03/05/2025
Almost one week away, can't wait to host these amazing musicians next Thursday! Y'all don't want to miss Randal Bays and Don Penzien. Here's some info about them:
Randal Bays:
Randal Bays is a self-taught US-born musician who's been playing Irish fiddle for more than thirty years; he's now widely known as a master of that complex, ancient art, with a special love for the traditional styles of Counties Clare and Galway. He's "among the best Irish style fiddlers of his generation", according to Fiddler Magazine. Randal has toured and recorded with many of the great Irish musicians of the day, including James Keane and Daithi Sproule (in the band Fingal), James Kelly, Martin Hayes, Micheal O'Domhnaill and many more. He also has a string of great independent recordings to his credit, including his recent release with his family band, "A Rake of Tunes." Randal has performed all over the US, Europe and Canada, and is in great demand as a teacher of Irish fiddle. He co-founded and served for ten years as Artistic Director of the Friday Harbor Irish Music Week, and is now Artistic Director of the Cascadia Irish Music Week, bringing together students and teachers of traditional Irish music every summer in the Pacific Northwest.
Randal lives in Olympia, Washington.
Don Penzien:
Don Penzien has long been a top-flight performer of Irish traditional music. He frequently is on the road playing concerts and festivals with Haley Richardson, Gailfean, Brian Conway, Gerry O'Connor, Randal Bays, and The Máirtín de Cógáin Project, and he has served as accompanist for numerous other well-known performers (e.g., Seán Gavin, John Whelan, Liz Hanley, Nuala Kennedy, Tim Britton, John Williams, Pat Broaders, Gabe Donohue, Ben Jaber, Tony DeMarco, Billy McComiskey, Sean Clohessy, Bridget Fitzgerald, Kevin Doyle).
Widely recognized for his reserved backing style, Don's dexterous work on DADGAD-tuned guitar provides solid, driving rhythms to traditional tunes as well as perceptive and sensitive accompaniments to songs and airs. Don is a Michigan native with strong roots in Irish culture and an affinity for Celtic music. He now resides in NC where he works as Professor at the Wake Forest School of Medicine.