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MP3 Celtic Wonder Band - Small Wonder
16 MP3 Songs
WORLD: Celtic, FOLK: Modern Folk
Details:
The Celtic Wonder Band
A local Nevada County group of roving (or is that raving?) social misfits, dedicated to making fine music and shaking up the current established order. The core group consists of Maggie McKaig, Shawn Prescott-Haussler, and Luke Wilson.
Maggie McKaig, from California''s central coast, is a singer/songwriter/ instrumentalist who began playing guitar at age 11. She also plays accordion and piano. Maggie began playing professionally after moving to Calgary, Alberta in 1976. In 1980 she became the lead guitar player and vocalist in Luke Wilson''s band Lost in the Colonies. With Lost in the Colonies Maggie toured the Canadian Festival circuit where the band was loved for their eclectic mix of folk, bluegrass, country, and jazz originals. Lost in the Colonies made one recording, the self titled "Lost In The Colonies", which was produced by Don Pennington at the CBC studios in Calgary in 1984. Tiring of Canadian winters, Maggie moved back to Northern California in 1985 with Wilson and their two year old son. Soon after their second son was born, and they moved to Nevada City to settle down and raise the boys. Luke set up shop as a luthier, and Maggie began teaching music and drama. Over the years Maggie and Luke have continued to perform together, as well as separately with various local musicans. In 2001 Maggie was invited by Alasdair Fraser to teach guitar at his Valley of the Moon Fiddle Camp. In 2002 she put together the first incarnation on the Celtic Wonder Band, which performed for a Saint Patrick''s Day event produced by Nevada County''s reknowned community radio station KVMR. The band has since performed at the past two KVMR Celtic Festivals, including hosting the session stage as well as performing a mainstage concert.
In 2003 Maggie recorded "Grand Promenade", a collection of her original tunes, which Luke produced. She has also written one film score, as well as scores for fifteen plays.
Shawn Prescott Haussler is also a native of the central California coast. Her vocal renditions of traditional tunes as she accompanies herself on harp never fail to move audiences. She is also highly skilled on flute and Irish whistles. Shawn honed her skills amidst the redwood trees, local pubs, and coffeehouses of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Moving to Nevada County in 1999 with her husband Doug and their triplets, she soon met Maggie and Luke, and began to share her talents with other local musicians on stage and in the recording studio. Her musical abilities combined with her natural grace and beauty on stage never fails to mesmerize audiences.
Born in Oshawa, Ontario, Luke Wilson plays cittern, banjo, dobro, just about anything else with frets, and has a great tenor voice. He is a veteran of the Canadian and European cluband festival scenes. Luke also has a long-standing career as a studio musician, arranger,and producer. Starting with his first band in 1965, Luke has been playing professionally ever since. With musical partner Ron Paul Morin he moved to England in 1970. The duo recored their first and only album, "Peaceful Company" in 1971. It was produced by John Pearse for Capitol Records. Deciding they didn''t like their Capitol contract after all, and seeking to explore other musical avenues, Morin and Wilson eventually went their separate ways. Luke played with several other British musicians during that time including Major Wiley and banjo player Pete Stanley. In 1975 Luke moved back to Canada to Calgary, Alberta, set up shop as a luthier, and formed the band Buckdancer''s Choice. A few years later after Buckdancer''s Choice broke up, he formed the band Lost in the Colonies which played many Canadian festivals. By this time Luke was widely known for his improvisational skills on numerous instruments, and his ability to play and fit into all kinds of musical settings. He lent his talents to numerous well known musicians and bands at the time such as Backline Orchestra, the Diamond Joe White Band, Ken Hamm, and others. Moving with musical partner and wife Maggie McKaig to Nevada City, California in 1988, Luke has since played with many of Nevada County''s finest bands and musicians including Utah Phillips, Alasdair Fraser, and Saul Rayo. He began playing with the Celtic Wonder Band in 2002. Luke also plays slide guitar and banjo in ukelele wizard / political songwriter Dan Scanlan''s band "Jukolin" When not playing, arranging, or producing music, Luke also continues his work as a luthier in his shop Wolfnote Studios, a skill handed down by his grandfather.
The Celtic Wonder Band is frequently joined by other talented musicians. Beautiful vocal harmonies, and dynamic, creative arrangements are the bands
trademark, as they journey through Irish, Scottish, American and Original songs, airs and dance tunes.
For the second year in a row, the Celtic Wonder Band will perform on the main stage at the 2005 KVMR Celtic Festival October 1 at the beautiful Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, California. This is a great festival, and joining CWB this year is Scottish musician Murray Campbell on fiddle!
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