Chez Chase

Brock McGuire Band

DO NOT MISS THIS EXCITING BAND!

Chez Chase

Jon Brooks

September 19, 2016

BIO:

Here is one account:

“I write songs to calm those who’ve looked into, and seen, what is in their hearts. I also write songs to terrify those who have not.” – Jon Brooks

Nearing the end of a year of travel in 1997 throughout Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and particularly, throughout war ruined Bosnia-Herzegovina, Jon Brooks discovered what kind of song he wanted to write. In 2005, he began writing and performing that song – the song that looks for the soul of things. In 2010 Jon became the fourth Canadian since 1975 to win the prestigious Kerrville (TX) New Folk Award. Founder of The Kerrville Folk Festival, the late Rod Kennedy, said of Jon: “(Brooks) speaks and sings words that need to be spoken and sung and he does it beautifully, perfectly, and with absolute finesse.” He has now been nominated four times for ‘English Songwriter of the Year’ by the Canadian Folk Music Awards (2007, 2009, 2012, and 2015). Jon’s fifth album, The Smiling and Beautiful Countryside, was released November 1, 2014 by Borealis Records and was nominated for two 2015 Canadian Folk Music Awards: ‘Contemporary Album of the Year’ and ‘English Songwriter of the Year.’

Chez Chase Presents

Frankie Gavin
Tommy McCarthy and Louise Costello

this concert is NOT to be missed — change all conflicting events to alternate dates!!!

Wednesday Evening, October 14, 2015
Chez Chase Out East: 450 River View Road, Memphis 38120
(the house on River View Road, not the condo with a river view)
RSVP: ChaseNan@AOL.com, or office phone (901) 287-4150
Light supper at 6 pm
Concert at 7 pm
(You need to eat somewhere!
Come and join us!)
Suggested artist donation for entry: $20 at door
Pre Paid to Nancy at venue address: $15

DO NOT MISS THESE MAGNIFICIENT MUSICIANS!

Space is limited and supper will be supplied: RSVP, asap
(We have seated room for about 50; we need numbers for food!)

Frankie Gavin has been playing fiddle & flute since his teenage years. At the age of seventeen, he won two All Ireland competitions – for fiddle and flute. Originally influenced by some of the great Irish and American-Irish fiddle players, James Morrison, & Michael Coleman, he later found himself playing with stars such as The Rolling Stones, Stephane Grappelli, Elvis Costello, Earl Scruggs & Yehudi Menhuin as well as with some of the great contemporary players & singers of traditional Irish music. All have left their mark on his eclectic approach to music.
De Dannan the globally renowned band he founded in the mid-1970s. After a short break in the early 2000s, Frankie restarted the band with a new young line-up. The current incarnation maintains the super-stellar quality of those iconic early De Dannans.

In his time, Gavin has played for four American presidents, starting, as a seven-year old, when he played for John F. Kennedy on his 1962 visit to Ireland, for Presidents Clinton & Bush & most recently, for Barack and Michelle Obama, when the president visited his ancestral home in the village Moneygall in County Offaly.The plain fact is that there is no more exciting fiddle player or moving flute player in the world of Irish music today.
Footnote The Guinness Book of Records, that bible of bizarre human conditions & activities, lists Frankie Gavin as the world’s fastest fiddle player. On 20 September 2010, he played a traditional Irish tune, The Foxhunter’s Reel, at a breath-taking 150 beats per minute!

Tommy McCarthy & Louise Costello come from families steeped in traditional Irish music.
Tommy
(fiddle), was born in London to Irish parents, who emigrated from the west of Ireland in the early 1950s.  His father Tommy Sr. was a well known piper & concertina player from Co. Clare, so Tommy grew up listening to traditional music & playing with all of the legendary Irish players who were living in London, including: Máirtín Byrnes, Raymond Roland, Roger Sherlock, Danny Meehan, Paddy Taylor & Bobby Casey.  He also recalls meeting John Kelly & Willie Clancy during frequent visits to Ireland. With his family, he performed throughout Ireland & the U.K. - including The Royal Albert Hall, London.
Louise (banjo) from Galway, played with her father Denny & local fiddlers: Joe Morris & Jim O'Brien, flute player Joe Collins & friend Paddy Hession. In her late teens she broadened her musical horizons & became part of Galway's vibrant session scene. It was there that her banjo playing was influenced by Charlie Piggott.

Tommy & Louise met in 1987 playing trad sessions in the Boston area & have continued to play together & with many notable musicians including The Chieftains & many more.

In 2014 Tommy & Louise released the critically acclaimed album: "Grace Bay", featuring original compositions by Tommy, as well as traditional favorites.
Read Irish Echo Review - Read review from "Living Tradition" U.K.
In late 2014 Tommy & Louise began working with St. Patrick's Mental Health Foundation on their Walk In My Shoes Campaign which helps to raise funds for vulnerable young adults in need of mental health services in Ireland. Tommy created the Trad Tune Challenge, hoping to attention & raise funds for the great service this foundation offers, he kicked the idea off with his own video challenge to good friend Sharon Shannon, who in turn challengedJoannie Madden & Nathan Carter. Within 24 hours, the challenge had reached 200,000 views! It exploded with challenges from young to seasoned musicians all over the world, joining together for this one great cause...See sample of musician Trad Tune Challenges

The Burren
Tommy & Louise are also owners of the The Burren Pub, in Davis Square, Somerville, which they opened in 1996. Since then, they've established the bar as the premier venue for traditional music in the U.S. There can be few contemporary trad musicians who have not enjoyed performing a concert in the intimate warmth of the Burren Back Room or joined an arousing session in the front bar.In 2011, they launched The Burren Backroom Series, along withBrian O'Donovan host of "A Celtic Sojurn" on WGBH radio. The series features core performers from many aspects of traditional music.
Past shows have included: Sharon Shannon; Dervish; Sean Keane;Andy Irvine; Robbie O'Connell & The Battlefield Band to name but a few.