A fun-loving approach to Celtic music has made the Boys of the Lough one of folk music's most influential groups. In the three decades since they were formed, the Ireland-based band has been instrumental in the evolution of traditional Irish music.

The Boys of the Lough initially came together in 1967 as a trio featuring Cathal... [+] Read More

A fun-loving approach to Celtic music has made the Boys of the Lough one of folk music's most influential groups. In the three decades since they were formed, the Ireland-based band has been instrumental in the evolution of traditional Irish music.

The Boys of the Lough initially came together in 1967 as a trio featuring Cathal McConnell (who had won the all-Ireland championship in flute and tin whistle in 1962), Tommy Gunn, and Robin Morton. When Gunn left two years later, McConnell and Morton recorded their first album, An Irish Jubilee, as a duo. After meeting Shetland fiddler Aly Bain and singer/guitarist Mike Whelan at the Folkirk Folk Festival in 1971, the two duos agreed to pool their resources.

The group continued to experience numerous personnel changes. In 1972, Whelan was replaced by guitarist and vocalist Dick Gaughan, who was replaced a year later by Northumbrian cittern, banjo and mandolin player Dave Richardson. Among the six albums recorded by this lineup were two live albums -- Live at Passim's, recorded at the Cambridge, Massachusetts coffeehouse, and Wish You Were Here, recorded while touring the Scottish Highlands.

In 1979, original member Robin Morton left the band and was replaced by Richardson's brother, Tish, on guitar. Tish Richardson remained with the group until 1983, when he died in an auto accident, and was replaced by British guitarist Chris Newman. Uilleann pipes, tin whistle and mouth-organ player Christy O'Leary, who had previosuly played with De Dannan, was added at the same time. In October 1997, Newman and O'Leary were replaced by accordion player Brendan Begley and guitar, mandocello and piano player Garry O'Briain. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide [-] Hide

A pan-Celtic approach is taken by the British group House Band; while their sound is rooted in traditional music, their repertoire includes tunes from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Bulgaria and even Africa. In addition to numerous folk songs and instrumentals, the House Band has interpreted songs by contemporary songwriters ranging from Archie... [+] Read More

A pan-Celtic approach is taken by the British group House Band; while their sound is rooted in traditional music, their repertoire includes tunes from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Bulgaria and even Africa. In addition to numerous folk songs and instrumentals, the House Band has interpreted songs by contemporary songwriters ranging from Archie Fisher and Richard Thompson to Elvis Costello and jazz pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand).

The House Band was formed as a quartet by Ged Foley (vocals, guitar, Northumbrian pipes), Chris Parkinson (accordion, harmonica, melodeon, keyboards), Iain MacLeod (ten-string mandolin, guitar, vocals) and Jimmy Young (smallpipes, flute, whistle). They were together for just over a year and recorded the band's self-titled debut album.

A native of County Durham, England, Foley had performed on the British folk circuit before joining the Battlefield Band in the early 1980s. The grandson of a piano player, he received his first guitar at the age of 14 or 15. After seeing a musician play Northumbrian pipes, a scaled-down version of the Highland pipes played with bellows, he acquired his own instrument and taught himself to play.

Yorkshire, England-born Parkinson began playing harmonica at the age of three of four and later taught lessons on the instrument. He received his first melodeon as a teenager. At the age of 21, he was introduced to folk music by a sister who was interested in folk dancing. In 1976, he acquired a piano accordion and taught himself to play in a French Canadian or French-influenced style that he dubbed Lancashire Cajun. An active session player in the early 1980s, Parkinson was a member of the tradition-rooted band Yorkshire Relish.

In 1986, MacLeod and Young left the group, and John Skelton (flute, bombarde, whistle, bodhran) joined along with vocalist Brian Brooks after the demise of their London-based group Shegui (she-gwee). Skelton, who grew up in Somerset, England, played tin whistle for dances as a youngster. While attending college near London, he rediscovered Irish music and started traveling to Ireland for several weeks each summer. He acquired a flute after hearing a performance by Mikey Cronin of Bally Desmond, County Kerry. As a member of Shegui, he sharpened his skills by performing in Irish pubs six nights a week and Sunday mornings. In 1973 he bought a bombarde, trading lessons in Irish music for instruction on the instrument.

When Brooks left the House Band after two years, the group temporarily continued as a trio. The band's newest member, Roger Wilson (guitar, fiddle, vocals), joined shortly before the recording of the House Band's seventh album, Rockall, in 1996.

Tracks from the House Band's first two albums, The House Band and Pacific, were released in the United States as Groundwork in 1993. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The older brother of Irish folk-pop singer-songwriter Luka Bloom (Barry Moore), Christy Moore is one of contemporary Irish music's best singer-songwriters. The former lead vocalist and chief songwriter of Planxty and Moving Hearts, Moore helped to bring the musical traditions of Ireland up to modern standards. As a solo singer-songwriter, Moore... [+] Read More

The older brother of Irish folk-pop singer-songwriter Luka Bloom (Barry Moore), Christy Moore is one of contemporary Irish music's best singer-songwriters. The former lead vocalist and chief songwriter of Planxty and Moving Hearts, Moore helped to bring the musical traditions of Ireland up to modern standards. As a solo singer-songwriter, Moore has continued to add elements of rock and popular music to his well-crafted, tradition-based tunes and has been a major inspiration to such modern Irish artists as U2, Sinead O'Connor and the Pogues.

Traditional Irish music had little influence on Moore's early music. Trained in old-time pop tunes and religious music, Moore was inspired as a teenager by the rock & roll of American artists including Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard. It wasn't until he had moved to London, where he heard Irish folk songs sung in Irish ghettos, that he became aware of the musical traditions of his homeland. Acquiring an acoustic guitar and Irish drum (bodhran), Moore began busking in the streets. Moore continued to attract attention with his original, folk-like songs after returning to Ireland in the late 1960s. Moore's debut solo album, Paddy on the Road, was released in 1969.

While recording his third album, Prosperous, in 1972, Moore assembled a band that evolved into Planxty. The group's fusion of Celtic music and high-energy rock made Planxty one of Ireland's most influential bands. With Moore singing lead in his heavily accented brogue and playing rhythm guitar and bodhran, Planxty brought together such top-ranked Irish musicians as Donal Lunny (guitar, bouzouki, bottleneck bouzouki), Liam O'Flynn (uilleann pipes, whistle) and Andy Irvine (mandolin, mouth organ). Although he left Planxty in 1974, Moore returned when the band's original lineup reunited in 1979. He remained with Planxty until 1983, when it evolved into a new band, Moving Hearts. Moore served as frontman for Moving Hearts until leaving to resume his solo career in 1985.

The excitement of Moore's concerts has been documented on two albums. Live In Dublin, released in 1978, featured accompaniment by Donal Lunny. Live at the Point, released in 1995, captures a solo performance at the Point Theater in Dublin in July 1994. Moore's solo recordings between 1973 and 1978, were compiled on The Folk Collection, released in 1978. His solo recordings between 1981 and 1991 were anthologized on The Christy Moore Collection, released in 1991. Moore's 1985 album Voyage featured backing vocals by Sinead O'Connor, Elvis Costello and Mary Black, plus accordion player Shamus Shannon. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide [-] Hide

With their Northern Ireland-style twin fiddling and accordion melodies accented by acoustic guitar and bouzouki, Altan has grown into one of the top traditional bands in Ireland. The inspiration for Altan was sparked when Donegal-born fiddler and vocalist Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh met Belfast-born flute player Frankie Kennedy. Ní Mhaonaigh had... [+] Read More

With their Northern Ireland-style twin fiddling and accordion melodies accented by acoustic guitar and bouzouki, Altan has grown into one of the top traditional bands in Ireland. The inspiration for Altan was sparked when Donegal-born fiddler and vocalist Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh met Belfast-born flute player Frankie Kennedy. Ní Mhaonaigh had learned the traditional style of fiddling from her father, Francie, who had learned it from his mother, Roise. Influential Irish fiddler Dinny McLaughlin, who frequented her childhood home, added to her knowledge of the instrument. Kennedy, who studied flute as a youngster, was extremely interested in Irish music and made several trips to Ireland during school vacations. Meeting during an informal jam session, Ní Mhaonaigh and Kennedy began to play together at every opportunity. Although they both took jobs as trainee teachers at St. Patrick's College in Dublin, music remained their shared passion.

In 1979, the two musicians made their recording debut as accompanists for Gaelic singer Albert Fry on his self-titled debut album. Two years later, Ní Mhaonaigh and Kennedy graduated from college and were married. Together with bouzouki player Donal O'Hanlan and Mairéad's brother Gearóid Ó Maoinaigh, who played guitar, Ní Mhaonaigh and Kennedy formed a band, Ragaime. Although they recorded for RTE, the group disbanded by the time that Gael-Linn released Ní Mhaonaigh and Kennedy's debut album, Ceol Aduaidh, in December 1983. One track on the album, "An Clar Bog Dell," featured Enya, then known as Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, on Prophet-5 synthesizer.

In 1987, Ní Mhaonaigh and Kennedy recorded their second album as a duo, Altan, named after a lake in northwest Donegal. Produced by Dónal Lunny, the album featured accompaniment by Ciarán Curran on bouzouki, Mark Kelly on guitar, and Mairéad's sister Anna Ní Mhaonaigh, then a member of the all-woman group Macella. Shortly after the completion of the album, the musicians agreed to continuing working together. During the summer of 1988, Altan began work on their first album as a band, which now included Paul O'Shaughnessy on twin fiddle. Produced by Phil Cunningham and released in 1989, the album, Horse with a Heart, featured a more dynamic sound than its predecessors.

As the band's touring schedule expanded, O'Shaughnessy and Kelly were forced by their day jobs to restrict their activity with Altan to recording and performances close to home. During the band's U.S. tours, their places were taken by Daíthí Sproule on guitar and Ciarán Tourish on fiddle. Altan reached top form with their 1990 album Red Crow, which received a NAIRD award as Best Celtic Traditional Album. Their next album, Harvest Storm, released in 1992, received the award as well.

All news was not good for the band, however. In 1991, Kennedy was diagnosed with cancer. Although he was hospitalized the following year, he recovered sufficiently to rejoin the band's tour. On September 19, 1994, he succumbed to his illness and passed away. Altan has continued to bring their music to the international stage. Accordion player Dermot Byrne, who had played on Red Crow and on Altan's 1993 album, Island Angel, joined the group formally in 1994. 1996's Blackwater and 1997's Runaway Sunday were released on the Virgin label before the group jumped to Narada for 2000's Another Sky. Numerous compilations and collections followed, as well as Blue Idol in 2002 and Local Ground in 2005, again for Narada. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The original traditional Irish folk band, as far as anyone who came of age in the 1970s or 1980s is concerned, is the Chieftains. Their sound, built largely on Paddy Moloney's pipes, is otherworldly, almost entirely instrumental, and seems as though it comes out of another age of man's history. That they became an international phenomenon in the... [+] Read More

The original traditional Irish folk band, as far as anyone who came of age in the 1970s or 1980s is concerned, is the Chieftains. Their sound, built largely on Paddy Moloney's pipes, is otherworldly, almost entirely instrumental, and seems as though it comes out of another age of man's history. That they became an international phenomenon in the '70s and '80s is testament to their virtuoso musicianship.

The Chieftains were first formed in Dublin during 1963, as a semi-professional outfit, from the ranks of the top folk musicians in Ireland. Until that time, and for some years after, the world's (and even Ireland's) perception of Irish folk songs was rooted in either the good-natured boisterousness and topicality of acts such as the Irish Rovers or Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers, or the sentimentality of Mary O'Hara. That began to change in Ireland with the advent of Ceoltoiri Cualann, a group formed from the ranks of the best traditional Irish musicians by a composer named Sean Ó Riada, who hailed from County Cork. Ceoltoiri Cualann, which specialized in instrumental music, stripped away the pop music inflections from Irish music -- the dances were played with a natural lilt and abandon that came from deep within the music's origins, and the airs, stripped of their worst modern inflections, came across with even greater poignancy than anyone had recognized them for in decades, and perhaps centuries. Tempos were changed in midsong, from reel to polka to jig to slow air and back again.

Paddy Moloney came out of Ceoltoiri Cualann to found the Chieftains in 1963, seeking to carry this work several steps further. The earliest recorded incarnation of the group consisted of Moloney (pipes), Sean Potts (tin whistle), Martin Fay (fiddle), David Fallon (bodhran), Mick Tubridy (flute, concertina), and Ó Riada. They were a success virtually from the beginning, their music weaving a spell around audiences in Ireland and later in England, where they quickly became popular as both a performing and recording act -- the only thing holding them back was the decision by the members to remain a semi-professional, part-time ensemble until the early '70s. Their first four albums, spread over a period from 1965 through 1973, were originally available only from the Claddagh label in Ireland, but were later picked up by Island Records for release in England and America in 1976, after the group had achieved international renown.

The 1970s saw the group break big in America. A new, younger generation of Irish-American listeners, who enjoyed folk music and whose cultural and musical tastes weren't limited to songs about "the troubles" (i.e., England), had already begun discovering the Chieftains' music in the early to mid-'70s. By that time, the group had elected to go professional, and to expand its lineup. Ó Riada and Fallon left after the first album, and Peadar Mercier (bodhran) and Sean Keane (fiddle) joined with the second. Following the recording of Chieftains 4, they'd added Ronnie McShane (percussion) and Derek Bell (harp, oboe, timpan), a classically trained musician. Bell's harp lent the group's sound a final degree of elegance and piquancy.

The group's big breakthrough in America, however, occurred when they provided the music for Stanley Kubrick's 1975 movie, Barry Lyndon. The film itself wasn't a hit, but the Chieftains were, especially one track called "Women of Ireland," which began getting played heavily on FM progressive rock stations, and even managed to get onto the play lists of some Top 40 stations. Suddenly, the Chieftains were hot in America, and a U.S. tour and a series of performances on television -- especially the network morning news/feature shows -- brought them into demand.

By that time, Island Records had contracted to release both the group's latest album, Chieftains 5, and their four previous records in England and America. With their newfound audience, Chieftains records started coming out every year instead of every two or three years -- Bonaparte's Retreat in 1976, Chieftains Live in 1977, and Chieftains 7, 8, and 9 in 1978, 1979, and 1980, respectively, although for their U.S. releases, from 1977 through 1980, they abandoned Island Records in favor of Columbia Records. Ever since the dawn of the CD era, their music has been available on compact disc from Shanachie Records, while their more recent work has shown up on the BMG label, on both compact disc and home video. The latter have included a Christmas concert and a mixed-ensemble performance interweaving the group with orchestras, American folk and country musicians, and rock musicians, and an album (Irish Heartbeat, 1988) recorded with Irish-born R&B shouter Van Morrison. Additionally, the group has been engaged steadily for film work.

Since the late '70s, the group's recordings have settled into an effective but not fully inspired level of creativity. The band has kept its sound fresh with the periodic addition of new members and a search for sounds beyond the boundaries of Ireland -- as distant as Spain -- as sources for its music.

In 2003, long time harp player Derek Bell passed away while on tour in Phoenix, AZ. The group, who continue to play and record, released a tribute in 2005 called Live in Dublin. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide [-] Hide

During the course of 1977, the Boys of the Lough cut tracks in a variety of locations ranging from Dublin, Ireland to Ferrisburg, Vermont, these widespread recording dates being determined by the desire to create an album featuring both a variety of guests and a broad variety of Celtic-influenced music. The result has a musical range that... [+] Read More

During the course of 1977, the Boys of the Lough cut tracks in a variety of locations ranging from Dublin, Ireland to Ferrisburg, Vermont, these widespread recording dates being determined by the desire to create an album featuring both a variety of guests and a broad variety of Celtic-influenced music. The result has a musical range that reaches from Irish country pubs to Acadia and Louisiana. The 1997 reissue provides the album with a clarity that is highly beneficial to its entertainment value. ~ Steven McDonald, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The follow-up to 1992's brilliant Harvest Storm was this almost equally powerful album, similar to its predecessor in configuration and artistry, but lacking some of the moments of simple magic that animated that previous effort. The band opens with an exhilarating set of reels consisting of the ever-popular "Tommy Peoples," "The Windmill" (an... [+] Read More

The follow-up to 1992's brilliant Harvest Storm was this almost equally powerful album, similar to its predecessor in configuration and artistry, but lacking some of the moments of simple magic that animated that previous effort. The band opens with an exhilarating set of reels consisting of the ever-popular "Tommy Peoples," "The Windmill" (an original composition of Altan fiddler Ciaran Tourish), and "Fintan McManus's." This leads into the romantic lament "Brid Og Ni Mhaille," beautifully sung, as always, by fiddler Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill, then into a set of highlands and more reels. The program proceeds similarly throughout, lively instrumental sets alternating with lushly beautiful songs of heartbreak and loss. Highlights include the slightly eerie children's song "Dulaman," a sweet and gentle rendition of the classic "The Jug of Punch," and a nice arrangement of one of fiddler John Doherty's mazurkas. If you already own Harvest Storm and Red Crow, then this would be an excellent next purchase. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Kate MacLeod's recording career was off to an impressive start with her entirely acoustic debut album, Trying to Get It Right. The promising CD didn't make her a huge name in the music world, but those who did hear it realized that MacLeod was an artist of substance and depth. MacLeod's folk and folk-pop isn't folk that gets in your face -- she... [+] Read More

Kate MacLeod's recording career was off to an impressive start with her entirely acoustic debut album, Trying to Get It Right. The promising CD didn't make her a huge name in the music world, but those who did hear it realized that MacLeod was an artist of substance and depth. MacLeod's folk and folk-pop isn't folk that gets in your face -- she isn't an "angry young woman" a la Ani DiFranco, and her songs opt for quiet reflection and subtle introspection instead of angst, anger or political protest. Subtlety and restraint is the rule on impressive acoustic offerings such as "Angel on my Mind," "Lark in the Morning" and the bluesy "Me & My Medicine," but while MacLeod never hits you over the head, she knows how to get her points across. On the poignant "Welfare Line," she really brings the struggle of a welfare recipient to life but does so without preaching; her storytelling is equally sympathetic on "Pawn Shop Man" and "Alabama Midwife." Constant Emotion made it clear that MacLeod was someone folk enthusiasts should take notice of. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide [-] Hide

While it might be preferable to have both Four on the Floor and Road to the Isle as complete and separate CDs, this condensation works very nicely, showing off MacMaster's lively fiddle style and her ability to select tunes from a variety of traditional sources. A good place to start with her work. ~ Steven McDonald, All Music Guide

While it might be preferable to have both Four on the Floor and Road to the Isle as complete and separate CDs, this condensation works very nicely, showing off MacMaster's lively fiddle style and her ability to select tunes from a variety of traditional sources. A good place to start with her work. ~ Steven McDonald, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Presenting excerpts from the group's tenure on the Green Linnet label, which is decisively its most productive period, Altan's first ten years are expertly captured here. Notably short on Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill and Frankie Kennedy's earliest pre-Altan recordings, the disc starts and ends with the band's most fruitful albums, bridging 1987's... [+] Read More

Presenting excerpts from the group's tenure on the Green Linnet label, which is decisively its most productive period, Altan's first ten years are expertly captured here. Notably short on Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill and Frankie Kennedy's earliest pre-Altan recordings, the disc starts and ends with the band's most fruitful albums, bridging 1987's Altan and 1993's Island Angel. As always, the tracks selected feature inspired playing and singing, with the emotional scope and inherent beauty of the music never failing to impress. And while it's hard to recommend this set emphatically over 1997's The Best of Altan retrospective (which strangely features virtually none of the same songs although it draws from the same period), the tracks selected here do well to cover the breadth of their exceptional career as arguably Ireland's greatest expositors of traditional song. Overall, an excellent introduction and an essential purchase for Celtic music fans. ~ Matt Fink, All Music Guide [-] Hide