Luke Daniels

• Active: '90s
• Genres: World
• Instrument: Accordion

Biography

The musical vocabulary of the Irish button accordion has been expanded by Luke Daniels. In addition to playing the standard traditional folk repertoire, Daniels has shown a mastery of a wide spectrum of influences ranging from classical music to European dance tunes and Django Reinhardt-style swing jazz. The recipient of a BBC "Young Tradition" award in 1992, Daniels has balanced a solo career with appearances with De Danaan, guitarist Frank Kilkelly, Reeltime, Scarp and the Vancouver production of Riverdance. Daniels has become a regular performer on BBC radio shows, "Pebble Mill Live" and "Folk On Two". According to Scotland On Sunday, Daniels "plays with a masterful technical dexterity and a wonderful honeyed lyricism". In a review of Daniels' debut solo album, Tarantella, the British newspaper, Daily Telegraph, wrote, "It is the control and reach of his playing and his entertaining exploitation of far-flung musical territory that produced so rewarding a recording". Inspired by his mother, who played concertina, and his father, who played whistle and flute, Daniels began playing bodhran at the age of eight. Two years later, he received his first accordion. Daniels' first tour of the United States, in 1992, included an appearance at the Philadelphia Folk Festival that was broadcast by the BBC. His debut album, Tarantella, released in June 1994, was nominated for an award as "Album of the year" by BBC Radio2. In 1993, Daniels joined Frank Kilkelly in a eclectic duo that incorporated swing jazz, Cajun music and Irish music. The following year, he played for the first time with Reeltime at the Cork Folk Festival. Since then, he's continued to perform occasionally with the trad-rooted band. In 1998, he joined Reeltime for a tour of the United States and Canada. Daniels' latest work has been with Scarp, a group that focuses on instrumental versions of traditional European dance music. The group received the prestigious Grand Prix award in France. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide

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