ANDY IRVINE BIOGRAPHY
If
anyone doubts that music is a timeless and a universal language, consider
the career of Andy Irvine. He is definitely a twentieth century artist,
whose material ranges from the centuries old music of Ireland to Woody
Guthrie, from the music of Eastern Europe to modern compositions.
Singer, songwriter and gifted musician, Andy has earned an audience that spans the continents of the world with his rare talents. He was pursuing an acting career in the late fifties and struggling to master classical guitar when he happened upon the work of Woody Guthrie. Interest sparked and he promptly switched to folk style guitar, adding harmonica and mandolin (and mandola, bouzouki and hurdy-gurdy) along the way. Thus began an open-ended musical odyssey that has developed into one of the most impressive pedigrees on the international traditional scene.
He spent his apprentice years traveling with Ramblin' Jack Elliot and Derrol Adams, playing Dublin's emerging folk scene with such artists as Johnny Moynihan, Ronnie Drew and Luke Kelly and honing his talents with trips abroad. In 1966 he formed Sweeney's Men with Moynihan and Joe Dolan. Among the first to resurrect and rearrange traditional Irish material and integrate Scottish, English and American songs into its repertoire, Sweeney's Men is acknowledged today as a pivotal force in Ireland's traditional renaissance. Irvine recorded two hit singles and an album with Sweeney's Men before the spirit of the times and his own curiosity led him east to the Balkans. Returning to Ireland 18 months later, he brought with him a new found interest in the rhythms and textures of Eastern European music. It was an interest that would enrich his musicianship and musical outlook, finding expression not only in his own compositions but in his arrangements of traditional material.
In 1972 Irvine founded Planxty
with Christy Moore, Donal Lunny and
Liam O'Flynn. One of the most influential
groups ever to emerge from Ireland's traditional scene, Planxty wedded
the Sweeney's core of mandolin and bouzouki - now played by Irvine and
Lunny - to the uilleann pipes of O'Flynn and the guitar of Moore. In the
space of three years, Planxty's singular sound gained an international
following, fueled by superb live performances and the release of three
albums, each voted "Folk Album of the Year" by the prestigious Melody
Maker. After the group disbanded in 1975, Irvine teamed up with Paul Brady.
Together for 18 months the duo amassed such credits as a best selling
album, their own series on BBC TV and a string of critically acclaimed
concerts, including the 1977 Cambridge Folk Festival. During this period,
Irvine also performed and recorded with De Dannan as well as appearing
on a Christy Moore solo album 'The Iron Behind the Velvet' (TARACD2002).
Planxty reformed in 1979 with a long European tour followed by three more albums, including After the Break and The Woman I Loved So Well. Andy divided his time between the band and a solo career - which has seen him tour extensively in Europe, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Irvine recorded a solo album in 1980, winning rave reviews from critics and fans. The album proved an outstanding showcase for his deepening talents with its mix of traditional Irish material, Irvine's own compositions, such as jazz-tinged title track, "Rainy Sundays" and his interpretation of Eastern European forms.
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In 2004 Andy once again teamed up with Planxty for a series of Irish concerts and a new live CD and DVD. Andy now concentrates mainly on song writing and touring solo, with annual tours of the US, Australia and the UK. Never tire of the road....
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