Finally the long awaited second album of internationally renowned traditional Irish band, The London Lasses and Pete Quinn, featuring their new line up, is released in the UK (after a hugely successful album launch tour of Ireland).
The turn of the millennium saw the release of the debut album of The London Lasses and Pete Quinn, to great critical acclaim.
The press said of their first album:
'One of the most remarkable releases of 2000' The Rough Guide to Irish Music
'There is a genuine sense of personality and a magnetic attraction to the music that enables them to produce performances laced with skill, sincerity and a lack of pretension' John O'Regan, fRoots
'a sheer delight, a beauty of a collection...
Strong, tight playing, very polished and together with an instinctive understanding' John Brophy, Irish Music Magazine
'the album shows off their combined musical talents brilliantly' Traditional Music Maker
'fresh and inventive, diverse and entertaining while never being anything less than totally traditional' Ron Kavana, Musical Traditions
Equally, the band's stirring live performances have been captivating audiences around the UK, USA, Ireland and mainland Europe:
'surely one of the best bands on the scene today,' Irish Music Magazine
'They're a terrific new group of London Irish women, great musicians coming from a long line of traditional players…at Sidmouth they took the roof off the marquee.'
Mike Harding, BBC Radio 2
'it was a pleasure to hear such a spirited band who obviously enjoy the music they play so much' Vicky Williamson, Cambridge Folk Festival official website
'The band brought fire and plenty of rhythmic energy to a capacity audience in the musical heart of Sligo' Oisin MacDiarmada, Irish Music Magazine
'a classy, formidable act', The Irish Post
'they look great and sound great', The Irish World
(selected as one of top 5 gigs of 1999 and winners of 'Best Traditional Performer' Millennium Award)
The refreshingly pure and dynamic traditional Irish music of The London Lasses includes a full range of tunes and songs, reflecting the healthy mixture of styles that London has always had to offer. Traditional Irish music has always been very strong among the children of Irish emigrants in Britain. The London Lasses are representative of the fine traditional music which has had such a presence in London ever since mass emigration from Ireland in the 1950s. Exposing musicians of the next generation to the traditional styles of just about every county in Ireland, this vibrant city's extraordinary melting pot produced a unique 'London style'. The Lasses, comprising Karen Ryan and Elaine Conwell (fiddles), Maureen Linane (button accordion), Dee Havlin (flute) and Kathleen O'Sullivan (vocals), are joined by pianist Pete Quinn, who brings his diverse musical background to accompany the Lasses in an exciting way which still manages to remain faithful to the tradition.
Having played to consistently packed houses, performances have included The Ennis Trad Festival, The Jazz Café (London), Cambridge Folk Festival, Sidmouth International Festival, Both Sides of the Tweed and Return to Camden Town Festival. As well as playing at this year's major St Patrick's Day celebrations in London, the band recently made their mainland Europe debut at the highly successful 'Irish Night' in Limburg, Holland. Other musical endeavours, including two tours of Ireland, have seen them share the stage with the likes of Dervish, Boys of the Lough, Liz Carroll, The Waterboys, Solas, Lúnasa and Máirtín O'Connor. Their debut album has been receiving extensive airplay and they have been featured on the BBC Choice programme 'Backstage', BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio London Live, TG4's (Irish National TV) Geantraí and live TV show Ardán. Their most recent TV appearance was on the BBC's hugely popular EastEnders. May 2003 will see the release of the band's second album Track Across the Deep, with launches planned for Ireland, the UK and the US. The Lasses are proud to bring you a taste of London…enjoy!
Also available from Copperplate:
The London Lasses & Pete Quinn
The London Lasses: Enchanted Lady
The London Lasses: By Night & By Day
The London Lasses: The One I Loved The Best
Karen Ryan: The Coast Road
The Bohola Jig:
William McGonigal's:
The Ball of Yarn:
- The Bohola Jig / The Besom in Bloom / Paddy Taylor's / The Piper on Horseback
- Hardiman the Fiddler / A Fig for a Kiss / Fisherman's
- The Beautiful Goldfinch
- There's a Path Across the Ocean
- The Barge Inn / New Year's Eve / John Brennan's
- Rodney's Glory
- William McGonigal's / Kitty Sean Cunningham's / The Rat in the Thatch
- The Ball of Yarn
- Bridget Cruise / O'Sullivan's
- Imelda Roland's/ Maeve's Reel / The Master's Return
- The Geese in the Bog/ Taylor's / Father Tom's Wager
- The Red-Haired Man's Wife
- Kerryman's Daughter / Paddy Fahy's / Mary McMahon
Press Reviews
East Bay Express Sept 2003
The American audience is not generally aware of London's importance in the development of Irish music over the last half century, though it's taken for granted in Ireland. Pubs such as The Favourite in Finsbury Park, or The White Hart on Fulham Broadway held regular sessions in the 60s and 70s, and when the revival took off, London based youngsters like Kevin Burke were ready to make their own contributions.
The London Irish music scene remains vital, as Track Across the Deep demonstrates. Fiddlers Karen Ryan and Elaine Conwell seem to have absorbed something of every major Irish regional tradition- from the octave doubling of County Kerry to the virtuosic embellishment of the Sligo masters
