Brendan McKeever intar plass i Byleist Vision.

Brendan McKeever

Gitar / Mandolin / Vokal

49 ÅR

OTTA

 (Comes from Portadown, County Armagh, in the north of Ireland. )

As the youngest of nine very musical children, Brendan grew up with music as a second language. He already could instinctively comprehend complex progressions and scales by the time he was old enough to stretch his hand around the fretboard of a guitar, and thanks in no small part to the weekly Classical violin lessons he was already receiving from one of the most respected tutors in the north Armagh area, he could make the theoretical crossover from four strings to six with prodigious ease. He was five years old by this time.

Brendan continued on his Classical music path, in tandem with an increasing command of the rich and varied musical styles of his own native traditional music, and by the time he entered his teens, he was an accomplished violinist and member of the County Armagh Youth Orchestra, as well as an ever more competent Irish Traditional guitarist.

At this time (early to mid 1970's), the Portadown branch of Comhaltas Ceolteorí Éireann, under the auspices of Eamonn Jordan, Danny McQuillan, and Jim McParland, was the largest in Ireland, and every Thursday evening, the back room of St. Mary's Hall in Obins St, rang to the sounds of the great reels, jigs and hornpipes. Beside musicians like Adrian McParland, Leo Reed, Ciaran McCann, and Comhgall McQuillan, Brendan continued to perfect his style. While still in their mid-teens, Adrian McParland and himself were much sought after musicians in Folk Clubs up and down the country, with their fresh interpretations of the old tunes, adapted by themselves for Harp and Guitar, and both of them individually won All-Ireland titles in Fleadhanna Cheoil, Slógadh, and Scór. Together they played as support band for, among others, The Chieftains and Christy Moore. Every available opportunity Brendan had, he was off to the Gaeltacht (Irish language speaking area) of Gaoth Domhair and Rann na Féirste in north-west Donegal, to speak the language and play the music in its natural habitat; often hitch-hiking the 160km after school on Fridays to do so!

It was here, in the homeland of Clannad, Skara Brae, and The Bothy Band, that Brendan got the greatest instruction and inspiration; learning his art at the side of the leading exponents of the modern Irish Folk Revival, and a bond developed between him and his cultural heritage that has never weakened over the years.

By the time the 1980's came around, Brendan had joined up with childhood friend Adrian McParland once again, and along with ex 'Hyland Paddy' and 'Tara' stalwarts, Morgan Campbell, and Seamus McKenna, they formed what was to become one of the most influential groups on the Irish Folk scene; Bonaparte. Playing a very broad cross-section of music, ranging from O'Carolan, through the traditional ballads, to Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs set pieces, Bonaparte broke through some fairly well defined musical boundaries itself at the time, and the band received critical acclaim both at home, and abroad. It was this band that was the first to incorporate the sound of the acoustic bass guitar into the music, where before it had long been the preserve of the Fender Precision. Brendan was primarily the bassist of the band.

Brendan left Bonaparte and the north of Ireland, in 1983 and over the next 11 years he lived in the west of the country; Kerry, Clare, and Galway. During this time he worked with various bands, in genres ranging from Traditional Irish, Contemporary Folk, to Rhythm & Blues and Rock, redefining himself as a session musician, and he toured America on a number of occasions with some of the greatest names on the modern day Irish music scene.

In 1994, Brendan moved to Oslo, Norway, and started to develop more as a solo artist. His vast well of material, and his adaptation of many songs into an acoustic setting, gained him the notice and respect of audiences and aficionados wherever he has gone.

Brendan also teams up regularly with Norwegian accordion virtuoso, Stein Berntsen. They play a pure Traditional and Ballad set, that is charged with energy from the very first bar. Together, and as members of the Folk-Rock Fusion extravaganza; Gael Force, they have topped the bill at some of the showcase Irish festivals in Norway, and are in constant demand, especially during the summer festival season.

Brendan's publishing company, Orchard County Music, was expanded to include the added need of providing consultancy services to various pubs and restaurants in Scandinavia that wished to profile Irish Culture through the medium of the music and, among other 'firsts' in his career, he premiered Sharon Shannon in Norway in September 2002, as part of his continuing drive to bring the best of Ireland to Scandinavian audiences.

Brendan McKeever has been described as having the most distinctive style of Irish Traditional guitar accompaniment around, and has been ranked by many as one of the top Irish Traditional guitarists in the world.