New Tunes

I thought I would include in this post the new music I’m becoming quite fond of as I spend my days transforming wood, screws, and glue into beautiful harps.

My number one favorite right now is Maeve Gilchrist.

I discovered her one day whilst searching for examples of bluegrass harp music to help me get ideas of how to make my little 22-string Triplett harp work into my folk band The Lucky Crickets

I was immediately enthralled with her style, her voice, her energy. I had the most exciting opportunity to do a masters workshop with her in Gettysburg the first weekend I arrived out here. She taught us some of the traditional celtic tunes she has arranged in addition to performing at night with her bass player. Wow. Harp + Bass = sweet, saucy, rhythmic sass.

Maeve Gilchrist performing at workshop in Gettysburg
(notice she's barefoot. Love it!)

Check out any of the songs on her myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com/maevegilchrist

Grainne Hambly is new to me (a fact that I’ve found astounds most folk harpists around here because she is so well known in the celtic harp world). The family I am living with introduced her music to me and she has since become a celtic harp guru to learn from. Check out her set “Flying to the Fleagh” on her myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com/grainnehambly

Silly Wizard is group that Rick introduced to me during one evening we were working in the shop. They’re an old Scottish folk band, started back in the 1970s in Edinburgh. Rick (the harp master) is constantly dating himself by bringing up old musicians or figures in history. This is a group I’m glad he showed me and one that will forever remind me of Rick’s wannbe Scottish accent he uses when he works in the shop. Check out the funny and seriously catchy “Rambling Rover”: http://www.myspace.com/sillywizard06