Upcoming Traditional
 Celtic Music Events

Sixth Annual ‘A Gaelic Christmas,’ the creation of & featuring the internationally renowned Irish singer Mary McLaughlin & her Cor Aingli (Irish for ‘Angelic Choir’), along with traditional musicians including Celtic harpist Steve Coulter, flute & whistle player Owen Meehan, David Chadwick on guitar, Julia Horner on hammer dulcimer & Laura Reeve on bodhran.

 The Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay, with mixed emotions, proudly presents Molly’s Revenge in Pete Haworth’s Farewell Concert. After 10 years, 10 CDs, hundreds of concerts & thousands of travel miles, original member Pete Haworth will be leaving Molly’s Revenge, the group that has done so much to raise the cachet of the Celtic music from our part of the planet, both throughout the and overseas with their tours of Australia, China attracted the notice of the internationally renowned John Doyle & Aaron Jones to produce their last two albums. This concert will be Pete’s last hurrah with the band before the Lancashire lad is gone awa’. No doubt it will be a bittersweet occasion but, sure, isn’t Celtic music like that; never totally sad nor totally happy. (Perhaps though, Pete is reckoning this January 4th concert to be his July 4th; his Independence Day.) It’s the last call then for you to see & hear Pete’s vibrant, virile vocals & his buoyant bouzouki brilliantly buttressing the intoxicating instrumentals with piper & whistle player David Brewer, fiddler John Weed & guitarist & mandola player Stu Mason. Fair warning - people have already made plans to fly in for this event from around the country so it would be ha-worthwhile to get your tickets & reservations in pronto. If ever a concert deserved to be called ‘not-to-be-missed,’ this is that concert. For more, visit www.mollysrevenge.com.

The Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay invites you to celebrate the 253rd anniversary of the birth of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, by attending a concert by Scots singer, songwriter, guitarist & harmonica player, Jim Malcolm, with special guests, fiddler Deby Benton Grosjean & Celtic harpist & woodwinds player Shelley Phillips performing a wee opening set, It is hard to imagine more congenial company with whom to share Burns’ birthday than Jim Malcolm, for 8 years the lead singer of the popular Scottish ensemble, Old Blind Dogs & winner of the 2004 ‘Songwriter of the Year’ & nominated more times than anyone else for ‘Singer of the Year’ from the prestigious Scots Trad Music Awards. Widely regarded as one of the leading interpreters of Burns’ songs, these songs feature prominently in his concerts & on Jim’s ten ‘solo’ CDs. One album is an all-Burns affair & another features a mammoth retelling by Malcolm, set to his original music, of Burn’s epic, ‘Tam O’Shanter.’ Jim has also released on DVD his hilarious one-man-show as Burns entitled ‘Bard Hair Day.’ If this DVD doesn’t have you rolling in the Hebridean aisles, you might want to check for your pulse because you could be dead. And while Burns may be decomposing, Jim has been composing songs on themes familiar to Burns; writing eloquently of the joys & sorrows of love& the wonders of nature & indignantly towards those who abuse their position of power. Amongst a profusion of critical accolades accumulated by Jim are from The Independent, ‘One of the most outstanding talents to have emerged the Scottish folk scene in years,’ from Living Tradition, ‘One of the finest singing voices in Scotland in any style,’ from Dirty Linen, which Jim possessed ‘One of those pure, warm folk voices that one never tires listening to’ & the Boston Globe noting, Jim Malcolm’s voice has the complex individuality of an aged single-malt whisky.’ His concerts are always highly entertaining; accompanying himself with his glittering guitar & hearty harmonica on Burns songs, traditional ballads & puissant self-penned material with between songs banter of comic stories, jokes & humorous observations. And, as always with Jim, expect a surprise or two. Adding to his already enviable legacy of recordings & DVD, also on sale at the concert, being released a nanosecond before, will be Jim’s latest, tentatively entitled ‘Disaster for Scotland.’ Don’t let the title fool you, the recording will be entirely of comic ditties. We’re delighted to have the lovely lagniappe of Deby Benton Grosjean, who recently had a sold-out Kuumbwa concert for her CD release of the marvelous ‘Healing Well’ & Shelley Phillips of the Coulter/Phillips Ensemble & many other groupings open the concert. Perhaps their participation will re-kindle memories of when the Community Music School of Santa Cruz presented annual Burns’ Birthday concerts. For more, visit www.jimmalcolm.com.

Legendary Irish singer, songwriter & bouzouki player Andy Irvine Celebrating the recent release of his critically acclaimed CD, ‘Abocurragh,’ Andy Irvine is one of the great Irish singers, among the handful that gets to the very soul of Ireland. Hailed in Dublin’s Hot Press as ‘a tradition unto himself,’ Andy’s highly individual performing skills have cheered by audiences around the world from the mid-60’s with the groundbreaking band Sweeney’s Men & the enormous success with Planxty in the 70’s to the Irish supergroup Patrick Street since the 80’s & also currently with the world music powerhouse Mozaik. As a solo performer, Andy fills the role as an archetypal troubadour reflecting his traveling lifestyle & life-long influence Woody Guthrie in a rich & varied repertoire of traditional Irish ballads, dexterous Balkan dance tunes, American songs & a compelling canon of original compositions. Irvine has been praised by his peers; Dick Gaughan has written, ‘Andy is one of the most creative persons and talented persons it has ever been my privilege to work with. Great company, superb singer, genius of a musician, truly original songwriter and an inspiration to us all –what more could anyone ask?’ & Si Kahn observed, ‘Andy Irvine is Ireland’s Woody Guthrie, with a philosopher’s ear and a prophet’s passionate voice… a stunning singer and instrumentalist who weaves melody and texture, harmony and rhythm, into a rich tapestry of present and past.’ As the Sydney Morning News pointed out, ‘What makes an evening with Irvine so special is that every note he picks and every line he sings comes from the heart. Everything he touches is performed with honesty and conviction and his playing is never less than breathtaking. By any measure, Irvine is one of the towering talents on the international folk scene.’

For more, visit his website at www.andyirvine.com.

There’s no better way to either get in a merry mood for or to continue the festivities of St. Patrick’s Day than by imbibing a concert with The Black Brothers Band. The singing siblings, Shay & Michael, have recorded three albums with their sisters & brother, Mary, Frances & Martin that have gone ‘Gold’ in Ireland. With Martin they have released the CD, ‘What a Time,’ which led the Irish Echo to rave, ‘One of the most impressive groups of Irish singers to be found anywhere… exquisite, exhilarating and nothing short of thrilling,’ & Michael Black’s eponymous ‘solo’ CD, produced by John Doyle, was short-listed for a Grammy nomination. The Blacks adroitly accompany their sheer joy of singing, either in stirring solos or heavenly harmonies, with banjo, cittern & guitar. In concert they are joined by fiddle virtuoso Bobbi Nikles, celestial cellist Myra Joy, sparkling keyboardist Bryan Seet & dazzling San Francisco Rose of Tralee winner, Irish step dancer & accordionist Aislin Roche. Performances include a lot of up tempo Irish reels & jigs, Irish ballads sung in English & Irish, Dublin street songs, music hall ditties & contemporary compositions, with a special fondness for songs with choruses for the audience to join in, all peppered throughout with comic stories, jokes & humorous childhood anecdotes. Concertgoers invariably leave grinning broadly & happily humming choruses.

The Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay proudly presents the radiant Irish singer Karan Casey & stellar Irish guitarist & singer John Doyle.  Karan & John’s potent musical partnership so memorably captured on their recent dazzling duo Compass Records release, ‘Exiles Return.’ Briefly though, 5 acclaimed CDs into her solo career & a Grammy winner for her collaboration with Paul Winter, Karan is widely regarded as one of the finest singer Ireland has ever produced; twice been voted by Irish Music Magazine as ‘Best Female Traditional/Folk Artist, hailed in the Wall Street Journal as ‘One of the true glories of Irish music today, ’ in USA Today as ‘shiver-inducingly excellent;’ made the Irish Echo proclaim, ‘Seeing and hearing Karan Casey in concert constitutes an event’ & had the Associated Press rave, ‘A voice so beautiful it’s almost impossible to avoid falling under her spell.’ Called by Irish Edition, ‘John Doyle has a magical touch … a dream guitarist,’ Doyle has been receiving increasing plaudits for his superb singing. (Doyle is a born singer; just correctly anagram his name.) John has released three ‘solo’ CDs, been a Grammy nominee for his triumphant triumvirate of recordings with fiddler Liz Carroll & currently tours a musical director & guitarist with folksinger Joan Baez. For more, visit the websites at www.karancasey.com and www.johndoylemusic.com.