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Red Haired Mary Corcoran (Cross)

from The Life & Times of James "The Rooster" Corcoran by Vincent Cross

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    During the 19th Century, James “The Rooster” Corcoran emigrated from Ireland to New York City, married, became a champion of the Irish-American immigrant working class, and led an infamous gang. Now his descendent, New York City folk musician Vincent Cross, has created a new album around his life. Through narratives partly researched and partially imagined a soundscape of English concertina, bouzouki, minstrel banjo, bodhrán weave together musical elements drawn from the Irish & American folk traditions. Most of the song stories consist of newly-written original songs with nods to several public domain songs adapted for the cause. Cross took on the task of learning several new instruments (concertina, bouzouki) specifically for this project, even utilizing the talents of Irish based luthier, Brian Lofthouse to design a bouzouki used specifically for the recording.

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    Ten songs (ballads) that paint a picture that is influenced by traditional Irish and American folks song motifs and melodies. You’ll hear fragments of traditional songs throughout from both sides of the pond. The narrative is not completely linear but it does begin in Corcoran’s place of birth , Balbriggan with ‘A Man After My Own Heart’ (adapted from a New York Times article of the same title), and then briefly moves to New Orleans (‘Creole Girl’), and then on to the Five Points in New York City. Corcoran soon moves up to 40th street, and is the first to settle a shanty town on a high ridge of ground known as Goat's Hill (‘King Corcoran’). This soon becomes a home for over 100 Irish families newly immigrated. It’s where the Tudor City is today, and there’s even a Gothic inscription to Corcoran that says, “Here was Corcoran’s Roost till the year 1877.”

    Instrumentation: Mandolin, bodhran, bouzouki, chromatic concertina, and dulcimer.

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Life & Times of James "The Rooster" Corcoran via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 4 Vincent Cross releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Home Away From Home, The Life & Times of James "The Rooster" Corcoran, Old Songs For Modern Folk, and A Town Called Normal. , and , .

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about

A 1923 New York Times article entitled: "Corcoran's Roost to Change Again" mourns the changes of the times and mentions another member of the Corcoran clan. Red haired Mary Corcoran is a fiery red head with a highly respected status as "ruling by Queenly right" and her sad tale is briefly elaborated on here.

lyrics

6. Red Haired Mary Corcoran - (Cross)
Chorus
Poor old Mary Corcoran
She has taken to the sup
She hangs around McKinny's door
And will never give it up x 2
Verse One
She walks along 1st avenue
With an independent air
And offers up abuse
To anyone that stares x2
Verse Two
Her smile was known to conquer hearts
She was the life and soul
Her arm a legend to upstarts
Her bare feet graced across the floor x2
Chorus

Verse three
Now time has passed and left no page
Not a even a single scrap
And if the paving stones they could speak
Then old Mary would be back x2

Chorus

credits

from The Life & Times of James "The Rooster" Corcoran, released August 7, 2020

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about

Vincent Cross image

Vincent Cross New York, New York

Vincent Cross is an Irish song poet whose catalogue of critically-acclaimed albums draw from various traditional folk idioms and ancient myths. Born in Ireland, raised in Australia and now living in New York City, he frequently tours globally at folk clubs and festivals, and is a staple at the Brooklyn Folk Festival, and the renowned Scratcher Sessions in Manhattan. ... more

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