Legendary Irish Musical Group Joins With Scotland’s Alyth McCormack And Nashville’s Jeff White and Deanie Richardson For A Celebration Of International Musical Heritage

NEW YORK (December 2009) – The Chieftains, having served as the benchmark for Irish traditional music for the past four decades, will return to the U.S. this February through March for their annual winter tour.  February 2009 marks 35 years of touring in North America for the group, having made their U.S. debut in 1972 and their first tour in 1974.  The 2009 tour begins on February 16 in Portland, Oregon and ends with a St. Patrick’s Day performance on March 17 at Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto, Canada.
 
The Chieftains original members include founder and frontman Paddy Moloney (Uilleann pipes, tin whistle), Matt Molloy (flute), Sean Keane (fiddle) and Kevin Conneff (bodhran, vocals).  For this year’s tour, Chieftains fans will no doubt miss Sean Keane who will be spending time with his family and will be unable join with the group on these dates.  Other performers to join Paddy, Matt, and Kevin in 2009 include the notable Irish harpist Triona Marshall, and the young Canadian acrobatic dancing team of brothers’ Jon and Nathan Pilatzke, along with traditional Irish dancer Cara Butler.  Known for her one-of-a-kind technique, Triona left the RTE Orchestra to tour with The Chieftains and has released her first self-titled solo album to critical acclaim.  The dancing Pilatzkes have been a part of The Chieftain’s show for just over six years now, with Jon continuing to dazzle audiences with his ability to combine his talents on stage as a correspondingly brilliant fiddle player.  Also on board are Nashville’s own Jeff White, whose vocals are featured on The Chieftains Live From Dublin album, as well as Deanie Richardson, one of country and bluegrass music’s most revered fiddle players who has toured and recorded with country superstars Vince Gill and Patty Loveless.  
For the CELTIC CONNECTION 2009 TOUR, The Chieftains have invited back renowned Scottish vocalist Alyth McCormack, a singer/actress who has performed worldwide to rave reviews, having also recorded with various artists and appearing on a number of film soundtracks.  McCormack found much success with her first solo album An Iomall (The Edge) released by Vertical Records.   
 
Says Chieftain Paddy Moloney: “Beyond the Celtic-Scottish connection that we focused on last year, we plan on giving everyone a taste of the overall influence Celtic music has had internationally.  In particular, we’ll be previewing our upcoming project related to the Celtic-Mexican connection.”

In 2009, The Chieftains will be wrapping up a new album focused on this Celtic-Mexican connection, featuring a track with famed singer Linda Ronstadt among other guests.  For the 2009 tour, The Chieftains will perform selections that span their latest and greatest hits, many of which are found on their 2006 release The Essential Chieftains, as well as preview selections from this new album.
 
As usual with The Chieftains shows look for other surprise guests to appear at select shows, including singer/songwriter Joe Hurley in Red Bank, NJ on March 12th.  The Chieftains and guests will perform in the following cities:

• Feb. 16 Portland, OR - Schnitzer Auditorium
• Feb. 17 Seattle, WA - Seattle Symphony Benaroya Hall
• Feb. 19 San Francisco, CA -  San Francisco Symphony – Davies Hall
• Feb. 20  Santa Rosa, CA -  Wells Fargo Center for the Arts
• Feb. 22 Mesa, AZ -  Mesa Arts Center
• Feb. 23 Fort Worth, TX -  Bass Performance Hall
• Feb. 25 Houston, TX -   Jones Hall
• Feb. 27 Birmingham, AL -  Alys Stephens Center – Jemison Concert Hall              
• Feb. 28 Atlanta, GA -  Fox Theatre Atlanta
• Mar. 01 Gainesville, FL -  Phillips Center
• Mar. 03 Miami Beach, FL -  Jackie Gleason Theatre
• Mar. 04 Clearwater, FL -  Ruth Eckerd Hall
• Mar. 07 Dayton, OH -  Dayton Masonic Center
• Mar. 08 Chicago, IL -  Symphony Center
• Mar. 09 Washington, DC -  Kennedy Center Concert Hall
• Mar. 11 Charlottesville, VA -  Paramount Theater
• Mar. 12 Red Bank, NJ -  Count Basie Theatre
• Mar. 13 Boston, MA -  Symphony Hall
• Mar. 15  Philadelphia, PA -  Verizon Hall – Kimmel Center
• Mar. 16 Newark, NJ -  Prudential Hall
• Mar. 17  Toronto, ON -  Roy Thompson Hall

With a career that spans forty-four years and forty-three albums, The Chieftains are not only Ireland’s premier musical ambassadors but also the most enduring and influential creative force in establishing the international appeal of Celtic music and have also collaborated with many musical legends including Van Morrison and Sting.  Six-time Grammy winners and nineteen-time Grammy nominees, The Chieftains continue to maintain an international touring schedule that has brought them before literally millions of fans on every continent.

Contact: DERA, ROSLAN & CAMPION - (212) 966-4600