Dun Laoghaire Guitar Night 9 feat. John Feeley & Jimmy Smyth/Donal Kirk | Dun Laoghaire Club
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Dun Laoghaire Guitar Night returns to the Eblana Club on Friday 8th November featuring classical guitarist John Feeley and Jimmy Smyth / Donal Kirk duo (blues/Americana) Under 18s are allowed if accompanied by an adult.
Please arrive on time (doors 7.30, music at 8.)
This is a listening event. John Feeley John Feeley had been described by the Washington Post as 'Ireland's leading classical guitarist' and by Michael Dervan in the Irish Times as 'a trailblazer...when it comes to the guitar and guitar-playing in Ireland'. Feeley studied at Trinity College, Dublin, Queens College of the City University, New York, and The National University of Ireland, Maynooth, where he graduated with a PhD in music. He has taught at the American Institute of Guitar, New York, Memphis State University, the Conservatory of Music, Dublin Institute of Technology and the Royal Irish Academy of Music. In addition to his solo and chamber music concerts, Feeley has performed widely with orchestra: with The American Symphony at Carnegie Hall, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the Ulster Orchestra, and the Irish Chamber Orchestra, among others. He has won a number of prizes in international competitions, including the Special Award for interpretation in the Mauro Giuliani competition, Italy. Highly regarded for his performance of new works by Irish composers, he has had many works written for him, which include Guitar Concertos by Jerome de Bromhead, Eric Sweeney and Brent Parker; Quintets for Guitar and String Quartet by Andrew Shiels and Brent Parker; Four Pieces by Jane O’ Leary; a solo Guitar Sonata and Flute and Guitar duo, In Winter Light, by John Buckley; a number of works by David Fennessy, John McLachlan and Ciaran Farrell. The American composer, Robert Newell, has also written an extended solo guitar work for him. He is a regular performer at many international guitar festivals and has made recordings with K-Tel, Gael-Linn Records, CBA Classics, Ossiain Records, Castle Communications, a highly acclaimed CD of contemporary Irish music with Blackbox Music, England and a CD of the music of Irish composer John Buckley with the German company, Celestial Harmonies. He has also recorded with the Chieftains and famous Spanish Soprano Montserrat Caballes. He is also well known for his own delightful guitar arrangements of Irish music which appear on several of his many recordings. Concerts have taken him around the world and include appearances at the Sydney Opera House, the Old Opera House, Frankfurt, the L'Arena in Verona, and New York’s Carnegie Hall. Jimmy Smyth / Donal Kirk duo Navan native Jimmy Smyth once turned down an offer from Phil Lynott to join Thin Lizzy and was nominated for a Grammy in 1989.
Jimmy has been playing guitar since he was 7 years old, initially with his father’s dance bands and later when his growing interest in rock and blues led him to form his own band at school. The first Jimmy Smyth band was formed when he was in his early teens, and opened for Thin Lizzy, Bees Make Honey, Horslips, and Frankie Miller. He was a guitarist/singer with The Bogey Boys from 1979 to 1983 and recorded several singles and two albums. He featured heavily in ‘Best Guitarist’ polls on Hot Press Magazine around this time, alongside guitarists like the Edge and Rory Gallagher. He is a Grammy-Nominee for his work with US Artist Toni Childs.
The legendary guitarist has worked with some of the world’s finest musicians, including Van Morrison, Tony Childs, Roger Daltrey, Curtis Steigers, Chaka Khan, Lisa Stanfield, Gilbert O’ Sullivan, John Scofield and Jon Lord from Deep Purple with whom he played the 'Concerto for group and Orchestra' the year before he died! In the late 70s, Jimmy fronted the legendary Bogey Boys, who had U2 as their support!! Nowadays Jimmy plays also with The RTE Concert Orchestra, Frances Black, Donal Kirk and Mary Coughlan. As a producer, he has produced albums for The Spirit of Eden, Bonnie Tyler, Toni Childs, Rob Strong, Don Baker and Frances Black and composed music for the movies When the Sky Falls (2000) and Silent Grace (2002) and for the Fellowship of The Ring (2003) videogame. He has also recorded/played with Roger Daltrey, Curtis Stigers, Chaka Khan, Lisa Stansfield, Van Morrison Gilbert O’Sullivan and Reba McEntire. Jimmy has been Musical Director for RTE TV shows, and regularly performs with the RTE Concert Orchestra, the RTESO, The Ulster Orchestra and many others. Jimmy is very much in demand for touring/recording and, when not on the road can regularly be seen playing rock and roots or Jazz Rock with Fusion band ‘Spectrum’. Donal Kirk is a seasoned musician with an extraordinary talent. Donal is a great vocalist and, while likened to the styling of Michael McDonald, this still does not do him justice.
Donal started playing solo gigs over 30 years ago. He started a band called JC's Soul Search with ex members of Granny's Intentions, then went on to join Dublin blues band, The Business, leaving to form a band with Brian Downey - Thin Lizzy's drummer. During these years, he kept doing his solo gigs. Now he still does both solo, duo and band gigs. Donal currently sings and plays guitar in a well established duo with Jimmy Smyth.
Information Source: Mark Kilcoyne | eventbrite