Ken O'Malley and The Twilight Lords

Artist Information

Biography

His passionate and compelling voice is what they notice first. As a solo artist, Ken O’Malley easily commands the room; with his band he also rocks the house. Quickly drawing the audience in, it is no wonder that the Irish News describes him “without question, as the single most enduring, influential and proficient of all Irish musicians in Southern California” and the University of St. Thomas at Houston acknowledges him to be "widely regarded as the finest Irish folk singer/songwriter in the United States today."

Arriving in Los Angeles from Ireland over 30 years ago, Ken O’Malley was immediately offered a spot at Molly Malone's, the legendary Irish venue in the city's Fairfax district, and he hasn't stopped playing since. Through the years, O'Malley has performed solo and as part of The Mulligans, Blended Spirits and, currently, The Twilight Lords. He's shared bills with such artists as Mary Black, The Chieftains, The Saw Doctors, Michael Flately and Pierce Brosnan and continues to be an ever-popular and near legendary constant on Southern California's Celtic music circuit. In addition to his musical performances, he can also be found on stage and screen in productions ranging from Ray Bradbury’s “Falling Upward” to the Paramount Pictures feature “Patriot Games”.

Indeed, Ken O’Malley was born to perform. In Dublin at the age of 15, he opened for legendary balladeer Paddy Reilly at the equally legendary Old Sheiling Pub. By the time he turned 18, he was gathering professional credits, among them a stint with Trudy's People, a group he formed that played Gaelic shows on RTÉ, Ireland's national radio and television network. His fluency in the Gaelic language was earned from his education by the Christian Brothers and his summers in the West of Ireland.

A true ambassador of Irish culture, he infuses every performance with the rich history of his native land and audiences quickly become engaged with his compelling stories. One show producer put it this way: “He holds nothing back. Whether singing a passionate ballad, playing a solo on the mandolin, or explaining the gloriously sad history of Erin his homeland, Ken O’Malley is all-in, wide open to the world, and as true as an arrow’s flight.” Another simply stated that “Ken O'Malley connected with our audience in a way none of our other artists have.”

His first CD, “The White Seahorse,” stands as a masterful homage to traditional Irish music enhanced with solid rhythms, acoustic and electric instruments matched by the powerful vocal energy that is the hallmark of a Ken O'Malley performance. The follow up release, “Women of Ireland,” continues to showcase O'Malley's irresistible blend of Celtic traditional, American roots rock and eclectic world beat, this time before an enthusiastic live audience at the Celtic Arts Center in Hollywood.

O'Malley's most recent release, is appropriately titled ÓMáille, his name in Gaelic and demonstrates O'Malley's considerable strength as a solo artist. These traditional arrangements, though spartan, brilliantly bring the music of his heritage to life. Dave Soyars of the Irish Herald writes: "His powerful and emotive voice shines through on everything he does, but here he's the instrumental star as well, with precise but driven acoustic rhythm guitar and solid rhythm and tunes-playing on mandolin."

"If I've made people happy with my performances," says O'Malley, "that's success to me."

Instrumentation

Ken O'Malley (Solo performance): Rich vocal interpretation of Irish traditional music and storytelling with a historical perspective accompanied by acoustic guitar and mandolin.

Ken O'Malley and The Twilight Lords (The band that rocks the house with classic American and British roots rock as well as Irish favorites):

Ken O'Malley - Lead vocals, guitar, mandolin
Cary Park - Electric guitar, vocals
Will MacGregor - Bass guitar, vocals
Otis Hayes III - Drums

Frequently featured Guest Performers:


Dillon O'Brian - Keyboards, vocals
Mark Indictor - Fiddle
John Breen - guitar, mandolin, penny whistle
Mark Shark - electric guitar, vocals
Tony Zamora - bass, vocals

Discography

ÓMáille (2007) - The University of St. Thomas at Houston says that Ken O'Malley is "widely regarded as the finest Irish folk singer/songwriter in the United States today"; this statement rings true in each and every track of "ÓMáille". In this treasured collection of old and new favorites, Dublin born O'Malley not only demonstrates his talent as a master musician but brings to life the heart and soul of his native land. This excellent body of work is a "must have" for any serious collector of the finest in Irish music.

Women of Ireland (2002) - "With Dublin native Ken O'Malley's stunningly vibrant Irish tenor at the helm, The Twilight Lords effortlessly span the range from sentimental traditional Irish ballads to aggressive contemporary Irish folk/rock. Included are standards like "Sally Free and Easy", and "As I Roved Out", contemporary rockers like "Sullivan's John", a few sparkling jigs and reels, and a pounding polka. There are also three songs in O'Malley's native Gaelic language. This stellar performance was recorded live at LA's Celtic Arts Center... " Dave Soyers, writer for The Irish Herald, San Francisco


The White Seahorse (1999) - This O'Malley studio album is also a mix of such traditional material as "Carrickfergus", "The Silver Spear/Maid behind the Bar", and "Black is the Colour" and original compositions like "The High Wire Waltz", "The Sailor Song", "Better Days" and the title track "The White Seahorse" - a salute to O'Malley's forebear, Grace O'Malley aka Granuaile, the pirate Queen of 16th century Ireland.

Links

• Facebook
• Twitter
• MySpace
• Ken O'Malley solo press kit
• Video of University of St. Thomas Solo Performance
• Ken O'Malley's Website

Audio

• City of Chicago
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• Black is the Colour
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• Carrickfergus
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• Mick Ryan's Lament
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• Easy and Slow
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• The White Seahorse
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• Mo Ghile Mear
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• The Highwire Waltz
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Video

Ken O'Malley live concert sampler (both solo acoustic and with The Twilight Lords)

Photo Gallery

Press

• What the press is saying . . . [+ Show ]
  

  “Ken O'Malley has emerged, without question, as the single most enduring, influential and proficient...“Ken O'Malley has emerged, without question, as the single most enduring, influential and proficient of all Irish musicians in Southern California.” ---- Ric Gentry, The Irish News
  
  “Dust-free and polished to perfection, each song is performed with authenticity, and the care one might use when handling a valuable family heirloom” ----Lisa Elaine Scott, Music Connection Magazine
  
  “Widely regarded as the finest Irish folk singer/songwriter in the United States today” –- University of St. Thomas, Houston
  
  "The evening started with a perfect 10 as Dublin born singer/songwriter Ken O'Malley belted out a couple of Ireland's favorite ballads. His rendition of “Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore" set the bar for the quality that was to come our way throughout. O'Malley, from Dublin, is a rare talent.” ----Sean Canniffe, The Irish Herald, San Francisco
  
  “Vocalist/guitarist, Ken O’Malley, a Dublin native now living in Los Angeles, is the driving force behind David Raven McSparran and James Cruce, percussion and fellow guitarists, Billy Watts and Tony Zamora. His versatile voice is equally at home on Mo Ghile Mear and Easy & Slow.” ---- Irish Music News/Dara Records
  
  “Because the CD [Women of Ireland] is recorded live at the Celtic Arts Center, in Studio City, CA and as Ken has a deep rich voice and a very sexy Irish accent, you feel like you might be in a pub in Ireland. He has brought together some of the best musical talent, Irish or otherwise, to create a very enjoyable CD. The mix of fighting songs, airs and knee slapping dance tunes makes this a must for any Irish music Collection.
  ---- Renaissance Herald
  
  “Though Ken O'Malley does a fine job of Bob Dylan's 'Tangled Up in Blue' or Van Morrison's 'Into the Mystic' when called upon, he's much more than a mere pub singer. Blessed with a stunningly rich Irish tenor that can easily fill a room without the aid of amplification, he's also a fine mandolin player and guitarist with a large repertoire of traditional and contemporary Irish songs.. The star is O'Malley's voice . . . which effortlessly spans the range from sentimental ballads to aggressive Irish folk/rock and everywhere in between.” ----Dave Soyars, the Irish Herald
  
  “Ken O'Malley belts out a feisty blend of traditional and new Irish folk music, both lyrical and instrumental. He sings about everything from the subtleties of true love, to the struggle of the working class, to the joy of a pint of beer at the end of a long, hard journey. O’Malley's original songs fit seamlessly alongside traditional melodies (‘She Moves Through the Fair’) and contemporary gems (‘Van Morrison's 'Into the Mystic'). Everything is played with style and flair.” ----Robert Norman, Music Connection Magazine
  
  "His performance was enjoyable to people across the gamut, in academia and from all walks of life. . . he had a wonderful rapport with the audience and we regretted that the evening had come to an end" ----Lori Meghan Gallagher Director, Center for Irish Studies, University of St. Thomas, Houston
  

Setlist

Ken's solo concert set - This is a representative example as Ken's complete repertoire is too extensive to list! As a solo artist, he shares not only these great Irish classics and contemporary originals but his talent as a master storyteller of Ireland's unique history:

1. O Ro Se Do Bheatha Bhaile
2. The White Seahorse
3. Irish Ways and Irish Laws
4. Westport Town
5. Sullivans John
6. Raglan Road
7. Women of Ireland
8. Carrickfergus
9. Carolans Concerto
10. Peggy Leitir Mor
ï11. Heaven Knows
12. An Poc ar Buille
13. Dirty Old Town
14. Easy and Slow
15. Ive Been Here Before
16. Skibbereen
17. Paddys Green Shamrock Shore
18. The Roses and the Rye
19. Mick Ryan's Lament
20. Song for Ireland
21. Black is the Colour
22. The Homes of Donegal
23. The Parting Glass

The Twilight Lords:

In addition to the above set of Irish and Scottish selections, Ken and the other band members perform a vast cross section of American roots rock and blues and British rock and roll. Examples include Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash and many others.

Basic Requirements

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