Niall Toner Band

Roots Freeway

Bluegrass music from the blackstairs mountains ...

NTB

Live Performance Dates, click on date for venue website

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Oct 2nd, Rosine Kentucky, Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Festival
Oct 5th, Johnson City, Tennessee, Acoustic Coffee House, 10pm
Oct 6th, ETSU, Tennessee, Songwriting Lecture
Oct 6th, Johnson City, Tennessee, Jack Of The Wood, 6pm
Oct 8th, Kingsport, Tennessee, The Bus Pit
Oct 21st, Erwin, Tennessee, The Choo Choo Cafe, 6.30 - 9pm
Oct 22nd, Jonesborough, Tennessee, Historic Jonesborough Bluegrass Series
Nov 14th, Ballymore Eustace, Mick Murphys, 9pm
November 26th, Islandbridge, Commercial Rowing Club, 9pm mando_img

The Niall Toner Band are an Irish bluegrass band from the Blackstairs mountain region of Ireland. The Band was founded by Niall Toner in March, 2001, with Clem O'Brien and Dick Gladney. The Trio perform a set of all-original songs and instrumentals, and their unique sound is a rich blend of Traditional Acoustic Country Music and Bluegrass, with a distinctive Celtic twist.The diversity of the band's set ranges from contemporary up-tempo Western Swing pieces like Mood Swing, to inspirational Gospel-style songs like Walk On Water, and the haunting Bill Monroe tribute, The Master's Resting Place.To date, the Band have recorded and released three CD albums, and they perform live on a regular basis at Festivals, Venues and Arts Centres in Ireland, the UK, Europe and the USA.Niall Toner is widely regarded as one of Ireland's leading experts on Bluegrass and American Country Music, and he brings this knowledge of Music to a wide audience, both through his live performances with NTB and various workshops, as well as through his Radio Show, Roots Freeway, which is broadcast on Ireland's National Radio Station, RTE Radio One. www.rte.ie/radio1/rootsfreeway/Niall's songs have been recorded by many artistes, including Bill Wyman [ Rolling Stones ], The Nashville Bluegrass Band, Albert Lee, Special Consensus, Keith Sewell, The Swanson Family, The Fleadh Cowboys, and more .....Niall's lifetime contribution to the wider World of Country Music was honoured by the CMA in Nashville in 2003, when he was nominated for a Global Artist Award.Clem O'Brien is well known as Ireland's premier Flatpicking Guitarist, and is also highly respected for his pure high-tenor singing voice. Clem has worked with many Bands, including the Chieftains, The Flinthill Boys, and his own, Clem O'Brien Band. He is also the only Irish-born Musician to have worked professionally with a U.S. based Bluegrass Band, when he toured with Special Consensus. Clem is also a gifted songwriter, and his compositions and co-writes are featured on all NTB CDs.Richard 'Dick' Gladney plays the String Bass, and his rhythmic approach provides the steady beat at the heart of the Niall Toner Band. The 'woody' tone of Dick's Bull-Fiddle blends beautifully with the other Acoustic stringed instruments. Dick was a founder member of the Flinthill Boys, and also an original Committee Member of the Athy Bluegrass Music Association. He is also a fine Autoharp player and songwriter, and his compositions are also to be heard on all NTB CDs. Dick lists as his influences, Bill Monroe, The Carter Family and The Stanley Brothers.Niall Toner says:On a personal note, I think it's important to say that in being part of an Irish Bluegrass Band, performing, composing and playing original Bluegrass and Traditional Old-Time Country Music, makes for one of the greatest thrills in life that I can imagine. To have been able to survive professionally doing this with Clem and Dick for the best part of the last nine years has been an even greater thrill. My hope for the future is to be able to continue growing this music, and to contribute quality songs and tunes to that great body of work honed and perfected by artistes like Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, and countless others.One of the other most gratifying aspects of playing Bluegrass Music is that is is gregarious by nature, and you build up a truly International network of friends. It has been our good fortune to have played with so many fine musicians and singers and instrumentalists, including folks like Bill Keith, Albert Lee, Sally Van Meter, Keith Sewell, Dan Crary, Richard Greene, Steve Kaufmann, Greg Cahill, Barry and Holly Tashian, Don Poythress, Guy Clark, Johnny Cash, Kenny Rodgers, Pete and Joan Wernick, Sam Bush, Emmylou Harris, Roland White and dozens more.I would also have to mention the myriad stars of the music who have been a major influence on us, and they would include, in no particular order, Biall Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, The Stanley Brothers, The Carter Family, The Blue Sky Boys, Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers, Weems String Band, The New Lost City Ramblers, The Greenbriar Boys, George Kaye, Mick Hanly, Bob Wills, John Lee Hooker, Jimmie Rodgers, Guy Clark, Doc Watson, Clarence White, Norman Blake, and dozens more .Over the past nine years the NTB have enjoyed playing some superb venues and Festivals. Among these would be the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival in Longford, The Appalachian and Bluegrass Music Festival in Omagh, the Bill Monroe Festival in Rosine, Kentucky, Kilkenny Rythm and Roots Festival, Galway Americana Festival, Dublin's National Concert Hall, The 02 in Dublin and the Kings Hall in Belfast, the Tinahely Arts Centre in Co.Wicklow, and the Arts Centre in Boyle, Co.Roscommon. Reviews of NTB recordings and Live Performances : Our first CD, There's A Better Way, on Avalon Records, which was released in 2002, was very-well reviewed in Hot Press Magazine, which gave it a nine point five out of ten rating ! That album was also very well reviewed in Bluegrass Unlimited, Bluegrass Now, Irish Music Magazine, NME, European Bluegarss Magazine,The Irish times and Muleskinner. Our other two CDs released since then have also been reviewed favourably in these publications.Running paralell to my music career has been my work on RTE Radio. Back in the 1970s, I was performing with Colin Beggan, Bill Whelan and Jimmy Kelly in the Thomas House Pub in Dublin, when I was approached by Julian Vignoles, an RTE Producer, who liked the way I introduced the songs in a live performance. Julian asked me to try out for Radio, and so was born Country Heartland, which went on to broadcast on Radio One for almost twelve years. That programme morphed into Sunday Best and Orange Blossom Special, and in more recent times into Roots Freeway. Thank you, enjoy our website and please sign the guestbook.Niall Toner

Oct 7th, Black Mountain, North Carolina, White Horse

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