Liz Doherty '...a bundle of amazing musical energy.'

Liz Doherty imparts what is best about Irish music, sheer fun and joy. She brings to her playing an exuberant energy that is rhythmical and powerful and as Pat Ahern of The Examiner observes, "....within that style lie many diverse elements - crazy cross-cut bowing and delicate, almost dainty, contrasts all underpinned by a masterly technique."

Her debut CD Last Orders (Foot Stompin' Records 1999) was greeted universally with critical acclaim and May 2002 saw the release of her second album Quare Imagination on her own label Busy Lizzy Records. On the album Liz takes the listener on a musical journey of tunes from Donegal across to Scotland and further afield to Cape Breton and Quebec. The album marks her as a major player of maturity who continues to enthral and impart her great sense of fun and music.

During her years in Cork, (Lecturer in Traditional Music in the UCC Music Department from 1994 - 2001) Liz was a founder member of the Cork based traditional band Nomos, featuring on their first album I Won't be afraid Anymore. She was also a member of the all-female band Bumblebees and featured on their second album Buzzin'. She was also the founder and Director of Fiddlesticks, a group of more than a dozen fiddle players from the Music Department of University College Cork. Liz Doherty and Fiddlesticks released their debut album, Racket in the Rectory, in 2000. In the last eighteen months she has completed a very successful UK tour, 2 tours of Australia, appeared at Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Shetland and Arrain Folk Festivals, Ennis Trad Festival, Celtic Colours festival in Canada and Edinburgh's Fiddle 2001.

 

Quare Imagination - Liz Doherty
Busy Lizzy Records 001

Quare Imagination - is an exuberant tour de force from Donegal fiddler Liz Doherty that reveals her pure love and joy of the music and playing. The heady mix of energetic playing, a selection of rare tunes, and innovative arrangements that include trumpet, drums, banjo, and piano all combine to make an album that is imaginative and thoroughly musical.

The word "quare" is the Ulster parlance for 'good, nice, odd or strange' depending on the context. In choosing the tunes for the album Liz's criteria was that they be not only musically good but also have that extra something that is best surmised as 'quare'.

From the opening reels Johnny Sunshine/The Blue Lamp through to the final track Annsacht nan Annsacht Liz takes us on a musical journey of tunes from Donegal, across to Scotland and further afield to Cape Breton and Quebec. Some tunes are old but most are relatively new compositions such as Fred's Favourite (Track 6) by Peter Mohan and The Ba' Rag (Track 10) by Jennifer Wrigley.

As Liz herself says "The album is a combination of the many musical experiences I've had over the years - from the fast and furious Nomos days, to the more light-hearted Bumblebees, big band Fiddlesticks, not to mention the many, many sessions over the years in all corners of the world. All have had their influences and have gone a long way in helping me to make informed choices about the music. In making this album I got to recreate some of those great times as well as getting the chance to work for the first time in studio with some amazing musicians".

Indeed the musicians Liz invited to join her on the album are all distinguished players. Manus Lunny of Cappercaille fame lends his muti - instrumentalist talent to the arrangements as well as acclaimed guitarist Tony McManus from Scotland and John Joe Kelly, the musicianÕs bodhran player. Lesser known in Ireland is the stunning trumpet playing of Canadian, Daniel Lapp, the gusty busty, Cape Breton piano playing of Ryan MacNeil, the gentle accordion of Martin Green and Sarah Roberts on guitar and the assured beat of Matt Fould's drumming. Not forgetting the additional fiddles of Eilidh Shaw and producer Gerry O'Connor who also joins in on the fun with his famed banjo.

Quare Imagination truly marks Liz Doherty as a major player of maturity who continues to enthral and impart her great sense of fun and music.

Liz Doherty, fiddle player
Brief Synopsis
  • Solo album Quare Imagination released May 2002

  • Released her debut solo album Last Orders to critical acclaim, Nov. 1999.

  • Founder and Director of Fiddlesticks, a group of more than a dozen fiddle players from the Music Department of University College Cork. Liz Doherty and Fiddlesticks released their debut album, Racket in the Rectory, in 2000.

  • Recognised internationally both as a performer and as a fiddle teacher.

  • Former member of the Bumblebees and featured on their second album Buzzin' in 1999.

  • Founder member of Nomos, and featured on their first album, I Won't Be Afraid Anymore in 1994.

  • Awarded a PhD in 1996 from the University of Limerick for her research on Cape Breton fiddle playing.

  • Lecturer in traditional music, University of Ulster (2003 -)
  • Lecturer in traditional music in University College Cork from 1994 - 2001.

  • Guest lecturer at many institutions and events in Ireland, the U.K., Canada, Australia and the US. Topics include Irish, Scottish and Cape Breton music.

  • Has several publications to her credit including The Cape Breton Tradition Š an Irish Perspective (1994) and various articles in The Companion to Irish Traditional Music (1999).

  • Her TV and Radio appearances have included Banish Misfortune (RTE), Flosc (TG4), Geanntrai (TG4), Irish Traditional Music Awards (TG4), The Late Late Show (RTE), The Kelly Show (UTV), The Celts (BBC), Eire is Alba (RTE), Dinny McLaughlin - Pied Piper of Shandrum (RTE), The River of Sound (Channel 4), and Travelling Folk (BBC Scotland).


For further information, contact:

Tel. +353 (0)74 937 9358
E-mail info@lizdoherty.ie

liz@lizdoherty.ie