The Chieftains expanded the expressive boundaries of their music, embracing tradition and forging adventurous new sounds at every step along the way. Irish music at its best!

Line Up:
Paddy Moloney - pipes/tin whistle
Matt Molloy - flute
Kevin Conneff - bodhran/vocals
Sean Keane - fiddle
Triona Marshall - harp
Clem O'Brien - guitar/Vocals
Yvonne McMahon - vocals
2 dancers - tba

On Stage: 9     Travel Party: 11

Download:
chieftains.zip (18.7 KB)
Download includes Biography, Discography, Line-up (txt) and the Image (jpg)

Artist Website:
www.irish.com

Biography:
It is amazing: after more than 40 years, The Chieftains' music remains as fresh and relevant as when they first began. And their touring schedule keeps them on the road for many months each year, taking their musical magic around the world. Six time Grammy winners, The Chieftains, are now recognized for bringing traditional Irish music to the world's attention. They have uncovered the wealth of traditional Irish music that has accumulated over the centuries, including the compositions of the legendary harpist Carolan, making the music their own with a style that is as exhilarating as it is definitive. The nature of their playing and their extensive use of improvisation ensure that no two performances are the same. The Chieftains were first formed in Dublin during 1963, as a semi-professional outfit, from the ranks of the top folk musicians in Ireland. They were a success virtually from the beginning, their music weaving a spell around audiences in Ireland and later in England, where they quickly became popular as both a performing and recording act - the only thing holding them back was the decision by the members to remain a semi-professional, part-time ensemble until the early '70s. The 1970s saw the group break big in America. A new, younger generation of Irish-American listeners, who enjoyed folk music and whose cultural and musical tastes weren't limited to songs about "the troubles", had already begun discovering the Chieftains' music in the early to mid-'70s. By that time, the group had elected to go professional, and to expand its lineup. The group's big breakthrough in America, however, occurred when they provided the music for Stanley Kubrick's 1975 movie, Barry Lyndon. By that time, Island Records had contracted to release both the group's latest album, Chieftains 5, and their four previous records in England and America. With their newfound audience, Chieftains records started coming out every year instead of every two or three years. In 2003, long time harp player Derek Bell passed away while on tour in Phoenix, AZ. The group, who continue to play and record, released a tribute in 2005 called 'Live in Dublin'

Discography:
1965 The Chieftains 1 - Shanachie
1969 The Chieftains 2 - Shanachie
1971 The Chieftains 3 - Shanachie
1973 The Chieftains 4 - Shanachie
1975 The Chieftains 5 - Shanachie
1976 Bonaparte's Retreat - Shanachie
1977 Chieftains Live! - Shanachie
1977 The Chieftains 7 - Columbia
1978 Chieftains 8 - Columbia
1981 The Chieftains 10: Cotton-Eyed Joe - Shanachie
1982 Year of the French - Shanachie
1984 The Grey Fox - DRG
1985 Ballad of the Irish Horse - Shanachie
1987 The Chieftains in China - Shanachie
1988 Irish Heartbeat - Polydor
1989 A Celebration - RCA
1989 A Chieftains Celebration - RCA Victor
1991 Tailor of Gloucester - Windham Hill
1991 Reel Music: The Film Scores - RCA Victor
1992 Another Country - RCA Victor
1992 Irish Evening [live] - RCA Victor
1993 The Celtic Harp - RCA
1995 Long Black Veil - RCA Victor
1996 Film Cuts - RCA
1996 Gael Wind - Sony Legacy
1996 Santiago - RCA
1998 Fire in the Kitchen - RCA
1998 Celtic Wedding: Music of Brittany - RCA
1999 Tears of Stone - RCA
2000 Water From the Well - RCA Victor
2000 The Chieftains 3 - Shanachie
2002 The Chieftains 9: Boil the Breakfast Early - Columbia
2002 Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions - RCA
2005 Live From Dublin: A Tribute to Derek Bell - RCA