JOHN MCDERMOTT
TORONTO, CANADA

"Legend" is not a title John McDermott would readily embrace, but his accomplishments have become legendary in industry lore. He has released at least one album, and averaged more than 100 performances a year for the last decade.

Far from plotting his fame, in 1993 John was a newspaper circulation rep who took time out to record The Danny Boy Collection as a tribute for his parents 50th Anniversary. The songs on the album were carefully selected – one for each of his siblings. And no, it wasn't a half-album. John is the ninth of twelve from a traditional Glasgow Irish family. By happenstance, this album found its way into the hands of EMI Music Canada, and before John the circulation rep knew it, he'd transformed into John the recording artist with a million-selling, double platinum debut album. Not bad.

This success led to the PBS phenomenon The Irish Tenors, which generated a US gold record, three US tours and a high-profile media schedule including appearances on 'Good Morning America' and 'The Today Show'. The outcome of that fateful performance catapulted him into a musical career that includes nine full-length albums, three Canadian platinum records, and five Juno nominations.

In November 2001, John taped his first solo television special, John McDermott - A Time to Remember, which was broadcast on PBS affiliates across North America, and released on CD and DVD. In 2003, he released Great Is Thy Faithfulness, a collection of his favourite spiritual music; Legacy, a CD Single to raise funds for veterans organizations; and Stories Of Love, a dream project on which he interprets music by Frank Sinatra and bossa-nova king Antonio Carlos Jobim.

In 2004, John started his own music label while working on four separate projects: A Christmas album, a contemporary folk project, and two foundational albums – Songs Of The Isles: Ireland and Songs of the Isles: Scotland.

Later that year, John rejoined old friends Finbar Wright and Anthony Kearns of The Irish Tenors. They toured 11 U.S. cities, and Europe. A new Tenors recording entitled DEUS MEUS followed in 2005. John went on to complete Just Plain Folk – a live recording with folk legend Michael P. Smith, and toured in support of the album.

Despite his fame as a recording artist, John is no less regarded for his commitment to veterans' causes. "The veterans population has historically been ignored outside of one day a year, but I hope that recent events will change that," John explained. In his 1999 album Remembrance, John revived songs like "We'll Meet Again" and "I'll be Seeing You" – both popularized during wartime. Not content to just sing about societal problems, John has established innovative projects such as McDermott House, a transitional housing coop for veterans in Washington, D.C., and more recently, the Hope McDermott Day Program Center in Boston. He has also spoken on veterans issues at the National Press Club, an event broadcast nationally on C-Span, and continues to work with groups such as the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the War Amps of Canada, the Semper Fidelis Society, and the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans. In recognition of his efforts, John was presented the prestigious Bob Hope Award.

If his life weren't busy enough, John is also spearheading the expansion of Dore Achievement Centers into Canada. Dore Centers employ a revolutionary non-invasive, drug-free approach to learning disorders by utilizing basic physical exercises to stimulate the brain. Over time, the process leads Dore clients to improved learning, language, emotion and motor skills.

In short, John has led many lives inside of one, and the richness, texture, and compassion which mark his life also inform his music, which is why he is one of the premier tenors of his time. Cleveland's Irish Cultural Festival is honored to have him, fittingly enough, visit the home town of Bob Hope to share those talents with us.

THE YOUNG DUBLINERS
LOS ANGELES, CA

Building a fan base comparable to Phish and Dave Matthews, The Young Dubliners have become notorious for the whirling "jig pits" that erupt at their live shows.

In fact, the group's origins can be traced to Los Angeles' vibrant pub scene in which Dublin natives Keith Roberts (vocals, guitar) and Paul O'Toole first met. Assembling a rag-tag team of Irish transplants and like-minded American rockers, The Young Dubliners grew into a pugnacious music machine resulting in their debut, The Rocky Road EP (1994). Breathe followed a year later with the addition of Chas Waltz (violin, keys, harmonica).

In 2000, they released the critically acclaimed Red, and their renown skyrocketed such that Gabriel Byrne asked the band to write the theme for his show Madigan Men. The Young Dubliners spent much of 2001 touring Europe with Jethro Tull, while also touring the US as headliners for acts such as John Hiatt and Robert Cray. In 2002, they revved up the crowd at the Olympics in Salt Lake City.

After going on a number of headlining tours (Johnny Lang, Collective Soul, Great Big Sea and others), the quintet settled down to record Real World - an album influenced by their predecessors (Waterboys/Pogues/U2/Big Country) and most important, life on the road. From Irish-flavored anthemic rock to rowdy pub tunes, lead singer Keith Roberts delivers impressive vocals, while the songwriting, performance, and production show a new maturity and a deepening of artistic ambition. During the interlude between Absolutely and Real World, Roberts underwent a throat surgery and months of vocal cord rehabilitation. "My surgery made us all aware of how close we came to losing it all. Our determination to succeed is even stronger than before," he once reflected.

Musing about the band, Roberts summed up the Young Dubliner's,"Our band is made up of Irish and American natives who draw influences from just about everywhere. Our strength is in the sum of our parts."

EMIGRANT EYES
QUEENS, NY

Based out of Queens, NY, this threesome: (Billy Hickey - accordian, Rich Micallef - keyboards, guitar & vocals, and Marek Dykta - guitar) has delighted audiences with their unique blend of Traditional & Country Irish Music.

Emigrant Eyes has had the honor of performing for The Honorable, Michael Bloomberg (Mayor of New York City) and distinguished guests at their annual St. Patrick's Day Breakfast at Gracie Mansion, and have for 4 years straight played The Newport Irish Festival in Rhode Island. Emigrant Eyes has also been asked to perform on the Norwegian Star (Norwegian Cruise Lines), and are regulars at notable pub/restaurants, such as:

• Kennedy's By The Bay - Breezy Point, NY
• The Bally Bunion - Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, NY
• Sean O'Casey's - The Marriott at Park Ridge, NJ
• Hickey's Pub - Maspeth Queens, NY

It was back in 1997, in Fort Myers, Florida when Bill and Rich played on the same venue for the first time together. It soon became apparent, as they kept playing, they would someday put a group together of their own. While at the festival, they stumbled on the song "Emigrant Eyes" written by Murrah & Clark, which "The New Barleycorn" were performing. The song had such a profound impact on both of them, it seemed fitting they would start their own group bearing the name in honor of their own grandfathers. You can listen to the song; it's the first track on their Debut CD "Emigrant Eyes." Billy & Rich went into the studio to record that 1st CD together in the winter of 2002 with the help of their good friend, producer and arranger Jimmy McCaul. Released under the label of 24 Records in June of the same year, it is now distributed on Tower Records' web site, as well as on CD Baby.

Much more lies ahead for the group, with the addition of Marek Dykta last year, originally from Poland, there is truly a wonderful mixture of musicality that each one in the group brings to the table and combined makes for a unique experience in their interpretation of Irish traditional music.

LIZ CARROLL & JOHN DOYLE
NEW YORK, NY

After playing bit parts on eachother's albums for over ten years, fiddler Liz Carroll and guitarist/bouzouki player John Doyle decided to collaborate on In Play – their first full-length album together. The results are at times playful, at times haunting, but always of stunning depth and quality. The two have a way of making music that feels on the one hand traditional, and on the other truly groundbreaking.

John Doyle grew up in a family of musicians. At age 16, he joined Susan McKeown in the group Chanting House. They played shows in Dublin, writing their own songs and reworking traditional numbers before assembling a band to tour Europe. In January of 1991, they moved to New York, where they formed another band with Eileen Ivers and Seamus Egan. This band too would tour Europe and the States. In 1995, Doyle, multi-instrumentalist Seamus Egan, vocalist Karan Casey, John Williams, and Winnie Horan formed Solas, dividing their time between Ireland and the US. Solas would become one of the most influential bands in the world of Celtic music, and were even nominated for a Grammy. In 2000, shortly after moving from New York to Asheville, NC, John left Solas to pursue a solo career and work with other musicians. Since that time, he has produced two solo albums (Wayward Son [2005] & Evening Comes Early [2001]) and worked with some of the biggest names in Celtic music, including Eileen Ivers, Joanie Madden of Cherish The Ladies, Cathie Ryan, fiddler Tony DeMarco, accordion player James Keane, and last but not least, fiddle great, Liz Carroll.

At 17, Liz won the All-Ireland Junior Fiddle Championship, and at 18, astounded the Celtic music world by winning both the Senior All-Ireland Fiddle Championship and the Senior All-Ireland Duet Championship with Jimmy Keane. For an American, the feat was unprecedented. For an 18 year old American, it was downright uncanny. Since then, her recordings and appearances on stage, television and radio, have established Liz as one of traditional music's most sought after performers. As a composer, she's been hard to match. From grand halls to cozy pubs, her works – already absorbed into the canon of Celtic music – can be heard echoing from the bows of fiddlers the world over. Liz has toured States, Ireland, Europe, and Africa. Neil Tesser of Chicago's Reader marveled, "her quicksilver lines can captivate violin admirers beyond the bounds of Hibernia." P.J. Curtis of the Irish American says that Liz "conjures up a dizzying mixture of the sweetest tones, the fastest runs, and the most dazzling display of musicianship imaginable."

Liz's first solo album, 1988's "Liz Carroll," was chosen as a select record of American folk by the Library of Congress, and called "a milestone achievement," by noted critic and radio host Earl Hitchner. In 1994, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton presented Liz with a National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship for her influence on Irish music in America. In 1995, Irish-American Magazine named Liz one of the Top 100 Irish Americans. On September 18, 1999, Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago proclaimed it Liz Carroll Day in Chicago.

In 2000, John Doyle appeared on Liz's lost in the loop, which was released to more critical acclaim. The album garnered an Indie Award and won Liz the Irish Echo's Traditional Musician of the Year award. In 2002, Liz realeased Lake Effect, co-produced by John, and also appeared on John's Evening Comes Early. She even wrote a song for the album titled, “Johnny D’s." The dynamism and sympathy the two had discovered in their creative work set them on course to develop their first full length album as a duo. In Play is that album, and the results are beyond impressive. In Play opens with a traditional reel, "The Ronan Boys/ Ralph's 2-3-5," and goes on to explore a full spectrum of moods and forms; from the ponderous, "The Island of Woods," to the joyous "Kieran's Polka/The Bike To Ballyhahill ," Liz and John don't miss a beat. "It is an emotional, powerful album," writes Derek Beres, "skinning that fine edge between total play and complete seriousness. In the space between something great has been born."

Click Here to listen to Liz Carroll's interview on NPR.

A founding member of Cherish the Ladies, a nine Time All-Ireland Fiddle Champion, and the musical star of Riverdance, Eileen Ivers has played for Presidents and Royalty around the globe, and has also been a featured musician with the London Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony at The Kennedy Center, the Boston Pops, The Chieftains, Hall and Oates, Afrocelts, Patti Smith, Paula Cole, Al Di Meola, and Steve Gadd.

It is a rare and select grade of artists whose work is so boldly imaginative and clearly virtuosic that it alters the medium. Of Eileen Ivers, The Washington Post stated, "She suggests the future of the Celtic fiddle," and the Post was neither the first nor last to suggest that the task of exploring the traditions and progression of the Celtic fiddle is on Eileen Ivers' shoulders.

Called a "sensation" by Billboard magazine and "the Jimi Hendrix of the violin" by The New York Times, Ivers' recording credits include over 80 contemporary and traditional albums and numerous movie scores.

The daughter of Irish immigrants, Ivers grew up in the Bronx. She won nine All-Ireland fiddle championships, a tenth on tenor banjo and over 30 championship medals, making her one of the most awarded persons in the history of the prestigious competition.

After graduating magna cum laude with a degree in Mathematics from Iona College, Eileen immersed herself in studying the different genres of music she had heard growing up in New York.

In 1999 Ivers established the touring production, Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul, featuring a signature mix of African and Latin percussion and bass, Irish instrumentalists, and soulful American vocals. The L.A. Times proclaims, "Ivers' presentation was music with the kind of life and spirit that come together when talented artists from different backgrounds find the linkages that connect all forms of music ...no wonder the audience loved every minute."

Eileen also regularly shares the stage with two of the world's most celebrated violinists, classical virtuoso Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and jazz great Regina Carter, in the critically acclaimed 'Fiddlers Three.'

ZETA Music, the world's leading electric stringed instrument maker, has recently introduced the Eileen Ivers Signature Series blue violin.

THE ELDERS
KANSAS CITY, KS

Take a group of Kansas City musicians with a passion for Celtic music, an Irishman with a love of all things American, and you get a cross-pollination of elements that is high octane and progressive, yet rooted in tradition. What they have come to discover is something unaffected by fads, trends and the giant maw of mind-numbing commercialism. Robert Oermann of "  MUSIC ROW Magazine calls The Elders “a band to shout from the rooftops about." 

Since forming in 1998, The Elders have brought their mix of amped-up roots rock, powerful vocals, blazing instrumentals and top-notch songwriting to festivals, pubs and theaters across the United States and Ireland. Through it all their four studio albums, two live albums and DVD have become sales staples at festivals and gift shops across the US.  The band is now poised to break wide open with their latest release, Racing the Tide, featuring the first Triple-A Radio single "Send a Prayer." The band is already familiar to many television viewers, thanks to the more than 100 PBS stations that have aired their "Live at the Gem" Concert Special.

The Elders are fronted by charismatic Irishman, Ian Byrne from County Wicklow, and backed by guitarist Steve Phillips (The Rainmakers), bassist Norm Dahlor (Tommy Shaw Band), violinist Brent Hoad, drummer Tommy Sutherland, and keyboardist Joe Miquelon (Asleep at the Wheel). All are well-known veteran musicians having played in numerous recording and touring bands before forming The Elders.

These six create original music that transcends the stereotypical notion of Celtic music. The songs are mystical, comical, political and cultural, while covering a wide variety of topics such as poverty, civil war, family bonds, spirituality, love and friendship. They tell us stories of people, places and events - some distant, some recent, some real and some imagined.

The band tours as headline performers at festivals in major cities such as Philadelphia, New York, Cleveland, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Denver as well as secondary markets in the north-east, south-east and mid-west regions. They will wind up their fourth tour of Ireland in March, 2007 just in time for the 5th annual “Elders Saint Patrick’s Day Hoolie" at the Uptown Theatre in Kansas City.
 
The Elders have had airplay at over 120 radio stations across the country and have been featured live on Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour.  The single "Send A Prayer" is currently being serviced to Triple-A Radio by Upstart Entertainment out of Los Angeles, CA, with an emphasis on major market public radio, NPR and syndicated shows like World Cafe, Acoustic Cafe and Thistle and Shamrock.

HEART OF OAK
KEY WEST , FL

Lonnie Dee Robertson began playing music in a hospital in Leysin Switzerland in 1963.

Lonnie, born and raised in Liberia, West Africa, was educated primarily in Europe. He graduated from college in the United States. Lonnie made his living playing classical guitar in upscale restaurants in South Florida but gradually realised that rock style music was far more “saleable”.

Wendy Cassan, raised mainly in the Caribbean, lived extensively in Florida where she graduated from college. She operated a yacht maintenance company in a marina where Lonnie kept his 65’ Alden schooner, Borealis.

Wendy C and Lonnie D founded Island Thyme, now known as Heart Of Oak, in 1985. They lived and traveled on the Borealis and played throughout the Keys and Florida. Wendy played guitar and decided to learn the bass.

Her first job playing the bass was at the Quay on Duval Street in Key West. A few of their favourite venues in Florida were The Quays, Holiday Isle, and Martha’s.

Wendy and Lonnie played Caribbean rock and folk based music in the formative years but soon expanded their instrument base and repertory so they could work in the cruise industry. They learned Broadway show tunes, standards, reggae, calypso, country and jazz. As a result of this expansion of their repertory they worked on fifteen different ships for over ten years. Ships, although wonderful and profitable, are a bit like going to jail (albeit with a chance of drowning) so Lonnie and Wendy decided to go back to their schooner.

Lonnie and Wendy’s success in “industrial music” finally allowed them to return to their real love, folk and Celtic music. That became the focus of their next expansion. Lonnie’s ancestry is Scots - Irish and Wendy’s is Welsh. Since Island Thyme did not seem an appropriate moniker for a Celtic based ensemble the name of the company was changed to Heart Of Oak. This name is partially in honour of the anthem sung on British ships of the line. Wendy and Lonnie definitely have an affinity for the ocean! At this time Lonnie honed his ability on the classical guitar and learned the Renaissance lute. Wendy became a virtuoso on the bowed psaltery. Heart Of Oak now performs over 300 Celtic pieces.

Currently based in East Tennessee, Heart Of Oak offers one of the broadest repertories available in the music industry. Covering almost any form of musical entertainment Lonnie and Wendy provide a sound ranging from the intimacy of solo instruments to the sound of a full orchestra.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

We are Heart Of Oak. It’s a non profit business. We didn’t plan it that way, that’s just how it worked out. We perform (music, that is) using the Renaissance Lute and the Bowed Psaltery. Let’s face it…someone has to do this… it would be a tragedy of galactic proportions if the lute and psaltery were simply cast on the trash heap of music history and forgotten! If you don’t know much about these instruments don’t despair, almost everyone who knew anything about them has been dead for at least 300 years. Don’t panic though, we also use the guitar and bass. Most of the music we like to perform is Celtic based. One caveat though; if you want to hear something like high energy techno rock or hip hop you won’t like us much. Well, I mean we’d get along fine personally but…

Through no choice of his own, Lonnie Dee Robertson was born kicking and screaming sometime near the middle of the last century. He was…to the eternal credit and through the monumental dedication of his parents… raised in Liberia on the west coast of Africa. Lonnie is of Scottish / Irish descent and has a tiny but seemingly inextinguishable ability for music... particularly the easy stuff like Celtic, folk and classical. It is a good thing he has musical ability because he certainly has no other discernable abilities; especially for business! Now there’s a blueprint for a life of poverty for sure. He’s the quintessential starving artist! Being a starving artist has benefits though. It is a great way to avoid cardiovascular disease and other maladies related to obesity. Lonnie realized that playing an instrument such as the lute is a terrific boon to a performer because since very few have heard one it follows that few recognize any mistakes! By the way, to clear up any misconceptions it is not true that people who play the lute are known as “looters”.

Wendy was born… while still very young…somewhere in The State of New York because that’s where her mother was at the time of her delivery. Obviously everyone has to be raised somewhere (unless they die) so she was raised primarily in the Caribbean. You would think Wendy's Welsh ancestry would have contributed to her music but in this case, sadly, it did not. The Welsh have a reputation for being excellent singers but Wendy couldn’t carry a tune in the proverbial bucket! To be completely frank she is descended from a long line of old world Europeans who had no measurable artistic talent or appreciation of any kind whatsoever. Wendy’s musical talent was won by trial and error (mostly error) Probably the main reason (aside from the fact that she’s deaf in one ear) for Wendy’s now considerable talent on the psaltery and bass was the oppressing need to make a living. Proving beyond question that love is blind,(and deaf, too) she and Lonnie are married (that’s another story, tune in later). As explained above Lonnie is occupationally challenged so they were unable to get a real job or a real life.

They “lived“, pumping like madmen, on their leaking, decrepit and ancient 65 foot wooden schooner, Borealis. They traveled around like the Flying Dutchman from gig to gig (until the engine broke down, the sails rotted and they could no longer afford the dock rent), So, in reality, how many options were there?

Lonnie and Wendy have eked out their meager living in the music business since the mid 1960's. Their flight (excuse me, I mean their career) has taken them through every state in the USA, every province in Canada, almost every country in Central America and several countries in South America. It is truly amazing how repeatedly getting fired contributes to extensive travel! When the poor old Borealis was too leaky and wheezy to move Lonnie and Wendy somehow managed to get jobs on cruise ships. Like the Borealis the quarters were as Spartan as a Colombian jail… and like a jail they were prisoners for months at a time and best of all there was still the very real possibility of drowning! Somehow these two have managed to work on fifteen different ships. Naturally they foolishly spent every penny they made on their old tub of a schooner. Once, while sailing from South Carolina to Deerfield Beach, Florida for a gig, they were caught in a violent storm. The Borealis was knocked down in the squall and sustained serious damage. Even with 2 feet of water below they managed to make it to work . The song they opened with that Friday night was Jimmy Buffett's "Trying To Reason With Hurricane Season"!!! By the end of the evening the bilge pumps caught up and the boat was pumped out.

Heart Of Oak is primarily a performing service. We have not until recently had the opportunity to make recordings. Planxty is our first one. Since it IS our first one let's face it, you can't expect too much! People who listen to us have bought this cd. Some of them have said it has been very effective in reducing the pest population in their garages, basements and even barns. Some have even gone further and said it has reduced the population of bacteria and even some viruses! The song list includes many Irish favourites comprising a cross section of "popular" Celtic pieces. Oh, by the way, cd.s make great shims for table saws, lathe faceplates, etc. The local skeet club say they make a beautiful shower of coloured shards too! Maybe you could come up with even more creative ways to use these things. We hope you like the cd but if you don't you can't say we didn't warn you! Thanx for listening, L&W

MAURA O'CONNELL
DUBLIN, IRL

For a while there, Maura O'Connell's website brandished the subtitle "Just a Singer," but that ironic tag has evolved into an ever-changing set of comments from the cheeky (and accurate) "Just a Wonder" to the very sensible, lower-key suggestion that we "Just Listen."

From her first recorded appearance as a lead vocalist with the celebrated traditional Celtic group DeDanaan in 1981, to her tenth and latest solo disc, Don't I Know, O'Connell has married an unmistakable deep, rich, flexible voice and her signature talent for finding what's most potent in the work of a select but broad array of genre-jumping songwriters, to pull the listener right along with her--to the heart of a song.

Don't I Know, produced by her long-time collaborator, the dobro master Jerry Douglas, may be the most eclectic O'Connell collection yet, as it ventures from a contemplative turn on rising new singer-songwriter Mindy Smith's "Goin' Down in Flames" to a surprising, surging rock take on Nashville hit-maker Hillary Lindsey's "Spinning Wheel."

"This one does mark another transition," O'Connell says of her second Sugar Hill release, the follow-up to 2001's Walls and Windows. "I wanted to develop the area of singing harder, a little edgier, and with guitars. Still,for me, the song is always the main deal--rather than the style."

If the songs Maura O'Connell renders so affectingly vary across genres, from occasional tones of old Ireland to sparkling new jazz or pop, from revisited classics by Van Morrison or Lennon and McCartney to songs of new American songwriters unheard till she's found them, there is at least one recognizable pattern in most all of them -- lyrics that set the stage for the song, laying down a context, in surroundings, or mood, or the passing of time, then home in on a very specific vignette of love and life. (The title of one of the new songs "Love You in the Middle," pretty much nails the theme.)

O'Connell inhabits the song's situation; seeing the songs as drama, has led her repeatedly to certain writers, such as Patty Griffin, precisely because of their "ability to create characters" in swift strokes.

So maybe it's no surprise that Martin Scorsese cast Maura, scruffed up for the role, as an Irish migrant street singer in his recent 19th century epic The Gangs of New York. It's less known that the marriage of music and narrative was part of O'Connell's world almost from the beginning.

Born and raised in County Clare, Ireland, she was the third of four singing sisters, but it wasn't ancient Celt folk tunes in which that household was drenched--but their singing mother's collection of light opera, opera, and parlor song records.

"I'm sure that those have something to do with how I approach singing," O'Connell says now. "I was aware of singing as an art form in itself." With that awareness, and her focus on singing, she has always been most interested in tunes "that haven't been performed by other people." That was a key reason her first public role as lead singer with the tradition-oriented DeDannan never felt entirely comfortable, and the reason why, in the midst of that folk success, she was so attracted to the experimental roots music of America's New Grass Revival when the bands' paths crossed.

"They were instrumentalists who were not bound by the history of their instruments, from a generation who grew up listening to bluegrass, and the Beatles, and jazz. They brought all of that along, and pushed the envelope really far. There was an exciting feeling of creativity there--and a complete disregard for what anyone thought!"

She would follow that sound to America--and to Nashville, Tennessee. Newgrass masters such as banjoist Bela Fleck and Jerry Douglas (who's appeared on all of O'Connell's discs but one) and a floating contingent of adventurous Nashville hands have provided back-up and production for most of her recorded work--including the Grammy-nominated Helpless Heart and Blue is the Color of Hope for Warner Brothers, Stories and the Irish-oriented Wandering Home for Hannibal/Rykodisc, and the two Sugar Hill discs. The very flexible--and ace--Bryan Sutton and Jonathan Trebing (on acoustic and electric guitars), Viktor Krauss (on bass) and Shannon Forest (on drums) are the core backing band on Don't I Know--with musical textures added by everything from fiddles, to clavinets, to lap steel and B-3 organ.

If today her songs are often from the pens of unclassifiable Nashville mavericks--Jim Lauderdale, Kim Richey and Tim O'Brien are three on the new one--it's only natural; O'Connell has made her home in Music City U.S.A. for some 18 years now. "I'm a product of my environment, I suppose; when I was in Ireland, I knew many people from that scene; most of the songs I hear now, I hear here! People here know what I'm like;I've kind of grown up, and my point of view has changed, with life circumstances much different now than they were when I recorded my first album in '83. Changes have come, people have died, which happens as you get older. In fact, I'm looking forward to going out with the new songs on this record. I don't get out as much, since I've had a son--who's just turned eight."

There's a sense of the passing of time and the losses that come along with it in Maura's music now--and certainly, a higher percentage of tunes that look at the perplexities of life. But even that tone sends her back to the song as song. "Songwriters become more lyrical and poetic, more ruminative, and more in touch with the world's soul, when they're nice and depressed and pondering about it, O'Connell laughs.

If her broad musical interests have been essentially consistent over the 20-plus years of her recording career, the more mature Maura O'Connell is also sounding more self-assured than ever before, utterly ready to take us on that voyage to the center of the song one more time.

And by now, we're assured that she'll get us there. Just listen.

BARRA MACNEILS
CAPE BRETON ISLAND, N.S.

2008 marks over 20 years in the recording and touring career of the Barra MacNeils.

To celebrate this, the group has released a special 20th Anniversary CD which covers the span of their entire career featuring essential recordings from various releases over the years.

The group will also be touring theatres and festivals in Canada, America and overseas extensively throughout 2008 and beyond in support of this new release to further commemorate this career milestone.

Both the CD and the associated live performances are sure to be a hit with fans old and new!

As a group, the six MacNeil siblings are widely regarded as one of the greatest live acts in the Celtic world. Hailing from Sydney Mines, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, the family group is deeply rooted in Celtic music, culture and history. Their numerous critically acclaimed recordings have included their own original songs as well as tried and true standards, both instrumental and vocal.

The Barra MacNeils live concert experience brings so much more to the stage than most live acts ever can. Multiple lead vocalists, beautiful sibling harmonies, top drawer instrumental prowess on a wide variety of acoustic, stringed, percussion and wind instruments, dancing, storytelling, Gaelic songs and a journey through an ancient culture. Family entertainment at its highest level.

Steeped in Cape Breton tradition with strong Celtic roots and musical artistry, this diverse and talented family group continues to wow audiences around the world with their captivating vocals, harmonies and extraordinary musicianship.

Multi-award winners, the Barra MacNeils have released numerous recordings including, Racket In the Attic (2002), Christmas Album (1999), Until Now (1997), The Question (1995), The Traditional Album (1994), Closer to Paradise (1993 - Certified Gold in Canada), Timeframe (1990), Rock in the Stream (1989), The Barra MacNeils (1986). In 2001, they released a DVD titled Cape Breton Christmas incorporating music from their live Christmas Concert Special (as seen on television), plus a visit to Cape Breton, interviews with the Barra MacNeils home at Christmas and music videos.

Canada's Celtic ambassadors, the Barra MacNeils continue to perform to sold out audiences throughout Canada, the United States, the Caribbean and the United Kingdom. From headlining major festivals, concerts, special guest appearances (Rita MacNeils CTV Christmas Special, performing with The Chieftains) television specials, film and television placement (Men with Brooms Soundtrack; Racket In The Attic) and their annual Christmas tour, they have set the course with a solid foundation for success. The Barra MacNeils one-hour Christmas Television Special (2000) continues to be broadcast on Country Music Television (CMT) and on the Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) network in the United States. December 2007 saw the broadcast of a new Christmas Special which will no doubt become part of the holiday season for years to come.

The Barra MacNeils will continue to do what they love to do best, and that is playing their music for the fans. This incredibly talented family group will tour Canada, the US and Europe to spread their distinctive brand of Celtic flavour around the world. All confirmed 2008/2009 live dates are listed on the Tour page.

SEAMUS KENNEDY
BELFAST, IRL

Seamus Kennedy, originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, has been entertaining audiences all over the United States for the past 32 years. With a ready wit and a vast store of songs, he travels from Alaska to Florida, Maryland to California, performing for audiences which range from Popes and presidents to bartenders and bricklayers, from college students to kindergartners.

In concert or festival, in pub or club, in colleges or high schools, Seamus Kennedy has the repertoire and the ability to make folks forget their cares for a while, to relax and enjoy themselves. He encourages the crowd to sing along to silly lyrics and daft ditties or act out the choruses of children's songs. When he plays a lively Irish jig or a reel, Seamus will often coax someone to jump up and dance to the music of his guitar or bodhrán - to the delight - and often amazement - of their friends. His audience participation songs and tongue-twisters have amused the ablest of participants and the nimblest of tongues.

Seamus has an endless supply of rib-tickling jokes, stories and one liners which can leave an audience breathless from laughing so hard. Many a crowd has gone home from one of his shows giggling to one another, "Do you remember the one about...?" (Ask him to do the routine about Moms And Kids, the Nuns, or Murphy and the Snails.)

But the Irish have their serious side too, and when Seamus performs one of the more somber ballads such as Tommy Sands' "There Were Roses" or Pete St. John's "Dublin In The Rare Old Times" you can hear a pin drop as the words sink in. That moment of silence before the applause can raise goosebumps. Seamus' greatest influences have been the Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem, the Dubliners' Luke Kelly, and the Irish Rovers, so it is no surprise to find many songs that they made famous, such as "The Wild Colonial Boy", "The Wild Rover," or "The Black Velvet Band" in his performance. So come and enjoy the music and mirth of one of Ireland's most popular exports - Seamus Kennedy!

SEAN WILSON
DERRY, IRL

Sean Wilson began his career playing accordion in the family band, which toured his native county Derry in northern Ireland. After the release of his 1989 debut album, Sean recieved much acclaim, and soon began touring the UK. His laid back accordion playing style and warm voice blend to create a soothing antidote to the anxieties of daily life. To date, Sean has recorded ten videos, over twenty-five albums, and has performed with some of Ireland's finest musicians. We couldn't be happier to have him at the festival.

With a television series and a trove of silver and gold records to his credit, it's little wonder why so many consider Brendan Shine the most influential act ever to come out of Ireland. His music knows no generation -- even the Pogues' Shane McGowan put Shine right atop his list of favorite musicians. When it comes to accordion playing or Irish balladry, no one outshines Shine. His touring takes him all over Europe, so we're thrilled by his decision to jump the pond and again share his talents with us!

JOHNNY MCEVOY
BRAY, COUNTY WICKLOW

As a singer and songwriter, few can match Johnny McEvoy's prolific career. He once remarked, “It could have been different. I could have been an advertising man with button-down collar, sports coat, permanently creased terylene trousers and a secure job. But I threw it all away to become a ballad singer with button-down collar, sports coat, permanently creased terylene trousers and no job.” We're lucky he did. For 30 years he's garnered top ratings both on radio and ITV, while writing and performing hit favorites, including four number 1 singles – ‘Mursheen Durkin’, ‘Nora’, ‘Brown Eyes’ and ‘Long Before Your Time.’ We count ourselves blessed to again have such a distinguished singer/songwriter in our midst.

Finishing second at Ireland's version of American Idol, this Co. Mayo native with a golden voice is following the Achill Island--Cleveland pipeline in returning for his third festival appearance. James has a proven record in his mastering of Irish song and music and is one festival act not to be missed.  A versatile performer who has recorded four successful albums in the past five years covering material from Irish, Country and his much respected Gospel music. James has become a leading voice in Ireland for Gospel music but is always happy performing songs of his Irish home and culture. This Achill man regularly appears on Irish radio, television and has featured on International channels.  He recently sang at Westminster Cathedral, London, is a regular soloist at Knock Shrine, Co. Mayo and has sung for the Irish Papal Nuncio at the 2006 Papal Mass for Pope Benedict at Maynooth, Ireland.  Over the years James Kilbane has gone from strength to strength. He has continued to win and earn the respect of his public though his continued hard work, powerful performances and top quality recordings. Years of experience have helped make James Kilbane a versatile performer who with his four piece band will sing a memorable mix of Irish Folk and Country, Gospel and just simply, nice music.