John McSherry (musician)
Encyclopedia
John McSherry is an Irish
musician who plays the Uilleann pipes
and tin whistle
. He is known for being a founding member of Lunasa
and Coolfin and has performed on recordings by a number of well-known artists in Irish traditional music
.
and coming from a family steeped in traditional music, John focused his energies on the pipes from an early age. By the time he reached fifteen he had two All Ireland
Championship titles under his belt and at the age of eighteen he was the youngest ever winner of the prestigious and much coveted 'Oireachtas' piping competition.
.
, flautist Michael McGoldrick
and guitarist Steve Cooney, touring extensively throughout Ireland and England. The seeds for Lúnasa
were being sown. A year or so later, and with a few changes in personnel, Lúnasa Live, their dynamic debut album, was released. It was described as "simply stunningly impressive" by Irish Music Magazine.
, bringing their unique fusion of Irish, rock, Eastern and Celtic music
to enthusiastic audiences around the world. Their debut album, Rhythm & Rhyme was released in 1996 to wide critical acclaim including a four-star rating in Q Magazine.
's supergroup Coolfin, which included Nollaig Casey
and Sharon Shannon
. Yet again, John was at the forefront of a band which would re-shape the boundaries of Irish music. The album 'Coolfin' was released in 1998 and a heavy touring schedule ensued. The band played host to a wide range of artists, among them Sinéad O'Connor
, Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill
, and Eddi Reader
.
, Riverdance
, Ornette Coleman
and Secret Garden
. He has made countless TV appearances and has featured on numerous film and TV soundtracks. His latest venture, teaming up with life long musical comrade Michael McGoldrick
to release At First Light, received the award for best traditional album of the year 2001 from the Irish American News.
John has toured the world as both a solo performer and a member of several well-respected bands. He is a composer, producer, arranger and established studio session musician, recording with Clannad, Nanci Griffith
, Shaun Davey
, Dónal Lunny
and The Corrs
, among many other artists.
is the working title of his current band which also comprises fiddle player Dónal O'Connor and Francis McIlduff from the famous McPeake clann.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
musician who plays the Uilleann pipes
Uilleann pipes
The uilleann pipes or //; ) are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland, their current name, earlier known in English as "union pipes", is a part translation of the Irish-language term píobaí uilleann , from their method of inflation.The bag of the uilleann pipes is inflated by means of a...
and tin whistle
Tin whistle
The tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, English Flageolet, Scottish penny whistle, Tin Flageolet, Irish whistle and Clarke London Flageolet is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is an end blown fipple flute, putting it in the same category as the recorder, American Indian flute, and...
. He is known for being a founding member of Lunasa
Lúnasa
Lúnasa can refer to:* Lúnasa , a traditional Irish band from Ireland** Lúnasa , the first album released by Lúnasa in 1998* Lughnasadh, a Gaelic holiday* Lúnasa, the Irish language word for the month of August....
and Coolfin and has performed on recordings by a number of well-known artists in Irish traditional music
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...
.
Biography
Born in west BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
and coming from a family steeped in traditional music, John focused his energies on the pipes from an early age. By the time he reached fifteen he had two All Ireland
Fleadh Cheoil
The Fleadh Cheoil is an Irish music competition run by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann or more commonly known as "Comhaltas" ....
Championship titles under his belt and at the age of eighteen he was the youngest ever winner of the prestigious and much coveted 'Oireachtas' piping competition.
Work
John McSherry is hailed as one of the finest exponents of the art of Uilleann piping in the world today. His sense for improvisation has even been compared to that of the great Jazz legend John ColtraneJohn Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
.
Lúnasa
In 1995, John began collaborating with fiddle player Sean SmythSeán Smyth
Seán Smyth is the fiddle player for the traditional Irish music group Lúnasa. Born in Straide, County Mayo, and now living in Galway, Seán is an All-Ireland champion on both fiddle and whistle....
, flautist Michael McGoldrick
Michael McGoldrick
Michael McGoldrick is a flute and tin whistle player. He also plays the Uilleann pipes and low whistle. He is well known for his ability to skate switch and regular with the same level of ability.-Bands:...
and guitarist Steve Cooney, touring extensively throughout Ireland and England. The seeds for Lúnasa
Lúnasa (band)
-History:Named after Lughnasadh, an ancient Irish harvest festival, Lúnasa was started when Seán Smyth, Trevor Hutchinson, and Donogh Hennessy briefly toured through Scandinavia in 1996. Upon their return to Ireland, they teamed up with Michael McGoldrick and John McSherry to record a few tracks...
were being sown. A year or so later, and with a few changes in personnel, Lúnasa Live, their dynamic debut album, was released. It was described as "simply stunningly impressive" by Irish Music Magazine.
Tamalin
Combining with his musical siblings, John formed the band TamalinTamalin (band)
Tamalin is a family-based band from west Belfast who originally began playing Irish traditional music in the early 1980s under the name The McSherrys...
, bringing their unique fusion of Irish, rock, Eastern and Celtic music
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
to enthusiastic audiences around the world. Their debut album, Rhythm & Rhyme was released in 1996 to wide critical acclaim including a four-star rating in Q Magazine.
Coolfin
As well as being a founding member of Lunasa, John was a lead instrumentalist with Dónal LunnyDónal Lunny
Dónal Lunny is an Irish folk musician. Lunny has been at the forefront of the evolution of traditional Irish music for more than thirty-five years and has participated within the renaissance of traditional Irish music in that time period...
's supergroup Coolfin, which included Nollaig Casey
Nollaig Casey
Nollaig Casey is an Irish fiddle player ,and has an international reputation as one of Ireland's finest fiddle players. By the time she was eleven years old she could play violin, piano, tin whistle and uilleann pipes. During her teenage years she learned to play in both the classical and...
and 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...
. Yet again, John was at the forefront of a band which would re-shape the boundaries of Irish music. The album 'Coolfin' was released in 1998 and a heavy touring schedule ensued. The band played host to a wide range of artists, among them Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
, Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill
Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill
Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill is an Irish traditional singer from Kells, County Meath. Known for her work with the short-lived, but very highly regarded Skara Brae and her collaborations with sister Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, as well as other traditional musicians...
, and Eddi Reader
Eddi Reader
Eddi Reader MBE is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known both for her work with Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo career. She is the recipient of three BRIT Awards and has topped both the album and singles charts...
.
As session musician
John has had the opportunity to perform with a multitude of other artists including Dan Ar BrazDan Ar Braz
Dan Ar Braz, born Daniel Le Bras , is a French guitarist and the founder of Héritage des Celtes.- The apprenticeship years :...
, Riverdance
Riverdance
Riverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish stepdancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. It originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, a moment that is still considered a significant...
, Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman is an American saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer. He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s....
and Secret Garden
Secret Garden (duo)
Secret Garden is an award-winning Irish-Norwegian duo playing New Instrumental Music, also sometimes erroneously known as Neo-classical music.Secret Garden features the Irish violinist Fionnuala Sherry and the Norwegian composer/pianist Rolf Løvland...
. He has made countless TV appearances and has featured on numerous film and TV soundtracks. His latest venture, teaming up with life long musical comrade Michael McGoldrick
Michael McGoldrick
Michael McGoldrick is a flute and tin whistle player. He also plays the Uilleann pipes and low whistle. He is well known for his ability to skate switch and regular with the same level of ability.-Bands:...
to release At First Light, received the award for best traditional album of the year 2001 from the Irish American News.
John has toured the world as both a solo performer and a member of several well-respected bands. He is a composer, producer, arranger and established studio session musician, recording with Clannad, Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith, is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter from Austin, Texas.-Biography:...
, Shaun Davey
Shaun Davey
- Early years :Shaun Davey was born in Belfast in 1948. He graduated from Trinity College, Dublin in the history of Art in 1971. He then took a master's degree at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. In the late 1970s, he made his first recording, "Davey and Morris," with Donal Lunny and others...
, Dónal Lunny
Dónal Lunny
Dónal Lunny is an Irish folk musician. Lunny has been at the forefront of the evolution of traditional Irish music for more than thirty-five years and has participated within the renaissance of traditional Irish music in that time period...
and The Corrs
The Corrs
The Corrs are an Irish band which combine pop rock with traditional Celtic folk music. The brother and sisters are from Dundalk, Ireland. The group consists of the Corr siblings: Andrea ; Sharon ; Caroline ; and Jim .The Corrs came to international prominence with their performance at the...
, among many other artists.
At First Light
At First LightAt First Light
At First Light is an Irish band performing traditional Celtic music.At First Light comprises the talents of world renowned Uilleann Piper John McSherry and outstanding fiddle player Dónal O'Connor, creators of Tripswitch, which has been described as 'Acoustic perfection'.Combined with the sublime...
is the working title of his current band which also comprises fiddle player Dónal O'Connor and Francis McIlduff from the famous McPeake clann.
Discography
- John McSherry and Donal O'Connor: Tripswitch (Vertical)
- McGoldrick & McSherry: At First Light (Vertical)
- Tamalin: Rhythm and Rhyme (Grapevine)
- Lúnasa: ‘Live’ (Compass)
- Donal Lunny’s Coolfin (Hummingbird)
- At First Light: Tripswitch (Vertical)
- Shaun Davey: Waking Ned Devine [soundtrack] (Decca)
- Lúnasa: Otherworld (Green Linnet)
- Donal Lunny: This is my father [soundtrack] (Hummingbird)
- Donal Lunny: Journey ‘a retro’ (Hummingbird)
- Dan Ar Braz: L’Heritage Des Celtes (Sony, France)
- Donal Lunny and Friends: Dualaman (Hummingbird)
- Clannad: Landmarks (album)
- Gary Kemp: Little Bruises (Sony)
- Niamh Parsons: Loosely Connected (Greentrax)
- Niamh Parsons: Blackbirds and Thrushes (Green Linnet)
- Sharon Shannon: Each Little Thing (Grapevine)
- Aoife Ni FhearraighAoife Ní FhearraighAoife is an Irish singer and composer, born in Gweedore , northwest County Donegal. She performs Traditional Irish and New Age music, in the style of other musicians native to the Donegal area like Clannad, Moya Brennan, Enya and Altan...
: AoifeAoife (album)Aoife is the second album released by Irish singer Aoife Ní Fhearraigh. It consists of a wide selection of Traditional Irish songs, and its lyrics are entirely sung in Irish...
(Gael-Linn) - Maighread & Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill: (Hummingbird)
- Brian Kennedy: On Song (Curb)
- Carmina: Weather in the heart
- Sult: Spirit of the Music (Hummingbird)
- Maura O’Connell: Wandering Home (Rykodiscs)
- Nanci Griffith: Dust Bowl Symphony
- Tommy Flemming: Restless Spirit (Dara)
- Eleanor Shanley: Eleanor Shanley (Grapevine)
- Melanie Harrold & Olly Blancheflower: Instinctive Behaviour
- Soul Flower Union: Marginal Moon (Ki-Oon)
- Gilles Servat: Touche pas La Blanche hermine (Sony, France)
- The Corrs: Home (Atlantic)
- Skanda: Sangre d'ochobre (L'Aguañaz)