photo-Michael G. Stewart

Michael Kelly
CD-387

Michael Kelly
Anyway
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Michael Kelly - songeriter, guitar, lead vocals
Robbie Benzing - banjo
Steve Bloom - percussion
Willie Marschner - fiddle
Tom MIndte - mandolin, harmony vocals
Rob Parks - bass


1. Chesapeake Waterman
2. Sunday
3. Wilbur’s Dale
4. The Right Road Lost
5. Dixie Fire
6. Come and Go
7. Nelly’s Sunspot
8. One Good Friend
9. My Baby’s Eyes
10. Mr. Potter
11. Anyway
12. Joseph

 

Michael Kelly is a singer, songwriter, picker and performer.

"Kelly stands out for all the right reasons – namely, a cache of good material and the ability to purvey his songs with honesty, humility, and a genuine sense of purpose.”
Bluegrass Today (June 29, 2021) 
His new album, Anyway, encompasses a wide range of musical influences expressed from a well-honed folk, blues and bluegrass sensibility. He worked the D.C. club circuit early in his career and at one point, took a job at a celebrated Georgetown music venue where he would take money at the door, run inside to re-stock the bar, change clothes to perform a short opening set, then re-stock the bar and head back out to the door. He recalls, “Oddly enough, the change of clothes threw people off and only rarely did anyone recognize me as the opening act, although the bands and the regulars were always super supportive.”
On-line lessons with Nashville icon Russ Barenberg helped develop a more melodic guitar approach and led to a deeper dive into bluegrass, which included workshops, festivals and wide-ranging cadre of mentors.
Songs on Anyway include One Good Friend and Joseph, which placed first at the New Song Festival in Winfield, Kansas, in 2024 and 2025, respectively, and Chesapeake Waterman, which placed first at the Common Ground on the Hill Acoustic Roots 2024 songwriting competition.

As noted in the Bluegrass Today review, it’s not the acclaim, but what’s shared along the way. Michael notes, “Somedays it’s just super-hot and the crowd’s having a good time, but kind of loud and your job is just to create a vibe, but at the end of the day, it feels like maybe you’ve made a difference. Other times, folks are listening to every word and it feels like you’ve traveled to the same place and shared the same experience and somehow nothing is ever the same afterwards and you can’t decide whether to laugh or cry.”

 

Kingfisher (2021 alnum)_

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CD-353

Michael Kelly
Kingfisher
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