Liz Carroll

Here are a couple of recent media of Liz - enjoy! Liz is a National Heritage fellow, don't you know, and she's featured in a podcast that was just made available on the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) web site. It's about a 40-minute discussion with Josephine Reed. Liz talks about what makes Irish music Irish, and she plays, too! Lilli Kuzma, of WDCB radio in the Chicago area, wrote this article for the Chicago Sun-Times family of papers: "Mundelein fiddler Liz Carroll headlines all-Irish show" A March 1 article by Walter Tunis of the Lexington Herald-Leader: "Fiddler Liz Carroll doesn't hide her exuberance for Irish music"
get your copy now! COLLECTED, Original Irish Tunes - the 2nd Printing! Liz's first book of compositions is for sale now, and only through this web site. As one of Irish music's most prolific composers, Collected is the first compilation of Liz's life work, 185 tunes that draw as their inspiration Liz's heritage and the influence of being a first generation Irish-American. Click on "Buy Collected" above or here! "First of all, I'm very very honored to be asked to do this cause I'm a huge fan and have always adored Liz's music. She never fails to constantly come up with the most gorgeous and brilliant melodies that seem to flow out of her completely effortlessly. I also really love the way that she will change an old traditional tune with great sensitivity to bring it that unique and inimitable Liz Carroll style. I have no doubt that Liz's beautiful new tunes AND her fresh versions of old ones will far outlive us all into the future generations of Irish Music." Sharon Shannon "Let the truth be known: My friend Liz Carroll is a musical genius. A genius and a friend Indeed." Billy McComiskey "I am so excited and thrilled about this book of tunes. It is a treasure chest full of jewels. Liz's tunes are bursting with personality. The melodies are unique and full of character. Every tune is a joy to play and listen to because each is so supremely crafted. For Liz's legions of fans and musicians around the world, this book will become a bible. It will for me." Winifred Horan

You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video.	Sometimes we receive poems, drawings and other art work that fans send Liz. I think you know that Liz is very humbled by these, and we thought it'd be good to share some of what we receive. And so, click here to read three poems written by fans of Liz. Mimi Devens lives in California and hearing Liz reminds her of her Irish roots. RoseAnn Pollum is a cousin on Liz's father's side, and writes poetry constantly. Here are two examples of her poems that celebrate Liz playing the fiddle. The first is at a family gathering many years ago, and the second is at a concert at Chicago's Cultural Center. Thank you, RoseAnn and Mimi!
Liz Carroll: Traditional Composer of the Year TG4, Ireland's Irish language television station, has honored Liz with the Cumadóir TG4. This makes Liz the first American-born composer so honored in the award's history. Liz was presented with the award as part of the TG4 Gradam Ceoil 2011 (Traditional Music Awards), in ceremonies on Saturday, April 2, 2011, at the Wexford Opera House. The concert was televised on TG4 on Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011, but you can still see the awards cermony here. This award, on top of the recent publication of Liz's book of her compositions, Collected, is, in Liz's own words, "... more than humbling." TG4's Traditional Music Awards mission is to celebrate and give due recognition to the recordings, broadcasts and live performances of the recipients of the awards and to all that embellishes Irish traditional music and song. --- The Irish Echo names Liz’s book Collected "Best Collection of Tunes in 2010.” The Irish Echo, Arts & Leisure , Earle Hitchner, January 19, 2011 Best collection of tunes in 2010 “Collected” by Liz Carroll (self-published): 185 compositions by the brilliant Chicago fiddler. To launch the book in Europe, Liz appeared at Glasgow's Celtic Connections. The Scotsman newspaper, in their review on January 20, 2011, said "Her exceptional playing was distinguished by its muscular, supple lift and swing, immaculately applied ornamentation and fiery attack, and almost the entire set-list consisted of Carroll's own compositions, whose calibre and variety highlighted exactly why so many of her tunes have become modern standards." The concert featured Kathleen Boyle, John Doyle, Seamus Egan, and Billy McComiskey. Read the whole review here!
Liz and the Sisters will be at the An Grianán Theatre in Letterkenny on Friday, June 29, 2012. Other concerts are planned for 2012, so keep a good watch! String Sisters Live Recorded while on tour in Norway, this live CD & DVD recording brings together masters of theCeltic and Norwegian traditions. "What makes the String Sisters different is not only their collective virtuosity, but their adventurous, irrepressible spirit... These six sisters make tunes and songs swing. Musical kinship like theirs is cause for celebration." Earle Hitchner, The Irish Echo The String Sisters are Annbjørg Lien from Norway, Catriona Macdonald from Shetland, Liz Carroll and Liz Knowles from America, Mairead ni Mhaonaigh (Altan) from Ireland and Emma Härdelin from Sweden. Released in Norway, UK, France and Germany,the recording has just been released on Compass Records to stellar reviews. More information is available at www.stringsisters.com and www.grappa.no. It's another powerhouse recording, with amazing new compositions by both Liz and John. Click here to order Double Play at the Compass Records web site - in fact, take two! "Double Play captures Liz Carroll and John Doyle at their studio peak, making the album a must-have. During this season of St. Patrick, why not avoid the irritation of the usual musical blarney by listening instead to this virtuosic, imaginative, inspired and inspiring, altogether superb album?" Earle Hitchner, The Irish Echo "... features some of the best fiddling that Carroll has ever done. Doyle is equally superb in his playing... This is a masterwork for the pair. Carroll and Doyle complement each other’s playing in unparalleled fashion. Double Play, in a continuation of the language of American baseball, hits a home run." Brian G. Witt, Irish Music Magazine "The slow air, "Nearby, Long Ago," is a divine embodiment of Carroll’s genius: meditative but never brooding, lightly stepping through the ether, glorying in the oxygen of the tradition that gave it life." The Irish Times "This is brilliance. Three songs and a ton of tunes make this an early contender for Album of Year." Bill Margeson, Live Ireland	Liz and John live, with some of America's finest fiddlers, including Darol Anger, Stuart Duncan, and Sara Watkins. All these great fiddlers captured live at Nashville's Violin Shop. Get your copy by clicking here! "The Violin Shop's Fiddle Masters Concert Series is capturing performances essential to the history and future of Roots Music." Alison Krauss Liz and John's first recording, In Play, released in 2005, documented the fiery musicianship Liz and John have honed in live concerts over the last several years. Their 2009 album, Double Play, demonstrates the continuing maturity and invention as the recording features new compositions by both Liz and John. Nominated for a 2010 Grammy, it has brought the duo world acclaim. "Double Play sings with quiet, conversational dialogues of guitar and fiddle. [Van] Morrison might still wrestle with enlightenment on his revisit to Astral Weeks, but on Double Play, Carroll and Doyle sound as if they've found it." Lexington Herald-Leader