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Randal Bays - biography [Click here to download in Word format]

The Cork Examiner, Ireland's second largest newspaper, called  Randal Bays "a rare beast, a master of both the fiddle and the  guitar", and Fiddler Magazine said he is "among the best Irish style  fiddlers of his generation." That's high praise for this self-taught American whose recordings and concerts have earned him recognition on both sides of the Atlantic as a  multi-instrumentalist of uncommon talent.   As writer Don Meade put it in "The Irish Voice" (New York, Jan.  2001) "Still best known to many for his beautiful guitar  accompaniment on fiddler Martin Hayes' early recordings, Randal  himself is a marvelous fiddler, one of the best in the country."  Randal's grasp of the Irish fiddle style is rare among non-Irish  musicians, a result of nearly thirty years of fiddling,  listening, and sharing many a late-night session with the finest  traditional musicians. In his workshops and private lessons, the  focus is on helping non-Irish fiddlers internalize a sense of an  authentic Irish style, making the music their own while nurturing  respect and understanding for its roots in Irish culture.

Believing in the importance of sharing and passing on the Irish traditional music, Randal co-founded the Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp in 2002, in Friday Harbor, Washington. The camp has been successful in maintaining a focus on tradition, teaching, and fun, and has drawn students from around the world.

Randal has performed all over the U.S., Europe and Canada, including appearances at major festivals such as the Gaelic Roots Festival in Boston, the San Francisco Celtic Music and Arts Festival, the Festival Des Musiques-Vivantes in France, the Willie Clancy  Summer School and Festival in Ireland, the Swannanoa Gathering in Asheville, North Carolina, Augusta Heritage Week in Elkins, West Virginia, the Alaska Irish Music Festival, California's Sebastopol Festival and many more. In addition to his work with Martin Hayes, Randal has recorded or performed with many great musicians, including James Kelly, John Williams, Daithi Sproule, Roger Landes, Gearoid O'hAllmhurain, Kevin Burke and Micheal O'Domhnaill. He ‘s also a noted album producer and composer who’s created original scores for several award-winning films and documentaries. His recordings, including his latest CD, "House to House", with Roger Landes, are available on Foxglove Records.

Selected Discography:
 
"House to House" - 2004 with Roger Landes (Foxglove Records)
"Overland" - 2004 with Dáithí Sproule (Foxglove Records)
"The Salmon's Leap" - 2000 (Foxglove Records)
"Out of the Woods" - 1997 Solo album (Foxglove Records)
"Pigtown Fling" - 1996 with Joel Bernstein (Foxglove Records)
"Wind on the Water" - 1995 (Foxglove Records)
"Under the Moon" - 1995 with Martin Hayes (Green Linnet Records)
"John Williams" - 1995 with John Williams (Green Linnet Records)
"Martin Hayes" - 1993 with Martin Hayes (Green Linnet Records)
"The Traveller’s Return" - 1990 with Nancy Curtin
"The Rashers" - 1988 with Joel Bernstein
"Nancy Curtin" - 1985 with Nancy Curtin
"Celtic Music of the Northwest" - 1982 with Wildgeese