Kevin Burke’s sparkling, lyrical fiddle has earned him a reputation as one of the finest, most influential players in music today. From The Bothy Band to Patrick Street, he has defined Irish fiddling for a generation. His work with artists as disparate as Kate Bush Arlo Guthrie and Christy Moore has given him an audience that not only spans continents but defies attempts at categorization.
Born and raised in London, England, Burke picked up his first fiddle at age eight when his parents decided music studies were in order. “To this day I have no idea why they chose the fiddle except that it’s popular in County Sligo where the family comes from and where we spent our vacations ” he laughs. “For the next five years or so I dutifully diddled around on it. Then I discovered Irish music. Suddenly I was hooked. I spent my teens wandering into pubs waiting for a chance to sit in with the musicians.”
London in the 1960s was a vibrant musical scene for the Irish emigrants could be heard playing the styles of Kerry Sligo Galway Limerick and Clare. And Burke was listening. Though he counts such masters of the Sligo style as Michael Coleman Paddy Killoran and Tom McGowan as primary influences, he also points to fiddlers Bobby Casey (County Clare) and Brendan McGlinchey (Ulster) and to a wealth of Irish musicians on the London scene as important in his development. “I had access to it all whereas if I’d been living in Ireland I might not have been so lucky.”
Good fortune aside Kevin’s undeniable talents brought him to the attention of Arlo Guthrie in 1972 when he was invited to the United States to play on Guthrie’s Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys. Shortly after Christy Moore, the great Irish singer-songwriter asked Burke to Ireland to play in his new band. He stayed with Moore two years before joining what would become one of the most influential Irish groups of all time, The Bothy Band.
Hailed as “the Yardbirds of Irish music ” the Bothy Band boasts some of the finest musical alumni in all of Ireland including Matt Molloy (Chieftains) Mícheál Ó Domhnaill and Tríona Ní Domhnaill (Nightnoise) Dónal Lunny and Paddy Keenan. Burke initially joined the band as a temporary replacement for fiddler Tommy Peoples, but his role soon become permanent. His elegant, impassioned fiddle was a cornerstone of the band’s legendary sound from 1976 until 1979.
During their years together, Burke and guitarist Míchéal Ó Domhnaill discovered a rare musical rapport. When the Bothy Band parted ways the duo toured Europe and recorded the groundbreaking Promenade which was awarded the “Grand Prix du Disque” at the 1980 Montreux Jazz Festival. They went on to record Portland, named for the adopted hometown where Burke resided.
In 1986, Burke joined an all-star cast of Irish musicians that included Andy Irvine and Jackie Daly for a tour that evolved into the legendary quartet Patrick Street. Eight albums and countless tours later, the partnership is stronger and more electric than ever. In the late 1980s Burke formed Open House, his short-lived but critically acclaimed project with American musicians Paul Kotapish Mark Graham and Sandy Silva. Kevin created Open House to stretch beyond his Irish roots and explore music from all corners of the world.
As if that weren’t enough he is an active member of The Celtic Fiddle Festival a dazzling pan-Celtic ensemble that also features Scotland’s Johnny Cunningham and Christian LeMaitre of Brittany. Though the trio first came together for a one-off tour they went on to record two successful albums, both highlighting the brilliant interplay between the fiddlers.
In Concert is Burke’s first solo release in 15 years. His fiddling tone and power are in mighty form as he sails through tunes drawn from throughout his remarkable career. “There are thousands of old tunes, good ones that haven’t been played in years. When I find something I love, I play it. And when I find something I like, I bend it out of shape until I love it…Good music is good music. It should be heard.”
“A lot of people think Irish music is wistful and melancholy. That’s one side of it, but there’s also a great rough resilient spirit in the music, an element of joy underlying even the most plaintive melody. I grew up listening to musicians with that spirit, and I value it. So much in music today makes people passive, bored and boring: three things I never want to be.”
In 2002 Burke won the National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellowship.
Burke released a six-episode Vimeo series in 2023 featuring Irish stars called “Music from an Irish Cottage.” Each session features two guests, including Sharon Shannon (The Waterboys, Steve Earle), Seán Smyth (Lúnasa), Mick McAuley (Solas), Nuala Kennedy (The Alt), and Seamie O’Dowd (Dervish), in an intimate, unscripted evening of music and conversation hosted by Burke. The six-episode series is produced by Burke’s independent music label Loftus Music.
“Music from an Irish Cottage” was filmed in Burke’s 120-year-old traditional cottage in County Mayo in the West of Ireland, which he says “is reminiscent of where I learned so much of my music and spent so much of my childhood in the late 1950s.” Growing up in London, Burke would spend summers in County Sligo at his grandparents’ home.
“There have been many changes since then in how traditional music is learned and presented,” he said, “so I invited some of my musician friends for an ‘old style’ evening of fireside music and chat.”
Discography:
Sweeney’s Dream (1972)
If The Cap Fits (Green Linnet, 1978)
Promenade (Mulligan, 1979)
Eavesdropper (1981)
Portland (1982)
Up Close (Green Linnet, 1984)
Burke/Daly/Irvine/McGlynn: Patrick Street (Green Linnet, 1986)
No. 2 Patrick Street with Patrick Street (Green Linnet, 1988)
Irish Times with Patrick Street (Green Linnet, 1989)
Open House with Open House (1992)
Celtic Fiddle Festival with Celtic Fiddle Festival (1993)
All in Good Time with Patrick Street (Green Linnet, 1993)
Second Story with Open House (1994)
Corner Boys with Patrick Street (Green Linnet, 1996)
Hoof and Mouth with Open House (1997)
Made in Cork with Patrick Street (Green Linnet, 1997)
Celtic Fiddle Festival: Encore with Celtic Fiddle Festival (1998)
Live From Patrick Street with Patrick Street (Green Linnet, 1999)
In Concert (Green Linnet, 1999)
Rendezvous with Celtic Fiddle Festival (2001)
Street Life with Patrick Street (Green Linnet 2003)
Play On with Celtic Fiddle Festival (2005)
In Tandem with Ged Foley (2006)
Across The Black River with Cal Scott (2007)
On the Fly with Patrick Street (2007)
Equinoxe with Celtic Fiddle Festival (2008)
Suite with Cal Scott (2010)
Live in Brittany with The Celtic Fiddle Festival (Loftus, 2013)
The Pound Ridge Sessions (Loftus Music, 2016)
Sligo Made (Loftus Music, 2019)
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.