Music:
Member Since: 17/01/2007
Band Members: Frank Hall began to learn the art of the bow, playing for square dances in southern Indiana in the early 1970s. He journeyed with various old-time bands (The Monks, Easy Street Stringband, Indiana Raincrows) and dance troupes (Rhythm In Shoes, Shuffle Creek Dancers), occasionally dabbling in traditional Irish and Mexican fiddle styles. He has been coming regularly to Ireland since 1991, when he first met and played with Johnny and Lena. In addition to fiddle he plays stand-up bass, a little guitar, and writes the odd tune.
Lena Ullman’s playing and singing has been widely appreciated around the country since the founding of the Higglers Jug Band in the 1980s. Introduced to the 5-string banjo and American music at age 15, she has since become a masterful player of old-timey tunes and ‘high lonesome’ songs. As an innovator Lena has adapted the quintessentially American ‘clawhammer and frailing’ on banjo to various styles including traditional Irish dance music, and can often be found in sessions around East Clare. She has also written a number of gorgeous tunes.
Johnny Moynihan, singer, songster, instrumental innovator, itinerant minstrel, hardly needs introduction as he has made a towering reputation in Irish traditional and folk music circles, further enhanced by occasions and stories of his lingual wit. In this combo, Johnny indulges his fondness for American traditional music while adding his own stamp, and—though not the first to do so—another instrument to another tradition, in this case, the box to old-timey music.
Influences: Old-time American Country music--fiddle and banjo dance music and songs from live sources as well as recordings from 1920's-40's.
Record Label: Secret Records
Type of Label: Indie
