Melanie O'Reilly Concert

The Melanie O'Reilly Concert on Saturday evening was magical.

Melanie was joined by Sean O'Nuallain (guitar) and Richard Tibbitts (flute, whistle, percussion).

Since Richard lives in the San Diego area they haven't had much time to rehearse. That afternoon they practiced in our living room. Sharon had things to do but I had taken the day off and was able to just sit their and listen, my own private concert. A pleasure to observe good musicians listening and adapting to each other's performance.

We recorded the concert with our MP3 recorder. The audio quality was ok and I will be able to create a private CD of the performance for the musicians using GarageBand (the Mac rocks). I regret that we forgot to preserve Stevie Coyle's concert but we'll make a point of recording all the house concerts from now on.

Melanie and Sean were able to stay overnight and we all enjoyed a very nice leisurely breakfast on Sunday.

Melanie O'Reilly, Nov. 17

Coming to Auburn in November!


Melanie O'Reilly

Melanie O'Reilly concert, Saturday evening, November 17th
7:30 PM


One of the most sensational musical pioneers to explode on the Irish scene, Melanie O'Reilly is now firmly established in the pantheon of creative Irish artists. As a performer/singer-songwriter, her exhilarating and unique blend of Irish traditional music and jazz creates a powerful and haunting soundscape, exploring untouched frontiers, and which captivates audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.

Born in Dublin, Melanie comes from a family of musicians and actors, and she spent most of her youth treading the boards as an actress and singer, while at the same time was a multiple award-winning singer in Dublin’s Feis Ceol competitions.

Her passion for jazz began when her sister Clodagh introduced her the sound of jazz singers at the age of 11. Intrigued by the rhythms and scat improvisations of Ella Fitzgerald, she decided then that she would become a jazz singer, and she immersed herself in the music of other jazz giants such as Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. She also absorbed much by listening to Irish groups such as Horslips, Louis Stewart’s Trio and the Sean-nós (unaccompanied traditional) singing of Sean O Riada.

"Spellbinding... uplifting music from a true innovator" -- Rough Guide to Irish Music

...A wondrous mix of what this fine singer is all about - a deep passion for Irish Traditional music and Jazz...with O'Reilly's voice weaving a spell..." --Matt Nugent, Evening Herald

"Breathtaking amazing emotional intensity...sheer virtuosity..." -- The Irish Times

“Undoubtedly one of the major talents to emerge in recent times, Melanie O'Reilly possesses a voice which is rich and resonant, and a song-writing talent which is going to ensure that we hear a lot more of her in the future."—In Dublin

"Melanie O'Reilly has studiously carved herself a considerable reputation as a jazz singer with a keen ear for the cross-currents that link jazz's lateral thinking with Irish folk and traditional music" —The Irish Times

"A work of special importance in the development of the sung Irish language...an uplifting celebration of Irish culture that is finding new feet upon which to confidently stride into the future."—Dublin Event Guide

[of her live performances] "...her pitch was impeccable, her timing totally secure, her phrasing ineffably right. More than this, however, was perhaps the most essential gift of all—her ability to read a lyric with an innate sense of its dramatic demands and to serve these accordingly." —The Irish Times

"O'Reilly's sensuous voice is the perfect vehicle for entwining jazz styles with Irish Celtic influences..." —The Scotsman

Stevie Coyle Concert

The Stevie Coyle house concert was that first in what we hope will be a frackin' amazing venue for artists in and around the Celtic traditional music world.

We submitted the concert announcement to the community calendar on KVMR radio. In spite of the fact that the announcement didn't get aired until the morning of the concert, a few people called to make reservations. The KVMR listeners all knew Stevie's music from The Waybacks.

I knew we were experiencing something very special when Stevie sang a Waybacks song that had backup vocals and the audience spontaneously sang backup.

We were so excited about having Stevie play in our house we made a whole bunch of food for the potluck. We ate during the intermission which seemed more like a party then anything else. After a half hour or so we went back into the living room and listened to more great fingerpicked guitar and entertaining songs.

Stevie Coyle, Sept. 21

When we moved up to Auburn, to this great house, I started having visions of hosting house concerts, for all my musical buddies. We are starting off with a BANG!




Stevie Coyle, of The Waybacks will be up in our area doing the American River Festival the fourth weekend in September. He has graciously consented to appear at our house for a solo performance on the Friday of that weekend, September 21.

Click here for house concert page. Click here for Stevie's myspace page. Click here for The Waybacks website.

We only have 30 seats available. If you are interested, email me right away. sharon56@pacbell.net
Prepayment is recommended to hold your spot.

Stevie and I attended Salinas High school together back in the day. We both studied drama, and both appeared in Hotel Paradiso, a French farce. Steve played the bellman, and even then he showed a flair for comedy. He went on to study acting, but music was always a big part of his life. Steve and his brother Jim have been playing guitar since long before I knew them.

Stevie's talent, sense of humor and lightning quick wit have only improved with time. I feel very fortunate to know him and I'm just tickled that the rest of the world is now recognizing this great performer.

I hope you all come out and enjoy this great singer/songwriter. Tell your friends! Steve will have you tapping your feet and clapping your hands. And most likely, he'll have you laughing, too. He's an entertainer extraordinare.