In County Cork RANDAL BAYS is called 'a rare beast, a master of both the fiddle and guitar', and THE FIDDLER MAGAZINE said he 'is among the best Irish style fiddlers of his generation' !! In the United States Randal is perhaps best known to many for his beautiful guitar accompaniment on fiddler, Martin Hayes' early recordings.

Randal has performed all over IRELAND and greater EUROPE, THE UNITED STATES,and CANADA. As well as his recordings on guitar with MARTIN HAYES, he has performed and recorded with James Kelly, John Williams, Daithi Sproule, Frank Kilkelly, Kevin Burke and Michael O'Domhnaill. He is a highly accomplished and noted album producer and composer, having created original scores for several award-winning films and documentaries.

In his workshops and private lessons, RANDAL puts special emphasis and focus on the non-Irish born fiddlers - his message and methods helping them to internalize a sense of an authentic Irish style, making the music their own, while nurturing respect and understanding for its roots in IRISH CULTURE.

Dennis Stone, from FOLKWORKS MAGAZINE - in a review of his CD 'The Salmon Leap' said -

"The Salmon Leap" is a pure gem, an essential find for lovers of IRISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC !"

"A musicians musician" - James Kelly

"The genuine article" - The Rough Guide to Irish Music

"His playing has power and passion..simply a joy to listen to" - Dirty Linen Magazine

ROGER LANDES played in many 'garage' bands, studied, played and taught classical guitar, had a Renaissance and Baroque period, became interested in 19th Century works and loved European dance music from the Middle Ages !! He heard a Chieftains CD, was struck by a certain similarity between medieval music and modern traditional music - got a bouzouki and set about learning the accompaniment to the most intricate of dance tunes- THE IRISH and SCOTTISH ones !! Roger is frequently and affectionately known as THE BOUZOUKI/MANDOLIN WIZARD !!!

A founder member of the group SCARTAGLEN, he appears on three of their recordings - 'SCARTAGLEN', 'LAST NIGHT'S FUN' and 'THE MIDDLE PATH'. In 1993, he contributed one track to the best - selling Narada Records collection 'CELTIC ODYSSEY' which was on the Billboard charts for almost two years.

Roger performed for some years in a duo with singer Connie Dover, and more recently with Randal Bays. He is a well recognised composer and producer, and is in great demand as a teacher in the Irish accompaniment tradition, serving consistently on the staff at Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp, Swannanoa Gathering Celtic Week, Milwaukee Irish Festival Summer School and others.

Roger appeared in and contributed to the soundtrack of the 1999 film 'Ride with the devil', his music was also featured in a PBS documentary 'Last Stand of the Tallgrass Prairie'. Roger joined Spanish Galician musician and Chieftains alumnus CARLOS NUNEZ on his first tour of the USA, has toured with Irish fiddler FRANKIE GAVIN and harmonica virtuoso RICK EPPING, and last year worked with the great TOMMY PEOPLES !