Friday Feb. 3 8pm ($15) at the
Coffee Gallery
2029 N. Lake
Altadena, Ca. 91001
Reservations/Information: (626) 398-7917
MATT & SHANNON HEATON…The husband and wife duo of Matt and Shannon Heaton bring gutsy melodies, crafty lyrics and traditional Irish-style tunes to the stage. The Boston-based pair have been praised by Dirty Linen magazine as “Irish music with a wonderfully rich and earthy sound … and an infectious spirit and vitality that translates into bright, uplifting music that will make you smile.” When performing as a pair they integrate harmony singing with traditional and original instrumentals on Irish flute, guitar and vocals. Even if you don’t normally listen to Celtic music, Matt and Shannon offer a show so fresh, so quirky, so invigorating, and brimming with so much personality, you’ll wish you had heard them sooner! It’s music that satisfies both die-hard Celtic enthusiasts and fans of great songwriting alike.
Kevin Krell
ps. Shannon will have a track on volume 3 of “Wooden Flute Obsession”
I had the opportunity to hear Shannon play a bit when she brought her flute to us for some repair work a couple of years ago: She’s a fine player with a lovely style, well worth checking out live if you’re going to be near the show Kevin mentioned. She is well known and highly regarded around the Boston scene, enough said?
I am lucky enough to have Shannon Heaton as my flute teacher, and I must say she is a brilliant player (as well as a very patient teacher!). The duo of Shannon and husband Matt are a lot of fun - great playing, lovely songs (with Shannon on most lead vocals), and funny stories. If you get a chance to see them perform, don’t miss out.
And BTW, Shannon has an excellent new flute tutor out, which comes with a companion CD of her playing the tunes, so you can play along!
Shannon’s flute tutor is called “Oil for the Chain” (she’s a cyclist). I believe you can buy it from her directly on their website, www.eatsrecords.com.
Due to computer problems I was unable to access the mp3’s on the site to listen to Shannon’s playing. I’ve never heard her. Can someone attempt to classify the style of her playing? Adjectives such as, busy, sparse ornamentation, fast, leitrim style, east Galway style, etc are helpful to me. Depending on the style of her playing I would consider buying her tutorial.
Indeed don’t miss Shannon and Matt. I was in their flute with guitar accompaniment class, basically learning to play nice together class, last summer at the Goderich Celtic College.
Shannon is a brilliant teacher, she gave me two quick micro lessons during that week, that has made all the difference in my flute playing and how I approach every practice.
Just saw them in a house concert in Santa Cruz. There were maybe 10 people in the audience including the hosts. I wish more people had heard about the show as their playing was top notch, and both were friendly and energetic.
Shannon plays on a 6 key Olwell, has great tone, lift, and soul in her playing. Matt plays on a Martin, and a octave mandolin, he backs the tune/songs tastefully. They really sound good together singing and playing tunes.
