Rory Makem in Concert with Special guest John Whelan
Vashon Havurah
Tuesday, October 29th at 7 p.m.

Two great masters of Irish music will join forces at the Vashon Havurah, 15401 Westside Highway SW, on Tuesday October 29th at 7:00 p.m. Rory Makem and John Whelan each bring music that is deeply rooted in the culture of Ireland and American folk music. This performance is a rare opportunity to see the pairing of these artists and should not be missed. Tickets are available by donation with a suggested donation of $20 - $25, but no one will be turned away. Reservations can be made by contacting Jan Strolle at 206-228-0730 or janstrolle@comcast.net.

The son of the great Tommy Makem who led the folk revival of the 1960’s, Rory is a seasoned performer with over 35 years on the road. Rory has toured extensively with The Makem Brothers, and the Makem and Spain Brothers and for 17 years played guitar with his father, Tommy Makem. He has played sold-out venues, festivals, and theaters throughout the United States, Canada, England, Scotland and Ireland. At his best on stage, Rory captivates his audiences with charisma, passion for the songs, poetry, history, humor and skilled musicianship. The love of song runs deep in the family. Continuing a legacy handed down from his grandmother, the legendary source singer Sarah Makem, Rory pulls the songs of the worker, the sailor, the lovers, the fighters and the land from the pages of history and breathes life into them.

An adept interpreter of folk songs, he masterfully accompanies himself on guitar, banjo, mandolin or bouzouki. Not limiting himself to the stage, Rory has played on movie soundtracks including A Fool and His Money, and The Lightkeeper. His compositions can be heard as the backdrop for PBS series as diverse as Tommy Tang’s Modern Thai Cuisine to It’s an Age Thing, to Simply Painting. Learning from those that came before you is the essence of folk music and Rory has had the great honor to learn from the best. Of course, there were the many years at his father’s side… absorbing the master at his craft. He has also recorded with some luminaries of modern folk music; Tom Paxton, Noel Paul Stookey, Bill Staines, Eric Weissberg, Roger McGuinn, Dave Mallett, Gordon Bok, Jonathan Edwards, Rick and Ron Shaw, and Schooner Fare. Through more than a quarter century of plying his craft, Rory has established himself as one of the leading forces in the song tradition of Irish music… and so… the tradition continues.

Seven-time All-Ireland champion accordion player, John Whelan is a recent addition to Vashon’s thriving music scene. John is often hailed as one of the world’s best living Irish button accordion players. John was born to Irish parents living in Dunstable, England. He was raised in the vibrant London Irish music scene of the 1970s, learning his craft from such legends as Lucy Farr, Roger Sherlock, Paddy Taylor, Mick O’Connor, and his teacher, Brendan Mulkaire. John has received the “Musician of the Year” award from the Irish Music Association — twice. He has recorded more than 15 CDs and spent several weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard World Music Charts. He has also appeared on more than 30 albums with other artists, including the National Geographic: Ireland CD. John is also a prolific and respected composer. John’s composition entitled Trip to Skye was featured on the popular TV program Sex in the City. Shae Bourne and Victor Kraatz danced to another of John’s compositions at the Olympics in Nagano Japan in 1998.

John is known for being extraordinarily generous with his music and possesses a rare knack for mentoring and teaching, spotting talent in fledgling musicians — no matter the instrument — and helping them grow to their fullest potential.