Album Notes

Legacy has drawn the rapt attention of music fanatics wherever they play. These talented multi-instrumentalists perform an extensive repertoire of tunes and songs from the Irish tradition. Their skill is undeniable, their arrangements complex and challenging, and their performances tight and energetic. Said Dirty Linen magazine: "This band fills the bill....a delicate combination of full-speed-ahead attack and subtle finesse." Legacy appears in varying configurations--for the this winter tour, the band is performing in the classic power trio format (An Triréad) along with singer/guitar player Jim Flanagan who originally hails from County Cork, Ireland.
Valerie Plested (fiddle, vocals) is among the finest and most expressive young talents in the Southwest's Celtic scene. An exceptional musician, Justin Murphy's (flute, whistles, guitar, bodhrán, vocals) powerful tone on the flute and swaggering rhythm have been compared to such contemporary notables as Seamus Egan and Frankie Kennedy. At the heart of this trio configuration, Michigan native Don Penzien's (guitar, bodhrán, whistles, vocals) DADGAD guitarwork provides the solid, driving rhythms that have long been a hallmark of Legacy performances.
A native of Ballyvourney, a small village in the heart of the Muskerry Gaeltacht (an Irish speaking area) in County Cork, Jim Flanagan now lives in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He has performed at major festivals (Milwaukee, Dallas, Colorado, Atlanta, New Orleans, Savannah, Austin, Jackson) and in regular pub performances over the years has established himself as a significant force in Irish music in the Southeastern United States. Steve Winick (Dirty Linen) compares him favorably to Daithi Sproule (of Altan) and the great traditional singer Joe Heaney (Seosamh Ó hÉanaí) - in whose company any Irish singer would be proud to be placed.
Jim provides a mix of both Irish language and English language songs; songs based in the old style (sean nós) tradition as well as contemporary ballads, many of which lend themselves well to audience participation. His performances are interwoven with his compelling Irish humor, the stories of Ireland and his memories of home, leaving one with a feeling of having been entertained and enriched as well.
www.LegacyIrishMusic.com