Comhaltas Archive

his early teens, he found himself in
great demand, appearing on stage with
such button-accordion greats as Joe
Burke, Finbar Dwyer, Ciaran Kelly, and
P.J. Hernon. Over the next nine years,
John would run his solo competitive
record to an extraordinary seven AII­
Ireland and six All-Britain titles, plus
one North American championship.
In America, John Whelan blossomed
musically. He and New York fiddler,
Eileen Ivers, (she would go on to
perform with Hall & Oates and
Hothouse Flowers), formed one of the
most celebrated Irish musical duos of
the 1980s. In 1987, they recorded
FRESH TAKES featuring Triona Ni
Dhomhnail on keyboards. In 1990,
John Whelan recorded FROM THE
HEART, a stellar solo album that
became a 1991 finalist in the
Celtic/British Isles music category of the
National Association of Independent
Record Distributors & Manufacturers
(NAIRD) awards.
John 's virtuosity and versatility as a
musician have also led to an imposing
list of recording sessions with other
artists. He appears on albums by avant­
garde Irish rocker Pierce Turner, blues
vocalist Lisa Best, the acoustic-roots
band Beacon Hillbillies, and Cherish
the Ladies' flute and tin whistle player
Joanie Madden, among many others.
John's music likewise shines on various
compilation albums including Narada's
CELTIC ODYSSEY (1993) and CELTIC
LEGACY (1995), which have become
two of the biggest-selling releases in
Narada's history. Also in 1993, John
appeared in the acclaimed film
documentary From Shore to Shore, a
fascinating study of the great Irish
musical talent to be found in New York
City. John 's early version of My
Ballingarry Lady was played over the
end credits of this film, which aired on
public tel evision. John also plays with
the Kips Bay Ceili Band, a popular New
York-based trad-rock group of which
he's a founding member.
Today, John lives with his wife, Louise,
and their two young sons, Denis and
Emmett, in southern Connecticut. The
constant and ever-growing demand for
his services as performer, composer,
and teacher - he has passed on the
musical tradition he loves to students
who have won All-Ireland titles
themselves - keeps him extremely busy.
And that's just fine with John, whose
work ethic matches his musical
fJim
J hie[s
enthusiasm . 'For me, music is utterly
personal' says John, 'yet it also must
reach our and touch someone. The
family and friends I have, the many
musicians I've met and played with, the
memories of great times we've had - all
are enormously important to me. They
do more than inspire me - they make
me re alise how lucky I am. Even as a
very young kid, still struggling to hold
the accordion, let alone play it, I knew
deep inside that this is what I wanted to
do with my life - make music'.
Mme
Pantleon
Award for
Comhaltas
Comhaltas has been informed by
the Irish Section of Association
Internationale des Anciens des
Communaittes Europeennes that
they have been awarded the Mme
Pantleon Award 1996. The award is
worth over £2,000.
Rare and Difficult to Find
Instruments
Always Available
Concertinas by Jeffries, Lachenal, etc.
Good 19th century 8 key Flutes (No Repro's)
At Least 50 Lovely Fiddles in Stock
Write
Jim Shiels, 44 Blenheim Crescent,
London W11 1 NY
or
Tel: UK (0044) 171-792-1993
In Ireland monthlYt can visit
Mobile Unit in UK: 0585-854595
10 __________________________________________________ __