Carmel & the Ravens at the Stables, Mullingar, 30 Sept. 2010

This coming Thursday, 30 September, is Bluegrass Night in the Stables, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, with the award-winning Carmel Sheerin & the Ravens plus support from Ronan Leonard. Here's a reminder of some of what's special about the only Irish bluegrass band so far to both win a #1 award at the European World of Bluegrass Festival and appear at the IBMA's World of Bluegrass in Nashville, TN:

Carmel Sheerin & the Ravens are backboned by a family that is steeped in music and has been at the forefront of the music scene in the heart of Ireland for the past few decades. Four of the multi-talented family are represented in Carmel Sheerin & the Ravens. Carmel (lead vocals), Danny (acoustic guitar, vocals), Des (double bass, vocals), and Tom (mandolin, vocals) have joined up with Jonathan Toman, an extremely talented banjo player, and are soaring to new heights both on the national and international scene with their breathtaking, contemporary sound. Featuring Carmel on lead vocals and the band singing clean harmonies rooted in bluegrass, country, and gospel music, the members still write their own material and collaborate with top American and Irish bluegrass songwriters, including Tim O'Brien, Charlie McGettigan, and Kevin Sheerin.

Carmel, Danny, Des, and Tom Sheerin learned from their parents, Dan and Mary Sheerin, who sang professionally and gave their children a love for classic country music and harmony singing. Carmel's flair for delivering stirring, original material is backed by immaculate harmony singing and precise, steady musicianship.

In August 2005 Carmel Sheerin & the Ravens released their debut CD, Runaway, recorded at Des Sheerin's Shed Studio in Athlone, engineered by legendary producer Bil VornDick from Nashville. The album included six originals, traditional and contemporary numbers, featuring the band's tasteful harmonies and tight arrangements.

As the #1 European Bluegrass Band 2005-6, a title they won at the 8th European World of Bluegrass Festival, they represented Europe in Nashville in September 2006, where they were selected by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) to perform their original music at the World of Bluegrass Business Conference. They also got to present the award for Bluegrass Album of the Year at the IBMA Awards Ceremony 2006, which was staged at the famous Grand Ole Opry. In September 2006 the band began the recording of their second album, Here with you, in Nashville for release early in 2008, again with multi-Grammy producer Bil VornDick, who has signed them to a publishing deal.