Tony Sullivan Duo
Irish Folksongs and tunes
from: world famous "All Ireland Banjo Champion"Tony (Sully) Sullivan:
sings, and plays: banjo (tenor and 5-string), bouzouki, mouth organ, whistle
"he is one of the top banjo players" - said Mike Harding, on "BBC Folk on Two" Sept 2004
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Clare Allen.
guitar/bouzoukia first class IRISH FOLK DUO
Our top 10 songs:
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CHESHIRE LIFE ("…fun, Irish-style verses" – Macclesfield Express) |
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DIRTY OLD TOWN |
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FIELDS OF ATHENRY |
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IRISH ROVER |
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LEAVING OF LIVERPOOL |
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MOLLY MOLONE |
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SEVEN DRUNKEN NIGHTS |
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WHISKEY IN THE JAR |
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WILD ROVER |
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DUELLING BANJOS |
Plus, fantastic banjo solos,
and lots of other Irish, English and American folk songs
A DIFFERENT KIND OF GIG:
Sully also does
old time sing-along favourites - popular songs of the 1900s to the 1940s, as suitable for gigs in pubs or old folks homes.With a different partner who plays guitar and sax.
Sully can also play an
American theme of mainly American folk, or bluegrass type, mixed with American popular music from the old time favourites mentioned above. Ideal for an "Independence day" type gig.
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Recent recordings:
SONGS AND TUNES (featuring the Cheshire Life song)
CELTIC CREDENTIALS (featured on a 1 hour programme on Radio Merseyside); video, CD, cassette, book
SULLY'S IRISH BANJO EXTRA, video
TRADITIONAL MOUTH ORGAN (featured on Dublin radio "Ireland Tonight")
For bookings: Tel: 01625 610849; 0161 265 0053
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARIES:
Sully:
EXPONENT OF IRISH STYLE TENOR BANJO
* born into an Irish community in England
* started playing at age 15 in 1965
* influenced by Barney McKenna of The Dubliners and Mick Moloney of The Johnsons
* spent the 1960s and 70s sessioning, gigging, and researching Irish music all over Ireland - and in England
* played for a while in Dublin with The Pavees group which included Paddy Keenan who later joined The Bothy Band
* won The All Ireland and All Britain banjo championships in 1976
* published the first ever tutor for Irish tenor banjo style: "Sully's Irish Banjo Book"
* toured USA in 1980/81 and played with notable musicians including Ken Perlman, Andy McGann, and Dan Collins (Shannachie Records)
* played on the 1987 "Legends of The Banjo" tour in Germany with Bela Fleck, Buddy Wachter, Cynthia Sayer, and Peter Meyer
* published about 20 books and cassettes since 1979 - mostly
Irish and banjo tutors. The most well known are "Sully's Irish Banjo Book" vols 1 & 2; The Bodhran Tutor; "Irish Traditional Music - SESSION TUNES books 1,2,3. All these are regularly sold to USA folk shops such as Andy's Front Hall, House of Musical Traditions, Elderly Instruments, Lark in The Morning.
* composed many Irish type tunes which have been absorbed into the tradition and are played by influential musicians including Michael McGoldrick, Liz Carroll, Kevin Crawford, Cathal McConnell (Boys of The Lough).
On his new album, CELTIC CREDENTIALS, Sully presents his new idiom for the tenor banjo - tradition blended with some jazz elements and techniques. The tenor banjo has been mostly fixed in two idioms (Dixieland or Irish) - with no obvious routes for change. Sully opens up a way - and it gives him a completely original style to play on gigs.
"True originality is a rare thing…" Taplas magazine
Clare:
born in 1966 in Knutsford, Cheshire.
her Irish mother & English father encouraged her musical development from an early age.
Clare works as a music teacher in a College in Manchester, and is accomplished in music theory, composition, keyboard & guitar skills.
Her songwriting is promoted by her own group "The Sugarstealers"; and they have recorded on the "Out of Oblivion" compilation CD - as well as a forthcoming release on the Raw Fish label.
Her special voice quality, her own songs, and rendition of contemporary folk songs are universally admired
Clare lives in Stockport with her daughter Beth, and husband Phil