Meet the CD Musicians/Seo chugaibh na haíonna ón DD



Bríd Ní Mhaoileoin - Vocals, Bodhrán, Bones
Alan Burke - Guitar, Bouzouki, Vocals

with special guests

Joe McHugh - Uilleann Pipes, Low Whistle, Whistle
Francis McIllduff - Uilleann Pipes, Whistles
Kevin O'Connor - Fiddle
Kate Dunne - Accordion
Wolf Zwiauer - Bass
Caitlin Ní Mhaoileoin - Backing Vocals
Pádraig Ó Maoileoin - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Ian Smith - Piano, Backing Vocals


Alan Burke of "At First Light" fame - Guitar and Vocals

Meeting Alan Burke in 2000 was the catalyst for getting my long-time wish of making a cd rolling. I knew very quickly that he was the musical partner I was looking for and all I can say now is "Go raibh maith agat Alan".

Alan has been singing for as long has he can remember. His first outings as a musician were as a drummer in his teens and early twenties, playing in numerous outfits and working as a session player in studios throughout the UK. However, after taking to the guitar at the age of nineteen, the songs came back to the fore and the drumsticks were finally put away for good in 1984. The following year Alan joined up with fiddle player Henry Sears and bouzouki and tenor banjo player Tim Potts in Wales to form the band Afterhours.

Over the next ten years they became one of the hardest touring bands in Irish music, playing all over Europe and America, Poland, Croatia, Slovenia and most places in between. They also managed to record three very well received albums in that time: the eponymously titled "Afterhours" (1988), "Hung Up and Dry" (1990), and "Up To Here" (1992). These titles don't seem to be available any longer, but who knows in the future?

In 2006 Alan joined "Tripswitch" magical duo John McSherry and Dónal O'Connor, together with Francis McIlduff and Rubén Bada in the brilliant band "At First Light"

Contact: Web: www.atfirstlight.net


See "Reviews" for more about Alan’s brilliant solo cds.



Joe McHugh - Uilleann Pipes, Low Whistle, Whistle
I met Joe in Switzerland in 1999 while playing there with Antonio Breschi and this lead to a lovely tour with myself and Joe accompanying Antonio. There was just no going back after that!

Joe McHugh is originally from Derry, N.Ireland. Since winning the coveted "All Ireland" Uilleann Piping competition in 1977, he has toured extensively world wide. In 1990 he lead a group of traditional irish musicians for a tour of Russia and Uzbekistan which was featured in the BBC-RTE documentary "The Soviet Session". This resulted in a musical partnership with Barry Carroll and the release to critical acclaim of the album "The Long Finger".

This is one of the best recordings of Irish instrumental music I've heard all year.
FOLK ROOTS Magazine

In recent years Joe has recorded and toured with Antonio Breschi, Martín O'Connor, Afterhours, Alan Burke, Ronnie Drew of The Dubliners, Slua Nua, Shirley Grimes, Airla, Rattlin' Strings, Bob Bales, Gilbert Paeffgen and The Keiser Twins. In the summer of 2000 he was invited by Andreas Vollenweider to join him on a European tour of festivals in Turkey, Germany, Italy and Switzerland culminating in the "Live At Sunset" concert at the Landesmuseum Zürich.

Joe's musical horizons cover not only "pure" traditional music but with his imaginative musicianship he also inspires and adds a celtic dimension to World Music and Jazz. He is not only a virtuoso piper but also an accomplished low whistle and tin whistle player. Over the years he has been quite busy as a composer of instrumental pieces and sound track music, and he has appeared in numerous films.

Contact: Tel: +41 (0)1 912 26 59
Web: www.joemchugh.net
E-Mail: mchugh@goldnet.ch



Francis McIlduff of "At First Light" fame - Uilleann Pipes, Low Whistle

Alan suggested asking Francis to join us on the cd, based on his years of experience with Francis as a member of the band "Afterhours". A good move too!

Born into the legendary McPeake family in Belfast, Francis McIlduff was introduced to the sights and sounds of traditional music at a very early age, and whilst widely recognised today as one of the finest pipers in the Ireland, it was on the bodhran that he made his debut performance at the age of 12. Influenced in style particularly by Christy Moore, his bodhran playing was soon to take a back seat to the uillean pipes more synonymous with the family name. Along with the pipes, the seemingly obligatory outstanding low whistle playing soon went hand in hand at performances the length and breadth of the country. Since debuting with the family band, 'Clann McPeake' at a very tender age, Francis has gone on to perform with some of the foremost traditional and contemporary artistes in music today, including the seminal Irish folk rock outfit 'Alias Ron Kavana', 'Sin E', 'Afterhours' featuring singer Alan Burke, and Hungarian based traditional outfit 'Fianne'. He is also in great demand as a session musician across Europe... Francis is currently John McSherry's partner in crime in the fabulous band "At First Light" - double pipes, plus Dónal O'Connor on fiddle, Alan Burke on guitar and vocals, and Rubén Bada on bouzouki..

Contact: Web: www.atfirstlight.net



Wolf Zwiauer - Bass
I first met Wolf in March 2001 when I was invited to take part in the Irish Music Festival at the Volkshaus, Zurich - a festival of Irish traditional and modern Irish music (See links). I was delighted when he agreed to play on my cd. Danke für die Grooves Wolf!



His attentive ear, his talent to create original sounds and colourful tones, his qualities as a solo performer, but most importantly his extraordinary capacity to support a vision, has gained Wolfgang Zwiauer the title of Der kompletteste E-Bassist der Schweiz (the most all-round bass player in Switzerland) from the Swiss newspaper "Der Bund". He is the most sought-after bass player around. He has appeared on no less than 30 CDs and performed live with David Gilmore, George Gruntz, Andy Scherrer, Jojo Mayer, Harald Härter, Roberto Gatto, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Christy Doran and his New Bag, Matthieu Michel, Hans Feigenwinter and Candy Dulfer. He has also worked as co-producer on projects with singer/songwriter Shirley Grimes, Asita Hamidi and the legendary Fab Four.

Contact: Muristrasse 75
CH-3006 Bern
+41 (0)31 351 82 62

E-Mail: silberwolf@swissonline.ch



Kevin O'Connor - Fiddle
I met Kevin at a festival in Germany in 1997 and really enjoyed his playing then. I fell in love with his debut cd, "From the Chest" and when the plans for my cd started taking shape Kevin was the first fiddle player I thought of approaching. Thanks Kevin for the beatiful playing on my cd!

Kevin O’ Connor has been a feature of the melting pot that is the Dublin Traditional Music scene for ten years now. Originally from Watford, England, Kevin, whose parents are from Cavan and Roscommon, began playing the fiddle from an early age under the guidance of Brendan Mulcare from Co. Clare.

Kevin, having moved to Dublin in 1988, wasted no time in surrounding himself with musicians of talent and experience and became well known at the many gigs and sessions he played in around the country. After guesting on and providing some compositions for Emer Mayock’s cd "Merry Bits of Timber", Kevin was approached by Dublin label Malgamú Music and asked to consider doing a fiddle album for them. Musicians of the calibre of Tony McManus, Paul Kelly and the aforementioned Emer Mayock were delighted to take part in the project and the recording began in November of 1998. The album contains music from Brittany and the Asturius region of Spain, a country Kevin has played in many times. Other musicians including Robert Harris, Breda Mayock and Trevor Hutchinson all made valuable contributions to the recording.

Kevin O’ Connor’s album "From the Chest", is released by Malgamú Music and is distributed in Ireland by Gael Linn.

Contact: Mobile +353 (0)87 238 0759



Kate Dunne - Accordion
I met Kate in Derrygonnelly, the best town in Fermanagh! For proof click here! I needed a Conamara accordion touch on a few of my songs, and although she doesn't have a drop of Conamara blood in her, she was just brilliant!

Although it's the fiddle she's playing in the photo, it was the accordion that she played on my cd.

Contact: Web: www.redlagoonmusic.com



Ian Smith - Recording Engineer, Musician, Composer, Arranger
I got to know Ian Smith through Belfast flute player Gerry O'Donnel, and his diverse experience with so many different types of music convinced me that he was the right man for the job. He was so easy to work with and the whole environment was very relaxing. His musical skills came in handy too! Good man Ian!

Ian Smith from Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh, is from a family steeped in traditional Irish music. Highly regarded as a guitarist, he is an accomplished player in many styles and has toured Ireland, the UK and Europe playing everything from Country through Rock to Traditional. Ian moved to London in the mid eighties where he developed his recording and production skills, working with the early versions of computer based systems. Now back in Fermanagh, Ian's experience both as a composer musician and recording engineer has resulted in a unique recording facility producing the Erne Rising project and albums of the highest quality.

Contact: Web: www.redlagoonmusic.com