The Press Gang
Portland, Maine, United States | SELF
Music
Press
"A fast moving blend of buttons and strings which incorporates dynamic key changes and where each instrument is aware of it’s role in the set...my highlight is track five..These are played with a gentleness that contrasts with the high paced reels of earlier but still retains the sparkle." - Eileen McCabe, Irish Music Magazine
"There are three reasons for Boston area Irish music fans to like this trio: They’re young, they’re from New England, and they’ve clearly got a strong dose of Irish trad in their collective bloodstream. Oh yes, one more reason: They’re very good." - Sean Smith, The Boston Irish Reporter
"These guys play with a real heart and passion, and they've captured it all organically, with every instrument seemingly right on top of the mic, but enough sense of the room that you can hear a foot tapping...And just try to pick out the original among the traditional numbers. That it's damn near impossible shows you how invested this trio is in their music." - Sam Pfeifle, Portland Phoenix
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
A bold new sound has emerged in New England's traditional music scene: The Press Gang fuses the talents of squeezebox player Christian "Junior" Stevens, fiddler Alden Robinson, and guitarist Owen Marshall into a high-octane musical partnership. The trio blends their skill and fluency in traditional Irish music with their curiosity and aptitude for other styles.
The result is a unique sound—at once energetic and sensitive, innovative and reverent. A debut CD, to be released in the spring of 2010, gives a generous helping of Irish tunes spiced with Appalachian music and original compositions. The joy that these musicians take from playing with each other shines brightly, both in the recording and on the stage.
Junior has become an influential part of the Irish Traditional Music scene in America. Gracing stages across the country, he has performed with some of the genre's most talented artists and is an in demand performer and teacher.
Alden's innovative interpretations of traditional melodies blend a fluent command of Irish ornamentation with the rhythms and harmonies of Canadian and Appalachian music. Now a fixture of the Irish music scene in Maine, Alden is respected as a performer throughout New England's traditional music community.
Multi-instrumentalist Owen is a highly sought-after accompanist in many genres. With his unique sense of harmony and rhythm, he has traveled and performed all over the world with many of traditional music's top acts
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