Altan
No Irish traditional band in the last dozen years has had a wider impact on audiences and music lovers throughout the world than Altan. With their exquisitely produced award-winning recordings, ranging dynamically from the most sensitive and touching old Irish songs all the way to hard hitting reels and jigs, and with their heartwarming, dynamic live performances, Altan have moved audiences from Donegal to Tokyo to Seattle. Throughout, there has been the unwavering commitment of the band to bringing the beauty of traditional music, particularly that of the Donegal fiddlers and singers, to contemporary audiences in a way that brings out all its qualities and destroys none. In fact, Altan have always believed that Irish traditional music is a modern music in every sense and its growing influence and popularity have proved them right. Altan's international status and success found a very practical recognition when they were signed in 1996 to Virgin Records, the first Irish band of their kind to be signed by a major label. The band gained gold and platinum albums in Ireland and toured larger venues, literally throughout the world, with tours in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Europe as well as regular successful U.S. tours. In spite of a hectic touring and recording schedule, Altan continue fresh in their vision of bringing the beauty and joy of traditional music to audiences everywhere, and have always promised themselves to continue as long as it's fun -- fortunately, it still is! Battlefield Band
Under their banner Forward with Scotland’s Past, Battlefield Band have been performing on the international scene for more than three decades, inspired by their rich heritage of Celtic music and fired by the strength of the modern Scottish cultural scene. The band, who pioneered the integration of bagpipes with fiddle, keyboards, guitar and voice, mix the old songs and tunes with new self-penned material, playing them on a unique fusion of ancient and modern instruments: bagpipes, synthesizers, fiddles, guitars, cittern, bass, whistles, and bouzouki. Founded by a group of friends in 1969 and named after the ‘Battlefield’ area of Glasgow, Battlefield Band now perform throughout the world, playing to audiences in Europe, Australia, Asia, the Middle East & Canada, as well as more than 60 cities annually in the United States. Their music is played regularly on National Public Radio’s Thistle and Shamrock program, and they are frequent guests on Minnesota Public Radio’s A Prairie Home Companion. In September 13th 2003, Battlefield Band were awarded Best Live Act at the first annual Scots Trad Music Awards. The awards celebrate Scotland’s thriving traditional musical scene; the nominees chosen by a panel of Scotland’s traditional music experts, and the winners chosen by popular public vote. Still leading the way after 30 years! This is the band that others measure themselves against. Over the years new members have brought with them new ideas, new music, new instruments, attitudes and influences, leading to continued creativity, freshness and enthusiasm. Brock McGuire Band
Residing in County Clare, button accordionist/melodeonist Paul Brock and fiddler Manus McGuire have been at the forefront of Irish music for many years through their joint work with ‘Moving Cloud’ (which they formed in 1989). Manus is also a founding member of ‘Buttons & Bows', and both bands, ranking among Ireland’s finest, have helped to introduce international audiences to the virtuosity of their playing. Paul and Manus are joined in the band by the brilliant Galway musician, Enda Scahill, and by accompanist Denis Carey. A multiple All-Ireland champion born in Athlone, County Westmeath, and now residing in Ennis, Paul Brock pursued a solo career through the 60’s and 70’s by mastering the single-row, two-row, three-row, and five-row button accordions. His collaborations with fiddle player Frankie Gavin during the 70’s and 80’s culminated in their 1986 Gael-Linn recording ‘Tribute to Joe Cooley’, regarded by critics and fellow musicians as one of the outstanding traditional albums of the modern era. In May 1989, Paul co-founded the group Moving Cloud with Manus McGuire. This Clare-based group produced two albums for Green Linnet Records, including their 1994 self-titled release that was selected by well-known U.S. music critic Earle Hitchner as the best Irish traditional album of the year. Paul was voted as 'Best Male Musician' (2004) by the Irish American News. Born in Tullamore, County Offaly, raised in Sligo Town, and now residing in Scariff, East Clare, Manus McGuire is an Irish fiddler who blends dazzling technique with faultlessly far-ranging taste. In Sligo, Manus instinctively developed the local fiddle style made famous by such legendary Sligo fiddlers as Michael Coleman, James Morrison and Paddy Killoran. Manus’s musical mettle became apparent to all in 1970, the year he won Sligo’s prestigious Fiddler of Dooney competition – at age 14. Brother
BROTHER has toured internationally for over a decade. Along the way the band has performed alongside some of the biggest names in music, from the likes of the Eagles', Joe Walsh and Jon Entwhistle of The Who, to superstars Alicia Keys and Linkin Park. Soundtrack credits include BARAKA (Australia's longest running feature film), the Twilight Zone and a cameo appearance on NBC's 'ER'. Angus and his brothers first came to Los Angeles from Australia as little more than fresh-faced farm boys after leading their high school pipe band to successive Australian championship crowns. In LA, they found themselves busking at Venice Beach, the Hollywood Bowl and Universal Studios to survive. Since those days, BROTHER toured extensively evolving its trademark sound free from current musical trends and industry pigeon holes. The band has released 12 albums, sold more CDs in the USA than any other independent Australian act and is now regularly cited as a role model within the independent scene. BROTHER live today is a powerhouse Celtic tribal trio. The band's legendary live shows have reached a whole new level, with soul brothers Angus, Dalbo and Drew filling the stage with their energy and sound. Celtic Spring
Referred to as the "Von Trapp family of Celtic music," and recently voted one of the top acts in the finals of NBC’s America’s Got Talent, Celtic Spring is a fiddle and dance band composed of the six Wood family siblings on fiddles and in dance shoes, joined by their father on the traditional Irish drum, the bodhran, and their mother on the piano. Celtic Spring’s awe-inspiring performances feature a rich variety of music from the Celtic lands and beyond, including original compositions, with arrangements that range in expression from lyrical beauty to dance tempo exuberance. The band members are also championship Irish dancers. Wearing colorful and ornate costumes, the children perform spirited reels, jigs, and hornpipes, dancing in both the graceful soft shoes and the powerful hard shoes. Throughout the performance some of the fiddles will be exchanged for dance shoes, creating the dynamic interaction between the music and the dance. The show culminates with the band members effortlessly fiddling and dancing simultaneously! Piers Morgan, the British judge of America’s Got Talent, said of all five Wood children: "They are brilliant and could win the million dollars!" The David Munnelly Band
Irish button accordion wizard David Munnelly & his popular, multi-award winning group bring new excitement to Irish music with their jazzy Irish tunes influenced by the Golden Age of Irish music of the 1920’s & ‘30’s & their stunning traditional songs, all performed with an exuberance, energy, and a fiery passion that has won them widespread audiences around the world. Based in County Mayo, with members from Donegal, Dublin, & Galway, The David Munnelly Band has exploded onto the international Celtic music scene in the past four years with hit albums in Europe, Japan & North America. Featured on a PBS-TV special, National Public Radio, Ireland’s TG4, & on BBC World Television's program "Destination Music," the group is acclaimed for their outstanding, precision musicianship and exciting live shows. David Munnelly - Composer of the Year, 2004, 2005 (Ireland) Best Traditional Artist, 2005 (LiveIreland.com, Irish American News) Best Vocalist, 2006 (LiveIreland.com, Irish American News) The David Munnelly Band - Concert of the Year, 2006, 2007 (Irish American New, LiveIreland.com), Best Band, 2005 (Irish American News, LiveIreland.com) Kieran Munnelly - Composer of the Year, 2004 (Ireland) Shauna Mullin - All-Ireland Champion / English Language Song, Newcomer of the Year 2007 (LiveIreland.com, Irish American News) Fergal Scahill - All-Ireland Fiddle & Bodhran Champion OTHER CREDITS: David performed with The Chieftains from the age of 21 to 25, and is featured on The Chieftains' CD "Water From The Well." He also was a member of Irish supergroup DeDanaan. He has released three critically acclaimed albums with his own group, and a fourth CD is scheduled for release in 2008. MEDIA: The David Munnelly Band has been seen worldwide on the BBC World Television program "Destination Music: Ireland" for their headlining performance at Ireland's prestigious Ballyshannon Festival. They have also been featured in the U.S. on Superstation WGN-TV, and were highlighted in a two-part concert on NPR's "Celtic Connections," aired on over 100 stations across America. Paul Keating of the Irish Voice says, "A real crowd-pleaser and one of the more fascinating groups coming out of Ireland...the band to see!" Bill Margeson of LiveIreland.com & the Irish American News states, “There is no more loved group in the tradition…Munnelly is a creative force at the true epicenter of Irish music… Munnelly is arguably the best button box player in the world (though fans of Brock MaGuire might want to argue the point)...brilliant, brilliant music...Miss it, and you'll be missing where the tradition is going." Ed Miller
A perennial favorite for many years, Austin's resident Scotsman, Ed Miller is back at NTIF with his fine voice and great mixture of Scots songs, old and new, funny and serious. Singer, folklorist, radio host, teacher, tour guide - Miller is one of Scotland's best singing exports, a product of the Scottish folk revival who crossed the Atlantic many years ago to study at the University of Texas. Over the past 2 decades, he has moved from academia to full-time performing and is in great demand at festivals and clubs throughout North America. Joining Ed will be Scottish fiddler par excellence,
John Taylor, now resident in San Jose and
increasingly recognized as one of the best, most
pleasant and most knowledgeable carriers of the
rich Scots fiddle tradition. Rich Brotherton,
on guitar and bouzouki, also adds his prodigious
talents to a trio that never fails to entertain
and enthrall. Rich plays lead guitar in the Robert
Earl Keen band; but his first love is Celtic music,
and he has produced and played on all 7 of Miller's
CD's. The Matt & Shannon Heaton
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