iBAM! 2012

Phil Coulter is from Derry in Northern Ireland. His success has spanned four decades and he is one of the biggest record sellers in Ireland. The Derry composer was awarded the prestigious Gold Badge from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA) in October 2009. He has won 23 Platinum Discs, 39 Gold Discs, 52 Silver Discs, two Grand Prix Eurovision awards; five Ivor Novello Awards, which includes Songwriter of the Year; three American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers awards; a Grammy Nomination; a Meteor Award, a National Entertainment Award and a Rose d’or d’Antibes.

Derek Warfield was born the eldest of four in Inchicore, Dublin in 1943. He was apprenticed as a tailor until becoming a folk musician. He lives in Kilcock, Co. Kildare. Derek Warfield is a singer, songwriter, mandolin player and a founding member of the Wolfe Tones, performing with the band for over 37 years. He has written and recorded over 60 songs and ballads. The Foggy Dew was the first of 16 albums recorded by the Wolfe Tones (1964) while the popular Sing Out For Ireland (1987) was the last studio album that all four members were present on.Warfield also has two books, The Songs and Ballads of 1798 and The Irish Songster of the American Civil War. Warfield has performed his music and songs at American Civil War events and commemorations at such sites as Gettysburg, Sharpsburg and Harrisburg with his band, The Sons of Erin. Warfield’s 2002 release, Clear the Way is the second in his Irish Songs in the Civil War series.

The ballad “Take Me Home To Mayo”, written by Belfastman Seamus Robinson as a tribute to Michael Gaughan, was recorded as a duet with Irish American Andy Cooney and is the title track of another 2002 Warfield release.
Derek now tours with his new band, Derek Warfield and The Young Wolfe Tones.

Gavin Coyle was born in Derry, Northern Ireland. His parents raised him and his four sisters amid the fallout from the troubles. Gavin credits his parents with keeping them from harm and encouraging their interest in music. He first came to America when he was 14 years old as part of a peace project involving youths from Northern Ireland. Similar to the Ulster Project, the goal was to help teens from Northern Ireland build friendships that would otherwise not be possible with the social and religious divisions existing at home. He continued his commitment to such peace projects when he joined the Ulster Project in 1992 and came back to the States as a counselor and chaperone. When he returned home, he graduated from St. Mary's College in Belfast in 1994 with a double major in Education and Art. In 1995, he returned to the States and has been here ever since performing to sold out crowds throughout the area.

Chicago Reel-- Chicago Reel brings some of Chicago's finest musicians together for a refreshing take on traditional Irish music. Two fiddles join banjo, button box and piano to play a wide repertoire of reels and jigs, old and new, energetic and full of spirit. Their songs, rooted in the old-style sean-nós tradition, tell haunting stories of forsaken love and tales of emigration filled with hope for a new life. Chicago Reel members are Devin Shepherd and Rose Duffy on fiddle, Jonathan Whitall on keyboard, Pauline Conneely on banjo, Gerry Carey on accordion and the vocal styling of Denis O'Sullivan. To see the band's individual bios, click here.

As an established performer and recording artist on the Celtic music circuit, Laurence Nugent has performed with scores of musicians including The Chieftains, Shane McGowan, Van Morrison, The Green Fields of America, Martin Hayes, Dennis Cahill and Paddy Keenan.  He has been a featured performer at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, Milwaukee Irish Fest, San Francisco Irish Fest, Glen Echo Festival in Washington DC, Willie Clancy Summer School in Ireland, and the International Flute Festival De Cornouaille Quimper in France. He has toured extensively throughout Ireland, North America, Europe, and Japan.  Laurence Nugent comes from the little village of Lack in County Fermanagh, an area steeped in the traditional arts of music, singing and storytelling.  Not surprisingly, his first musical influences came from within his own family.   His father Sean Nugent was an All-Ireland fiddle champion and leader of the Pride of Erin Ceili Band, one of the top Irish dance bands of its day, and Laurence grew up listening to some of the finest players in the land.   Like many young musicians of his generation, Laurence entered many of the regional and national competitions held under the auspices of the Irish musicians association Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann; he took first prize in junior competitions three times in the late 80's, and went on to win the senior All Ireland Championships in 1994 and 1995. Since moving to Chicago. Laurence has played a large part in the local scene as an anchor and resource for traditional Irish music. The traditional sessions he has led over the years in Chicago have been well-known for their fine quality of both music and hospitality. He currently hosts Chicago's longest running traditional Irish music session at The Abbey Pub on the corner of Elston and Grace. He has taught hundreds of students in private lessons, in classes at the Old Town School of Folk Music, and in workshops throughout the United States and Ireland.

The Cannadys--Patrick (uilleann pipes) and Karen (fiddle) have been playing music together since 2001, performing at
festivals, uilleann piping weekends, and private events. They prefer to explore the sonic  possibilities of the uilleann pipes and slack tuned fiddle in their music, drawing inspiration from icons like Tommy Reck, Peadar O’Loughlin, Ronan Browne, Caoimhin O’Raghallaigh, and Mick O’Brien. Their repertoire contains many tunes learned from the senior members of Chicago’s own immigrant traditional musicians, and their emphasis on grit and lift comes from their lean, tough style of playing.

Noel Rice from Geashill Co. Offaly. (Flutes and whistles) Began playing at a young age. Self-taught flute and whistle player with a little help from the late musician Andy Conroy. Founded the band early eighties, and is very involved in passing on the music tradition to the younger generation.

The vibrant energy orchestrated by Cathleen Rice-Halliburton on the fiddle is demonstrated by her traditional style. Following in her grandfather's footsteps, John Rice, she gathered her technique through frequent sessions, numerous music trips to Ireland, and from the direction of her father. Cathleen has two children, Patricia, and Ian, who are always there to cheer Mom on.

The powerful bodhrán playing of Kevin Rice again features prominently throughout the tunes. Kevin's style brings so much more than percussive qualities from the bodhrán as he literally plays notes on the skin. Kevin is regarded as one of the finest bodhrán players in the world.

Born in Chicago, Aislinn Gagliardi grew up listening to and falling in love with all kinds of music. She began classical piano lessons at age six, and started learning the harp at thirteen, taking lessons from classical harpist Alison Attar and playing in an Irish music youth ensemble. Since then she has studied with various Irish and Celtic harpers including Michael Rooney, Janet Harbison, and Gráinne Hambly. Aislinn pursued her musical passion at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (UWM), earning a B.A. in Inter-Arts (a combination of music and dance studies), with a double major in Ethnic Studies, and a certificate in Celtic Studies. She honed her skills on the pedal harp at UWM under the tutelage of classical harpist Ann Lobotzke, and performed in the UWM Symphony Band and Collegium Musicum, an early music ensemble specializing in Renaissance and Baroque music. Spending a semester abroad studying Irish culture, music, and dance at the University of Limerick, Ireland, she worked closely with Irish harper Fionnuala Rooney, and played in an ensemble that appeared on RTE's Céilí House radio show.
Not only has Aislinn appeared on radio overseas, but back in the Midwest she and her sister Meghan Anzelc (flute) were recently featured guests on the University of Chicago's radio shows "A Feast of Irish Folk" and "Reilly's Pint of Ale" (WHPK). Aislinn has also become an annual performer at the Milwaukee Irish Fest and Chicago's Celtic Fest, and has made appearances at the Fox Valley Irish Fest. Not only has Aislinn appeared as a special guest with the Milwaukee-based Irish-music bands Anam Rí and Cé, but she has also performed as the opening act for the Karen Casey Band. In addition, Aislinn plays frequently for private parties, weddings, receptions and at restaurants, and is a regular at a few of the traditional Irish music sessions in the Chicago-land area, including Molly Malone's in Forest Park.
Aislinn has been teaching harp in both Chicago and Milwaukee since 2002. She began teaching at Chicago's World Folk Music and the Milwaukee Irish Fest School of Music (IFSM), and has given workshops on the harp at the IFSM, the Milwaukee Irish Fest Summer School, and most recently at the Great Lakes Harpers (GLH) 2006 Regional Conference. Currently she can be found teaching out of her studio on the Northwest side of Chicago, and is working on material for a future album. Inspired by her previous experiences overseas, she hopes that one of her next trips to Ireland will be as a touring performer and teacher. www.aislinnmusic.com