John Doyle House Concert Sunday, December 9th

Teagarden House Concerts offers Celtic music fans a unique opportunity for an evening with legendary John Doyle. Enjoy the Irish humor, tunes, and songs of Carolina’s adopted son in a relaxed and warm atmosphere at the home of Elizabeth Teagarden and Carter Mills at 6:30 PM on Sunday, December 9th. Guests are invited to a potluck at 5:30; please bring a dish to share and the beverage of your choice.

John Doyle is one of the most influential and important musicians in Irish music today. He was a founding member of Irish American supergroup Solas in the 1990s and recently served as band leader for the Joan Baez Band. As a guitarist, he is unparalleled for his harmonic and rhythmic genius. His instrumental prowess contributed to his 2010 GRAMMY nomination for Best Traditional World Music album for his collaboration with fiddler Liz Carroll on Double Play. In recent years, Doyle has emerged as an important singer of Irish music as well; his 2010 collaboration with Karan Casey, Exiles Return, won him critical acclaim and solidified his reputation as a world-class interpreter of traditional songs.

In the fall of 2011, Doyle released Shadow and Light, his second solo effort and the follow-up to Wayward Son (2005). On this recording, he established himself as a masterful composer as well. Ten of the album's eleven tracks were written by Doyle and include an engaging and mesmerizing combination of songs and tunes. Notable tracks include the Civil War-inspired Clear the Way, which tells the story of the Irish-Americans who served; Liberty's Sweet Shore about Irish immigration to the United States; and the blockbuster set of tunes entitled Donald Ward's, which features an otherworldly performance from guest fiddler Stuart Duncan. Through it all, Doyle's tenor vocals and driving guitar playing are front and center, establishing him as a multi-faceted talent in Irish music with a album that is destined to become a classic in the genre.

When not at home in Asheville, Doyle tours globally, and has appeared frequently at many of the taste-maker festivals in acoustic music including Celtic Connections in Glasgow, the Dublin Irish Music Festival (Dublin, Ohio), MerleFest, Milwaukee Irish Festival, Sebastopol Celtic Festival, and the All-Ireland Fleadh. In addition to his work as a solo artist, he also performs regularly with other stalwarts of the genre Andy Irvine, John Williams, Karan Casey, Liz Carroll and others. Doyle has also appeared on nationally syndicated radio shows including Prairie Home Companion and Mountain Stage and, in 2009, performed for President Obama in honor of St Patrick's Day.

Donations are $15 and totally benefit the performer. Advanced reservations are required as seating is limited. Reservations and pre-payment are required. Contact Elizabeth Teagarden at or 704-444-0253 to make your reservation. Your check made out to “John Doyle” holds your place. Mail payments to Elizabeth Teagarden, 15911 Prescott Hill Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28277.