THE LATE John Martyn, the man behind such classic albums as Solid Air and One World, was a fan of Ultan Conlon, so much so that he took time out too record with the Loughrea singer-songwriter.
Ultan played support to Martyn in 2005 and afterwards Martyn asked if he could join in a recording session for UltanJohn - a then collaboration between Ultan and Charis’ John Connolly. The result was the single ‘Really Gone’, Martyn’s last release before his untimely death in February 2009.
A version of that song now appears as the closing track of Ultan’s debut solo album Bless Your Heart, which will be officially launched with a gig in Kelly’s, Bridge Street, tomorrow at 8.30pm.
On the night Ultan will perform songs from the album with his band - Eoin McCann, Steven Folan, Kenneth Keary, and The Stunning’s Cormac Dunne.
The album was written and produced by Ultan Conlon and co-produced by Eoin McCann and Raoul Terzi. It was mastered by Ray Staff, best known for his work with Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, The Clash, and Muse.
Ultan’s music also featured on the British short film The Beholder, which screened at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. He has also played at Electric Picnic and Hard Working Class Heroes.
The album will be released on DarkSideOut records. See www.ultanconlon.com and www.myspace.com/ultanconlon Admission to the gig is free.
