Michael McGoldrick

Michael McGoldrick (b. 1971, Manchester, England) is a flute and tin whistle player of great renown. He also plays the Uilleann pipes and low whistle.

Bands

He has been a member of several influential bands. In 1994 he was awarded the BBC Young Tradition Award, and, in 2001, he was given the Instrumentalist of the Year award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

McGoldrick was a founder-member of Celtic rock band, Toss the Feathers while still at school. He also competed in the Fleadhanna with Dezi Donnelly (fiddle) and John-Jo Kelly (bodhrán) whom he had met at local Comhaltas meetings. He made appearances at various local and national festivals and has run whistle/flute workshops at the Cambridge Folk Festival and for Folkworks on their "Flutopia" concert tour.

McGoldrick formed the band Fluke! (later renamed as Flook), with Brian Finnegan and Sarah Allen in November 1995. After one tour, he left to pursue other projects. He was an early member of Lúnasa and played on their first two albums.

He joined Capercaillie in 1997, has played regularly for Afro-Celt Sound System and Kate Rusby's band. He now leads the Michael McGoldrick Band.

He has recorded three solo albums: Morning Rory showcases his traditional skills, and Fused explores several other musical genres. including trance, while Wired, released in October 2005, takes the experimental approach of Fused even further. His album At First Light with John McSherry (also ex-Lúnasa) goes back to his traditional roots.

Albums

Solo/duo

• Champions of the North (with Dezi Donnelly) - Magnetic Music MMRCD801 (1995)
• Morning Rory - Aughgrim Records AUGH01 (1996)
• Fused - Vertical Records VERTCD051 (2000)
• At First Light (with John McSherry) - Vertical Records VERTCD061 (2001)
• Wired - Vertical Records VERTCD074 (2005)

As band member

• Flook! Live! (Flook) - Small CD 9405 (1996)
• Live at the 32 Club (Toss the Feathers) - ? (1988)
• Rude Awakening (Toss the Feathers) - Magnetic Music MMMRCD301 (1993)
• Columbus Eclipse (Toss the Feathers) - Magnetic Music MMMRCD401 (1989 & 1993)
• Awakening (Toss the Feathers) - ? (1991)
• TTF'94 Live (Toss the Feathers) - ? (1994)
• The Next Round (Toss the Feathers) - Magnetic Music MMMRCD1004 (1995)
• Many Happy Returns (Arcady) - Dara Records DARACD080 (1995)
• Beautiful Wasteland (Capercaillie)
• Nàdurra (Capercaillie)
• Lúnasa (Lúnasa) (1997)
• Otherworld (Lúnasa) - Green Linnet GLCD1200 (1999)
• Hourglass (Kate Rusby) - Pure Records PRCD02 (1997)
• Sleepless (Kate Rusby) - Pure Records PRCD06 (1999)
• Little Lights (Kate Rusby) - Pure Records PRCD07 (2001)
• Tunes (Sharon Shannon, Frankie Gavin, Jim Murray) - Compass (2005)
• Upside Down (Sharon Shannon, Dezi Donnelly, Jim Murray) - Daisy Label (2006)
• Renegade (Sharon Shannon, Dezi Donnelly, Jim Murray - Daisy Label (2007)

As guest artist

• 1 Douar (Alan Stivell) (1998)
• Volume One – The Source (Big Sky) (1999)
• Volume Two – Release (Afro-Celt Sound System) (1999)
• identités (Idir)
• Seal Maiden (Karan Casey)
• Yella Hoose (John McCusker) (2000)
• Shots (Damien Dempsey)
• The Armsdealer's Daughter (Shooglenifty) (2004)
• ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM (Aquarium) (2005)
• Before the Ruin (Kris Drever, John McCusker & Roddy Woomble) (2008)
• Imeall (Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh) (2009)
• Get Lucky (Mark Knopfler) (2009)

External links

• Michael McGoldrick
• Review of Fused
• Review of At First Light