Tempest is a Celtic rock

Celtic rock

Celtic rock is a genre of folk rock and a form of Celtic fusion which incorporates Celtic music, instrumentation and themes into a rock music context...

 band from the San Francisco Bay Area, based in Oakland, California

Oakland, California

Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...

. They fuse together the traditional 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...

 with Norwegian and European folk, American folk

Folk music

Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....

, and progressive rock

Progressive rock

Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...

.

The band formed in 1988 with Lief Sorbye (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...

, vocals), Adolfo Lazo (drums), Rob Wullenjohn (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...

), and Mark Showalter (bass). The band has seen a changing cast of musicians, with Lief and Adolfo remaining as founding members since the band's beginning.

The current lineup consists of Lief, Adolfo, Michael Mullen (fiddle

Fiddle

The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...

), James Crocker (guitar), and Damien Gonzalez (bass), with members from around the world: Lief from Oslo, Norway, Adolfo from Havana, Cuba, James from Devon

Devon

Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...

, UK, Michael from Fresno, California

Fresno, California

Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...

, and Damien from California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. The last lineup released the most recent studio album in 2006—it was Tempest's 10th full length studio album, entitled The Double-Cross. In 2007, the band released a live CD, entitled 'Lief's Birthday Bash.' The Birthday Bash CD was recorded on the evening of 23 March 2007 at Ashkenaz Dance Community Center in Berkeley, and features tracks including a number of musicians that Lief has played with over the years: both past Tempest members and some members of Golden Bough as well. Much of the recent live CD is actually acoustic. Tracks from Tempest recordings may be sampled on the discography page of the official Tempest website.

The band has held the honor of being invited to play a number of times at the Philadelphia Folk Festival

Philadelphia Folk Festival

The Philadelphia Folk Festival is an annual folk music festival near Schwenksville, Pennsylvania in the vicinity of Philadelphia. Begun in 1962, the four-day festival is sponsored by the non-profit Philadelphia Folksong Society. The event hosts contemporary and traditional artists in genres...

 and they also host an eclectic music and arts festival of their own, in Auburn California, on the first weekend of May each year. The festival is called Karfluki Fest, and has featured such artists as It's A Beautiful Day

It's a Beautiful Day

It's a Beautiful Day is a band formed in San Francisco, California in 1967, the brainchild of violinist David LaFlamme.LaFlamme, a former soloist with the Utah Symphony Orchestra, had previously been in the band Orkustra, and unusually, played a five-string violin...

, Big Brother and the Holding Company

Big Brother and the Holding Company

Big Brother and the Holding Company is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1965 as part of the same psychedelic music scene that produced the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Jefferson Airplane. They are best known as the band that featured Janis Joplin as their...

, Fairport Convention

Fairport Convention

Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...

, Shana Morrison

Shana Morrison

Shana Morrison, born Shana Caledonia Morrison, on April 7, 1970, in Kingston, New York, is an American singer-songwriter and the daughter of Northern Irish singer-songwriter, Van Morrison, and his ex-wife, Janet Rigsbee Minto.-Early life:...

, Wicked Tinkers

Wicked Tinkers

The Wicked Tinkers are an American Celtic music group who perform at many Scottish/Irish festivals.http://lh5.ggpht.com/-EajppDn4TKY/TAZi7AWKuOI/AAAAAAABsMc/8ARk5wnpcHM/DSC08855-ec.jpg-History:...

 and Fishtank Ensemble

Fishtank Ensemble

Fishtank Ensemble is a Euro-American musical group that formed in Oakland, California in 2004. They perform a variety of traditional musical styles including klezmer, flamenco, Japanese folk and Roma music....

, in addition to an array of side show acts such as belly dance

Belly dance

Belly dance or Bellydance is a "Western"-coined name for a traditional "Middle Eastern" dance, especially raqs sharqi . It is sometimes also called Middle Eastern dance or Arabic dance in the West, or by the Greco-Turkish term çiftetelli...

rs, a sword swallower

Sword swallowing

Sword swallowing is an ancient performance art in which the performer passes a sword through the mouth and down the esophagus towards the stomach...

, jugglers

Juggling

Juggling is a skill involving moving objects for entertainment or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, in which the juggler throws objects up to catch and toss up again. This may be one object or many objects, at the same time with one or many hands. Jugglers often refer...

, acrobats

Acrobatics

Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...

 and fire dancers

Fire dancing

Fire dancing is a group of performance arts or disciplines that involve manipulation of objects on fire...

.

1988

• Lief Sorbye (vocals, mandolin)
• Adolfo Lazo (drums)
• Rob Wullenjohn (guitar)
• Mark Showalter (bass)

1989

• Lief Sorbye (vocals, mandolin)
• Adolfo Lazo (drums)
• Rob Wullenjohn (guitar)
• Ian Butler (bass)

1992

• Lief Sorbye (vocals, mandolin)
• Adolfo Lazo (drums)
• Rob Wullenjohn (guitar)
• Ian Butler (bass)
• Michael Mullen (fiddle)

1993

• Lief Sorbye (vocals, mandolin)
• Adolfo Lazo (drums)
• Rob Wullenjohn (guitar)
• Ian Butler (bass)
• Jon Berger (fiddle)

1995

• Lief Sorbye (vocals, mandolin)
• Adolfo Lazo (drums)
• Rob Wullenjohn (guitar)
• Jay Nania (bass)
• Jon Berger (fiddle)

1996-1997

• Lief Sorbye (vocals, mandolin)
• Adolfo Lazo (drums)
• Rob Wullenjohn (guitar)
• Jay Nania (bass)
• Michael Mullen (fiddle)

1998

• Lief Sorbye (vocals, mandolin)
• Adolfo Lazo (drums)
• Dave Parnall (guitar)
• John Land (bass)
• Michael Mullen (fiddle)

1999

• Lief Sorbye (vocals, mandolin)
• Adolfo Lazo (drums)
• Todd Evans (guitar)
• John Land (bass)
• Michael Mullen (fiddle)

2000

• Lief Sorbye (vocals, mandolin)
• Adolfo Lazo (drums)
• Todd Evans (guitar)
• Darren Cassidy (bass)
• Michael Mullen (fiddle)

2001

• Lief Sorbye (vocals, mandolin)
• Adolfo Lazo (drums)
• Todd Evans (guitar)
• William Maxwell (bass)
• Jim "Hurricane" Hurley (fiddle)

2002

• Lief Sorbye (vocals, mandolin)
• Adolfo Lazo (drums)
• Joel Monte Mahan (guitar)
• Mark Skowronek (bass)
• Sue Draheim (fiddle)

2003

• Lief Sorbye (vocals, mandolin)
• Adolfo Lazo (drums)
• Ronan Carroll (guitar)
• Mark Skowronek (bass)
• Sue Draheim (fiddle)

2004

• Lief Sorbye (vocals, mandolin)
• Adolfo Lazo (drums)
• Ronan Carroll (guitar)
• Ariane Cap (bass)
• Michael Mullen (fiddle)

2007-2009

• Lief Sorbye (vocals, mandolin)
• Adolfo Lazo (drums)
• Michael Mullen (fiddle)
• James Crocker (guitar)
• Damien Gonzalez (bass)

Albums

• Bootleg
  Bootleg (Tempest album)
  Bootleg is the debut album by Tempest. At the time, they did not have a fiddle player, and performed as a four-piece.- Tracks :# Heather on the Moor # Soldier Song # Handsome Molly...
  
   (1991)
• Serrated Edge
  Serrated Edge
  Serrated Edge is the second album by Tempest. It was their first with a fiddler, and was released in 1992.-Tracks:#Hal-an Tow #Raggle Taggle Gypsy #A Kiss in the Morning Early...
  
   (1992)
• Sunken Treasures
  Sunken Treasures
  Sunken Treasures is the third release by Tempest. It is a collection of rare/demo tracks up until that point.-Tracks:#Queen of Argyll #Nottamun Town #Milligan’s Fancy #When Tenskwatawa Sings...
  
   (1993)
• Surfing to Mecca (1994)
• Turn of the Wheel
  Turn of the Wheel
  Turn of the Wheel is a 1996 album by Tempest . It was their first release on a major label, Magna Carta Records. It was also their first in a long string of albums produced by Robert Berry...
  
   (1996)
• The Gravel Walk
  The Gravel Walk
  The Gravel Walk is a 1997 album by Tempest .-Tracks:#One for the Fiddler #Buffalo Jump #Bonnie Lass of Anglesey #Green Grow the Rashes #Flowers of Red Hill...
  
   (1997)
• The 10th Anniversary Compilation (1998)
• Live at the Philadelphia Folk Festival (2000)
• Balance (2001)
• Shapeshifter (2003)
• 15th Anniversary Collection Box Set (2004)
• The Double-Cross
  The Double-Cross
  The Double-Cross is an album by Tempest, released in 2006.-Tracks:#"Captain Kidd" #"Slippery Slide" #"Hangman" #"Black Eddy" #"Whoever You Are"...
  
   (2006)
• Lief's Birthday Bash (2007)
• Prime Cuts (2008)
• Another Dawn
  Another Dawn
  Another Dawn is a 2010 album by the American band Tempest.-Track listing:...
  
  (2010)

Compilations featuring Tempest

• To Cry You A Song, A Collection Of Tull Tales (1996)
• Philadelphia Folk Festival, 40th Anniversary Box Set (2001)

Caliban

Lief occasionally plays in an acoustic Celtic folk duo called Caliban, usually joined by a current or former Tempest fiddler, such as Michael Mullen or Sue Draheim. They have released one self-titled recording and often do shows during Tempest tours.

Coyote Pudding

Bassist John Land was previously in a band called Coyote Pudding. They had one release, titled joking, drunk, or bored as hell.

Lief Sorbye

Lief has released two solo albums, Springdans(1987) and '"Across The Borders(1994).

External links

• http://www.karflukifest.com
• http://www.myspace.com/karflukifest