Live at Mona's

THE MUSICIANS

Eamon O'Leary
guitar/ banjo/ vocals

While growing up in Dublin, Eamon O'Leary developed an interest in Irish music through his friendship with Emer, Breda and John Mayock, a noted family of trraditional musicians from Co. Mayo. His first instrument was the guitar, which he started playing while in his teens. When he moved to New York City in 1991, he met guitarist John Doyle, fiddle player Patrick Ourceau and other New York based musicians, and has since become a fixture in the city's thriving Irish music scene.

Patrick Ourceau
fiddle

Since moving to America fourteen years ago, Patrick has performed with James Keane, Andrew Mac Namara, John Williams, the band "Celtic Thunder" and in June 1999, joined the Tulla Ceilí band on their last U.S. tour. Patrick is the newest member of the trio Chulrua, led by legendary accordion player Paddy O'Brien and singer, guitar player Pat Egan. For the last ten years, Patrick has been in great demand as a teacher. He has taught at various festivals such as the Chris Langan Weekend in Toronto; the St Louis Irish Festival and at the Fleadh Nua in Co. Clare, Ireland.

Dana Lyn
fiddle

Dana Lyn started playing classical music on the violin and the piano at the age of seven, but took a left turn upon the completion of her degree in Music Performance at Oberlin Conservatory. She has since immersed herself in traditional Irish fiddle music, traveling to Ireland over a dozen times in her enthusiasm. She performs regularly with the Green Fields of America, and more recently, has toured with vocalist Susan McKeown, and with Boston-based fiddle player Tina Lech and guitarist Junji Shirota as a member of the Rice Paddies. Dana has been based in New York City since 2000, and has taught at the Augusta Heritage Center for the past three years.

Cillian Vallely
uilleann pipes

A gifted Armagh-born uilleann pipes and low whistle player, Cillian comes from the same talented musical family as his brother Niall Vallely, concertina player with the group Nomos. Cillian has spent most of the recent past touring with the band Lunasa and has also performed extensively with bands such as New York-based 'Whirligig', Paddy O'Brien's 'Chulrua' and with Clare fiddler Seamus Connolly. He was featured as uilleann pipes soloist in the Broadway production of 'Riverdance' and toured with Tim O'Brien in "The Crossing." Cillian and Niall have recently released their album "Callan Bridge" on Compass Records.

Brendan Dolan
piano

Like his father Felix, Brendan Dolan is a much sought after musician who is a brilliant accompanist in such diverse settings as Irish, Jazz and even Klezmer music. The multi-talented Dolan plays the keyboard, flute, whistle and is a music producer as well. He is currently teaching music in upstate New York at the high school level.

Brian Holleran
flute

Brian Holleran was born in Edison, New Jersey in 1981. His father is from Co. Mayo, and his mother is from Jersey City, where her parents had settled in the 1920’s. Brian first heard traditional Irish music when his family was in Ireland for his grandfather’s funeral; inspired by a cassette bought by his father, Music at Matt Molloy’s, he began playing the tin whistle at the age of twelve. Two years later, he started playing the Concert Flute, taking lessons from Mike Rafferty of Ballinakill, Co. Galway, from whom he learned the majority of his music. Brian also plays the Uilleann Pipes, taking lessons from Willie Kelly, who is also an accomplished fiddle player.

Tony Davoren
bouzouki

Tony hails from Hollywood Co. Wicklow a small village steeped in traditional Irish music and culture. His brilliant bouzouki playing combined with an unlimited repertoire of Irish traditional songs have made him one of the most popular and respected young performers on the Irish music scene today.

Ivan Goff
uilleann pipes

Born in Dublin, Ivan began playing the Irish tin whistle at theage of eight, progressing to the uilleann pipes at the age of eleven under the tuition of Dan O'Dowd (1903-1989) and later with Mick O'Brien. Having won a number of competition titles at all age levels including the All-Ireland Fleadh and Oireachtas, Ivan's eclectic music background includes masters degrees in both musicology and computer composition.

Aidan Brennan
guitar/vocals

During his years in Portland, Oregon, Dublin native Aidan Brennan became one of the most sought-after Irish guitarists in the United States, performing with players like Paddy O'Brien, Brian Dunning, Randall Bays, and Martin Hayes. Now living in County Laois, he regularly tours with Kevin Burke, Susan McKeown, Breda Smyth, and Lawrence Nugent among others.

Steve Johnson
vocals

Steve Johnson was born in 1959 and lived in southern Minnesota until the age of 8, when he moved to New York City. Steve gravitated to North American and Irish traditional music in the 1970s. He began to attend traditional sessions in the city, the major spots being pubs in Queens, Comhaltas clubs in the Bronx, and bars on West 14th Street. He has a particular love for the recordings of seán nos greats such as Joe Heaney and Paddy Tunney, as well as brilliant revivalists such as Paul Brady, and is a regular visitor to Mona’s and other sessions in lower Manhattan.

Susan McKeown
vocals

Born in Dublin, Susan inherited her love of music from her mother Jeannie, an organist and composer who brought Susan, the youngest of her five children, along to her church and community gigs. She settled in Manhattan's East Village over a decade ago, carving out a career as a singer-songwriter and interpreter of traditional song. Hailed by Q Magazine as the surprise hit of Glastonbury 2000, Susan's heartfelt vocals and inspired music have influenced audiences and musicians alike. In December 2003 The Klezmatics invited Susan and Arlo Guthrie to be guest vocalists on their tribute concert to Woody Guthrie at New York's prestigious 92nd Street Y.

Chris Layer
flute

A gifted multi-instrumentalist, Chris plays the Irish ‘Uilleann’ Pipes, Simple System Wood Flutes, Pennywhistle, Scottish Highland Bagpipes and Scottish Small Pipes, Bassoon, Electric and String Basses. Traditional music was a staple in his family home in Indiana, and his classical skills where honed at The Hargreaves School of Music at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, and the prestigious Indiana University School of Music, Bloomington.

His solo recordings include: Out of Thin Air, and Return of the Rivers, both available through the artist. Layer has made two duo recordings with Swiss harpist, Martha Waldvogel-Warren Stones Unturned; and The Curvey Road.