Rory Makem and John Whelan — two masters of Irish music — will join forces for a concert of Irish and American folk music later this month at the Vashon Havurah, in a performance blending two artists who have each mastered a craft and honored a tradition.
The concert starts at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29. The Havurah is located at 15401 Westside Highway SW. Tickets are available with a suggested donation of $20 to $25, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Reservations can be made by contacting Jan Strolle at 206-228-0730 or janstrolle@comcast.net.
Rory Makem is the son of the great Tommy Makem, aka “The Godfather of Irish Music,” who led the folk revival of the 1960s. A love for music runs deep in the Makem family.
Rory himself is a seasoned performer with more than 35 years on the road, having toured extensively with The Makem Brothers (a band formed with his brothers Shane and Conor) and the Makem and Spain Brothers (formed when brothers Liam and Mickey Spain joined the crew). Rory, for 17 years, also played guitar with his father.
Rory Makem has played sold-out venues, festivals, and theaters throughout the United States, Canada, England, Scotland and Ireland. His performances captivate audiences with charisma, passion, poetry, history, humor and skilled musicianship.
Following the legacy of his grandmother, the legendary “source singer” (a singer who learned primarily in the oral tradition) Sarah Makem, Rory pulls the songs of the worker, the sailor, the lovers, the fighters and the land from the pages of history and breathes life into them. He brings those songs to life on the guitar, banjo, mandolin or bouzouki.
Rory has also played on movie soundtracks including A Fool and His Money and The Lightkeeper. His compositions can be heard as the backdrop for PBS series including Tommy Tang’s Modern Thai Cuisine, It’s an Age Thing and Simply Painting.
Learning from those that came before you is the essence of folk music, and Rory has recorded with giants of the modern folk world, including Tom Paxton, Noel Paul Stookey, Bill Staines, Eric Weissberg, Roger McGuinn, Dave Mallett, Gordon Bok, Jonathan Edwards, Rick and Ron Shaw, and Schooner Fare.
Seven-time All-Ireland champion accordion player, John Whelan is a recent addition to Vashon’s thriving music scene.
Whelan is often hailed as one of the world’s best living Irish button accordion players. He was born to Irish parents living in Dunstable, England, and raised in the vibrant London Irish music scene of the 1970s, learning legends including Lucy Farr, Roger Sherlock, Paddy Taylor, Mick O’Connor, and his teacher, Brendan Mulkaire.
Whelan has received the “Musician of the Year” award from the Irish Music Association twice, recorded more than 15 CDs and spent several weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard World Music Charts. He has also appeared on more than 30 albums with other artists, including the National Geographic: Ireland CD.
Whelan is also a prolific and respected composer. His composition “Trip to Skye” was featured on “Sex in the City,” and Shae Bourne and Victor Kraatz danced to another of John’s compositions at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
Whelan is known for being extraordinarily generous with his music. He has a love for mentoring and teaching and spotting talent in fledgling musicians — no matter the instrument.
