The musicians who make up Flying Snail have been playing together off and on for nearly 30 years as members of the western Canadian group Cowboy Celtic. David Wilkie, the group’s most prolific songwriter, has written a few new songs that have expanded the group’s repertoire beyond what might be considered “Cowboy Celtic” – and so they decided to get together and perform some of those songs plus a few of their own favourites, mixed in with a dash or two of Cowboy Celtic songs for good measure.
For those not familiar with Cowboy Celtic, David Wilkie started the band in 1996 in response to a request to play a festival in Bend, Oregon. The premise of the music was that most traditional cowboy songs had their origins in the music of Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The ‘Celtic and cowboy’ musical marriage on Cowboy Celtic’s recordings struck a chord with music lovers on both sides of the ocean, resulting in the release of seven Cowboy Celtic CDs and tours in Scotland, Ireland and the US. The band has also performed in Ecuador, Canada and Peru and has been featured with several symphony orchestras in BC and Alberta, most recently with the exceptional Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
The members of Flying Snail are David Wilkie on mandolin, Denise Withnell on guitar, Keri Lynn Zwicker on Celtic harp, Nathan McCavana on bodhran and Tami Cooper on flute, pennywhistles and recorder – and everyone on vocals.
Flying Snail will also be performing at the Duncan Showroom on Thursday, May 8.
More information on band members:
David Wilkie has been writing songs for over 50 years. His songs have been recorded by Randy Travis, Ian Tyson, Katy Moffatt, Michael Martin Murphy, Dave Gunning & JP Cormier, Gaye DeLorme, The Cold Club with Amos Garrett and Oscar Lopez, and numerous other musicians. He was the first Canadian to win a Wrangler Award for Outstanding Traditional Western Music Album from the Oklahoma City National Cowboy Hall of Fame, presented for Cowboy Celtic’s album “Cowboy Ceilidh.” David has recorded with Maria Muldaur (on her Grammy-nominated CD Richland Woman Blues), Michael Martin Murphy, Ian Tyson, guitar legend Amos Garett, Katy Moffatt and many more.
Previous to Cowboy Celtic, David produced three albums with his group The Great Western Orchestra, one released on the Sony label (formerly CBS) with Cindy Church and Nathan Tinkham, and the following two independently released with Stewart MacDougall on Wilkie’s own label, Centerfire Music. David also has two solo albums to his credit and an acclaimed release with the Cold Club (an off-the-wall group that also includes renowned blues guitarist Amos Garrett, jazz violinist Karl Roth and Chilean guitar wizard Oscar Lopez). He has produced several albums for other artists, both in Canada and the U.S, and has composed the musical scores for numerous short films and documentaries. His music is diverse, and The Montana Mandolin Orchestra has recorded two of his instrumental compositions, Mandocarolan and The Ladies of Scatwell. He has also performed his original compositions with several symphony orchestras.
David Wilkie has toured in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, England, Ireland, Scotland, Ecuador, Peru and all over the United States and Canada. He and his wife Denise Withnell now make their home in North Sasanich, BC.
Denise Withnell started playing guitar and singing with Cowboy Celtic in January 1996. She and David Wilkie are the longest standing members of Cowboy Celtic. They would be sitting if only they could find a chair. Denise’s singing is featured on six of Cowboy Celtic’s CDs, and she also has a solo CD called Rose Petal Pie. “Part swing, part jazz with a touch of Parisian musette, Leonard Cohen and a taste of Indonesia.” The CD features original songs by David Wilkie, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, Katy Moffatt, Cindy Walker, Hugh Moffatt and Roy Forbes. Some say the CD takes them back to a time in the late ‘40s and ‘50s. To have a listen, go to https://denisewithnell.bandcamp.com/album/rose-petal-pie
or
Keri Lynn Zwicker is Cowboy Celtic’s singing harpist and is from Edmonton, Alberta. She joined Cowboy Celtic in October 1998, and has travelled with the group to festivals and concert halls throughout the United States, and to Scotland, Ecuador and Peru. A consummate professional, she is a favourite feature at Flying Snail and Cowboy Celtic performances. Keri holds an ARCT in piano performance from the Royal Conservatory and a Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts from the University of Alberta. She also plays second harp with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and leads a trio of musicians in her solo project “Harp Rouge.”
Keri Lynn has independently released three CDs featuring her Gaelic-styled vocals: “The Devil’s Mill,” “Rich & Rare,” co-produced with David Wilkie, and “Winter Ramble.”
https://www.harpchickcanada.com
Nathan McCavana After 14 years as a competitive Irish dancer, Nathan McCavana let his hands do the talking and taught himself the bodhran, which he describes as Ireland’s goatiest instrument. Nathan joined Cowboy Celtic in 1997 and has performed with the band off and on since then. He has also performed with members of Alberta bands The Floating Widgets, Stephen’s Green and Staggered Pints, who continue to run a popular session in Calgary. His musical highlights include performances with Ron Kavana (Calgary and Edmonton Folk Fests,) The Chieftans, Maria Dunn, Lizzy Hoyt, Cowboy Celtic and mostly with that “sweet, crazy harpy” Keri Lynn Zwicker. In fact, he met his wife Keri through Cowboy Celtic! Nathan only recently started singing and we’re glad he is finally sharing his velvety Irish baritone with the unsuspecting public.
Tami Cooper brings flute, pennywhistles and recorder, and her lovely voice to Flying Snail. She is a new transplant to the Island after a long career as a classical, jazz, Celtic and folk flute, whistle player and singer in Edmonton, Alberta. She has performed, toured and recorded with various groups such as the Plumbers Union recorder quintet, the Goliard Duo with classical guitarist David Grainger Brown, the Celtic folk band Sheela Na Gigh, David Wilkie’s Cowboy Celtic, chamber trio Mélange (soprano, flute and piano) and Keri Zwicker’s Harp Rouge trio, among others. Her band Celtara just celebrated its 20th anniversary. She is enjoying connecting with lots of wonderful new people and is very much looking forward to gardening on the island!