When I first thought about reviewing the last recorded work by a band, I questioned the futility. Why? If they are over, there must be a reason. Yet some infernal sadness tugs at my musical heartstrings, with questions like "Who were these guys?" "Were they good?" and "Will we be…

It's funny, but when I mentioned to a close friend that I was going to be reviewing this book, she said "Oh, I found all of that on Ancestory.com". Fair enough. Some people visit one website and are satisfied with the history they come away with. For my friend (being third…

November 22^nd. Strikes a sullen chord. Any year -- and yet this year, it is the 50^th year. Striking a crescendo of deep and bitter sadness.

Maybe it’s because I was raised in a house where John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s picture (clipped from the Sunday Daily News…

”They could take our land, starve our poor, destroy our homes and plunder our institutions; they could deny us education, but they could not destroy our music and song” No truer words were ever spoken. These are by Derek Warfield himself.

Derek Warfield is a singer, songwriter, mandolin player and a founding member of…

I made several trips back into the devastation after that initial writing. The work never got easier. In fact it got much harder. Age on a man is often internal and aches and pains are the wrinkles.

Above, Cross Bay Blvd and a ship washed into the median. See more pictures below. Photos by Kevin Gleeson

One friend in particular deserves a mention here – a year later. Living in east Rockaway on…

We might have been called “narrow-backs” or “Micks” or “Donkeys” but the Irish of Laurel Hill were joined together as a community. My dad was in the Holy Name Society. He read the Epistles at Mass in St. Theresa’s. We would travel to Gaelic Park to watch Uncle “Mick” or Uncle Martin beat Kilkenny or lose to Kerry; all while we yelled “UP TIPP!” at the top of…

I recently saw a post on Facebook about the former neighborhood of Laurel Hill, Queens, NY. The post described how progress for the City destroyed a community. I wanted to jot down some of my memories to speak (for those who no longer can) about a time, a place and a people.

The house I grew up in (50-77 45^th Street just off Laurel Hill…