Saturday 11 February 2012

Ray Legere & Michael O’Reilly - House Concert

Back By Popular Demand……

The "April 28th Private House Concert" Featuring:

Ray Legere & Michael O'Reilly
(fiddle, mandolin & guitar… vocals, banjo and guitar)

Ray Legere is a Master fiddler, mandolin & guitar player as well as an award winning Bluegrass player. He is continuously recruited to play alongside major recording artists, both on recordings and on tour. He has been touring worldwide with the Bowfire show for many years. To have him play in the intimate setting of a house concert, will be a truly phenomenal experience.

Ray will be playing alongside Michael O'Reilly, who is himself, a guitar, banjo and mandolin player. His original story songs will be featured.

There is nothing like listening to fiddle music in an intimate environment like this, so please do come and join us!

· Suggested donation is $20 each, seats are very limited
· Tickets must be reserved in advance.
· For tickets and directions (east Ottawa) by emailing Don at fletchers5@rogers.com
· All proceeds go to the performers
· Concert starts at 7:30 PM, Saturday, April 28
· In the spirit of old time house concerts, bringing snacks for the "lunch" at break is much appreciated
· If you have a folding chair to bring along, please let Don know

Tuesday 7 February 2012

The Bollox (!) - digitally re-releases album

Not one day from giving notice that The Mahones are playing Ottawa, do I receive yet another 'Celtic-punk' piece of news. I found this band on iTunes and gave the tune samples a listen. Actually, this band is pretty good. I recommend them to the young and the progressive out there who want another angle on the old music.

My own introduction to traditional music appreciation was through modern bands like Figgy Duff, Rawlins Cross and then, thankfully, seeing Paddy Keenan live in a St. John's pub as he was re-establshing his recording career with Na Keen Affair. In this respect, we need to accept that music which is not strictly in the tradition may be a 'gateway drug' to the harder stuff (more traditional that is) for the younger crowd. And we need the younger crowd to buy in to help keep it alive.

-Craig

- - -

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Celtic punk rock band, The Bollox, digitally re-releases album.

February 5th, 2012 -- After more than a year of being unavailable for digital purchase, Celtic punk rock band The Bollox re-releases their self titled album on all major online music retailers. First released in March of 2009, the album contains 11 songs that capture the spirit and energy of Ireland through the eyes of an Irish immigrant. It received rapturous reviews and an outstanding response from the general public.

The album was co-written by members Keith Walker (also from the bands Power of Dreams and Sister Cities) and Jason Devore (also from the band Authority Zero). One year after the release of the album, members of The Bollox went their separate ways due to commitments with other music projects. As a result the album was no longer available online for purchase. Due to overwhelming demand for the album to be re-released, Walker and Devore decided it was time to make it available once again.

"Jason and I are very proud of this album and we hope it reaches fans of Celtic, folk, and punk music far and wide." says Walker.

The album is currently available for purchase on Itunes, Amazon, and other major online stores.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Keith Walker - keithwalkerireland@yahoo.com

Lá Gaeilge – One Day Irish Language Immersion Workshop

Caint is Comhrá is pleased to offer a Lá Gaeilge on Saturday, February 18th at Blessed Sacrament Church Hall, 194 Fourth Avenue, Ottawa.

Beginners are welcome! Classes for beginners as well as for intermediate and advanced learners of Irish.

Time: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (Lunch break from noon to 1:00 pm)
Fee: $25 (which includes Lunch ,Tea/coffee,snacks ,soup and sandwiches)

There will be three classes and great teachers. Please call or email to let me know you are coming. 613 233 9927. toni144@gmail.com

Sunday 5 February 2012

Montreal - Fiddle and DADGAD Workshops 22-23 Feb 2012

There are upcoming workshops (fiddle and DADGAD guitar) in Montreal on Feb 22 and 23.

DETAILS:

Jesse Smith - Fiddle
Wednesday February 22, 2012
Beginners / Intermediate 6:30 to 7:30 PM
Advanced, 7:45 to 8:45 PM

JESSE SMITH (FIDDLE), a young American musician who grew up in Baltimore immersed in the thriving Irish music tradition of that city, has lived in Ireland for over thirteen years now. Both of his parents are musicians and he started playing the fiddle at an early age, studying with the renowned teacher and player Brendan Mulvihill. In 1998 his love for the music took him to Ireland to stay, where he made his mark as a fiddler touring and recording with the great Irish band Danú.

His debut solo fiddle CD Jigs and Reels was among the top ten Irish traditional music CDs cited by music columnist Earle Hitchner in America's largest Irish weekly, "The Irish Echo". This was followed by a collaborative release (with Belfast flute player Harry Bradley and London guitarist/pianist John Blake) entitled The Tap Room Trio, simply one of the best recordings of Irish traditional music in recent years.

Praise is now being garnered by his recent release, The Ewe With The Crooked Horn (2010), recorded with button-accordionist Colm Gannon.

Ryan McGiver - DADGAD Guitar
Wednesday February 22, 2012
Fingerstyle and pickpicking guitar in DADGAD tuning (various styles), 6:30 - 7:30 PM
Accompanying traditional Irish music in DADGAD tuning, 7:45 - 8:45 PM

Singer/Guitarist Ryan McGiver has toured extensively throughout the US, Asia, Australia and Europe over the past decade playing a mixture of traditional Irish and American music.

In addition to performing across the globe, Ryan has taught traditional guitar workshops domestically and internationally including the Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins, West Virginia.

He has recorded and shared stages with a diverse and eclectic mix of traditional, folk and rock musicians including Kevin Crawford, Liz and Yvonne Kane, Doug Wieselman, Edel Fox, Jolie Holland and Shahzad Ismaily to name a few.

Ryan is the guitarist for Grammy award-winning singer, Susan McKeown and is currently touring with Lunasa's uilleann piper, Cillian Vallely.

His debut solo album of ballads, Troubled In Mind, is garnishing critical acclaim in both the traditional and Indie-folk communities world-wide and is set to release in spring 2012.

All workshops are an hour long and $20 per participant.

Location: 2309 Oxford Avenue, H4A 2X7
Please contact Kelly Symons with any questions and for registration
(ambrosemoloney@gmail.com).

Payment due upon attending.

'Traddy punk' group The Mahones to play Ottawa, 17 Feb 2012

This gig will more than likely appeal more to the younger crowd in Ottawa. I gather from my Twitter feed that Canadian Celtic-Punk sensation The Mahones are playing on Friday 17 Feb at Mavericks Bar on Rideau St., although the gig does not appear yet on their event listing, it does appear on the Mahones Tour Schedule.  Digging into their tour listing, the band certainly gets around the world and obviously have a huge following. I myself haven't owned any of their music, and I always have a hard time listening to most 'Celtic-punk' bands that aren't The Pogues. But that's just ME. I should probably go through their back catalog and give them a solid chance. Only fair huh?  Anyways, if you want a rollicking jolly time rocking out to Irish influenced punk rock, Mavericks will be THE place to be on 17 Feb.