Rounder Records has signed an agreement with The O’Connor Family Band to release their first album as a group.
The band boasts the talents of bluegrass, contest, jazz, and classical fiddle virtuoso Mark O’Connor, his lovely and very talented wife, Maggie O’Connor, Mark’s son Forrest O’Connor, and his equally lovely and talented girlfriend, Kate Lee.
Their music combines the brilliant instrumental music Mark has written for violin, often as duets between he and Maggie, and the original Americana/acoustic songs that Forrest and Kate have composed. They are in the studio now recording with Joe Smart on guitar and Geoffrey Saunders on bass. Forrest will be playing mandolin and singing, with Kate on third violin and singing as well. Neal Cappellino is engineering with and Gregg Field producing.
Mark and Maggie have been touring together for some time, while Forrest and Kate worked with an acoustic trio in Nashville called Wisewater. The family got together for some shows last fall (including World of Bluegrass 2015), and are now looking to make it their primary performing vehicle. They are accepting dates through Cadenza Artists.
Here’s a sampler from their set during Wide Open Bluegrass last Fall.
When Mark was Forrest’s age, he had already been retired from most string instrument competitions in the country, having won national titles in fiddle, guitar, and mandolin in his teens. His playing was so far ahead of most others in the 1970s that they had to prohibit him from competing and make him a judge!
You can see that young Forrest not only inherited some of his father’s facility with the mandolin, he also bears a remarkable resemblance to his dad at that age.
The band has shared a few photos from their week in the studio.
Keep track of The O’Connor Family Band online.
