. Three Dragons takes a colorful look at the perils of indecision. Kelly’s acoustic blues influences are heard in Drop the Rock. “You better drop the rock, don’t let it take you under” offers a powerful metaphor for letting go. Kelly’s slide playing on this song is cool, all the right notes, but not too many.
Pulling the strings
BELFAST — Dan Grady’s Marvelous Marionette Medley appears at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 25, in the Abbott Room at Belfast Free Library.
Grady is currently celebrating his 22nd year of touring throughout New England, up into Canada, and down the Eastern Seaboard to Florida. Over the course of those two decades, his solo productions for children and family audiences has evolved and developed into a much-acclaimed and sought-after marionette variety show.
The show is a fast-paced, stringed puppet production comprised of routines that captivate, enchant and delight all those who attend. The broad range of acts includes tightrope and trapeze artistry as performed by the Eadarg Bros., to the Country Western strumming and crooning of the celebrated superstar Conway Kitty. They are not to be outdone, however by the incomparable, slick moving, Roller Skating Rabbit.
Picture taking is encouraged. For information, call the Belfast Free Library at 338-3884, Ext. 24.