ARIZONA
IRISH MUSIC SOCIETY
AFAN Releases First CD: Queen of the Rushes By George O'Brien
The traditional band Afan is a Welsh Pan-Celtic band that has become a major fixture in the Arizona music scene. Their initial CD, "Queen of the Rushes" (scheduled to be
released on July 15th), will only enhance their already lofty reputation. Information about obtaining their CD can be found on their web site at www.afanmusic.com.
Afan was named for a river in Wales. John Good started the band almost three years, the original focus was to perform Welsh music. Afan continues to do a number of Welsh tunes, but has expanded their repertoire to include Irish, Scottish, Breton, and original tunes. John is native Welsh language speaker and their CD includes songs sung either partly or entirely in Welsh.
The band plays regularly for the monthly Irish Ceili and has been featured at virtually every Arizona Irish and Scottish festival over the last two years. They will be featured at the Pan-Celtic Ceilidh that will held at the Irish Cultural Center on Sept. 20th (602-431-0095).
The essence of the Afan sound is built around work of flute and whistle virtuoso, John Good. John was at one time was studio musician in Los Angeles and teaches whistle and flute at the Irish Cultural Center. His instrumental work is highly valued by other local bands and will be heard a guest performer on upcoming CDs by other bands. John plays guitar on the vocals, many of which are done in the Welsh language.
Caven Clark made a big impact on the Afan sound and choice of material when he joined the band. Caven plays the uileann pipes, various Scottish pipes, the whistle, and harp. All of his instruments are featured on "Queen of the Rushes" including a harp solo on a track titled "Song of the Water Kelpie/Y Deryn Pur" and on the Scottish smallpipes on a piece titled "The Mermaid". Caven plays the Scottish pipes on a couple of pieces titled "Merrily Kiss the Quaker's Wife" and "Queen of the Rushes".
Kevin King on bodhran is one of the original members of the band. Kevin is widely considered one of the top bodhran players in the area (he teaches bodhran at the Irish Cultural Center). He is featured on a drum solo on a track titled "Kevin Goes to Town".
Billy Parker built his reputation on the mandolin as a blue grass player, but he has taken to Celtic music in a big way. Billy's bluegrass background is featured in a track that opens with a Bill Monroe piece titled "Big Mon" that blends into a couple of Irish tunes "Whiskey Before Breakfast" and "Wind That Shakes The Barley".
The band's performance on every track of "Queen of the Rushes" is absolutely first rate, but there is little doubt that the final sound reflects the engineering of Kyle Harris. Kyle is first rate folk musician in his own right and has an unmatched skill at bringing out the best in the bands he is working with.
The sequence of tracks on the CD is well organized and the musical impact never lags. There is considerable variety. Vocals are mixed in with the instrumentals. There are changes in tempo, varied instrumentation, and the mixing of different Celtic traditions.
Fans of Afan are certain to be pleased with "Queen of the Rushes" because so many of the familiar tunes are included. But new listeners are certainly in for a pleasant surprise when they are introduced to some fabulous Welsh tunes they might not have heard before. These include Can Merthyr, Cwrw Da (Good Beer), Y Deryn Pur, Llwyn Onn (Ash Grove), Ar Lan y Mor, Suo Gan, Mae'r Ddaer yn glasu, Ffidl-Fladl, and Pwt-ar-y-Bys.
Until now, Afan has been one of Arizona's hidden treasures. After "Queen of the Rushes", they may not be so hidden from the rest of the world.
Afan CD's will be available through their web site, www.afanmusic.com on July 15th using Pay-Pal.
This site hosted by FASTQ
This site © 2003
Arizona Irish Music Society
