The Michigan Celtic band Fonn Mór has a busy St. Patrick's month ahead, with shows in Michigan and Illinois. Before the band kicks off its touring season this Saturday at Bell's Eccentric Cafe, three of the six members join Cara Lieurance in WMUK's Takeda studio for several tunes and songs, and a chat about their love of the different traditions found under the Celtic music umbrella.
Fonn Mór guitarist Curt Tramel is the founder of the group. His approach to guitar playing includes creating specific accompaniments to individual tunes, and drawing from American as well as Celtic styles. Grace MacMaster's passion is for Cape Breton fiddle music. She plays tunes sets that slowly increase in tempo and intensity, one of the hallmarks of the style. Simone Keenan, a native of Northern Ireland, comes from a family of musicians. Always a songwriter, she pursued many different kinds of music before revisiting her Irish roots with Fonn Mór.
The members of Fonn Mór perform an original song, "Mockingbird," the traditional "Fields of Athenry," and Ewan McColl's "Ballad of Accounting." Grace and Curt also give us tune sets from Cape Breton and a waltz by Jerry Holland.
