John Cutliffe | |
|---|---|
 John in 2018 | |
| Born | John Barry Cutliffe 8 February 1962 |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Spouse | Laura Marshall |
| Children | Kevin Cutliffe (2002-present) Lorcan Marshall-Cutliffe (2017-Present) |
| Parent(s) | Kevin Cutliffe (father) Alish Cutliffe (mother) |
John Cutliffe is an Irish musician from Buncrana, County Donegal. He was born on February 8, 1962. He is known as a musician, songwriter, and producer. He has worked in London, Nashville, and Ireland.
John Cutliffe was born on February 8, 1962, in Buncrana, Co. Dongeal, Ireland, to parents Kevin Cutliffe and Ailish Cutliffe. He attended Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana, a secondary school in his home town. His passion was always music and he was still in school when he played in his first bands including Shandrum with his cousin Paul Rodden, who would go on to be John's music collaborator for many decades.
John has played Irish traditional and bluegrass music in the many pubs that dot the Irish countryside and has played with many pop and rock bands over the years. In London, his Irish bluegrass band The Pyros teamed up with Frank Tovey (aka Fad Gadget) and recorded albums on Mute Records.
Cutliffe helped formed The Pyros in his home town of Buncrana. The group developed a following in the North West of Ireland. Various lineups included Kevin Doherty (Four Men and a Dog) and Ciaran Tourish (Altan). During this time, John played with well-known musicians, including Altan, Gerry O Connor, Ted Hawkins, and former Wings guitarist Henry McCullough.
Cutliffe is the owner and editor of JigTime, a website that chronicled Irish and American roots music. He was the Tour Manager and general U.S. "man on the ground" for Irish traditional band Altan. He is a keen photographer and his pictures can be seen on websites including Rosanne Cash's site and the MerleFest site and on album covers both in Ireland and Nashville.
In 2005, Cutliffe teamed up with Andrea Zonn to produce the Hands Across The Water CD, a 16-track collaboration album between Celtic and American artists for children who were orphaned in the South East Asian tsunami. The 16-track album has over 100 musicians recorded in 30 different studios all over the world. Artists on the album include John Prine, Paul Brady, Jackson Browne, Vince Gill, and several more household names collaborating on new and remixed songs. The album was released on Compass Records in Nashville.
In October 2014, John and fellow Dongegal musician, Rory Gallagher, teamed up to work on "Shyma Smiled For Me". The song was released on December 5, 2014, with all proceeds going to children's charities in Gaza. The charity proceeds and dedication was prompted by the producer and co-writer visiting injured patients from the Gaza war in Jerusalem hospitals. [1] The song was written by John and Rory and featured many well known Irish and UK artists as well as a choir of children from Jerusalem and his son, Kevin. In addition to Cutliffe himself, the lineup included Rory Gallagher, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Liam O Maonlai, Donogh Hennessy, Honor Heffernan, Martin Tourish, Wee Glee Singers, Jerusalem Children’s Choir, Brian Mullan, Laurence Doherty, Clare Lindley, Claire McDaid, and Sophia Brock, as well as Kevin and Caroline Cutliffe. The song made a brief appearance in the Irish download charts in 2015.
John continues to write and produce and also writes for various websites and publications.
William Rory Gallagher was an Irish musician and songwriter. He is known for his virtuosic style of guitar playing, and is often referred to as "the greatest guitarist you've never heard of". A number of guitarists, including Alex Lifeson of Rush, Brian May of Queen, and Eric Clapton, have cited Gallagher as an influence. He was voted as guitarist of the year by Melody Maker magazine in 1972, and listed as the 57th greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2015.
Altan are an Irish folk music band formed in County Donegal in 1987 by lead vocalist Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and her husband Frankie Kennedy. The group were primarily influenced by traditional Irish language songs from Donegal and have sold over a million records.
Tripping Up the Stairs is the second studio album by Canadian folk rock group Spirit of the West, released in July 1986 by Stony Plain Records.
Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh is an Irish fiddler and the lead vocalist for the Irish folk music band Altan, which she co-founded with her husband Frankie Kennedy in 1987. Ní Mhaonaigh is recognised as a leading exponent in the Donegal fiddle tradition, and she is often considered one of the foremost singers in the Irish language, her native tongue. She was part of the Irish supergroup T with the Maggies who performed in January 2009 at Temple Bar TradFest in Dublin their first ever two concerts under that name and who released in October 2010 their debut album. After nearly 22 years with Altan, on 28 December 2008 Ní Mhaonaigh premiered in Gweedore her debut solo album Imeall which was later released worldwide in February 2009. After 29 years with Altan, in October 2016 Ní Mhaonaigh released her alternate band Na Mooneys' debut album Na Mooneys.
Another Sky is the seventh studio album by Irish traditional band Altan. It was released in February 2000 on the Narada Productions label.
Frankie Kennedy was a flute and tin whistle player born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was also the co-founder of the band Altan, formed with his wife Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh. The popular Frankie Kennedy Winter Music School was founded in 1994 in his honour.
Local Ground is the ninth studio album by Irish folk music group Altan, released in March 2005 on the Narada label.
The Blue Idol is the eighth studio album by Irish traditional band Altan, released in February 2002 on the Narada label.
Blackwater is the fifth studio album by Altan, released in April 1996 on the Virgin Records label. Three of the songs are sung in Irish. "Ar Bhruach Na Carraige Baine" is sung partly in English and in Irish. "Blackwaterside" is sung in English. It was the first album released by the band since the death of founding member Frankie Kennedy two years earlier. The final track on the album is a tribute to Kennedy and was written by Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh herself.
Harvest Storm is the third studio album by Altan, released in April 1992 on the Green Linnet label.
Island Angel is the fourth studio album by Altan, released in 1993 on the Green Linnet label. In 1995, Q included Island Angel in its publication "In Our Lifetime: Q's 100 Best Albums 1986–94", a list compiled to celebrate its 100th issue. It was also the final album to feature founding member Frankie Kennedy who died a year after its release.
Runaway Sunday is the sixth studio album by Altan, released in July 1997 on the Virgin Records label.
Grand Union is the seventh studio album released by Frank Tovey, the third under his real name, and was released on 13 May 1991. It is the first album to feature Irish band The Pyros, which Frank would work with on the following album Worried Men in Second Hand Suits. The album was recorded at Sawmills Studio in Cornwall and at WW1, Harrow Road, London.
Kevin Doherty is an Irish songwriter, musician and singer. He has played with various bands since the late 1980s and currently records and performs both as a solo artist and as a member of Four Men and a Dog.
Altan is the second (studio) album by Frankie Kennedy and Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, originally released in 1987 by Green Linnet Records. The musicians appearing on this album are substantially those that became the early incarnation of the band Altan. The band later (retroactively) called Altan their debut album.
Gleann Nimhe – The Poison Glen is the eleventh studio album by Irish folk music group Altan and their tenth studio album of original material, released in late February / early March 2012 on the Compass Records label.
Under a Red Sky Night is the début solo studio album by Irish musician Martin Tourish, released in May 2014.
The Widening Gyre is the twelfth studio album by Irish folk music group Altan and their eleventh studio album of original material, released in February 2015 on the Compass Records label. It was released to critical acclaim.
On the Fly is the ninth album by the Irish folk band Patrick Street, released in 2007 on Loftus Music.
The Gap of Dreams is the thirteenth studio album by Irish folk music group Altan and their twelfth studio album of original material, released in March 2018 on the Compass Records label to critical acclaim.