Kevin Burke March 24, 2013

Kevin Burke is an Irish fiddler considered one of the top living Irish fiddlers. Born in London to parents from County Sligo in 1950, Burke took up the fiddle at the age of eight, eventually acquiring a virtuosic technique in the Sligo fiddling style. In 1974, he moved to Ireland, where he formed a duo with singer-songwriter Christy Moore, a former member of the Irish band Planxty. In 1976, he became a member of the influential Irish traditional music group The Bothy Band. In 1979, Burke moved to the United States and settled in Portland, Oregon. He formed a duo with guitarist and former Bothy Band member Mícheál Ó Domhnaill. Together, they toured throughout the United States and Europe, and recorded two acclaimed albums, Promenade (1979) and Portland (1982).
In the early 1980s, Burke joined the Legends of Irish Music tour, where he played with influential Irish musicians Andy Irvine (vocals, bouzouki, mandolin and harmonica) and Jackie Daly (accordion). Together they formed the group Patrick Street. In 1992, Burke recorded a solo album with Mark Graham (harmonica, clarinet, vocals), Paul Kotopish (guitar, mandolin, cittern, bass), and Sandy Silva (percussion). These three comprise the core of his current band. Throughout the 1990s, Burke toured and recorded with Scottish fiddler Johnny Cunningham and Breton fiddler Christian Lemaitre as the Celtic Fiddle Festival. In 2002, Burke won the National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship. Kevin Burke currently lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and two children. http://www.kevinburke.com/