GAN BUA: Live at Martyrs'

Gan Bua

Live at Martyrs'

© 2006 Gan Bua Inc. (628740806227)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

(About MP3 downloads at CD Baby)

A quintet comprised of some of America’s most talented, young musicians, Bua have been described by Irish Music Magazine as “the essence of a superb band,” their sound “a throwback to the playing of the 1960s and 1970s, keeping the music down the path of

try this

albums you will love

genres you will love

By Location

Recommended if you like ...

notes

THE BAND

Jackie Moran (Bodhran, Percussion)

Jackie Moran, a well-seasoned veteran of international repute, adds his many years of knowledge and experience to Bua—not to mention those highly sought after signature rhythms key to Bua’s seductive low end.

Born in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Jackie immigrated to Chicago with his family at age 10. Displaying the intense zeal of a natural-born musician, he was firmly ensconced in the Chicago Irish music scene by the young age of 14. Several prestigious awards later, he proved his mettle in Ireland, as well. Besides co-founding Bua with Christy, Jackie has been a founding member of many popular performing groups: The Drovers, Wilding, The Otters and The Trinity Irish Dance Company. On the cutting edge of the Irish music scene, he has toured with Riverdance and has performed and recorded with some of Irish musicians top players including Kevin Burke, Dennis Cahill, Liz Carroll, John Doyle, Martin Hayes, Paddy Keenan, Larry Nugent, and John Williams, among others. Jackie's percussive stylings have even been featured in a number of major motion pictures: Backdraft (1991), Blink (1993), Traveller (1997) and The Road to Perdition (2002).

In 2001 Jackie, and wife Amy, opened Anam Mór, an Irish dance and music school serving the Chicago area and beyond. When he can get away, Jackie also performs with a Belgian-based Irish band, Comas.


Chris Bain (Fiddle)

Chris Bain, a highly-accomplished Chicago-born fiddler, is also one of Bua's co-founders and and at its instrumental heart. Much of Bua's innovation can be contributed to Christy's varied musical background including traditional Irish, Welsh and Scottish, and even Bluegrass!

Chris began playing violin at age five. Growing up in a musical family, he was encouraged to experiment and expand his musical influences. He became multi-instrumental, though the fiddle would remain his primary instrument. In his early teens though he realized his true passion was with Irish music.

While attending university, Chris spent an exchange year at the University of Wales, Bangor. During that time he toured with Welsh triple harpist Robin Huw Bowen (Crasdant) in Germany, headlined at a North Wales fiddle festival (Ffidlan), performed with top Welsh fiddlers Stephen Rees (Ar Log & Crasdant) and Huw Roberts (4 yn y Bar) at The Mid Wales Folk Festival, and appeared on Welsh TV (S4C) with Welsh trad group Crasdant. Stateside, Christy has taught and performed at several Welsh cultural events.

An avid session musician, Chris frequently traveled to Ireland to trade tunes and hone his skills. A mainstay of the local Irish session in Bangor, he also helped to initiate Bangor's first regular Welsh session. Now an integral part of Chicago's Irish music scene, he can often be found leading or sitting in on numerous sessions throughout the Chicago area.

Prior to co-founding Bua with Jackie, Chris was a member of The Drovers for two years, and was invited to tour with Gaelic Storm. He has performed locally with a number of prominent Irish musicians, including Dennis Cahill (Hayes & Cahill) and Pat Broaders (bohola). When not performing with Bua, he regularly plays with another Chicago Irish band, Anish, and the Trinity Irish Dance Company


Sean Gavin (Uilleann Pipes,Flute, Tin Whistle)

Seán Gavin's ornate and driving style on the flute, whistle and uilleann pipes reflects his lifelong immersion in Irish traditional music. Despite his young age, he is already an accomplished performer having shared the stage with many legendary musicians including Cape Breton pianist Barbara MacDonald-Magone, Séamus Connolly, Liz Carroll, Brian Conway and Cathy Ryan.

Born in Detroit to Co. Clare fiddler Mick Gavin (recently inducted into the Irish Traditional Music Hall of Fame), Seán dappled with various instruments until at the age of ten Scariff flautist Leo MacNamara came to stay with the Gavins for six months. Under his tutelage Seán quickly grasped the whistle and shortly thereafter the flute, later leading him to studied pipes with the late uilleann piper Al Purcell, a student of Leo Rowsome himself.

Seán, along with his father’s fiddle student, Jeremy Kittle, attended the Midwest Regional Fleadh in Chicago, Illinois and took second-place in not only the duet competition but flute and whistle competitions as well. His love for this event hasn't seen him miss attending the All-Ireland Fleadh since.

In 1999 his Groupai Cheoil won second place in the All-Ireland competition in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford. Upon their return to the States they were featured on various NPR programs, at the Wheatland Folk Festival, Blissfest, the Frog Island Folk Festival, Detroit's Concert of Colors and at many other festivals.

Seán performs often with his father Mick and his multi-instrumentalist brother, Michael Gavin, in and around the Detroit area including the famous Ark club in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Brian Hart (Vocals, Concertina,Tin Whistle)

Brían Ó hAirt’s (Brian Hart) anomalous voice stands as a testament to the power of tradition. His ability to share the mind’s eye of an older generation of singers has afforded him great acclaim at his young age. He became the youngest and first ever American to win the coveted Sgiath Uí Dhálaigh shield at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Listowel, Co. Kerry in 2002—adding his name to the shield’s long list of noted singers including Joe Heaney, Frank Harte and Paddy Berry.

His dedication to traditional song and more specifically to the sean-nós style of singing encouraged him to learn the Irish language to an uncanny fluency and along the way introduced him to the close-knit singing community of the Conamara Gaeltacht where Irish is still the commonly spoken language.

Brían has performed extensively in the United States at the Milwaukee Irish Festival, Chicago Celtic Festival, Sean-nós Milwaukee and the Traditional Singers Club of the Twin Cities and in Ireland at Lá na nAmhrán, Cruinniu na mBád, the Ennis Trad Festival and Cuairt na mBàrd. He has also had the distinction of being a singer to the President of Ireland, Dr. Mary McAleese. His recordings have been featured on many radio programs’ in Ireland including Céilí House on RTÉ and Lán a’ Mhála on RnG as well as on various NPR programs’ in the States.

In 2003 Brían established Sean-nós Milwaukee , the first festival in North America to focus on the sean-nós singing tradition. Its success has merited the production of a compilation album entitled Sean-nós Cois Locha consisting of festival recordings from 2003-2005. Produced with the help of Cló Iar-Chonnachta publishing company, this album showcases some of America’s finest proponents of the tradition, both native Irish as well as American-born.

He is likewise a noted instrumentalist of accordion, concertina and whistle and plays with Milwaukee-based group Cé, and more recently with Chicago-based Gan Bua, both of which Irish Music Magazine has lauded for their distinct talent and innovation in the vein of traditional music.

Brian Miller (Guitar)

Brian Miller started playing Irish music as a 17-year-old in his decidedly non-Irish hometown of Bemidji, Minnesota. His first experiences with the music came through singing and playing guitar with The Gaels, a band he started with two friends who, like him, had no experience with Irish music.

Miller quickly dove deep into the Irish tradition. Since 1998, he has lived in Minnesota’s Twin Cities where a vibrant and supportive community of Irish musicians has nurtured his evolving musicality. County Offaly accordion player Paddy O’Brien and County Derry guitarist and singer Daithi Sproule (both long-time residents of the Twin Cities) have been big influences. More inspiration and encouragement has come from plenty of time spent in his other adopted home of Cork, Ireland. Miller’s primary instrument has always been the guitar and over the years his backing style using the DADGAD tuning has earned him a strong reputation throughout the US and in Ireland. Rambles magazine praises Miller as a guitarist “who really understands the music and doesn’t just play the chords”. He began playing the flute in 2000 while studying Irish music in Cork where his first teachers were Padraig Kelleher and Conal O’Grada. Also a strong traditional singer, he is the founder of the Traditional Singers Club of the Twin Cities.

As a member of a number of traditional Irish music groups and duos including The Tommie Cunniffe Trio, Norah Rendell and Brian Miller, Bua, The Doon Ceili Band, 5 Mile Chase and Laura and the Lads, Miller has performed throughout the US and in Canada and Ireland. In Ireland he has been featured on TG4, RTE television and RTE radio and back home he has performed on Minnesota Public Radio. He has been a guest lecturer on The Irish song tradition at University College Cork and he is currently a flute, whistle and guitar teacher at the Saint Paul based Center for Irish Music.

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

  • The 'reel' thing!
    author: Michael P McGraw

    Though I'm a longtime fan of Celtic Rock like the Pogue and the Waterboys, there's truly nothing like going back to the roots with true 'trad'. I studied in Ireland for a year during college, and this disc takes me right back into the (then smoky, now, I hear, smokeless!) pubs of the Emerald Isle. Here's to hoping these guys take on students who'll be playing real Irish music at the end of the 21st century!

  • Live at Martyr's
    author: Bridget

    I love this music, especially the tracks where Brian sings in Gaelic! This is an exceptionally talented group of young performers. I love every track on this CD; each one is unique. I hope to see them in person some time.

  • Live at Martyr's
    author: Peter Kessler

    There's music on it to tackle your toes, shiver your spine and gladden your heart. Music away from home that truly sounds like music from home. "Chapeau", the French would say.

  • author: Caitlin

    This is one of those CDs that really makes me wish I knew how to dance. The music trills, "Come along and enjoy, play with me!" But while all the songs are fun, my favorites are the ones which include Brían singing in Irish... hearing the traditional songs in the traditional language really adds something special for me. I admit to being biased toward vocal music in general, (taking lessons from Brían is how I heard of Gan Bua,) but the Gaelic just blends in a flavor that says, "Not only is this irish music, this is _Irish_ Music. I hope they'll release more of it.

email

Please log in to email this artist.