Album Notes

TRASNA's much anticipated first release! Strongly rooted in Irish fiddle and vocal tradition and flavored with elements of jazz, world, funk, rock and contemporary acoustic influences, TRASNA describes their music as "blue ridge celtic fusion." From ancient tunes to original compositions, from songs in Gaelic to those in English, from reels to improv, the foursome has forged new ground in the landscape of modern tradition.

TRASNA evolved from a monthly session at the neighborhood pub in the foothills of the Blue Ridge. They admit to having an inordinate pride in being Virginian! "Trasna" (pronounced 'trah-snah', soft 's' as in 'swell') is the Irish Gaelic word for "across."

Laura O'Kelly (fiddle, English/Gaelic vocals, rapier-like wit) would love to tell you she learned to sing and play fiddle from her grandparents who came from County Clare or something like that, but the truth is she grew up in an Irish-American family that listened to a lot of recordings of traditional music.

Patrick Callahan (guitars, vocals, spanking harmonics) has been playing guitar since he was 15 and let's just say he's a lot older now! Some friends say he likes being on the internet a little too much, hinting that he's qualified to start a 12-step program for the web-addicted.

Matt Greenleaf (bass, vocals, mandolin, Legolas stunt-double) is a mythological creature seen mainly at shows and occasionally at band practices. He has foregone cell phones, email and other modern forms of communication in favor of time-tested methods such as smoke signals, messages in bottles, homing pigeons, and text messaging.

Rick Paulson (percussion, pusherman, that guy from Diamond Rio) got his first set of bongos at the age of 12 and now plays a drum set of his own design, incorporating congas, djembes, and doumbek with standard kit percussion. He has been an avid motorcyclist since age 6 and has competed in both mountain bike and motocross races. This week he is riding a: Roadstar.