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Recorded at Walsh's Hill Studio in St. John's (owned and operated by Greg Walsh), this album began with an idea to preserve and present traditional instrumental dance music from the Bay de Verde area. The album material soon expanded to include vocal selections collected and learned from many older family members, done in a traditional manner. Greg also composed a song for the project, which gave the album its name - Generations. Tracks on the album include:
1. The Lancers Tunes 9. "Playing in the Hall"
2. Ray's Reels 10. The Bears Cove Jigs
3. Thirty Days In Jail 11. Pulling Hard Against The Stream
4. The Harbour Hill Slides 12. Scottish Waltzes
5. Sunset Over Blue Cliff 13. When The Fields Are White With Daisies
6. The Boys In Blue 14. The Bay de Verde Reels
7. Irish Hornpipes/March 15. Generations
8. Waltzes For Shannon 16. The Back Kitchen Set
This recording has been a goal of both Ray and Greg for quite some time, and is remarkable in that it contains music and references to five generations of musicians, singers and tradition within the Walsh Family. Several guest musicians and friends added talents to the recording including Robert Kelly (bass), Fred Jorgensen (bodhran) and Karla Walsh (harmony vocals). All other instrumentation, arrangement and production was completed by Ray and Greg during 2007-2009. While an album release is being planned for summer 2009, the new recording may be purchased wherever other Walsh Family Band music is available including Fred's Records (St. John's), O'Briens Music Store (St. John's) or directly from the band via this website.
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Ray Walsh wins 2009 ECMA Stompin' Tom Connors Award (February 2009)
Awarded annually by the East Coast Music Association, the Stompin' Tom Connors awards are given to the unsung heroes of the East Coast Music industry. The awards are presented to one individual or group from each of the five regions of the East Coast Music Association: New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Prince Edward Island, mainland Nova Scotia and Cape Breton and was conceived in 1993 when Stompin' Tom Connors was presented with the Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement award. Instead of accepting the award, he requested that an award be created to honour musicians who have made long-term contributions to the East Coast music industry and paved the road for many successful East Coast artists today. The East Coast Music Association has recognized more than 75 of these musical pioneers to date with recipients chosen by a committee of Atlantic Canadian folklorists in consultation with the ECMA board of directors.
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Ray Walsh and Walsh Family Band appear on CBC Television's Land and Sea (Nov 2008)
The Walsh Family Band was thrilled in November 2008 to have the musical career and legacy of Ray Walsh featured in a full episode of the popular CBC program Land and Sea. Entitled "All Around the Family", and originally aired on November 24th, 2008, the episode documented Ray's tremendous musical career and featured interviews and performances with other Walsh Family Band members and with extended family members and friends. The episode was shot on location in St. John's and in Bay de Verde and will be rebroadcast on CBC Television - 11 May, 2009.
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New album now available!!!!
"Generations" - The new 2009 release by Ray and Greg Walsh featuring traditional songs and tunes from their home area is now available.
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