Album Notes

Music for the Irish dancer with an exciting, contemporary sound! With undeniable beats and sweet Irish melodies, this CD will make everyone want to dance. Drawing on a myriad of influences, fiddler Ellery Klein and drummer Ryan Lacey have recorded an album for dancers of all levels. This is music for practice and performance, from beginner jigs and traditional set dances to advanced reels, hornpipes, slip jigs and treble jigs.

"rum & raisin records" was created by fiddler Ellery Klein and drummer/percussionist Ryan Lacey to produce modern and hip music for competitive Irish dancing. This full studio recording features twenty tracks of Irish dance music suitable for competitions at Feiseanna. They worked with several Irish dance teachers to develop this CD, which features beginner dances, traditional set dances and advanced reels, slip jigs and hornpipes, all in regulation tempos set by the Irish Dance Commission.

At the core of the cd, Ryan Lacey's funky drumming adds a contemporary sound to Irish dance while respecting the fundamental needs of dancers. Ellery fiddles away on traditional tunes and original compositions written to especially suit the slower tempos needed by dancers. They are joined by guitarist Matt Heaton (Suicra, Aoife Clancy Band, Matt and Shannon Heaton,) upright and electric bassist Ian Riggs (Howard Fishman Quartet, East Along the Road,) jazz pianist and accordianist Joe Barbato, and five-string banjo player Charlie Worsham.

Ellery Klein was the fiddler for Irish band Gaelic Storm from 2003-2007. An Irish fiddler for over twenty years, she has also toured with Whisky Before Breakfast, jighead, Cathy Ryan and Scottish pianist James Ross. She earned an MA in Irish Traditional Music from the University of Limerick and has a solo traditional fiddle CD, "Salt & Pepper" (also available on CDBaby.)

Ryan Lacey currently tours full-time with Irish band Gaelic Storm, and was a co-producer on their last album, "Cabbage." He earned two music degrees from the Los Angeles Music Academy, one in kit drumming and one in hand percussion. He has toured extensively throughout the U.S. and the U.K. with several bands including Guava, Gaelic Storm, Orangewood and Dextris.

**DEAL ALERT!!! ** Step Into the Beat is our best-selling album, chock full of great tunes for Irish dancing. Our second album, Kick Into the Beat, is a shorter cd and now priced at just $7.99! Just add a "2" to "elleryryan" (as in, www.cdbaby.com/elleryryan2) and get two Irish dancing cds today for $25!