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Led by multi-instrumentalist Greg Anderson and fiddler Lisa Gutkin, Whirligig is a group of innovative musicians dedicated to pushing the envelope of modern acoustic music, using the common threads of music rooted in the Irish and Celtic traditions. Based in the musical melting pot of New York City, and playing over 20 instruments between them, they create vibrant and multi-faceted arrangements of traditional and original material - infused with a wide variety of influences and sounds from other folk and world music styles, along with flavors from the fields of jazz, rock, and contemporary music - creating a "Celtic/world/jazz/fusion feast of the sort that only NYC could produce." (RTE Ireland)
Few bands can approach the stylistic variety that the members of Whirligig bring to the world of Irish music. The list of highly respected artists that they have worked with reads like a who's-who of the contemporary acoustic music scene. Since their formation in 1994, they have been steadily gaining acclaim for their compelling treatments and genre-hopping arrangements of traditional and modern folk music. They have appeared at many of the largest and most prestigious festivals throughout North America, including the Winnipeg, Newport, and Philadelphia Folk festivals, and Toronto's Rhythms of the World Fest. In August 2001, they were invited to perform at the renowned Cropredy Festival in Oxfordshire, England. Their latest album, SPIN, was released in 2000 on Prime CD.
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The members of Whirligig are:
Greg Anderson - bouzouki, cittern, bass, keyboards, vocals
Lisa Gutkin - fiddle, baritone violin, vocals
Matt Darriau - flutes, saxes, clarinets, whistles, kaval, gaida
Ivan Goff - uilleann pipes, flute, whistles
Lisa Moscatiello - lead vocals, guitar, mandolin, whistle
The members of the Whirligig extended family are:
Paul Kovit - guitar, mandolin, vocals
Yves Duboin - saxes, flute, percussion, vocals
Noel Scott - button accordion, percussion
Cillian Vallely - uilleann pipes, whistles
Steve Holloway - drums, percussion
Brendan Dolan - piano, flute, whistles
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“...the most exhilaratingly original Celtic band to emerge in America...”
- The Boston Globe
“... buzzing harmonies and melodic flights... Whirligig’s music has soul to match its vitality.”
- The Washington Post
"... stunning ensemble virtuosity..."
- Acoustic Live Magazine
“Whirligig has chops, but it’s their spirit that seduces.”
- The Boston Herald
“ ‘Downtown Celtic’ music propelled by exquisite sensibilities and skill.”
- Rhythm Magazine
"A wide ranging cultural mix with some intriguing musical cross-pollinations. A highly auspicious debut."
- Folk Roots Magazine
"The most worthy Celtic folk-rock band I can ever remember coming from New York City."
Steve Winick - Dirty Linen
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