discography Patrick Mangan - Farewell to Ireland (White Label Records, 2003) This debut recording by Patrick Mangan is testament to the resilience of the tradition in an urban landscape far removed from its original roots in rural Ireland. The legendary Sligo fiddler Michael Coleman made a huge impact on both sides of the Atlantic but it was in New York that he directly initiated a lineage of fiddle playing that has to date been carried through three generations of fiddlers. Andy McGann learned directly from Michael Coleman. He passed it on to Brian Conway, who in turn taught Patrick Mangan. Through the impact of Coleman, McGann, Conway and a host of other musicians and teachers such as Martin Mulvihill, we have the nucleus of an authentic regional style of traditional Irish music that could be described as East Coast/New York. To my ear, this is the style that underlies Patrick's playing and which is demonstrated on this recording with unquestionable technical mastery. -- Martin Hayes Brian Conway - First Through The Gate (Smithsonian Folkways, 2002) In his long-awaited, stunning solo debut, premier Irish-American fiddler Brian Conway performs with a skill, grace, and force that are steeped in tradition but distinctively his own... Brian and Patrick collaborate on three tracks here, including, with Andy McGann, two that underscore the remarkable mentoring chain linking Coleman, McGann, Conway, and Mangan. But "you're not listening to Michael Coleman in the 1920s on this CD, nor Andy McGann in the 1970s," Brian insists. "You're hearing something that's a logical musical progression from that. My playing is not a copycat of Andy's, and Pat's is not a copycat of mine." Dan Milner and Bob Conroy - Irish in America (Folk Legacy Records, 2001) ...The Irish in America recorded their experiences in folk songs of great power and humor and beauty. Here is a collection of songs and tunes celebrating the Irish who built the great American cities, who toiled in factories, laid rails...who fought for their new-found homeland...and who made America laugh and cry on the vaudeville stage. Renowned ballad singer Dan Milner and banjo virtuoso Bob Conroy are joined by...Pat Mangan (and a host of others). John Whelan - Celtic Fire (Narada Records, 2001) On this aptly titled Celtic Fire, his fifth solo album for Narada, the seven-time All-Ireland button accordion champion has assembled some of the best young instrumentalists in Irish traditional music today--all from the United States... If youth must be served, then John Whelan has served it brilliantly and memorably on Celtic Fire, where tradition meets inspiration in a showcase of Irish music at its most vital and vibrant. John Whelan - From The Heart (JAR Productions, 2002) ...If music is made with integrity, talent, and passion, it should last and even gain in luster. That’s certainly the case with From the Heart, the second solo album made by button accordionist John Whelan. A dozen years have elapsed since it was originally released in 1990 on Oenoke Records... And the years have indeed been kind to this recording, now sonically upgraded through John’s careful remastering and reissued on his new imprint, JAR Productions Ltd... He added two brand-new tracks, a medley of jigs and a medley of reels, recorded with two-time All-Ireland fiddle champion Patrick Mangan and pianist Felix Dolan. “Felix was on the original album,” John said, “and Patrick has worked with me frequently over the past couple of years. The two bonus tracks are a bridge between then and now, something I thought the listeners would enjoy." t h i s  s i t e  i s  d e s i g n e d  b y  j o h n  l a w t e r .