The Libby Irish Fair is very pleased to bring The McKassons to play for our 2008 Festival. Whether it's on stage at the Kennedy Center or at an Irish Pub in Seattle, the McKassons are playing to packed houses and festival crowds all over the nation. Featuring Ryan McKasson (fiddle, viola), his sister Cali McKasson (piano), his brother-in-law Matt Jerrell (drums, percussion), and his wife Brooke McKasson (vocals), the McKassons are a family with impressive individual achievements.

Ryan claimed the National Scottish Junior Fiddle Championship in 1995 and went on to become the youngest National Scottish Fiddle Open Champion in 1996. He has shared the stage with artists Elvis Costello, Beck, Bjork, Gavin Friday, and composer Phillip Glass, among others. Cali has performed with fiddle greats Alasdair Fraser, Andre Brunet, Laura Risk, and Hanneke Cassel, while Matt has worked with renowned percussionist Johnny Rabb, who has drummed with Deana Carter, SheDaisy, and Tanya Tucker.

From their latest CD

Fiddles that pulse with electric energy; violas that hum like the plaintive croon of cicadas; banjos that sing like springtime incarnate: Seattle-based McKassons arent your average fiddle band. One of the genres fastest rising talents, the McKassons create evocative soundtracks for adventures in distant lands and stories yet untold, and their latest album, Tripping Maggie, is yet another enchanted effort. From the theatrical sweep of the title track, to the reflective piano of The Gates, to Brooke McKassons bittersweet vocals on If I Should Fall Behind, The McKassons bring a distinctly American sensibility to traditional Scottish folk, composing songs that have the feel of Celtic music blended with the spirit of folk rock and bluegrass.

With their energy, innovation and craftsmanship, as warm as a handshake and boisterous as an Irish pub, The McKassons offer something fresh and unique to both the Emerald City and the landscape of independent music.

 

Dancing with the The McKassons will be Dixie Campbell and Sue Adam from Portland Oregon. Formerly of Dance of the Gael, they make up the core of The Gaelic Dance Company, a newly formed group which features mostly hard shoe step dance from Scotland, Ireland, Cape Breton and Appalachia. Dixie and Sue have performed together for the past 10 years all around the Northwest. They have been featured dancers yearly at gatherings such as The Pacific NW Highland Games in Enumclaw, Washington, and the World Beat Festival in Salem, Oregon. They have shared the stage with Natalie McMaster and her band, and Dixie has toured Japan teaching Gaelic dance. They continue to seek the traditional steps of the Gaelic countries and bring them to the stage to share with their audiences.

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