Debut Album (out October 1st)
Dublinesque brings an Irish House Party
Eamonn Flynn grew up in a family that centered on joyous gatherings in which everyone
sang, played, or told stories. His band Dublinesque furthers that spirit. Born and raised
in Dublin, he adopted piano as his instrument, and began to play with Rob Strong,
father of Andrew, the star of the popular Irish film The Commitments. Eamonn played
keyboards on the Commitments soundtrack and toured extensively with them.
After moving to San Francisco, he spent ten years working with the Meters’ Zigaboo
Modeliste, along with other Bay Area musicians like Elvin Bishop and Maria
Muldaur. But he always kept one hand in Irish music working with the likes of the Black
Brothers (siblings of Mary and Frances Black) and Finbar Furey.
After teaching a music course to kids at the Irish Center in San Francisco, Eamonn
created a backing band for their end-of-term show—the result was Dublinesque. Along
with Flynn, the band features Darcy Noonan from Oakland on fiddle who grew up
immersed in Irish musical and dance culture, playing sessions at Berkeley's Starry
Plough from the age of nine. On banjo is Hector Bragado who grew up in Guernica
playing and dancing to traditional Basque music. Felim Egan from County Offaly in
Ireland completes the line up on accordion and bodhran (drum). Like Eamonn, Felim
comes from an accomplished and well known Irish musical family.
What began as a backing group for a show developed into a creative collaboration.
Dublinesque have been delighting audiences with a combination of fiery virtuoso Irish
traditional music playing, and moving original and traditional songs all delivered in a
celebratory show that mirrors the kind of parties that Flynn grew up with in Ireland.
Their self-titled album features originals by Eamonn including “Sack ‘Em Ups,” a droll
story of grave-robbing in 19th Century Dublin and “Butte, Montana,” about the town that
became home to many Irish who endured appalling mining conditions in large part by
holding on to their ethnic traditions. As Irish critic Seàn Laffey put it, “The well is not dry;
Flynn is the bard to continue the canon of songs for Dublin, because every generation
needs its memories and melodies.”
The album will be released on October 1st by Little Village, a non-profit record company
with the mission of bringing harmony to a fractious world with diverse music that might
not otherwise be heard.
