(updated 09/18/08)

THE BAND

• JOHN DOYLE (guitar, vocals)

John Doyle is one of the brightest stars in folk and Celtic music today. Creative, prolific, highly in demand and an absolute master of acoustic guitar, John is now gaining a growing reputation as a singer, composer, arranger, and producer. Immensely talented and blessed with an instinct for making traditional music fresh, energetic and new, as well as composing original material solidly rooted in tradition, John has become a major influence. John is one of the busiest artists in the U.S. and has credits on over 60 recordings of Celtic, British Isles, Folk, Americana, and music for film and television.

A native of Dublin, Ireland, John was a founding member of the groundbreaking group Solas, which took the Celtic music world by storm early on. Often responsible for discovering and arranging many of the songs Solas recorded, and most notably for its signature driving rhythm, John's sublime playing and vocal harmonies can be heard on all four of Solas' recordings for Shanachie Records.

In recent years, along with touring as one of half of Liz Carroll and John Doyle, John has lent his hefty talents to a myriad of other artists - Tim O'Brien, Alison Brown, Kate Rusby, Linda Thompson, Karan Casey, Mick Moloney and many others in the traditional folk and Americana world.

John's most recent release on Compass Records Wayward Son, was named 2005 Album of the Year by Celtic Connections. Sing Out! magazine's Bob Weir says, "To say that this release has energy is a bit like saying Niagara Falls generates power." Peter Fyfe reviewed the CD as "...music for those who like their acoustic settings with a bit of funk and groove, both of which Doyle is more than capable of turning out in equal measure."

• DIRK POWELL (fiddle, banjo, mandolin, accordian)

"Proof that the circle remains unbroken." - The Washington Post

"Dirk's got great subtlety, tremendous feel, and he's very loose and very modern, in the best sense of the word." - T-Bone Burnett

Dirk Powell has expanded on the deeply rooted sounds of his Appalachian heritage to become one of the preeminent traditional American musicians of his generation. In addition to acclaimed releases on Rounder Records, he has recorded and performed with artists such as Jack White, Loretta Lynn, Levon Helm, Sting, Jewel, and Linda Ronstadt on a variety of instruments. His ability to unite the essence of his culture with modern sensibilities has also led to work with many talented film directors, including Anthony Minghella, Spike Lee, Ang Lee, Victor Nunez and Steve James. Dirk has scored several films, including award winners such as "Stevie" and "Stranger With A Camera," and also continues to be a powerful presence in the musical world of Cajun Louisiana, where he makes his home with wife Christine Balfa and their two daughters.

• TODD PHILLIPS (bass)

Todd Phillips is the bassist of choice for many of the most innovative, as well as traditional, acoustic instrumental and bluegrass recordings made since the mid-1970s. A two-time Grammy Award winner and founding member of the original David Grisman Quintet, Todd has made a career of consistently performing and recording with acoustic music's finest and most creative artists. His tone, timing, and subtly intricate bass lines make him one of the few real stylists on acoustic bass, and he is among the very best practitioners of the instrument on the music scene.

In addition to his time with the David Grisman Quintet, Todd has worked with a virtual who's who in the music world, as an artist, producer and engineer. Another venture came from his experiences teaching at music camps, and he's done an instructional video/DVD series for Homespun Tapes, "Essential Techniques for Acoustic Bass, I & II." His most current effort is a tribute project for Rounder Records featuring the songs of Hazel Dickens performed by a host of legendary artists including Joan Osborne, Linda Ronstadt, Elvis Costello, and Emmylou Harris.

THE CREW

• BLAIR WOODS (tour manager)

Blair started playing violin when he was 6 years old, and he has been involved in music ever since. He has a degree in journalism from the University of Arkansas and lasted at a small daily newspaper for 6 weeks after his college graduation. Blair began working with bands in 1992, starting with the folk duo John & Mary. He has since worked as a tour manager for 10,000 Maniacs, Cowboy Junkies, Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, Dar Williams, and Mary Gauthier. He has also managed 10,000 Maniacs, Over The Rhine, Rose Polenzani, and Jennie Sterns, and he remains tour coordinator and occasional tour manager for Cowboy Junkies. Blair is also a founding member-owner and on the the Board of Directors of Urban Roots Garden Center, the first start-up cooperative garden center in the United States. He lives in a 130-year-old Victorian house in Buffalo, New York, with his wife Monique Watts, two dogs and five chickens.

• JASON RABOIN (sound engineer)

Jason became interested in audio engineering while a student working at the University of Massachusetts (UMASS) Fine Arts Center. After college he spent two years as house sound engineer at the Iron Horse in Northampton, Massachusetts before starting his career on the road as a tour manager, production manager, and sound engineer. Jason has toured with Catie Curtis, Erin McKeown, Luna, Ben Lee, Twinemen, Cowboy Junkies, and others. He now splits his time between mixing Modest Mouse and Joan Baez.

• JIM STEWART (merchandise sales)

Jim Stewart was born in Circleville, Ohio and graduated from Ohio State University, where he participated in the ROTC program to help finance his education. After graduating with a B.A. in journalism, he found himself in the Army for 3 years serving a tour in Vietnam and coming home as a Captain. Returning to civilian life, he pursued his military training in physical distribution and joined Sears, Roebuck & Co., where he remained for a dozen years before moving on to The Limited, Inc., where he worked his way up to Director of Distribution with The Bath & Body Works Division before retiring at age 50. He then made his dream move to Arizona where he fell in love with the Grand Canyon, and locally enjoys hiking the mountains near his home. As a longtime music lover, Jim established friendships with artists such as Gisele MacKenzie, the McGuire Sisters and Joan. Jim has handled Joan's merchandising on the road for quite a few years - something he considers to be the dream job of any artist's fan!

• Stephanie Hudacek (tour assistant)

Stephanie is originally from Kansas City and now resides in Nashville. Stephanie graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in psychology and, after a year in graduate school, decided to pursue an alternative career in audio engineering. After attending the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences in Arizona, she moved to Nashville to continue her goal in engineering. During her time in Nashville, Stephanie has learned from some of the best and is now truly enjoying her dream of becoming an audio engineer. In addition, her artistic energy is spent on graphic design, and she has several album art covers to her credit. When not in the studio, Stephanie likes to spend time with Rhyder, her rescue lab.

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