01/22/2020
The General Guinness Band
4643 Olentangy Blvd. Columbus, Ohio 43214 614/263-0264 www.GeneralGuinness.com
Biographical Information
From a ten day tour of the former Soviet Union to eighteen shows at
Valley Theater in the heart of Tennessee, the General Guinness Band has performed the songs and music of Ireland for the last 40 years. Hundreds of concert programs and festivals, countless traditional music sessions, numerous television and radio programs, and even a guest appearance with the Chieftains have allowed the band to share their music far and wide.
Up front for the band is vocalist James O’Shea, a native of Kilkenny, Ireland. Over the years, James has collected an abundance of songs and has a song to compliment any topic. Poetic, witty, and inspired, the songs of Ireland have persisted through generations, and James sings them today with the same passion and joy as the day that they were conceived.
Providing back up vocals and instrumental music are: Larry Dulin (Irish flute and tin whistles); John Sherman (guitar and Irish bouzouki); Carol Metheny (fiddle); Sheree Green (fiddle); Tom Davis (Bodhran and banjo); and Judy Davis (accordion and step dancing).
The band weaves lively ballads with fiddle tunes and step dancing to provide a quick paced program with visual as well as aural interest. Solid vocals, intricate step dancing, and riveting instrumentals provide dynamic programing for today’s discerning audiences. The group presents their material in a relaxed, entertaining manner that lures and pulls the audience into the fun that the members of the group share among themselves. The Irish have a colorful oral history of stories handed down from generation to generation, and General Guinness takes great pride and pleasure in the retelling and embellishing of these stories of old.
Recognized for excellence in artistic quality by the Ohio Arts Council in 1990, General Guinness was selected for membership in O.A.C.’s Presenting/Touring program. The group is currently among an exclusive group of performing artists on the Ohio Arts Council’s fee support roster, OHIO ARTISTS ON TOUR.
The band has released four recordings: TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC (1988); SHE LEFT WITH THE PIPER (1994); SWINGIN’ ON THE GATE (2001); ROCKY ROAD TO DUBLIN (2008). STILL LEAVING, a song written and recorded by the band, was selected for an American Public Radio Special in 1994.
