Hailed by John Renborn as "the best Celtic guitarist in the world," Tony McManus has also been listed as one of the 50 transcendent guitarists of all time, by Guitar Player Magazine. Tony has extended and transcended the parameters of contemporary Celtic music.  Ranked by peers and predecessors alike, alongside the all time greats of the guitar world, his fiendishly dexterous, dazzlingly original playing draws on traditions from the entire Celtic world, along with further ranging flavors such as jazz and eastern European music.  Tony has been long applauded for his uncanny ability to transpose the delicate, complex ornamentation characteristic of traditional bagpipe or fiddle tunes onto his own six strings.

He has come to represent Celtic music in the guitar world, having appeared at festivals such as the Chet Atkins Festival in Nashville, the Ellnora Guitar festival in the Krannert Center as well as Guitar festivals throughout Australia, France, Scotland Germany among others, including the All Star Guitar Night at the Ryman Auditorium.

Join Tradmill, three of the west coasts’ finest exponents of traditional music, for an evening concer: Dublin IR button accordion player Johnny B. Connolly, Carmel CA fiddle player John Weed, and Portland OR guitar wizard/vocalist Cary Novotny are uniting for a limited run of fall shows in the California Bay Area and Central Coast. The concert will intertwine driving sets of jigs and reels, rhythmic old time tunes highlighting the interplay between squeezebox and fiddle, and Americana ballads that’ll delight the soul. Seating for these events are limited — reservations and ticket info coming soon!

Johnny B. Connolly, a Dublin-born master of Irish traditional music, gained early recognition in his hometown before joining the renowned ensemble Anam. Touring extensively, he eventually made his home in Portland, Oregon. Settling in Portland, Oregon, Johnny's friendship with legendary fiddler Kevin Burke led to a record deal with Green Linnet Records in 2001. His album "Bridgetown," a fusion of traditional Irish and French tunes, garnered widespread praise with guest appearances by Burke and production by guitarist Ged Foley.

Joining the esteemed Irish band Solas in 2014, Johnny showcased his exceptional talent on their latest CD, "All These Years." He has also toured and performed alongside notable artists such as Eammon McElholm, Kevin Burke, Nuala Kennedy, Tony Furtado, Aidan Brennan, and Casey Neill.

John Weed, fiddler for Molly’s Revenge and New World String Project, has spent the last 30 years immersed in various fiddle styles. With an affinity for folk traditions, John’s exploration has emphasized Irish, Scottish, Swedish, and Old-Time fiddle. While he holds a bachelor’s degree of music from CSU Chico, the musical education that charted his path began through a long series of Irish sessions. There, he learned the nuance of aural passing of melodies and the tradition of conversing in a deeply musical manner. John’s passion for the vital expressiveness of the session lead to performing across the United States and internationally. In addition to being a full time performer and instructor, John is currently on faculty at Palenke Arts, a multicultural arts organization in Seaside, California.

Cary Novotny was born in South Dakota. He studied classical guitar in Bowling Green, KY where he was also influenced by country, folk, and bluegrass. Cary earned a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Portland and began a career as a professional guitarist, singer and songwriter in the Northwest. His band, Cul an Ti, is hugely popular for their lively traditional Irish tunes and unique blend of Irish and popular songs. Having recorded and performed with many other notable musicians including Kevin Burke, The Bridies, Johnny Connolly, Tony Furtado, Hanz Araki, Winifred Horan, and the touring Irish dance show Celtic Legends, Cary is described as “a masterful guitarist with an epic sense of harmony, song structure, and a soulful and captivating vocalist” by the Willamette Week newspaper in Portland, Oregon.

They've made it official, with a band name and everything!!!!  St. Mary's is pleased to host the pure drop sound of Tradmill, three of the west coasts’ finest exponents of traditional music.  Tradmill features Dublin IR button accordion player Johnny B. Connolly, Carmel CA fiddle player John Weed, and Portland OR guitar wizard/vocalist Cary Novotny are uniting for a limited run of fall shows in the California Bay Area and Central Coast. The concert will intertwine driving sets of jigs and reels, rhythmic old time tunes highlighting the interplay between squeezebox and fiddle, and Americana ballads that’ll delight the soul. Seating for these events are limited — reservations and ticket info coming soon!

 

Johnny B. Connolly, a Dublin-born master of Irish traditional music, gained early recognition in his hometown before joining the renowned ensemble Anam. Touring extensively, he eventually made his home in Portland, Oregon. Settling in Portland, Oregon, Johnny's friendship with legendary fiddler Kevin Burke led to a record deal with Green Linnet Records in 2001. His album "Bridgetown," a fusion of traditional Irish and French tunes, garnered widespread praise with guest appearances by Burke and production by guitarist Ged Foley.

 

Joining the esteemed Irish band Solas in 2014, Johnny showcased his exceptional talent on their latest CD, "All These Years." He has also toured and performed alongside notable artists such as Eammon McElholm, Kevin Burke, Nuala Kennedy, Tony Furtado, Aidan Brennan, and Casey Neill.

 

John Weed, fiddler for Molly’s Revenge and New World String Project, has spent the last 30 years immersed in various fiddle styles. With an affinity for folk traditions, John’s exploration has emphasized Irish, Scottish, Swedish, and Old-Time fiddle. While he holds a bachelor’s degree of music from CSU Chico, the musical education that charted his path began through a long series of Irish sessions. There, he learned the nuance of aural passing of melodies and the tradition of conversing in a deeply musical manner. John’s passion for the vital expressiveness of the session lead to performing across the United States and internationally. In addition to being a full time performer and instructor, John is currently on faculty at Palenke Arts, a multicultural arts organization in Seaside, California. 

 

Cary Novotny was born in South Dakota. He studied classical guitar in Bowling Green, KY where he was also influenced by country, folk, and bluegrass. Cary earned a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Portland and began a career as a professional guitarist, singer and songwriter in the Northwest. His band, Cul an Ti, is hugely popular for their lively traditional Irish tunes and unique blend of Irish and popular songs. Having recorded and performed with many other notable musicians including Kevin Burke, The Bridies, Johnny Connolly, Tony Furtado, Hanz Araki, Winifred Horan, and the touring Irish dance show Celtic Legends, Cary is described as “a masterful guitarist with an epic sense of harmony, song structure, and a soulful and captivating vocalist” by the Willamette Week newspaper in Portland, Oregon.

 

***The Old Blind Dogs announce that they will be joined for this tour by the legendary piper, Mike Katz.  Born in Los Angles, Katz began his career playing with the Los Angeles Police Pipe Band.  Since relocating to Scotland in 1987,  he has performed with numerous Scottish Pipe bands, before joining Ceolbeg and the Battlefield Band, as well as being in demand as a session musician.  This concert offers our audience the rare opportunity to see this extraordinary piper in Santa Cruz.***

The musical evolution of Old Blind Dogs began in Aberdeen in 1992 with roots that grew from the eclectic music scene that flourished in the Granite City during the early 90’s. Four musicians from very different musical backgrounds came together to create a full-time professional touring band with the aim of showcasing the rich tradition of songs and tunes of the North East of Scotland on an international stage. Like many of the early flag bearing Scottish folk bands, the Old Blind Dogs line up has faced inevitable changes over the years but the core values at the band's musical heart continue to beat strong. The current band line up has been settled for several years now and consists of four of Scotland's finest traditional musicians at the top of their game. Original member Jonny Hardie (fiddle/vocals) is joined by Aaron Jones (cittern/guitar/vocals), and Donald Hay (percussion/vocals) and collectively they comprise one of the hottest live tickets on the traditional Scottish music scene today. As recent inductees to the BBC ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 'Trad Music Hall of Fame' the 'Dugs' will celebrate thirty years on the road in 2022 by launching their fourteenth studio album 'Knucklehead Circus’ in Winter 2021. A joyous, uplifting and fun album full of compelling energy and intoxicating rhythm on which ‘OBD' continue to innovate within their tradition while faithfully revealing its essence. Here’s to many more years of Old Blind Dogs!

The musical partnership between consummate performer Alasdair Fraser, "the Michael Jordan of Scottish fiddling", and brilliant Californian cellist Natalie Haas spans the full spectrum between intimate chamber music and ecstatic dance energy. Over the last 20 years of creating a buzz at festivals and concert halls across the world, they have truly set the standard for fiddle and cello in traditional music. They continue to thrill audiences internationally with their virtuosic playing, their near-telepathic understanding and the joyful spontaneity and sheer physical presence of their music.

Fraser has a concert and recording career spanning over 30 years, with a long list of awards, accolades, radio and television credits, and feature performances on top movie soundtracks (Last of the Mohicans, Titanic, etc.). In 2011, he was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. Haas, a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music, is one of the most sought after cellists in traditional music today. She has performed and recorded with a who's who of the fiddle world including Mark O'Connor, Natalie MacMaster, Irish supergroups Solas and Altan, Liz Carroll, Dirk Powell, Brittany Haas, Darol Anger, Jeremy Kittel, Hanneke Cassel, Laura Cortese, and many more.

This seemingly unlikely pairing of fiddle and cello is the fulfillment of a long-standing musical dream for Fraser. His search eventually led him to find a cellist who could help return the cello to its historical role at the rhythmic heart of Scottish dance music, where it stood for hundreds of years before being relegated to the orchestra. The duo's debut recording, Fire & Grace, won the coveted the Scots Trad Music "Album of the Year" award, the Scottish equivalent of a Grammy. Since its release, the two have gone on to record three more critically acclaimed albums that blend a profound understanding of the Scottish tradition with cutting-edge string explorations. In additional to performing, they both have motivated generations of string players through their teaching at fiddle camps across the globe.