Frankie Gavin has played fiddle and flute since his teenage years. At the age of seventeen, he won All-Ireland competitions for fiddle and flute. Originally influenced by the great Irish and American-Irish fiddle players, James Morrison, and Michael Coleman, he later found himself playing with stars: The Rolling Stones, Stephane Grappelli, James Galway and Yehudi Menuhin as well as with many of the great contemporary players and singers of traditional Irish music. All have left their mark on his eclectic approach to music. In 2010, he officially became the world’s fastest fiddle player when he played The Foxhunter’s Reel, at a breath-taking 150 beats per minute!
In his time, Gavin has played for four American presidents, starting, as a six-year-old, when he played for John F. Kennedy on his 1962 visit to Ireland, for Presidents Clinton, Bush and Barack Obama. He has also played for France’s President Mitterrand, Britain’s Prince Charles, Prince Albert of Monaco and most recently in front of the Pope on his visit to Ireland.
Perhaps most importantly, the name Frankie Gavin is synonymous with the name De Dannan, the globally renowned band he founded with Alec Finn in the mid-1970s. After a short break, in the early 2000s, Frankie restarted a new version of the band with a young line-up. But late last year, to the surprise and delight of many, the old band reformed and played a few special gigs, perhaps most nostalgically at Spiddal, near Galway where De Dannan was born; the legendary line-up on this occasion was Frankie Gavin, Alec Finn, Aidan Coffey, Colm Murphy and the singer Dolores Keane (see main image -De Dannan playing at Spiddal in July 2018. Line L-R Colm Murphy / Frankie Gavin / Aidan Coffey / Alec Finn / Dolores Keane).
But creative geniuses do not stay still for long and, in addition to solo work, Frankie Gavin is now involved in several new and exciting groups.
The Roaring 20s Irish Orchestra, a band formed to recreate the sound of the Flanagan Brothers, a family of Irish musicians who emigrated from Waterford to New York in 1911 and became famous for their songs and dance music throughout the 1920s and 1930s. A recording of this music, By Heck, was launched at Waterford City Hall in August of this year. This “orchestra” comprises Frankie on fiddle, Emma Corbett on one-row melodeon, Martin Murray on banjo, Carl Hession on piano and a “back row” of double bass, clarinet and a 4-piece brass ensemble.
The Provenance, a line-up comprising Frankie, three highly-accomplished female fiddle players, Sorcha Costello, Eadaoin Ni Mhaicin, and Ciara O’Brien with Brian McGrath on keyboards and George Grasso on bouzouki.
KGB, a trio comprising three of Ireland’s finest instrumentalists: Paddy Keenan, originally of the Bothy Band, Frankie Gavin and ex-Altan accordion player Dermot Byrne.
For many old De Dannan fans the best news of 2018 is that Frankie Gavin and Alec Finn have made up their differences and played together again, not only in band line-ups but as a duo. In 1977, they made a recording together. This year they have recorded together again to mark 40 years of their partnership.
With all this in mind, there can be no doubt that 2018 has been a momentous year for Frankie Gavin. Winning Traditional Musician of the Year at the Gradam Ceoil Awards in January was the icing on the cake. The award ceremony included messages from Ronnie Wood (Frankie is a massive fan of the Rolling Stones), Prince Albert of Monaco, and a speech from President Michael D. Higgins.
There’s more information about Frankie Gavin together with videos and audio tracks on this website https://frankiegavin-dedannan.irish