We Banjo 3
We Banjo 3
Enda Scahill (banjo), Martin Howley (banjo), David Howley (banjo, mandolin, guitar and vocals)
We Banjo 3, awardees of Young Musicwide 2011, features Enda Scahill, Martin Howley and David Howley playing three tenor banjos, mandolins, tenor guitars, guitars, banjolin and vocals. Playing with swing and soul, We Banjo 3 effortlessly combines the best of Irish and Bluegrass banjo music while mining the rich vein of the American Old Time tradition. Modern rhythms, traditional melodies, virtuosic technique and innovative arrangements of music and song add up to an incredible feast of banjo and mandolin music.
Enda Scahill has been at the forefront of Irish banjo playing for some time and is highly regarded for his technical wizardry and innovative style. His debut album ‘Pick It Up’ is one of the top rated and largest selling banjo albums on the market. In 2010 he recorded ‘Green Grass Blue Grass’, a collaboration between Brock McGuire Band and Ricky Skaggs, an album which has been recognised as one of the most important collaborative recordings in many years. His album ‘Humdinger’ with Paul Brock was awarded Traditional Album of the Year by the Irish Times. In 2008 Enda published his Irish Banjo Tutor book and CD to rave reviews. He has been a member of the Brock McGuire band for over ten years. They were recently voted Instrumental Band of the Decade by Irish American News.
Seven-time All-Ireland Banjo Champion Martin Howley is one of the young guns of Irish banjo. The first Irish banjo player to play at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Martin has developed a reputation as a musician with great musical taste and innovation. Now teaching young banjo players, Martin is passing his craft on to the next generation. Martin has toured with The Brock McGuire Band, been a member of folk band Siamsa na Gaillimhe and has performed at festivals across Europe and North America.
David Howley is Martin’s younger brother and is a hugely talented multi-instrumentalist and singer. Dave plays banjo, guitar and mandolin and effortlessly provides We Banjo 3 with its rhythm section. Dave is the band’s vocalist and sports a voice deep beyond his young years. David is also an accomplished music teacher. Both Martin and David are regular session and gig performers around the country in both the traditional and folk/roots genres.
Reviews
"The old and the new must connect somewhere and need each other to survive. We Banjo 3 are a unique testement to this fact. They bring to the music an excitement that only youth has when it has discovered something exciting and precious and want to play it for all the world to hear."
Gerry “Banjo” O’Connor, Musician and Composer
"We Banjo 3 are terrific. There really isn’t a better way to say it. Wonderful musicianship of the first order. Best of all, they are different."
Bill Margeson, Irish Music Writer
