Album Notes

Jamie O'Brien...

vocals, guitar


Jamie O'Brien plays the songs and tunes passed down through the generations of his London-Irish family, music from Ireland and further afield, from the music hall (vaudeville) tradition, and from contemporary sources. His musical career has been diverse, having played everything from country dance music to country rock, but he always returns to his Irish roots.

Born in England, he has performed extensively throughout Europe and North America. He lived in England, France and Germany before settling in Pennsylvania in 1988.

As well as performing solo (with accompaniment) he also plays Irish music with the Laune Rangers, a band he helped form in 1997, and with Slingo; he is a member of Shades of Green & Blue, a trio which explores the musical connections between Ireland and Appalachia; he is an in-demand accompanist, having played with the likes of John Brennan (fiddle, guitar), Aoife Clancy (vocals), Jim Eagan (fiddle), Ken Kolodner (fiddle, dulcimer), Kieran O'Hare (pipes, whistle) and Mary Staunton (accordion); he introduced Irish music sessions at Harrisburg's prize-winning micro-brewery, the Appalachian Brewing Company, and helped develop the music program at T. Brendan O'Reilly's Irish Pub (Harrisburg); he also plays old timey and contradance music (Medicinal Purpose and Unbowed); as a solo performer, he delves into a vast repertoire of songs he has collected on two continents over the years, bringing together folk traditions and the rock music of his youth along with his own compositions.

He has performed extensively throughout the mid-Atlantic region and further afield and is also a popular performer back 'home' in Europe, which he tours most years.

Jamie can be heard playing guitar on Uncorked, an instrumental album by Medicinal Purpose, as well as guitar and cittern and vocals on Launie Tunes (an album he also produced) by the Launies. He is also featured playing guitar on Ryck Kaiser's eponymous CD and on a soon-to-be released album by Bruce Young.