|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|||||||
|
Welcome to Places To Go And People To See, the page which offers a few ideas about other things which might interest you. Please note that these listings are in no particular order and just because an entry is first doesn't mean we necessarily think its best -- all this stuff is great. As it turns out, there is a lot of stuff we think you might like, so use the links below to save time. Warning -- we will be expanding this list as we go, so it could get quite huge . . . [03.12.06] [Note: A big update of this page is in progress. We are going to be adding contra dance bands, callers, and other contacts as we go. If you'd like to be on this page, please pop an email to changeling@madcelts.com]. Musicians (Celtic and Contra) Music Organizations and Presenters Musicians (Celtic and Contra): USA. Central and Southern Ohio are home to a small explosion of Celtic Music groups. Here is some of the great music we regularly get to enjoy here at home . . . Stark Raven: A wonderful Celtic vocal band with great songs and weaving, jazz-influenced accompanyments. Stark Raven also plays tremendous instrumental music, including compositions from keyboardist/whistler/percussionist Craig Markley. Their web site has information on the members of the group, their recordings and schedules. Craig Markley/Lone Raven Music: Modern Celtic composer Craig Markley creates what Echoes host John Diliberto described as "modern American Acoustic Celtic Chamber Music." Craig has many beautiful compositions on this album, with strong balance of instrumental music and songs. Musicians on the album include Changeling, members of Stark Raven, Eddie Cotter (bodhran player par excellance), Kirk Lynch and Kara Markley. The Lone Raven web site has a wealth of information about Craig and his music. Silver Arm: Cincinnati's premier Celtic band Silver Arm has been one of the key forces behind the popularity of Celtic music in Central and Southern Ohio. They blend a combination of great playing, arrangements, songs and an innate sense of melodicism into a unique and powerful listening experience. If being a band were not enough, the members of Silver Arm promote Celtic music and Art in this region through their individual and collective involvement in the Cincinnati Celtic Festival, Cincinnati Folk Life, the Riley School of Celtic Music and through introducing young musicians (Deborah and me, for example) to the ins and outs of the world of Celtic music. Check out their web site to learn more about the band, its members, their music and art and all that they do to help this music along. Terry Blankenship: Terry Blankenship plays and sings great celtic music in the tradition of Martin Carthy and Dick Gaughan. Terry has recorded two albums of Celtic music (one with Rick Evans and one with Margaret Gravitz and Rick Evans) which are available through his web site and on MP3.com. Terry was also a member of the Gabriel Hounds, where he added his spectacular sense of drive and melodicism. Terry is fluent in many styles of music, and has recorded rock, ambient and techno albums. His web site has information about Terry, his many kinds of music, his recordings and performances. John Sherman: One of the original moving forces behind the current Ohio Celtic Rennaisannce, John Sherman is one of the greatest fingerstyle guitarists playing Celtic music today. He plays with both refinement and power, and his talent for picking great tunes and wonderful arranging make his CDs and concerts a real treat. John was a founding member of Inisheer, the award winning Columbus celtic band, and is the author of a Mel Bay fingerstyle guitar book. His website has information about DADGAD guitar, his CDs and books and his performance schedule. General Guinness: The General Guinness band is a Columbus institution, and for good reason -- their driving songs and tunes have delighted crowds for years, and they have been some of Celtic music's strongest supporters. The diverse sounds of the band include fiddle, harp, guitar, bass, flute, whistles, bodhran and great vocals! Check out their web site for MP3s of their music and more information about the band and their schedule. Knot Fibb'n: Knot Fibb'n is a fun, crowd pleasing band which has a lot of fans and friends in Columbus (including us!) -- any night spent with this fine band ends with a smile and a song (what else can you ask for?). They combine playing, spirit and a great sense of humor. Please check out their web site, which has information on the members of the band, their recordings (including their great new album and Beth Hicks's solo album) and calendar. David Daye: Pipe Major David Daye is a long time mover and shaker on the Columbus music scene. David recently moved to an island off the shore from Seattle to get a little peace and quiet so he can make his incredible penny chanters, which have revolutionized Uillean pipe making in nasty climates which aren't green and wet all the time, unlike Ireland (such as North America's). David is a great player and a dear friend -- come learn about the America's greatest contribution to pipe making! Christine Fraser Ramsey & Strings in the Glen: Columbus is lucky that Scottish National Mod Clarsach champion Christine Fraser Ramsey calls our fair city home. Christine is a tremendous player, talented composer and has unflaggingly supported Scottish music in Columbus as a performer, teacher and competition judge. Christine is the founder of Strings in the Glen, a wonderful band which is equally at home playing quiet ballads and banging out the big noise on the raucus end of things. Their home page offers biographical information, their calendar and more. Heartstone: Heartstone is a band of seasoned dance musicians and performers who play great Irish and Scottish music in concerts and ceilies both here at home and in the region. Check out their new CD of dance tunes (produced by Doug Dickson of Toss the Feathers) which was enthusiastically receieved by Irish dancers everywhere! Their web site includes information on the band, their CD and their schedule. Aisling: Aisling is an up and coming band of Celtic musicians who have been playing at many venues since 1998, including the prestigious Dublin Irish Festival. Aisling has great spirit, and is preparing to take the world by storm with their new CD, which should be out soon! Check out their web site to learn more about the band, the music and the plans for the new CD. Click here to go back to the top. Musicians from Around the World. Cruise Control: Cruie Control is a wonderful band playing fabulously authentic American Style Contra Dance Music in England. With a band lineup that includes Silly Wizard founding member Robbie Thomas, you'll want to drop by and check out their infectiously danceable music (for those of us on this side of the Atlantic who are unlikely to make a UK dance, CD forthcoming, we are told) and their astonishing links page. We have played with Robbie, Holly, and Mike, and we can assure you a night out with Cruise Control is a must! Kevin Burke: The one of the great Irish fiddle masters of our time, Kevin has influenced generations of fiddlers with his compelling, subtle and emotionally powerful playing. When we first heard Kevin (way back when), we were floored. If his fiddling were not enough, his web site is beautiful and incredibly well-designed, offering a wealth of necessary information about this music legend. Phil Cooper and Margaret Nelson: This great duo from Chicago weave beautiful harmonies and delicate arangements together for some really outstanding Anglo-American and Celtic songs. Phil Cooper is also a great guitar player, and has released some all instrumental albums featuring his arrangements of Scottish fiddle tunes for guitar. Phil and Margaret (at times joined on vocals by Kate Early) have appeared across the country at folk festivals, coffeehouses and concert series and wowed audiences with their musicianship, their emotive performances and their (notorious) wit. Tempest: Traditional Celtic songs and tunes rolled together with the monster power of Progressive Rock music make Tempest an unstoppable and totally wonderful force in the world of Celtic music. With influences from Planxty and the Bothy Band to King Crimson in the mix, Tempest has delighted audiences in the U.S. and internationally for over ten years. We have had the good fortune and pleasure to open for Tempest on several occassions, and in addition to killer music, Tempest is a group of great guys! Check out their web page for album information, concert schedules and more information on this unbeatable band! Gaelic Storm: Originally billed as "the party band from the movie Titanic," (where they did indeed play fine party music), Gaelic Storm have earned a deserved reputation throughout the world as some of the best legal fun money can buy. They offer a great combination of original and traditional songs and tunes, as well as spontaneous stage stunts (a particularly dramatic drinking contest with Pat Byrne of Byrne's Pub (which they lost) comes to mind . . . wow, what a night). They are great folks as well, and it is unwise to allow Karl and Steve loose to discuss Ethnomusicology (academic discussion . . . boring . . . losing . . . consciousness). Check out their web site to learn about albums, concert dates and more! Michael Mullen: Tempest fiddler and wonderfully dangerous madman Michael Mullen is playing out with a new duo in California. Michael's influences are diverse, and he may well be the only fiddler to ever successfully combine Kevin Burke and Kansas. His new web site (www.michaelmullen.net) and schedule will be up shortly. Dónal Lunny: There are few artists who have had a greater influence on Celtic music in the last thirty years than Donal Luny. Luny has played in or produced many of the major groups of the Celtic revival, including Planxty, the Bothy Band, Moving Hearts, Matt Molloy and a host of others. However, we love him most for his original compositions, which weave traditional tunes with changing time signatures, exotic percussion and a deep, deep musicality. John Whelan: Coming out of an Irish home in London, John Whelan is a major force on the Irish music scene throughout the world. John thrills audiences with over-the-top playing one moment, followed by beautiful airs and new tunes the next. John has several albums out on the Narada label, as well as an album with Eileen Ivers on the Green Linnet label. John was also a member of the fabulous Kips Bay Ceili Band. John has a special relationship with the Columbus music scene, having produced artists such as David Hawkins and Knot Fibb'n, and making appearances with Heartstone. Check out John's web site to learn more about John and his music. Dervish: Dervish is, quite simply, the pre-eminent traditional Irish band of our time. In a class with such giants as Solas and Altan, Dervish has shied away from the pronounced world and/or new age music influences which inform the (incredible) music of these groups and infused their music with an almostly unbelievably pure Irish essence. Its rather like having an entire band of Kevin Burkes who have the energy of a band of John Whelans. Scary. Check out this web site for sure. Click here to go back to the top. Celtic Music Organizations and Presenters: Organizations and Presenters Here at Home. Ohio Byrne's Pub: It is impossible to think about the Columbus Celtic music scene without thinking about Byrne's Pub and the astonishing Mr. Pat Byrne. Byrne's has pushed Celtic music in Columbus from the day it was born, and has presented most of the local Irish music scene to the public at one time or another. In addition, they have presented national acts such as Black 47, Seanachie, Tempest, Old Blind Dogs, Gaelic Storm and fiddling legend Seamus Connolly. This is the real deal -- come check it out. Call 614. [number] for information on current acts. The Thirsty Ear: This relatively young pub is making a habit of bringing in some of the very best acts in traditional music and presenting them in an intimate, welcoming setting. Recent performers include the legendary song collector, singer and best acoustic guitarist in the world (Acoustic Guitar Magazine readers poll) Martin Carthy, folk-rock giants Fairport Convention and Uillean piping legend/deity Paddy Keenan. The Thirsty Ear is the more folky counterpart to Byrne's, and the two make sure that Columbus has a great setting for some of the world's best Celtic music. The Thirsty Ear's calendar is on their website, so please check there frequently to make sure you don't miss anything. Columbus Music Hall: Located in Columbus' historic Old Towne East, the Columbus Music Hall has presented a tremendous amount of great Celtic music, ranging from the House Band to the Old Blind Dogs to Danú. The wide variety of music available from Columbus Music hall is detailed at their web site. Please drop by and be amazed at the quality of great music we get here in Columbus! The Shamrock Club: The Shamrock Club is one of Celtic Columbus' greatest treasures -- they provide a great place for the Irish community to hang out and have given unflagging support to the local and world Celtic music scenes. They have presented everyone from the Paperboys to the Wolfe Tones, they host sessions and the legendary Irish Parade and family reunion on St. Patrick's Day. Check out their web site to learn more about the Club and its events! The Dublin Irish Festival: Columbus' home Irish festival is rapidly becoming one of the "must play" festivals for Celtic music acts from around the world. It boils down to this: tons of the best bands, tons of vendors, a fantastic facility, the nicest folks you'd ever want to meet, and 60,000 screaming fans to cheer them on. Learn more about this year's festival at their website. Little Brother's: Little Brother's (and its predecessor, Stache's) is the club to play in Columbus, no matter what kind of music you like. John Cunningham, Susan McKweon, John Whelan, Tempest, Solas, Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain, Andy M. Stewart, Boiled in Lead and Manus Luny are just a few of the giants of Celtic music who have graced their stage (heck, even we've been lucky enough to play there). And a few other folks (John Lee Hooker, The Red Hot Chili Peppers) have played there, too. Check out their schedule today! Highlands of Ohio Music: This wonderful group is bringing great Celtic Music to the Mansfield, Ohio area. Working from their home venue in Bellville, Ohio, they have brought a breathtaking variety of traditional and cutting edge music to the near North of Ohio. Their web page has concerts, a discussion forum, and a lot of in-depth information about many different musicians. Fate and Melanie, two of the movers and shakers in the Highlands organization, are great folks, and well worth stopping in to say hello to! Columbus AOH: Although presently between permanent homes, the Columbus AOH still finds time to present some really outstanding Celtic music. They have presented the likes of Kevin Burke, Kim Robertson, John Whelan and many, many bands from the Columbus area. Keep an eye on the AOH web site for more great music! Columbus Folk Music Society: Celtic music is undoubtedly folk music at its core, and the Columbus Folk Music Society supports Celtic music, along with traditional American music, singer-songwriters and more. Their site has a list of coming attractions, so please drop by and support this great organization! |
