John Cutliffe | |
|---|---|
 John in 2018 | |
| Born | John Barry Cutliffe February 8, 1962 Buncrana, County Donegal, Ireland |
| 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.
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.
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.
Proinsias Ó Maonaigh or Francie Mooney was a fiddler from Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland. He is known for his distinguished fiddle playing and his unique and vast contribution to Irish music and culture. He is the father of Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh and grandfather of fiddle player Ciarán Ó Maonaigh.
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 County Donegal-based Irish traditional band Altan. It was released in February 2002 on the Narada label.
Mícheál Ó Domhnaill was an Irish singer, guitarist, composer, and producer who was a major influence on Irish traditional music in the second half of the twentieth century. He is remembered for his innovative work with Skara Brae, the first group to record vocal harmonization in Irish language songs, and The Bothy Band, one of the most influential groups in Irish traditional music. His reputation was enhanced by a successful collaboration with master fiddler Kevin Burke, and his work with the Celtic groups Relativity and Nightnoise, which achieved significant commercial and critical acclaim.
Blackwater is the fifth studio album by County Donegal, Ireland, traditional music group Altan, released on 5 April 1996 through Virgin Records. Featuring an eclectic mix of Irish and Scottish jigs, reels, and hornpipes, along with a strathspey and barndance, Blackwater was Altan's first record to be produced and released following the tragic death of flautist and founding Altan member Frankie Kennedy in 1994; Kennedy was married to frontwoman Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh. The final track, "A Tune For Frankie", is a tribute to Kennedy, a slip-jig composed by Ní Mhaonaigh herself. The track's arrangement gradually builds in intensity, with Ní Mhaonaigh's solo fiddle playing the first round before being joined by the rest of the band. Played slowly and thoughtfully, "A Tune For Frankie" makes use of many ornamental rolls and modal phrases; alternating between G-Mixolydian and G-Minor, the tune has a somber, yet majestic, flavour.
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.
25th Anniversary Celebration is the tenth studio album by Irish folk music group Altan. It was released in January–March 2010. The album does not contain new original material for it is a compilation of studio re-recordings of previous material with orchestral arrangements.
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.