Jamie O'Brien
need work ... will play
from his London-Irish beginnings...
Listen to Jamie O'Brien (vocals, guitar) with Henry Koretzky (mandolin, harmony)
Blue Eyes
Sweet Bride
Mele na Leni
Watch Jamie play "Kealia" and "Koke'e" (Hawaiian music) at Lani's Hawaiian Restaurant,
Tucson, AZ
and watch Jamie play "The Homes of Donegal" at the Emmaus Road Cafe in
Lancaster, PA (with Henry Koretzky)
He sings and plays guitar and ukulele and has played with the best from many different genres. He first established himself in
the US as a member of the legendary contradance/old timey band, Medicinal Purpose, playing throughout the Mid-Atlantic states
and further west; and as an in-demand accompanist, working with such musicians as singer Aoife Clancy, fiddler Jim Eagan,
accordion player Dan Possumato and piper Kieran O'Hare among many others. In 1997, he formed the Launies, an acoustic Celtic
band that still appears regularly, and soon after resumed his solo career, performing a mix of Americana and Irish songs.
In 2000, he made his first trip to Hawaii and fell in love with the music he heard there. He met multi-Grammy winning musician
George Kahumoku Jr. who took Jamie under his wing, introducing him to slack key guitar and ukulele. Combining their
traditions, they toured the Islands and the Mainland under the banner: Celtic Aloha - Oceans Apart, Islands Together. They
were joined on occasion by other performers, including Daniel Ho, Keoki Kahumoku, Job Cabato and others.
His collaborations with producer/multi-instrumentalist/singer, Dennis Soares of the Big Island of Hawaii, have resulted in
winning Hawaiian Music Awards and Big Island Music Awards as well as being a finalist for the prestigious Na Hoku Hanohanos.
Jamie's album, "Chasing Ghosts", won the Hawaii Media Arts' BIMA award for Adult Contemporary Album of the Year (2013) and
"Celtic Shades" won the World Music Album of the Year BIMA (2016).
Jamie has released four solo albums:
"My Wild Irish Boy" - traditional, contemporary and original
songs and tunes from his family, Ireland, France and Croatia,featuring Henry Koretzky, Aoife Clancy, Ryck Kaiser, Bruce
Campbell and others
"Many's The Mile, Love..." - traditional, contemporary and
original songs and tunes from his family, Ireland, Australia and Scotland, featuring Henry Koretzky, Ryck Kaiser, Bruce
Campbell, Billy McComiskey, Myron Bretholz, Donna Long and others
"Chasing Ghosts" - all original songs written or co-written by
Jamie, featuring Henry Koretzky, Ryck Kaiser, Bruce Campbell, Dede Wyland, Jon Villa and others
"Celtic Shades" - Jamie performs songs and tunes from Ireland
and further afield, presenting his different approaches to the music - featuring Kristine Allen, Henry Koretzky, Bruce Young,
Sharon Goldwasser, Lisa Otey and others
Jamie currently performs each year throughout the United States, in Hawaii as well as in Europe. He has appeared at festivals
large and small, from the North Texas Irish Festival in Dallas to the Celtic Oyster Festival in Reading, PA; concert venues
include the Berger Performing Arts Center (Tucson, AZ), the Lodge at Koele (Lanai, HI) and the Mukilteo Coffee Company Concert
Series (Whidbey Island, WA). Wherever he appears, expect his distinctive warm sound, and enjoy his off-beat sense of humor as
he talks about the songs and how they came into his life.
Jamie O'Brien has traveled far and wide:
to his travels in Europe...
to two decades in Pennsylvania...
and the last 10 years in the sunny South West...
not forgetting visits two or three times a year to Hawaii
Jamie (vocals and guitar) singing his song
Jamie (vocals, guitar, harmonica) singing this Kate Rusby song
Jamie (guitar) playing a slack key tune he wrote
Drawing on his experiences, he presents an eclectic mix of traditional, contemporary and original songs - a little of the Old
World, mixed with a touch of the New, along with a healthy dose of the tropical - Irish, Music Hall, Celtic and
singer-songwriter.
Call Jamie at (717) 802-5783
for more information and bookings.
You can reach him by email at
jobrien@launies.com or jamieobrienmusic@gmail.com