Elias Alexander, Eamon Sefton, Kathleen Parks and Patrick Bowling Bywater (Fresh Haggis Music, 2016)
Bywater is the debut by an American Celtic music band inspired by the traditional Gaelic music of Scotland. The project was started by American multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Elias Alexander. He spent some time in Scotland, where he immersed himself into traditional music, including reels, jigs, coalminer and boat builder songs, and sorrowful love songs.
Most of the music on Bywater is original, composed by Elias Alexander and his bandmates. It’s a set of beautifully-crafted fresh tunes and songs that are respectful of tradition, while sounding modern at the same time with the addition of elements borrowed from Irish music, American folk-rock and jazz.
Bywater was formed after Alexander graduated in 2013 with a B.A. in music from Middlebury College in Vermont and moved to Boston, which is one of the hotspots for Celtic music in the United States. In Boston he put together the Bywater Band: guitarist Eamon Sefton, fiddler Kathleen Parks and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Bowling.
The lineup on Bywater includes Elias Alexander on border pipes, lead vocals, fiddle, low whistle, and cajón; Eamon Sefton on guitar and backing vocals; Kathleen Parks on five-string fiddle and backing vocals; Patrick Bowling on flute, whistle, bodhrán and uilleann pipes. Guests featured: Nate Sabat on bass; Neil Pearlman on accordion; and Jake Galloway on trumpet and trombone.
Bywater is a superb debut album by one of the most promising ensembles in the American Celtic music scene.
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Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
