FRANKIE GAVIN BIOGRAPHY
2011
saw the release of the latest album by Frankie Gavin and De Dannan 'Jigs,
Reels & Rock n' Roll' on the Tara Music label. The album is the
culmination of years of work by Frankie to put the De Dannan back where
it belongs as one of the foremost performing groups of Irish traditional
music.
Frankie, who was born in 1956 in Corrandulla, Co. Galway, comes from a musical family: his father played fiddle, and his mother and all of her family played also. Frankie himself started playing the tin whistle at age four, making his first T.V. appearance three years later. At the age of ten years old Frankie began to play fiddle and by the time he was seventeen he was placed first in the All Ireland Fiddle Competition and in the All Ireland Flute Competition, both on the same day.
Mainly learning by ear, he was strongly influenced by the 78 recordings of Michael Coleman and James Morrison. Sessions in the Cellar Bar, Galway and later in Hughes’ pub in Spiddal led to the formation of De Dannan in 1973.
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He has recorded 16 albums with De Dannan as well as a number of solo albums, and three collaborations: one a tribute to Joe Cooley entitled ‘Omos do Joe Cooley’ with Paul Brock; a fine collaboration with fellow De Dannan member Alec Finn; and one with Stephane Grapelli exploring the languages of jazz and traditional music. He has also guested with The Rolling Stones on their ‘Voodoo Lounge’ album, with Keith Richards on ‘Wingless Angels’ and with Earl Scruggs the great banjo man.
Exposure to American audiences began in 1976 when he played with De Danann at the American bicentennial celebrations in Washington DC, with artists such as Junior Crehan and Micho Russell. Frankie has also been invited to play for numerous State officials including President John F. Kennedy on historic visit to Ireland in 1962, French president Francois Mitterand and England's Prince Charles. Of a special event in America, United States Ambassador to Ireland, Jean Kennedy Smith is reported to have commented that "The best all 'round performance of the entire week at Kennedy Center was by DeDannan."
2009
saw Frankie Gavin back on the road and with new De Dannan members. The
new line up which features Frankie Gavin (Fiddle/Flute/Whistles), Damien
Mullane (Accordian), Eric Cunningham (Percussion/Flutes/Whistles), Mike
Galvin (Bouzouki/Guitar) and Michelle Lally (Vocals). In Frankie's
own words "This recording marks a special time in my musical life
and follows a period where it wasn't possible for me to perform as part
of De Dannan, a band I first formed and played with in Connemara in the
early 1970's."
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| Sean & Frankie
Gavin |
Fintan Vallely, Sunday Tribune
Frankie Gavin - The Tolboth Theatre, Stirling, Scotland October 14th
2003
"Because he's known as 'The prince of Irish fiddlers', and produces
what's ben called 'Irish fiddling as good as it gets', there was high
anticipation at Stirling's Tolbooth theatre for the Frankie Gavin show.
The crowd wasn't disappointed, for with his accompanist Brian McGrath
on keyboards he gave a glittering performance over nearly two hours.
Yet it was all so laid back. He sat, almost reclining as if in an armchair,
the while creating the most spectacular sound from a bow which mostly
seemed to be moving within barely four-inch compass. The amazingly tricksy
fingers seemed equally effortless. They weren't, of course, as when he
played 'Carolan's Concerto', using roughly twice the number of notes that
even oul' Turlough had planned for... (During this, there was metaphorically
the sound of fiddlers in the audience snapping their fiddles over their
knees, and vowing to never touch the instrument again!).
True to his philosophy, epitomised by the album 'Fierce Traditional' (TARACD4011)
of going back to his roots of Irish fiddling, he began with a piece from
one of his heroes Jimmy Morrison, then did some numbers by the Flannigan
Brothers (other heroes of his) like 'The Belle of Athenry'. explaining
his affection for his almost Vaudeville / Music Hall style from Irish
immigrants in Twenties America. He told me later "We need to return
to that straightforward style of playing, away from all this over-produced
'Celtic' mush. What does 'Celtic' mean for God's sake? Fortunately, there's
a backlash against this screwing around with the music. Like with Harry
Bradley the flute player, and Micheál Ó Rahilly, a young
Rathcarn concertina player, they don't mess around".
Well, there was certainly no 'messing' from Frankie either, in the way
he did the fine reel 'The Dunmore Lassies' or the song 'The Snowy Breasted
Pearl' as an air, or the jig 'The Green Fields of Woodford'.
After the interval, Frankie started with the jig 'The Frost is all Over',
then did the simply lovely (Coleman?) reel 'Lucy Campbell' then the aptly
named 'Wonder Hornpipe' and finally 'The Foxhunter Reel' which seemed
to include every known form of ornamentation! He next accompanied Brian
on the banjo with some marches. These were a little disappointing, perhaps
because the banjo mike kept cutting out. Later Brian genuinely showed
his prowess with a set of (unnamed) reels. Frankie then played the mighty
songs 'Róisín Dubh' and Sliabh na mBan' as slow airs, dedicating
the latter to his dad JJ.
The evening finally closed with Frankie thanking various people and organisations
for the tour, then going straight into that amazing Carolan rendition...
It had been a great evening, enhanced by frankie's rare charm and wit,
and had proved to be exactly as the sage had said: 'Irish fiddling as
good as it gets'..."
Steve McGrail - Living Tradition
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