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Def Leprechaun Irish Pub Tunes |
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Born in the frenzied sounds of Music City USA, Def Leprechaun is emerging as one of the country’s premier Celtic bands.Band members Larry Kernagis, Zane Baxter and Don McGinnis have combined their well honed acoustic and vocal performance skills into a unique blend of hard-driving folk with a side of lavish balladeering. Def Leprechaun's "Celtic fusion" will make your favorite old Irish tunes come alive and introduce you to the best of the new sounds from the "old sod" They'll be sure to keep you laughing, clapping and stomping.  |
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The History of Def Leprechaun Band The "Gatherin of the Clan" called Def Leprechaun began when lead singer Larry Kernagis moved from the Chicago area to Nashville. He carried with him the Windy City's love for Irish "roots" music and the American "roots" music know as Bluegrass and Old Timey he mastered while on staff at the Old Town School of Folk Music.
Larry soon met with guitarist, mandolinist and songwriter Zane Baxter while working the Nashville Irish circuit. Zane added his highly developed instrumental skills and musical direction to stretch to new duet to greater heights. His background in producing Opry music and touring the world with Irish artist Maura O'Connell added new dimensions to the developing Celtic "groove". Finally, bassist Don McGinnis joined the duet adding the rock, jazz and funk influence of his "fat" bass sound and the distinctive tribal, "Druid" backbeat. As in all great bands the whole is greater than the some of the parts and the new Celtic fusion provided by Larry, Zane and Don is a delight to any music fan from any generation. Get yourself a copy of their latest studio offering "Celtic Lite" and see for yourself. Better yet, check out their schedule and join them for a night you won’t forget. |
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| Def Leprechaun Band "Seven Old Ladies Locked in a Lavatory" |
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| Don McGinnis, the bass player for Def Leprechaun, has been playing for over 40 years. In his career, Don has played in high school bands, to Jazz bands, to country bands with Billy Joe Spears and Hank Thompson. Don has played in many great cities such as New York and Miami; he has also toured Ireland and the UK, Europe, South America, and the Virgin Islands. To add to his great career, Don has 3 Jazz CD (on sale at www.ampcast.com). Don continues to write and his 25 years of recording in Nashville. At age 13 Larry found his Dad's banjo in the attic. It took him about 3 years to figure out that you can't play folk music on a 4 string. Larry took his banjo to the seminary and learned to entertain because he only had 2 choices: singing or hockey. He took 10 years off from playing banjo to try to become an adult. When that failed, he decided instead to learn to play the banjo well. Larry enrolled in the Old Town School of Folk Music and in a short time became an instructor as well as a student, studying banjo and voice. Several years passed and fate brought him to a small Midwestern city, Galesburg, Illinois, where he was introduced to bluegrass music and Larry Diemer. This was the beginning for Larry. He now is the lead singer for Def Leprechaun. For more detail, contact Larry Kernagis. Zane Baxter has been playing since he got his first guitar Christmas of 1965. He has a Bachelors Degree in Classical Guitar. Before moving to Nashville in 1989, he was the music director for WWVA Wheeling Jamboree. Zane has toured with many great singers such as Charlie Rich. He toured with Maura O’Connell for 5 years in Ireland, and also recorded with 2 albums with her. Not only did Zane tour in Ireland, he made it to the UK, and some of the major cities in the US. Zane Baxter can be contacted for more details. Larry Kernagis: Lead vocals, 12 and 6 sting Guitar, Banjo Don McGunniss: Bass Zane Baxtor: 6 string, Mandolin, vocals |
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| www.defleprechaunband.com www.myspace.com/thedefleprechaunband |
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