Half a Million Miles

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Half a Million Miles Features

• CD

• released 2005 in the United States by Appleseed Recordings (APR CD 1090)

• Genre: Folk

About Half A Million Miles

Product Description Even after ten years, over a thousand gigs and 500,000 miles of touring as a married, music-making couple, singer-guitarists Pete and Maura Kennedy haven’t killed each other. The duo savors each instant in life and in each other’s company, and it shows in their music. The Kennedys have been charming audiences and critics for a decade with their exuberant mixture of folk, rock, country, pop and secular gospel, a philosophical depth in their lyrics, and joyful, kinetic performances and recordings. "Half a Million Miles," The Kennedys’ 8th CD, presents ten sparkling roots-pop originals, plus two complementary covers, infused with their "live in the moment" outlook. The Kennedys’ constant touring, coupled with the influence of such writers as Joseph Campbell, Aldous Huxley, and Eckhart Tolle, has taught them about "the eternal now." With eyes wide open, they discover wisdom and musical inspiration everywhere. A mysterious greeting at their local East Village sushi bar is transformed into the buoyant "Namaste" (translation: "The divine in me recognizes the divine in you"). A neighborhood merchant becomes "9th Street Billy, the guru of East Side soul" in a lilting bossa nova. "Live" and "Listen" are respectively forceful and delicate reminders to stop and smell the roses. While the original songs on "Half a Million Miles" all bear references to the Buddhist outlook of openness and enlightenment, Pete calls the two cover versions – Richard Thompson’s wrenching "How Will I Ever Be Simple Again?" and Bob Dylan’s "Chimes of Freedom" – "political, peacenik songs," that pay attention to current events. Maura’s lead vocals are sweet and often girlishly playful while displaying a plaintive edge of experience, and Pete’s harmonies add a second coating of melodic delight. And the guitars! While Maura provides rhythm guitar grooves, Pete lays down layers of chiming acoustic and 12-string leads (and all other instruments on the CD). Ear candy and brain food are an irresistible combination on "Half a Million Miles," where The Everly Brothers meet Emerson, The Byrds meets Buddha, and everyone gets along just fine. Join The Kennedys in their celebration of life on this CD, in their next half million miles of performances and airing the music they love on their "Dharma Café" show on Sirius Satellite Radio. Review "A beguiling blend of world-bleary street-smarts and bug-eyed spiritual innocence; set to jingle-jangle, folk-rock melodies, cheek-to-cheek harmonies, superbly realized arrangements." -- Boston Globe, Sept. 29, 2005 "Terrific songwriting and cover choices played with verve and delight make this a wonderful album." -- Sing Out! Fall 2005 "Testimony to their talents, emitting feelings of optimism and possibility...a celebration of all life has to offer." -- South Florida's Entertainment News & Views, August 11, 2005 "Unafraid to mix philosophy, spirituality, love and artistry with a folk-rock back beat...a positive force on all things human." -- Mike Jurkovic, Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange, August 2005 "[An] acoustic-electric weave of vintage pop, folk and rock…life-affirming lyrics… cascading colors and tones. . ." -- Washington Post, Sept. 23, 2005 About the Artist Talk about a "cute meet"! Syracuse-born Maura Boudreau was hanging out at Austin’s Continental Club, taking a night off from performing with her country-rock band when she met Virginia native Pete Kennedy, on furlough from his duties as lead guitarist for Texas singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith to play a solo show there. They immediately wrote their first song together before Pete returned to the road the next day. Ten days later, they rendezvoused at Buddy Holly’s grave in Lubbock, 500 miles equidistant from Austin and Telluride, where Pete was performing, and an enduring romance caught fire. When Griffith needed a harmony singer to replace Iris Dement on short notice for a British tour in 1993, Maura was quickly drafted, and her life journey with P