Andy Irvine & Dónal Lunny's Mozaik (1 Viewer)

[Foggy]

Foggy Folk presents

ANDY IRVINE & DÓNAL LUNNY’S MOZAIK

WHELANS, SEP 20
TICKETS FROM TICKETMASTER, WAV [lo-call 1890 200 078]

FEATURING AN ALL-STAR LINE UP OF:
ANDY IRVINE: vocals, bouzouki, mandolin, harmonica
DÓNAL LUNNY: backing vocals, bouzouki, guitar bodhrán
BRUCE MOLSKY: vocals, fiddle, 5-string banjo
NIKOLA PAROV: gadulka, gaida, kaval, tin whistle, clarinet, guitar, kalimba
RENS van der ZALM: backing vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar

Mozaik are a truly international band that consists of Ireland’s Andy
Irvine (Planxty, Sweeney's Men) and Donal Lunny (Planxty, The Bothy Band, Moving Hearts), American old-timey fiddler and 5-string banjo player Bruce Molsky, Dutch fiddler Rens Van Der Zalm, and multi-instrumentalist
Nikola Parov from Hungary.

They will be launching their debut studio album Changing Trains. CDs will be available to purchase on the night. Anyone who saw Mozaik perform at the BEO Festival at the National Concert Hall in 2005 or their show with the Dirty 3 at Vicar St in 2004 will know how special these performances are. To see them in the intimate surrounds of the newly re-opened Whelan’s will be truly wonderful.

It all began on a highway between Deniliquin and Jerilderie in the Victorian countryside, when Andy Irvine hit upon the idea of hand picking some of
the musicians he most admired in the world. Mozaik perform music from a wide array of cultures, moving effortlessly from Celtic to old-time
to Eastern European music, with intricate string arrangements complementing Irvine's and Molsky's vocals.

Their line-up boasts musicians as versatile and eclectic as the music created between them, whose traditions and styles are distinct, yet
blend beautifully to form a cohesive work of art. Long time fans from Irvine’s Planxty days will be aware that he has been experimenting with Eastern European melodies and rhythms for a long time now, which is a style he incorporates magnificently into this band.

 

[Foggy]

This Thursday!

 

[Foggy]

more info



Mozaik

The current line up of Mozaik comprises of Andy Irvine (vocals, bouzouki, mandolin, harmonica), Donal Lunny (vocals, bouzouki, guitar bodhrán), Rens van der Zalm (backing vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar), Bruce Molsky (vocals, fiddle, 5-string banjo), and Nikola Parov (gadulka, gaida, kaval, tin whistle, clarinet, guitar, kalimba). Diversely unique, their combination resembles an indigenous cultural melting pot.



Their new album Changing Trains is a statement of combined musical intent. The overall result is as wide ranging as are the member’s geographical locations. Bruce lives in America, Rens is based in Holland. Donal currently resides in Okinawa when not in Ireland, Nikola is in Eastern Europe while Andy Irvine is either in Dublin or wherever his wandering shoes happen to take him at the time. Today it’s the Castetroy Park Hotel in Limerick during the Blás 2007 Festival and we are talking Mozaik while Andy is here as part of Patrick Street another of his band commitments.



Mozaik’s individual experience to date includes Planxty, Sweeney’s Men, The Bothy Band, Moving Hearts, Riverdance, Fungus, Wolverlei, Old timey music and De Dannan. However this is no quick overnight set up but rather the product of seasoned musical minds and an idea of blending diverse folk styles. The idea of Mozaik came to me when I was long distance driving in Australia. I do a lot of travelling there still and driving long distance is a very creative thing. Once I decided that I would like to tour Australia with a band Andy Irvine explains. What kind of a band would you like to tour with Andy? I ventured to ask. The three strands of music I like best are Irish Music, Balkan Music, and American Old Timey music and as soon as I thought of that I remembered Bruce, Nikola and Rens. I didn’t even think of Donal at the time – Donal would probably say he’d love to but he had all these things on but when I asked him he said great. Everybody was available and everybody was into it and it happened about six months later in March 2002.



The original Mosaic (notice the different spelling) operated briefly during the middle 1980s. It consisted of Andy and Donal with Hungarian singer Marta Sebystan of Musikaz, Dutch bluesman Hans Theesink, Scottish singer/songwriter/fiddler Dougie MacLean and Danish singer Lissa Ladefoget. An interesting line up it was considered in many ways a dream band. While quickly assembled, it harked at a cross-pollination of Irish, Celtic and European folk styles with the emphasis on one another’s individual traditions and the possible results of such a fusion.



Now the new Mozaik takes up the cross-pollination route further adding stronger American and European musical flavours. All tie ups were long term ones, Andy and Donal both worked with Planxty while Andy knew Rens from the sessions of East Wind and Rude Awakening his 1993 solo album. Rens was a former member of Dutch bands the traditionally based Wolverlei and Fungus. Fungus was a Fairport Convention type electric folk outfit that toured the UK in 76 and released several albums on the Negram label. Other Fungus members included Louis Debij, Koos Pakvis, and Sido Martens. Fungus had the honour of supporting Planxty in Amsterdam, reuniting Andy Irvine and Rens van der Zalm. We met for the first time in the Balkans in 1969 when we were both travelling independently and then met up again in Amsterdam in 1972. Nikola Parov met up with Andy for the East Wind sessions in 1992 and they stayed in touch, he also issued a solo album on Hannibal records and toured with Riverdance. Bruce Molsky played old-timey music in America and hooked up with Andy in Cork in 2000 to record some demos with Steve Cooney producing.



Mozaik’s debut CD Live at the Powerhouse was cut on an Australian tour–the tapes rolled, the band played and it was captured live. Next time you saw it, it was packaged and on your CD counter, awaiting rotation. Some body had the idea, I think it was the soundman who said why we don’t rent a few good mikes and record one or two of the gigs it was at the end of the tour. We recorded two gigs in Brisbane, on March 30/31 2002. Donal mixed it and came up with Live at the Powerhouse. The main thing with Live at the Powerhouse was when we got to Australia we had six days to get it together from scratch. We were thinking of songs that Donal and I had played together and the repertoire had to be something we all knew. With that in mind songs like My heart’s tonight in Ireland, The Blacksmith and familiar American and Eastern European material fitted the bill.



For a band that has such combined experience- amazingly enough Changing Trains is Mosaik’s first ever studio album. Their second ensemble effort, it works on a different creative scale to the debut album. The studio album is the first real album of new material so to get it together we rehearsed it all over the place –every time we had a gig we ‘d book more days in the hotel and rehearse. We eventually recorded it in November 2005 in Budapest in a studio that Nikola found for us. The album while originally recorded 18 months ago in Budapest was updated and re-mixed by Donal Lunny in Dublin and is emerging soon. This time Mozaik is handling the release by itself following the now established independent release path.



Musically Changing Trains offers the mix of Irish, European and American folk styles that have criss-crossed through Andy Irvine’s career. It’s a mix of my stuff, with material from Bruce and Nikola as well. Donal has a greater input this time in the production and supply of ideas. The material include some self composed songs including his homage to O Donoghue’s in Merrion Row the cornerstone of the Irish Ballad boom and folk revival. There is another song of mine called The Wind blows over the Danube. There are two traditional songs Reynardine in 5/8 and Carrowclare, which I recorded with Patrick Street, but this arrangement has a completely different feel. Donal sings Siobhan Ni Dhuibhir which is quite an occasion! This is one of Donal Lunny’s rare lead vocal appearances on record the first time since early Planxty days -remember Bean Phaidin on The Well below the Valley? European folk dances and their unique timings mixed with Irish Slip jigs offer another chance to experiment-the fact that the slip jig in Irish music is in 9/8 time and in Bulgarian music there is a 9 time rhythm called Daichevo Horo-Donal composed a piece that compared the two. Liam O’Flynn plays on this track as special guest. Train on the Island is a song by Bruce, a couple of Bulgarian things, some old time tunes and an intriguing Eastern European /American crossover based on Romanian rhythms and the American song/tune Reuben’s Train called Reuben’s Trans-Atlantic Express help to make up the album contents. We did a bit of remixing in Dublin recently and Donal added some bass bodhráns and the whole thing sounded great. We are very pleased with it. We can’t wait to get it out now and play it to people.



Another change in the plan is the redesign of the band’s name for touring purposes they will be billed as Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny’s Mozaik. This ought to up the profile especially the interest ante within the critical and Audience sectors. Mozaik will be touring Ireland and the UK in September 2007 to coincide with the release of Changing Trains. Meanwhile Andy Irvine’s musical odyssey continues with solo work–Patrick Street and Mozaik gigs. Talking of Patrick Street–they will have a new album on sale in the not too distant future the first with new member John Carty. Again it will be independently released but that is another story for another day.



Now however Mozaik is back in action. The new album and forthcoming tour dates should restore and develop interest in a unique cross-pollination exercise. For Andy Irvine, this is the continuation of an journey that began way back in the 60’s with Sweeney’s Men, carried on through Planxty and now becomes a Trans-global musical express. Mozaik is an eclectic outfit playing cosmopolitan indigenous roots music and Changing Trains proves that Mozaik has plenty left to offer all willing ears.

© John O’Regan July 2007

 

[Foggy]

tonight in Whelan's

 

[Charlie Bucket]

tonight in Whelan's

they were deadly in galway on monday - played for nearly two hours! muchos recommended

 

[Vinnie]

Saw them in Vicar street a couple of years back and they were amazing. Go to this if you can.

 

[Lirah]

I hate being broke

 

[Vinnie]

I hate being broke

 

[Lirah]

Riches beyond belief compared to the contents of my wallet

 

[Buzzo]

I'm going

 

[Vinnie]

I'm going

i think you meant

 

[Buzzo]

Possibly. Next week I get paid though:

 

[Vinnie]

Possibly. Next week I get paid though:

I get paid tomorrow

 

[Vinnie]

I might just spend it all in the bookies

 

[Foggy]

onstage at 9pm

 

[binky]

That was fucking amazing.

 

[Jaker]

Fantastic,

Lunny and Nikola were my favourites.

The Bazouki also sounds so powerful, more gigs?!

 

[ilovehoovering]

Mozaik play the Olympia on January 27th as part of the Temple Bar Trad festival. Support from Jackie Daly, Tommy & Siobhan Peoples and Roisin Elsafty. On sale now.

 

[Scientician 0.8]

Class!

 

[ilovehoovering]

touring again in April!

Fri. 11 April Seamus Ennis Centre, Naul
Doors 7.30pm On stage 8.30pm
Adm. €25
Sat. 12 April Draiocht Arts Centre, Blanchardstown
Adm. €22.50/20
Sun. 13 April Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge
Adm. €25
Mon. 14 April Solstice Arts Centre, Navan
Tues. 15 April The Thatch. Rahan, Co. Offaly
Adm. €25
Wed. 16 April Balor Theatre, Ballybofey
Thurs. 17 April Barry’s, Grange, Co. Sligo
Adm. €20
Fri. 18 April The Granary, Killarney,
Adm. €20
Sat. 19 April Belltable Arts Centre, Limerick