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JERRY DOUGLAS BAND (USA)
CMA (Country Music Association of America) 2005 Musician Of The Year. In addition to being widely acknowledged as America's foremost master of the dobro, the twelve-time Grammy winner is a freewheeling, forward-thinking recording artist whose output draws upon a bottomless well of musical inspiration, incorporating elements of bluegrass, country, rock, jazz, blues and Celtic into his distinctive musical vision. |
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PADDY KEENAN (Ireland/USA)
Johnny Keenan's younger brother Paddy is generally acknowledged as the most accomplished uilleann piper performing today, Paddy is certainly one of the most brilliant musicians of his generation. He can rightfully claim his place alongside such open-style legends as pipers John Cash and Johnny Doran.
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TONY TRISCHKA - MICHAEL DAVES BLUEGRASS BAND (USA)
Tony Trischka returns to the Banjo Festival for the 4th year running. Tony is one of the world's most innovative banjo players. Throughout his thirty year career, Tony has defied boundaries and explored a wide variety of genres commonly considered out-of-bounds for the banjo. |
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FINBAR FUREY w/MAURICE LENNON (Ireland)
Singer/Songwriter/Multi-instrumentalist Finbar Furey has left his mark on the music of Ireland for more than four decades. As a lead singer and uilleann piper for The Fureys, a group he shared with his brothers for many years, he helped to guide the evolution of Ireland's traditional music....Fiddle master Maurice Lennon, was co-founder of the highly acclaimed Stockton's Wing, a group which reached super-group status in the 1980's.
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BARNEY McKENNA (Ireland)
Barney McKenna plays the tenor banjo, mandolin, and melodeon. But he is revered as the elder stateman of the Irish tenor banjo, and has been a member of THE DUBLINERS since 1962. |
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PETE & JOAN WERNICK (USA)
Pete Wernick, "Dr. Banjo", is renowned worldwide for his accomplishments and contributions to bluegrass music. Known for his banjo playing with Hot Rize, and his singer-guitarist wife Joan present one of the West's most engaging country duets. Joan's clear, soulful singing and Pete's masterful picking bring life to a diverse repertoire including traditional bluegrass, vocal duets, and blazing instrumentals. Joan, also known to music fans as "Nondi", has sung with various groups in Colorado and hosted a bluegrass radio program on KGNU Boulder since 1978. Her natural sparkle and the couple's on-stage repartee adds an extra dimension to their duet performances. Bluegrass Now magazine says, "Joan's singing is guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of any bluegrass traditionalist." |
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GERRY O'CONNOR with BRENDAN O'REGAN (Ireland)
Gerry O'Connor has brought the banjo to places no other player had tread before. He has travelled the world - physically and musically - experimenting with everything from Irish to bluegrass to African and Asian, and back to Irish. Both as a soloist and as a member of the highly acclaimed Four Men and a Dog, Gerry has truly traced the banjo's journey through the world of music....Brendan O'Regan is a true master of the bouzouki. He is highly regarded not only for his exceptional picking style, but for his in-studio technical abilities. |
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CARMEL SHEERIN & THE RAVENS (Ireland)
It's the breathtaking singing and song writing that gives Carmel Sheerin & The Ravens their unmistakable sound, with precision harmonies rooted in American country and bluegrass music, going back to their early days as a family group. Voted #1 European Bluegrass Band (2005-2006) at the EWOB Festival in Holland. Based in the Midlands of Ireland (not far from Longford!!) they make their innaugral trip to America next month to showcase at IBMA! |
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UNWANTED (Ireland)
featuring Cathy Jordan (Dervish), Rick Epping (Pumpkinhead), Seamie O'Dowd (Dervish). |
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RIG THE JIG (Ireland)
LONGFORD's pride and joy..."When Rig the Jig let fly, a spirit of connection exists between Irish traditional music and contemporary American material, which is both fresh and invigorating as well as sounding completely natural and unforced"
John ORegan, Folk Roots |
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CARTER BROTHERS (USA)
Tim & Danny Carter..."sons of North Carolina and residents of Nashville...blood relatives of The Carter Family, intrepid world travelers, bringers of brief moments of happiness and pioneers of their own unique brand of "groovinappalachianfolkrockjazzedupbluegrassgypsybluesmusic"... |
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UNCLE EARL (USA)
Call it old-time for our times: with their infectious
energy, undeniable charisma, sharp musicianship, and unique repertoire of
original and traditional songs, Uncle Earl is bringing the string band legacy
proudly into the modern era. The band’s debut album, She Waits for Night,
is that rare project that is enriched by tradition but never enslaved by
it – at once defiantly old-fashioned and defiantly contemporary. It is a
sound that bridges gaps. |
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NIALL TONER BAND (Ireland)
Niall Toner is widely recognised in Ireland as one of the country's leading experts on all aspects of Country and Bluegrass music, and also for his broadcasting work on the national airwaves with RTE Radio One, and his programme, Country Heartland. Niall began playing guitar when he was 11, emulating the styles of Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family. He began performing professionally when he was still in his 'teens, and organised his first acoustic band in the early sixties with the formation of The Lee Valley String Band in Cork. Niall went on to form The Sackville String Band and Hank Halfhead And The Rambling Turkeys, and got together with his current line-up, featuring the talents of guitarist Clem O'Brien and bassest Dick Gladney, in 2001. |
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TENNESSEE MAFIA JUG BAND featuring LEROY TROY (USA)
The Tennessee Mafia Jug Band make their very first
European appearance at the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival. Featuring festival
favourite, LEROY TROY...their singing is a joyous expression of their love of the culture of old fashioned country music. It is hairy-legged, head-throwed-back, open-throat country singing thatıs not for the faint of heart. They mean to make you grin! |
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ENDA SCAHILL (Ireland)
Galway player Enda Scahill, a five-time All-Ireland champion on tenor banjo and a senior All-Ireland champion on mandolin. Enda returns this year to the Banjo Festival to launch his new cd with melodeon player Paul Brock
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TOMMY O'SULLIVAN (Ireland)
Guitarist and singer, member of critically acclaimed group Sliabh Notes. Reguarly tours as duo with Paddy Keenan. |
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THE JEFF & VIDA BAND (USA)
Fabulous band from New Orleans Bluegrass / Blues / Southern Soul at its best. |
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ROUGH DEAL STRING BAND (Ireland)
Rough Deal String Band...
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RANCH HOUSE FAVOURITES (Netherlands)
Formed in 1992 and influenced by the great western swing bands of the 1940's and 1950's, this 5-piece outfit strives to achieve
a sound that is at once authentic and timeless. They're one of the hottest European retro outfits to burn up a dance floor. They'll bring you on a sentimental journey to the days of legendary artists like singing cowboy Roy Rogers, hillbilly troubadours Hank Williams and Ernest Tubb, father of bluegrass Bill Monroe and king of western swing Bob Wills. All dressed up in their western-style suits with matching ten-gallon hats and razor-sharp cowboyboots, they really know how to get you rocking with their soul-stirrin' tearjerkers, hard-boppin' breakdowns and breath-takin' harmonies |
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