Master musicians Paul Brock and Enda Scahill accompanied by the brilliant piano playing of Ryan Molloy and percussion of Tommy Hayes have evoked the atmosphere and artistry of the Irish dance hall era in dazzling fashion with the first ever CD of Irish traditional music on the melodeon and tenor banjo. PAUL BROCKPaul Brock has been at the forefront of button accordion playing for many years. A multiple All-Ireland champion born in Athlone, County Westmeath, and now residing in Ennis, Paul pursued a solo career through the 60’s and 70’s. His collaborations with fiddle player Frankie Gavin during the 70’s and 80’s culminated in their 1986 Gael-Linn recording A Tribute to Joe Cooley, regarded by critics and fellow musicians as one of the outstanding traditional albums of the modern era. Paul’s solo album, Mo Chairdin (Gael-Linn, 1992), was described in the Rough Guide to Irish Music as a "modern masterpiece of accordion music." In May 1989, Paul co-founded the group Moving Cloud with fiddle player, Manus McGuire. This Clare-based group produced two albums for Green Linnet Records, including their 1994 self-titled release that was selected by well-known U.S. music critic Earle Hitchner as the best Irish traditional album of that year. Paul was recently voted as Best Male Musician of 2004 by the Irish American News. He founded the Brock McGuire Band jointly with Manus McGuire and the band continues to tour internationally. ENDA SCAHILLEnda Scahill comes from a very musical family from Corofin in East Galway and has long established himself as one of the finest exponents of traditional Irish banjo playing.His solo album Pick It Up (SUNCD 36. 2000) was widely acclaimed. Enda has been described as “just about the strongest banjo I’ve have ever heard” (Art Ketchin, Celtic Beat) and Irish American News in Chicago said “Enda does things on the banjo which should be impossible”. Irish Music Magazine has described his playing as “simply divine”. Enda has been a member of the Brock McGuire Band since its inception in 2001; has performed with Sessions from the Hearth, whose debut album was acclaimed by Hotpress as “the best ever live recording of Irish Music”; with the Furey Brothers and most recently with The Frankie Gavin Band in Ireland and Canada. He has been All Ireland Champion 4 times on Banjo and Mandolin and was finalist in the Celtic Note Young Musician of the Year in 1999.
