Andy Irvine: Forty Years on the Road

Andy Irvine has been hailed as "a tradition in himself." Musician, singer and songwriter, Andy has maintained both personal integrity and highly individual performing skills throughout his 40-year career. From Sweeney's Men in the mid sixties to the enormous success of Planxty in the 70s, to THE Irish super group, Patrick Street, in the 80s, Andy has been a world music pioneer and icon for traditional music and musicians.

Irvine occupies a unique place in the musical world, plying his trade as archetypal troubadour, with a solo show and traveling lifestyle that reflects his lifelong influence, Woody Guthrie. Few others can equal his repertoire, Irish traditional songs, dexterous Balkan dance tunes, and a compelling canon of his own material that defies description.

In his two years with Sweeney's Men, the group ignited an interest in traditional Irish music that survives to this day. Their successful singles, "Old Maid in the Garret" and "The Waxie's Dargle" landed at the very top of the Irish Hit Parade.

Andy left the band in 1968, and made his first trip 'way out yonder', traveling by 'the sunburnt thumb' in Bulgaria, Romania and Yugoslavia, earning his living as a street musician and absorbing the musical traditions of the Balkans. Returning to Ireland, Irvine united with Christy Moore, Donal Lunny and Liam O'Flynn to form Planxty, fanning the flames of Irish Traditional Music well into the next generation.

Planxty took a break in 1976 and Irvine worked and recorded with Paul Brady, making the classic album "Andy Irvine & Paul Brady". After a brief time with De Dannan, he rejoined the reunited Planxty from 1979 until its breakup in 1983. . Andy's his first solo album, "Rainy Sundays ... Windy Dreams", followed, as well as "Parallel Lines" a duo album with the great Scots troubadour, Dick Gaughan.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Andy formed Mosaic, a pan-European band that included Donal Lunny and Hungarian singer Marta Sebestyen. After one blissful summer traveling through Europe with this band, Andy returned to solo and duo work. This work soon grew into Patrick Street, featuring Kevin Burke (Bothy Band), Jackie Daly (De Danaan) and guitar maestro Arty McGlynn.

Patrick Street, originally billed as Legends of Irish Music, one of the few times such hoopla was accurate, recorded three albums from 1987 to 1990. Andy then recorded his second solo album, "Rude Awakening", and created the hugely influential "East Wind", an album of Balkan music, produced by Bill Whelan and featuring Davy Spillane on Uilleann Pipes. Patrick Street regrouped in 1993 with Kevin, Jackie, Andy, and Ged Foley. To date Patrick Street has released eight recordings, all on the Green Linnet label.

Early in 2002, Andy drafted some long-time musical friends and formed his "dream band" for a one-off tour of Australia. Calling themselves Mozaik, reminiscent of the earlier cross-genre group, Andy was joined by Donal Lunny, Dutch guitarist Rens van der Zalm, Hungarian bagpiper Nikola Parov and American fiddler Bruce Molsky. The response was so positive that they might well have another go at it.

October 2002 saw the release of Patrick Street's Street Life, arguably their best ever. It showcases an ecumenical approach, while never letting go of the tradition that binds these amazing musicians, all at the very top of their game. Although an integral part of the finest Irish bands of our time, Andy Irvine continues along the road he set for himself so long ago - a vibrant career as a solo artist in the old style, a teller of stories and maker of music.

Photo: Shigeru Suzuki

Andy Irvine: A Few Quotes

Andy Irvine is Woody Guthrie's representative on earth.
Hot Press

Andy Irvine has been one of Ireland's most creative talents for over 20 years.
Boston Globe

His forte, his genius is playing his mandolin, mandola and bouzouki. I have never heard such clarity of sound, such perfect and precise rhythmic variations or such brilliant melodic figures from this family of instruments.
San Francisco Examiner

Andy Irvine's solo stage show is a musical travelogue through time and space. His right hand dexterity on bouzouki was nothing short of amazing.
Frets Magazine

Woody would have been proud.
Denver Post

Irvine's voice and accompaniment combine in a spell-weaving fashion, his story songs so fully animated that it's easy to understand how some cultures get along just fine without cable TV.
Los Angeles Times

Andy Irvine is a tradition in himself.
Irish Press

The Noam Chomsky of Irish Balladry chisels out a new motherlode of sung literature. A bloody masterpiece.
Irish Times

Andy Irvine is Ireland's Woody Guthrie, with a philosopher's ear and a prophet's passionate voice. He is also a stunning singer and instrumentalist who weaves melody and texture, harmony and rhythm, into a rich tapestry of present and past.
Si Kahn

Andy is one of the most creative and talented people it has ever been my privilege to work with. Great company, superb singer, genius of a musician, truly original songwriter and an inspiration to all of us - what more could anyone ask?
Dick Gaughan

For more, see Andy's website: www.andyirvine.com 

Rens van der Zalm, multi-instrumentalist

Rens van der Zalm is a musician of multiple talents: he is not only a skilled guitarist, but is equally accomplished on the violin, mandolin, keyboards, accordion and whistle. Rens' instrumental skills are combined with an ability to apply his expertise to a wide variety of musical styles.

Born in Rotterdam, Holland, Rens was classically trained in violin and piano from an early age and later studied guitar at the Rotterdam Conservatory of Music. His professional career was forged in the folk clubs of Holland, Belgium and the UK. As a member of the acclaimed Dutch folk bands Fungus and Wolverei, Rens toured throughout Europe.

With his versatility of musicianship, Rens has played as a guest artist with many bands, covering a wide range of repertoire from folk, to jazz to classical.

In 1968 Rens and Andy Irvine crossed paths in eastern Europe, where Andy was exploring traditional Balkan music. He and Rens became friends and vowed to get together again some time to play music. "Some time" proved to be more than twenty years later.

In 1991, their paths crossed again and Andy Irvine invited Rens to play on his album "Rude Awakening" and the next year on an album of Bulgarian and Macedonian music called "East Wind," produced by Bill Whelan, who later wrote the score to Riverdance. In 1995 Rens, Andy and Hungarian musician Nikola Parov had a very successful tour of the States as the "East Wind Trio."

Since then, Rens has backed up Andy on European tours several times, while still pursuing his own endeavors in Holland. His mastery of many instruments has made him one of the most sought-after session musicians in Holland. There he serves as the anchorman for well-established popular bands, and more recently he has become active in live theater.

In March of 2002, Andy drafted his favorite musicians to join him in his "dream band" for a tour of Australia. Called Mozaik, this group reunited the East Wind Trio of Andy, Rens and Nikola, and also included Irish traditional musician Donal Lunny and American old-time fiddler Bruce Molsky. Truly an international composite, Mozaik's debut at Australia's National Folk Festival was a huge success.

Tied up as they both are with their respective careers, Rens and Andy's personal and musical friendship has become so compelling that Rens regularly reserves time to accompany Andy in the studio and on tour.

Sound clips from selected recordings:

From Way Out Yonder

Gladiators: http://www.andyirvine.com/mp3/gladiators.mp3

Moreton Bay: http://www.andyirvine.com/mp3/moreton.mp3

They'll Never Believe It's True: http://www.andyirvine.com/mp3/never-believe-x.mp3

From Rain on the Roof

Prince Among Men: http://www.andyirvine.com/mp3/prince-among-men-high-x.mp3

Over the Mountain: http://www.andyirvine.com/mp3/over-mountain-high-x.mp3