Four to the Bar
Encyclopedia
Four to the Bar was an Irish band
in New York City
during the early to mid 1990s.
From its beginnings as one more hard-drinking pub band from the boroughs, it ventured into a neotraditional fusion of pop, rock, and Irish and American folk.
, NY
, in 1991. The initial lineup was Martin Kelleher (from Cork
) on bass guitar
, David Yeates (from Dunboyne, Co. Meath
) on vocals and flute
, David Livingstone (from Co. Monaghan
) on mandolin
, and a fourth member (name unknown) on guitar
.
That August, Kelleher switched to guitar and the band placed a classified ad for a bass player in the Irish Voice newspaper. Patrick Clifford
(from New York City
) answered the ad, was hired, and completed the Kelleher-Yeates-Clifford nucleus that would hold for the remainder of the band's existence.
Four to the Bar immediately began to tour regionally. It was during this time that the band gave an opening act for then-rising star Sharon Shannon
at the Bog in Jamaica Plain, MA, which brought attention.
In 1992, Livingstone abruptly left the band and returned to Ireland. For a number of months, the lead-instrument slot was filled by various fiddlers and mandolin players, most notably Chris Murphy and John Farrell (later of the Prodigals and Fathom).
fiddle champion.
Soon after this, the band completed its first commercial recording, a four-song EP and titled simply Four to the Bar
(1993). This was available only on cassette.
During the next 12 months, the band would begin to build its name on the New York scene, sharing the marquee with acts as diverse as Frank Patterson
and Susan McKeown
's Chanting House, and begin to test the bounds of the trad repertoire with such covers as Phil Ochs
' "I Ain't Marching Anymore
." Four to the Bar headlined regularly at Tommy Makem
's Irish Pavilion and Paddy Reilly
's Music Bar, and on one occasion served as Pete Seeger
's backing band.
Sometime between February and April 1994, Four to the Bar spent time in a Manhattan studio working with a number of fellow musicians, including Seamus Egan
, Joannie Madden
, Trevor Hutchinson
, Eileen Ivers
, Larry Campbell
, Matt Keating
, Steve Holly, and Rufus Cappadocia
.
This project was never commercially released; rough mixes from these sessions apparently circulated as bootlegs through the community, but little else is known about the project.
Around the same time, Four to the Bar was experimenting with its sound—by adding to the lineup, together and separately, accordionist Tony McQuillan and percussionist Seamus Casey actor. While neither would prove permanent, they both appear on Craic on the Road
, the band's first CD release (1994).
(1995).
On the strength of the recording, the band was chosen to perform at the 1995 International Music Festival in Daytona, FL, sharing the bill with Trisha Yearwood
and the London Symphony Orchestra
. The subsequent promotional tour carried the band from Vermont to Key West to St. Louis to Chicago.
Improbably, at some point later that same year, O'Neill resigned; his spot was filled by a series of local freelancers, including Monty Monaghan, Tony DeMarco, John Reynolds, and Joyce Andersen. Classically trained, Andersen brought a cultured sound, but was focused on a solo career and her tenure was brief.
On New Year's Eve, December 31, 1995, Four to the Bar had just started its first set in Dillon's Pub in hometown Woodside, NY, when a fire broke out in an adjoining diner. Each musician managed to save his instrument, but everything else was destroyed. Four to the Bar never fully recovered from the disaster, and despite playing a handful of shows in early 1996, this setback effectively signalled the band's demise.
Music of Ireland
Irish Music is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the island of Ireland.The indigenous music of the island is termed Irish traditional music. It has remained vibrant through the 20th, and into the 21st century, despite globalizing cultural forces...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
during the early to mid 1990s.
From its beginnings as one more hard-drinking pub band from the boroughs, it ventured into a neotraditional fusion of pop, rock, and Irish and American folk.
The Early Days: 1991–1992
Four to the Bar was formed in the working-class/immigrant Irish community of WoodsideWoodside, Queens
Woodside is a neighborhood in the western portion of the New York City borough of Queens. It is bordered on the south by Maspeth, on the north by Astoria, on the west by Sunnyside and on the east by Elmhurst and Jackson Heights. Some areas are widely residential and very quiet, while others are...
, NY
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, in 1991. The initial lineup was Martin Kelleher (from Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
) on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, David Yeates (from Dunboyne, Co. Meath
Dunboyne
Dunboyne is a town in County Meath in Ireland. For the most part, it is a dormitory town for the city of Dublin.-Location:Dunboyne is centred on the crossroads formed by the R156 regional road and the old Maynooth Road ....
) on vocals and flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, David Livingstone (from Co. Monaghan
Monaghan
Monaghan is the county town of County Monaghan in Ireland. Its population at the 2006 census stood at 7,811 . The town is located on the main road, the N2 road, from Dublin north to both Derry and Letterkenny.-Toponym:...
) on mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, and a fourth member (name unknown) on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
.
That August, Kelleher switched to guitar and the band placed a classified ad for a bass player in the Irish Voice newspaper. Patrick Clifford
Patrick Clifford
Patrick Clifford is a musician, songwriter, and producer of Irish and folk music, best known as a key member of Four to the Bar--a mainstay of the 1990s New York Irish music scene....
(from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) answered the ad, was hired, and completed the Kelleher-Yeates-Clifford nucleus that would hold for the remainder of the band's existence.
Four to the Bar immediately began to tour regionally. It was during this time that the band gave an opening act for then-rising star Sharon Shannon
Sharon Shannon
Sharon Shannon is an Irish musician. She is best known for her work with the accordion and for her fiddle technique. She also plays the tin whistle and melodeon. Her 1991 album Sharon Shannon is the best selling album of traditional Irish music ever released there...
at the Bog in Jamaica Plain, MA, which brought attention.
In 1992, Livingstone abruptly left the band and returned to Ireland. For a number of months, the lead-instrument slot was filled by various fiddlers and mandolin players, most notably Chris Murphy and John Farrell (later of the Prodigals and Fathom).
The Heydays: 1993–1994
In early 1993, Four to the Bar found and retained Keith O'Neill (from New York City), the 1985 All-IrelandFleadh Cheoil
The Fleadh Cheoil is an Irish music competition run by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann or more commonly known as "Comhaltas" ....
fiddle champion.
Soon after this, the band completed its first commercial recording, a four-song EP and titled simply Four to the Bar
Four to the Bar (EP)
Four to the Bar was the first commercial release by the band of that name. A four-cut EP, it was released on cassette in 1993.- Track listing :#St. Brendan's Voyage #Raglan Road #Mr...
(1993). This was available only on cassette.
During the next 12 months, the band would begin to build its name on the New York scene, sharing the marquee with acts as diverse as Frank Patterson
Frank Patterson
Frank Patterson was an internationally renowned Irish tenor following in the tradition of singers such as Count John McCormack and Josef Locke. He was known as "Ireland's Golden Tenor".- Early life :...
and Susan McKeown
Susan McKeown
Susan McKeown is an Irish songwriter, folk singer and producer.-Early years:Susan McKeown was born on February 6, 1967 to John Ryan and Jane Ann McKeown in Terenure, Dublin, Ireland. She was greatly influenced by her mother, an organist and composer who died in 1982...
's Chanting House, and begin to test the bounds of the trad repertoire with such covers as Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Philip David Ochs was an American protest singer and songwriter who was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, earnest humanism, political activism, insightful and alliterative lyrics, and haunting voice...
' "I Ain't Marching Anymore
I Ain't Marching Anymore (song)
"I Ain't Marching Anymore" is an anti-war song by Phil Ochs, a U.S. protest singer from the 1960s known for being a harsh critic of the American military industrial complex...
." Four to the Bar headlined regularly at Tommy Makem
Tommy Makem
Thomas "Tommy" Makem was an internationally celebrated Irish folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller. He was best known as a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked 5-string banjo, guitar, tin whistle, and bagpipes, and sang in a distinctive baritone...
's Irish Pavilion and Paddy Reilly
Paddy Reilly
Patrick 'Paddy' Reilly is an Irish folk singer and guitarist. He is one of Ireland's most famous balladeers and is best known for his renditions of "The Fields of Athenry" and "The Town I Loved So Well"....
's Music Bar, and on one occasion served as Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
's backing band.
Sometime between February and April 1994, Four to the Bar spent time in a Manhattan studio working with a number of fellow musicians, including Seamus Egan
Séamus Egan
Séamus Egan is an Irish musician.-Early days:Séamus Egan was born in Hatboro, Pennsylvania to Irish émigrés Jack and Ann Egan. At the age of three his parents moved the family back home to County Mayo, Ireland....
, Joannie Madden
Cherish the Ladies
Cherish the Ladies is an American all-female Irish-American super group. The band began as a concert series in New York in January 1985, the brainchild of Mick Moloney who wanted to showcase the brightest female musicians in America in what had been a male-dominated scene...
, Trevor Hutchinson
The Waterboys
The Waterboys are a band formed in 1983 by Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland and England. Edinburgh, London, Dublin, Spiddal, New York, and Findhorn have all served as homes for the group. The band has played in a...
, Eileen Ivers
Eileen Ivers
Eileen Ivers is an Irish-American musician.Eileen Ivers was born in New York City of Irish-born parents and grew up in the Bronx. She spent summers in Ireland and took up the fiddle at the age of nine. Her teacher was the Irish fiddler Martin Mulvihill. She toured with Mick Moloney's band The...
, Larry Campbell
Larry Campbell (musician)
Larry Campbell is a multi-instrumentalist who plays many stringed instruments in genres including country, folk, blues, and rock...
, Matt Keating
Matt Keating (musician)
Matt Keating is a singer/songwriter from Boston, Massachusetts, United States. His music has been described in terms of various genres, including Americana, power-pop, rock, and folk rock.-Biography:...
, Steve Holly, and Rufus Cappadocia
Rufus Cappadocia
Rufus Cappadocia is a Canadian-American cellist. He is best known for his multiculturally-influenced recordings and performances on a modified cello. He has released albums in collaboration with guitarist David Fiuczynski and singer/songwriter Bethany Yarrow....
.
This project was never commercially released; rough mixes from these sessions apparently circulated as bootlegs through the community, but little else is known about the project.
Around the same time, Four to the Bar was experimenting with its sound—by adding to the lineup, together and separately, accordionist Tony McQuillan and percussionist Seamus Casey actor. While neither would prove permanent, they both appear on Craic on the Road
Craic on the Road (album)
Craic on the Road: Live at Sam Maguire's was the first full-length album by Four to the Bar, released in 1994.- Track listing :#I'll Tell Me Ma #Waxie's Dargle/The Rare Old Mountain Dew #My Love's in Germany...
, the band's first CD release (1994).
The Final Days: 1995–1996
In early 1995, Four to the Bar bought and borrowed recording equipment, called in engineer Tim Hatfield, and converted a rented dancehall into a recording studio. The five men worked in isolation for three weeks recording, mixing, and mastering, and emerged with Another SonAnother Son (album)
Another Son was the second full-length album, and final recording, by Four to the Bar, released in 1995.The album was a radical departure from their first, 1994's Craic on the Road.The band is listed as producing the album...
(1995).
On the strength of the recording, the band was chosen to perform at the 1995 International Music Festival in Daytona, FL, sharing the bill with Trisha Yearwood
Trisha Yearwood
Patricia Lynn Yearwood, professionally known as Trisha Yearwood , is an American country music artist. She is best known for her ballads about vulnerable young women from a female perspective that have been described by some music critics as "strong" and "confident."Trisha Yearwood signed with MCA...
and the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
. The subsequent promotional tour carried the band from Vermont to Key West to St. Louis to Chicago.
Improbably, at some point later that same year, O'Neill resigned; his spot was filled by a series of local freelancers, including Monty Monaghan, Tony DeMarco, John Reynolds, and Joyce Andersen. Classically trained, Andersen brought a cultured sound, but was focused on a solo career and her tenure was brief.
On New Year's Eve, December 31, 1995, Four to the Bar had just started its first set in Dillon's Pub in hometown Woodside, NY, when a fire broke out in an adjoining diner. Each musician managed to save his instrument, but everything else was destroyed. Four to the Bar never fully recovered from the disaster, and despite playing a handful of shows in early 1996, this setback effectively signalled the band's demise.
Discography
- Four to the Bar (EP)Four to the Bar (EP)Four to the Bar was the first commercial release by the band of that name. A four-cut EP, it was released on cassette in 1993.- Track listing :#St. Brendan's Voyage #Raglan Road #Mr...
(1993) - Craic on the RoadCraic on the Road (album)Craic on the Road: Live at Sam Maguire's was the first full-length album by Four to the Bar, released in 1994.- Track listing :#I'll Tell Me Ma #Waxie's Dargle/The Rare Old Mountain Dew #My Love's in Germany...
(1994) - Another SonAnother Son (album)Another Son was the second full-length album, and final recording, by Four to the Bar, released in 1995.The album was a radical departure from their first, 1994's Craic on the Road.The band is listed as producing the album...
(1995)
Members
- David Yeates: Vocals, bodhran, flute, tin whistle, percussion, guitar
- Martin Kelleher: Lead and backing vocals, guitar, bouzouki, five-string banjo, mandolin
- Patrick CliffordPatrick CliffordPatrick Clifford is a musician, songwriter, and producer of Irish and folk music, best known as a key member of Four to the Bar--a mainstay of the 1990s New York Irish music scene....
: Bass guitar, piano, electric guitar, accordion - Keith O'Neill: Fiddle, tenor banjo
Transitional Members
- Joyce Andersen
- Seamus Casey
- John Farrell
- David Livingstone
- Tony McQuillan
- Monty Monaghan
- Chris Murphy
- John Reynolds