Plug In With The Jimmy Kelly Band

You gotta' see this band

The Jimmy Kelly Band is:
Jimmy Kelly - Guitar & Lead Vocals, Denis Kelly - Drums & Harmony, Vic Gagnon - Fiddle, Barry Wiesenfeld - Bass & Vocals
Hometown: Albany, NY
Genre: Celtic
Booking Info: jimmy@thejimmykellyband.com
Website: www.thejimmykellyband.com

The Jimmy Kelly Band is an upbeat Celtic original band. The Kelly brothers hail from an extensive line of Irish musicians. Denis and Jimmy’s grandfathers both landed in America as teenagers, and were renowned contributors to the Irish music scene in New York. Grandfather, Denny Leonard, began an Irish step-dancing school in Albany, and was instrumental in building Albany’s “Ancient Order of Hibernian” hall. Denis and Jimmy’s grandfather on their father’s side, Ralph Kelly, became a founding member of the "Night of Shamrocks," organization, which later led to “AIMS” (American Irish Musicians Society). Denis and Jimmy’s father, Jim Sr., carried the torch of the families’ Irish musical heritage, when his father handed over the banner of his band, The Galway Blazers. Jim Sr. proudly continued the “Blazers,” enlisting the talent of his brother-in-law, Mike Leonard, on banjo. It was not long before The Galway Blazers had become one of the most sought after Irish bands of their time.

With surroundings like these, it was inevitable that Denis and Jimmy crawled their way onto the stage. The brothers were introduced to Irish step dancing by their mother, and reveled in watching their father’s band perform. Their unique combination of musicianship and family harmonies is one that only two brothers can share, while their passion for music is one that only a nurturing musical upbringing could produce.

Vic Gagnon is an 18-year-old classically trained musician raised in the Albany, NY area. He began playing the fiddle at the age of 10, when he began studying under a member of the Albany Symphony.After composing many of his own compositions, Vic studied under Mark O'Connor (world-renowned fiddler) with Natalie MacMaster in Nashville, Tennessee. This inspired Vic to fuse his classical training with his love of Celtic music.His eclectic style adds an exciting new dimension to the band.

Barry Wiesenfeld began studying piano at the age of six, expanding later to the flute, guitar and voice. He fell in love with the bass, in his late teens.His performing and/or recording credits include folk, rock, country, Celtic, classical, jazz, big band and Broadway genres (from duos to full orchestras), Grammy-nominated, RMI-winning and internationally known artists and bands, jingles, radio and TV. His audiences have ranged in size from small and intimate to an outdoor concert attended by 23,000 fans. His own trio, "Circle's End", was the winner of the prestigious title "1998 Vocal Group of the Year" awarded by the New Jersey Country Music Association. Barry plays electric and acoustic bass guitars (fretted and fretless), upright bass, flute, piano and sings.

The Kelly brothers currently have three CD’s available. “Solo Pilots,” which is 10 of Jimmy’s original writings and recordings, “Irish Music in America, Vol. II,” where they joined forces with their good friend and legendary piper, Neil Anderson, and their most recent endeavor “Kelly Green”.

The band is scheduled to appear at The Miid Winter Irish and Scottish Festival at the Forge Convention Center in Valley Forge, PA on February 18-20, 2005. You can visit the band's website for additional information on upcoming shows.

Music For Miracles 2005 Kick-Off to Benefit the Children's Hospital at Albany Med

The Refrigerators

ALBANY, NY (March 5, 2005) Legendary local band The Refrigerators, in conjunction with GE, radio station FLY 92.3 (WFLY) and the Albany Medical Center Foundation, Inc., have announced a song-writing contest in which three winners will have their original works recorded by the Refrigerators and each receive a $500 cash prize.

The "Music for Miracles" contest will culminate with a summer CD release party to benefit the Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center. The band invites everyone with original work (both lyrics and tune) to submit their entry online at www.the-refrigerators.com/contest. Songs previously recorded and released through national distribution in any country are not eligible.

The Refrigerators will record the three winning songs and perform at a public CD release party at the Corning Preserve in Albany on June 18th, along with other local and national acts. The band will perform the winning songs and bring the winners on stage. Proceeds from that event will be donated to the Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center to help fund vital medical care and research.

ABOUT THE CHILDREN”S HOSPITAL AT ALBANY MEDICAL CENTER

The Children’s Hospital at Albany Med is a 125-bed facility devoted exclusively to the medical needs of infants, children and adolescents, and is the referral center for all seriously ill and injured children from 25 counties in upstate New York and western New England.

The Children’s Hospital has the region’s only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit. Albany Medical Center is northeastern New York’s only academic health sciences center. It consists of one of the nation’s oldest medical schools, Albany Medical College; one of New York’s largest teaching hospitals, Albany Medical Center Hospital; and one of the Capital Region’s most active fundraising organizations, the Albany Medical Center Foundation, Inc.