Kevin Burke, Andy Irvine, Jackie Daly and Ged Foley
"These are veterans of Planxty, the Bothy
Band, De Dannan and more, who represent the distillation
of a crucial new strain that emerged in traditional Irish music
some twenty-five years ago. " -Tim O'Brien, liner notes to
Compendium"I don't know this guy Patrick Street,
but I tell you, the boys in his band are really good." This comment was heard in line just a few minutes before the
start of the very first concert on the very first tour ever played by Patrick Street. Well, Patrick never did show up, but
the "boys" are still doing fine without him!
The Irish "supergroup" Patrick Street
began with four recognized masters joining forces for a tour in 1986. Fifteen years and seven albums later, the group
has reached "legendary" status. Billboard has called their music "mesmerizing" and their albums "a must for those
who love Irish music."
Though the guitar position has changed
over the years (initally Arty McGlynn, later Gerry O'Beirne) the line-up-- Kevin Burke (ex-Bothy Band), singer/bouzouki
player Andy Irvine (ex-Planxty), Jackie Daly (ex-De Dannan), and multi-instrumentalist Ged Foley (formerly
of the Battlefield Band, and now in The House Band) -- has otherwise remained constant.
'Compendium'
is a 'Best Of Patrick Street' collection by this outstanding Irish group from January 2001. The record was compiled
by the band with liner notes by bluegrass singer/songwriter and Irish music fan Tim O'Brien. There are songs
and tunes from throughout the band's 15-year history, including a live version of their trademark number "Music for a Found
Harmonium." As O'Brien writes, "Compendium is packed with the kind of great performances we've come to expect.
The fact is, Patrick Street always sound great!
Patrick Street Individual
Biographies
Kevin Burke (fiddle)
was born in London, England to Irish parents who came originally from Sligo, an area renowned for its traditional music, particularly
that of the fiddle. As a teenager he played in music clubs throughout England and Ireland, but in 1972 a chance meeting with
Arlo Guthrie brought him to the USA to play on Arlo's album, Last Of The Brooklyn Cowboys (he would eventually make the country
his home).
At Christy Moore's beckoning, Kevin moved
for a period to Ireland to join what would become one of the most influential Irish groups of the 1970s, The Bothy Band. After
the band's breakup, he recorded two classic duo albums and toured with Bothy Band guitarist Míchéal O'Domhnaill. He has also
made his presence felt as a member of both The Celtic Fiddle Festival (with Johnny Cunningham) and the leader of the Irish-American
outfit Open House.
As a founder of Patrick Street, Kevin has
given to the band's sound and repertoire a highly ornamented Sligo fiddle style that is both "in the tradition" and full of
multi-cultural surprises. "My style is a definite composite," he says. "The old Sligo players provided the building blocks
but I've borrowed bits and pieces from all sorts of musicians along the way."
Andy Irvine (vocals/bouzouki/mandolin)
is one of the great balladeers of Irish music-his voice is one of a handful of truly great ones that gets to the very soul
of Ireland. He was a member of two other groundbreaking groups, Sweeney's Men (with Johnny Moynihan) and Planxty (with Christy
Moore) and has worked closely with Paul Brady. Album collaborations include work with the likes of De Danann, Maddy Prior,
June Tabor and Dick Gaughan.
If his voice explores an aching Irish romanticism,
his sprightly bouzouki playing has brought a Balkan edge to his musical collaborations. Andy was one of the first to bring
bouzouki and Bulgarian music to the Irish tradition. His collaborative album 'East Wind' with Riverdance composer Bill Whelan
featured Hungarian singer Marta Sebestyen.
Jackie Daly (accordion) comes
from North Cork and plays in the style of Sliabh Luachra, the area bordering Kerry and North Cork and encompassing such towns
as Castleisland and Jackie's home, Kanturk. Sliabh Luachra is a regional style known for its lively slides and lovely, spirited
polkas (of which Jackie is a master). He was a member of the famous Irish group De Dannan and has toured or recorded with
the likes of Dolores Keane, Buttons And Bows, Kevin Burke (as a duo), John Faulkner and Seamus Creagh.
Ged Foley (guitar/fiddle/vocals)
was born in County Durham in the North East of England. Ged (pronounced "Jed") was a one-time member of Scotland's The Battlefield
Band and is a founding member of The House Band. For a time, he worked in a duo with the excellent English singer/songwriter
Jez Lowe. He replaced original Patrick Street member Arty McGlynn in 1996. Ged is a superb guitarist, a singer of distinction
with a dry, spare, unornamented style and a player of both the fiddle and the Northumbrian smallpipes. He lives in the USA.
Discography
Compendium:
The Best Of Patrick Street (GLCD 1207)
-
Live From Patrick Street (GLCD 1194)
1997- Made in Cork (GLCD 1184)
1996- Corner Boys (GLCD 1160)
1993- All in Good Time (GLCD 1125)
1990- Irish Times (GLCD 1105)
1988- No. 2 Patrick Street (GLCD 1088)
-
Burke/Daly/Irvine/McGlynn: Patrick Street (GLCD 1071)
