Mary Coughlan - Red Blues -2002- ((top)) Jun 2026

– Originally by Michael Price and Dan Walsh.

Produced with a sparse, late-night honesty, Red Blues feels like a confessional in a smoky bar just before closing time. Coughlan’s voice—a weathered, achingly expressive instrument—takes center stage, delivering songs of heartache, resilience, and wry survival. The tracklist weaves together striking originals and carefully chosen covers, including a haunting take on Tom Waits’ “The Fall of Troy” and a smoldering version of “(Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night.” Mary Coughlan - Red Blues -2002-

: A surprising bluesy take on the Grace Jones club hit. – Originally by Michael Price and Dan Walsh

Musically, "Red Blues" draws from a range of influences, including traditional Irish music, blues, and jazz. Coughlan's voice, with its distinctive timbre and phrasing, is reminiscent of jazz greats like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Her delivery is characterized by a sense of intimacy and vulnerability, as if she's sharing secrets with the listener. Her delivery is characterized by a sense of

Released in 2002, is a significant entry in the extensive discography of Irish jazz and blues icon Mary Coughlan

Coughlan takes the Randy Newman track and underplays it, adding a layer of "sass and menace" that deviates from more bombastic covers.