Bantry 10 - 15 August
www.westcorkmusic.ie

“Frankie Gavin’s fiddle playing is technically complex, unabashedly brilliant, and has a pronounced, driving swing which harks back to the sound of the 1920s.”
Philippe Varlet

West Cork Music can announce that one of the legends of the Irish traditional music world, fiddle player Frankie Gavin will be performing at the Masters of Tradition which takes place in Bantry from 10 - 15 August.

The De Dannan fiddler will be joining a fantastic line-up of the finest talents in Irish music : Martin Hayes, Dennis Cahill, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Steve Cooney, Peadar Ó Riada, Áine Meenaghan, Sean Tyrrell, Frankie Gavin, Yvonne and Liz Kane, Edel Fox, Kieran Hanrahan, Damien Mullane, Brendan Begley, Pat O’Connor, Eoghan O Suilleabhain and John Flanagan

Frankie Gavin will be performing in the late night concert on Saturday 14 August in Bantry House with singer Séan Tyrrell, Steve Cooney [guitar] and Martin Hayes [fiddle]. Unfortunately uillean piper Davy Spillane and fiddler Kevin Glacken have had to pull out of the festival due to unforeseen circumstances.

The Festival opens with a special benefit concert on Tuesday 10 August at 7.30pm in the Maritime Hotel, Bantry featuring Christy Moore, Martin Hayes, Dennis Cahill and Damien Mullane. There are just a few tickets left for this concert.

Frankie Gavin started playing the tin whistle at age four, making his first TV appearance three years later. At the age of ten years old Frankie began to play fiddle and at the age of seventeen he placed first in the All Ireland Fiddle Competition and in the All Ireland Flute Competition, both on the same day.
Mainly learning by ear, he was strongly influenced by the 78 recordings of Michael Coleman and James Morrison. Sessions in the Cellar Bar, Galway and later in Hughes’ pub in Spiddal led to the formation of De Dannan in 1973. His Currandulla connection came in useful when De Danann were looking for a singer, and it was he who came up with Dolores Keane from nearby Cahirlistrane. Although De Danann has had many highpoints over a quarter of a century, particularly with the singing of Dolores Keane and Maura O’Connell and the box playing of Mairtin O’Connor, Frankie’s powerful virtuoso fiddle playing has always been at the core of the De Dannan sound.

He has recorded 16 albums with De Dannan as well as a number of solo albums. He has also guested with The Rolling Stones on their ‘Voodoo Lounge’ album and with Keith Richards on ‘Wingless Angels’.

The good news is that there are still a few tickets for the Masters of Tradition. These are available from West Cork Music on 027 52788 or online at www.westcorkmusic.ie

The Masters of Tradition is generously supported by the Arts Council of Ireland, Failte Ireland, RTÉ lyric fm and Cork County Council.