Description
Debut CD from a tremendously talented young box player. With the likes of Kevin Burke amongst the other musicians featured you can be sure he is a great player, and this is a great album.
"The solo reels & jigs are breathtaking and the duos with Kevin Burke are a joy to listen to." Folk World Magazine.
At age 26, Johnny B. Connolly has already generated a reputation as an accomplished button accordionist. Johnny's talents have paved the way across continents and provided him opportunities to perform and record with many internationally renowned artists including Kevin Burke, the Chieftains, Anam, Patrick Ourceau and Aidan Brennan. His solo debut album Bridgetown is now available from Green Linnet.
Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, Johnny has been immersed in Irish traditional music since he was eight years old. By the age of 15 he was a regular feature around his hometown, performing with musicians sometimes twice his age. Johnny's dexterity on the accordion earned him a slot with established Celtic ensemble Anam at the age of 17. For the next two years, he continued to build his reputation back home in Dublin's traditional music scene and abroad with Anam, touring festivals throughout Europe and Ireland.
In 1996 the 21-year-old Johnny seized an opportunity to bring his skills to America. Leaving Anam, he crossed the ocean to join fiddler Patrick Ourceau in New York for a consistent 4-month stint through New York City and Boston before heading even further west to Portland, Oregon. In March of 1997, Johnny merged his talents with those of guitarist Aidan Brennan, forming a duo that has entertained festival audiences across the United States from Alaska to Louisiana to Colorado. The consummate accordionist can most recently be found showcasing with perennial Northwest favourites Cúl an Tí.
A friendship with Kevin Burke, legendary Irish fiddler and fellow Portlander, led to Johnny's signing with Green Linnet in 2001. Bridgetown, named for his adopted hometown, is a sparkling collection of traditional Irish and French tunes reflecting Johnny's current repertoire and includes guest appearances by Burke, Skip Parente, Jim Chapman and Aidan Brennan.
When Sick Is It Tea You Want; Showman's Fancy; Marcelle and Marcel; Splendid Isolation; Down The Hill; Seanamhac Tube Station; Ton Doubl Fishel; The Heathery Glen; The Bush On The Hill; Wheels Of The World.
See more great music from Green Linnet Recordings.