Ireland's acoustic masters Téada return to Chicago's Old Town School of Music on Saturday, August 13th. The traditional Irish music band celebrates the release of their new album, "Coiscéim Coiligh – As the Days Brighten," which features a guest vocal by Chicago's own John C Reilly.
Téada (pronounced TAY-da), meaning strings in Irish, formed as a band at the birth of the new millenium and now mark 21 years together. With their commitment to Irish instrumental tunes handed down over generations, they were quickly hailed as "Best Traditional Newcomers" (Irish Music Magazine) and for “keeping the traditional flag flying at full mast” (The Irish Times). The young virtuosi have grown into a band in their prime, with six albums and world tours including the Penang World Music Festival in Malaysia, Harare International Festival of the Arts in Zimbabwe, and Edmonton Folk Festival in Canada.
For their new album the group called upon actor and musician Reilly (HBO's "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty"), this year's International Guest of Honour at Dublin's St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Reilly was happy to add his noted singing voice to the 19th-century humorous ballad 'Eileen Óg,' in a duet with occasional Téada vocalist Séamus Begley. The song has received international airplay and is now available as a free download at the band's website: https://teada.com/.
"Reilly and Begley hit it off with their love of Irish songs and County Kerry!" says Téada fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada. "Their song provides the ideal tapestry to blend John C’s rich theatrical vocal talents along with Séamus’s unique sensitivity and nuance."
The Irish Echo calls the new album "brilliant...perhaps their best," and it was named Album of the Week at BBC Radio Scotland. "A treasure trove of tunes...the urge to hear this music live is irrepressible," wrote The Irish Times. The album was released May 6th on Gael Linn Records.
Téada's concert on Saturday, August 13, takes place at 8:00PM at Maurer Concert Hall at the Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N Lincoln Ave in Chicago. Tickets are $28, $26 for members, and available at the school's box office phone 773.728.6000 or website https://www.oldtownschool.org/concerts/2022/08-13-2022-teada/.
