Black Irish Band
Band
Black Irish Band | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Sonora, California, US |
| Genres | Celtic music, Folk music |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels | Black Irish Music |
| Associated acts | Michael Martin Murphey, Mic Gillette |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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The Black Irish Band are an American band that specializes in Celtic music and Scottish, Italian and American Folk music. They started in 1989 in Sonora, California and have produced 26 albums with a mix of traditional songs and ballads and over 100 original songs. They have appeared on national television shows such as CBS This Morning. They have performed in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
Formation
In 1989, founding members Patrick Michael Karnahan and Richard Restivo met during the filming of the motion picture "Back to the Future Part III." The movie was filmed in California's Gold Country on the Sierra Railroad. As local musicians from neighboring Sonora, California, the pair was selected to be members of the movie band. Musician Steve McArthur, who would later join the Black Irish, garnered a speaking role. Karnahan and Restivo became fast friends and formed their own band, which they named the Black Irish Band.
History
"South Canyon 1994," an original orchestral work of music and a requiem for fallen wildland firefighters, was performed by the Black Irish Band, Michael Martin Murphey and the Colorado Springs Symphony on July 4, 2012. The concert, held at the the World Arena, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, was in support of fire relief for the victims of the 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire. More than three million people watched the performance via live television broadcast.
The Black Irish Band first gained national attention after peforming on “CBS This Morning" with Paula Zahn and Harry Smith in the late 90s.[1]
On August 7, 2018, Film True Productions debuted the documentary "Keepers of the Light" about the Gay Head Lighthouse, on National Lighthouse Day, at the Martha's Vineyard Film Center. The movie features the Black Irish Band's original song "Spanish Ladies."
In 2005, the Black Irish Band performed at the Smithsonian Institute and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in Washington, D.C., as a part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.[2] [3] [4] The festival showcased the occupational traditions of the USDA Forest Service during its 100th anniversary celebration.[5] The Black Irish Band performed songs from its CD “Into the Fire.” The songs were written in honor of heroes who fought and continue to fight the flames. [6] In 2013 Wild Fire Today highlighted the band's focus on wildland firefighters in a feature article. [7] As of July 2018, the band had recorded ten original songs in support of firefighters.
“Grizzly of Old California,” an original song featuring the vocals of Michael Martin Murphey, has been broadcast on stations worldwide.
“Ballad of John Muir” has been featured on the official John Muir National Historic website and on the Sierra Club’s website.[8] "John Muir: Nature's Defender, the Father of America's National Parks" is the subject of a podcast by Simply Scottish and features the Black Irish Band.[9]
Karnahan’s ballad "The Wreck of the Pomona" played a role in maritime historian, author and adventurer Roy Stokes’ decision to search for the Pomona. He writes in his book "Between the Tides: Shipwrecks of the Irish Coast," “After reading, listening and looking at the (YouTube) performance, I was hooked. The other members of our team were already convinced that this was a shipwreck worth having a go at, if only to preserve the story.” [10] The Wreck of the Pomona was inspired when songwriter Karnahan visited the Wexford Ireland Museum.
Men of Iron (Tribute to the Chinese Railroad Worker) is featured on the Chinese American History website.[11] The song was based on the struggle to build a railroad over the Sierra Nevada). Stanford University also wrote an article "Men of Iron" about Chinese Americans that built the Central Pacific Railroad. The article references the song. [12]
When the Washington Nationals major league baseball team began featuring The Presidents’ Race at RFK Stadium, Teddy Roosevelt became the consummate loser, never winning a race against his fellow former presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson. The Washington Post used the Black Irish Band’s song “Ballad of Teddy Roosevelt” in a video asking fans when Teddy was going to win.[13]. The song and video are also highlighted as a part of a HuffPost preview for the book "Bully!: The Life and Times of Theodore Roosevelt."[14]
In 2007, the Black Irish Band and country singer Michael Martin Murphey recorded the song “Into the Fire” from the “Into the Fire” CD. In 2010, Murphey was featured on two songs from the CD Lonesome Whistle Railroad Ballads. He also played on the band's California Story album. [15]
- Mary Youngblood played on the California Story album.[citation needed]
- Joe Craven performed on two Karnahan originals "Ballad of Grizzly Adams" and "Angels of the Forest", on the album Warriors of the West[citation needed]
- Mic Gillette performed two original Karnahan songs, "Lullaby for Bix (a tribute to legendary performer Bix Beiderbecke)," and "Requiem for the Road, A Song for Tommy Dorsey," on the CD Twenty. He continues to play with the Black Irish Band.[citation needed]
- Val Shadow-Hawk, a Native American singer and rummer, featured on two original songs on the band's 26th release Warriors of the Fire and also in a tribute song in memory of original band member Richard Restivo. [citation needed]
- Folk singer Utah Phillips performed with the Black Irish on several occasions. [citation needed]
Musical style
The Black Irish Band's focus is on storytelling songs of historic accuracy. In addition, the band has a large complement of Irish,[16][17] Scottish, Italian, and American folk music plus ethnic tunes and traditional western ballads. Its mix also includes maritime and railroad music. Founding member Patrick Michael Karnahan has written more than 100 of the band's original songs.
Members
Current members
- Patrick Michael Karnahan - Banjo, melodeon, concertina, guitar, trumpet, French horn, vocals
- Steve McArthur - Banjo, guitar, accordion, mandola, piano, vocals
- Jim Nelson - Long Neck Banjo, Vocals
- Stanton Emmons - Bass guitar
- Tobin Denton - Drums
Former members
- Richard Restivo - Bass, bass guitar
- Ken Darby - Guitar, Octave mandolin
Discography
Black Irish Band have released 26 albums:
- The Forgotten Fields of America (1991)
- Whalers Cove (1992)
- Hooligans Once Again (1993)
- Oceans Away Mountains Apart (1994)
- Underneath the Far Western Sky (1995)
- The Harbinger Has Passed (1996)
- Hooligans United (1997)
- The Forgotten West (1998)
- Hear the Lonesome Whistle Blow (1999)
- The Day the Earth Shook (1999)
- Into the Arms of the Sea (2000)
- American Landscapes, (2004)
- From the Forest (2005)
- Long Way to Tipperary (2006)
- Into the Fire (2007)
- Lonesome Whistle (2008)
- 28 Black Irish Favorites (2008)
- Twenty, Back in Black Irish (2009)
- Sonora Farewell (2010)
- California Story (2011)
- Ireland's Song (2011)
- Dark Ocean (2012)
- This Summer (2013)
- American Legends (2014)
- Give Us All Yer Whiskey (2016)
- Warriors of the West (2018)
Futher reading
- Stokes, Roy (September 20, 2015). "Between the Tides: Shipwrecks of the Irish Coast". The American: 164-165.
References
- ↑ Linehan, Gary. County band gets gig on national TV.” Union Democrat, Section: Weekend
- ↑ Smithsonian Folklife Festival https://festival.si.edu/2005/inspirations-from-the-forest/music/smithsonian
- ↑ Linehan, Gary (June 15, 2005) “Band gets capital gig; Black Irish performance, video premiere on tap at Forest Service centennial in Washington, DC.” Union Democrat, Section: Weekend, Page 10-11
- ↑ Snyder, George. (June 17, 2005) “A new CD and video dedicated to the U.S. forest Service centennial have garnered Sonora’s Black Irish Band a spot in the nation’s celebration in Washington, DC.” The Modesto Bee, Section: The Arts, Page H-9
- ↑ Smithsonian Folklife Festival https://festival.si.edu/2005/inspirations-from-the-forest/music/smithsonian
- ↑ Smithsonian Folklife Festival Live-on-stage interview transcript https://foresthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Karnahan-Patrick-Michael.pdf
- ↑ Wildfire Today http://wildfiretoday.com/2013/01/29/song-honors-usfs-firefighters/
- ↑ Sierra Club https://vault.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/sound_and_music/karnahan.aspx
- ↑ Simply Scottish Podcast https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/simplyscottish/episodes/2012-08-09T08_50_11-07_00
- ↑ Stokes, Roy” Between the Tides: Shipwrecks of the Irish Coast” September 20, 2015. Pages 164-165 “The American”
- ↑ Chinese American History https://www.scoop.it/t/chinese-american-history
- ↑ Stanford University http://web.stanford.edu/group/chineserailroad/cgi-bin/wordpress/men-of-iron/
- ↑ The Washington Post, 8/3/12, “Let Teddy Win” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPAvKhbBCKY
- ↑ Huffington Post https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/28/bully-the-life-and-times-of-teddy-roosevelt_n_1095952.html
- ↑ http://westernjubilee.com/artist-bios/michael-martin-murphey/
- ↑ Soyars, David. (March 2003) “Black Irish Band: Into the arms of the seas,” The Irish Herald, Page 31.
- ↑ Clancy, Tom. (July 2005) “Songs and stories from the gold country.” Irish Music, Volume 10; Page 22.
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