Recorded: May 16, 2016
THE O'CONNOR BAND with MARK O'CONNOR isn’t your typical family band. The Band features one of the most iconic fiddlers in American history, Mark O’Connor. His collaborations with James Taylor, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Tony Rice, Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, Alison Krauss, Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, and many others have led to performances on the most visible concert stages worldwide. In the O’Connor Band, Mark is joined by his wife Maggie (fiddle, vocals), son Forrest (mandolin, vocals), and Forrest’s partner Kate Lee (fiddle, vocals). Their repertoire is centered around some of Mark’s greatest instrumentals as well as songs written by Forrest and Kate, the band’s lead singers, whose tight harmonies and lyrical honesty have earned praise from the likes of Krauss, Rosanne Cash, and Mary Gauthier. Along with national flatpick guitar champion Joe Smart and Eastman School of Music graduate and current University of Miami DMA candidate Geoff Saunders, the O'Connor Band just recorded their debut album for Concord/Rounder Records slated for release this summer.
WoodSongs Kid: Allie Hagan is a 17 year old fiddle champion from Nicholasville, Kentucky. She recently taught 75 students in Kenya to play the violin using the O’Connor Fiddle Method.