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Eileen Ivers

“Scatter the Light”—An Interview with Fiddler Eileen Ivers

Premier Irish fiddler Eileen Ivers has released a stunning new album, “Scatter the Light.” We recently spoke with her about the album, the uplifting messages behind each of the tracks, and the uncanny timing of the album’s hopeful, empowering outlook.

Irish Philly: So what inspired you to compose this new album, Scattered the Light?

Eileen: Sort of various things. It came slowly, as an extension I think of even the last record I did, which was called “Beyond the Bog Road,” which really looked at Irish music and its journey, interacting with other roots elements and really forming the roots of Americana music and bluegrass and French Canadian. So it was a very in-depth record. And then after the record came out and all the research and just the touring with that, I started writing more in a certain vein and realized it was all sort of connected with this very upbeat, positive attitude. And I think also coming out of our joyful Christmas shows, I noticed that there was a wonderful sentiment that was happening when those shows would occur, which I loved. And I remember thinking to myself, why can’t this be carried through the year? This feeling of optimism and joy and really looking for those moments? And that’s when the penny dropped, so to speak.

And I felt, you know what, this is a way to connect the dots. And anytime I do a CD, I think I maybe sometimes overthink it because it does take me a little while between projects, but I think it’s such a major statement when you do release a brand-new piece of work like this because it doesn’t come lightly. And I really try to be very thoughtful about it. In short, it really was all of these tracks linking together in a very thematic way, which made sense, which made a statement. And therefore I did call it “Scatter the Light.”

Irish Philly: Well it’s funny that you should mention overthinking it. Because it didn’t come across that way. It really came across as more from the heart than from the head is if there was no conscious decision-making behind it at all, except that you’re going from your soul and your heart.

Eileen: Thank you. No, it’s funny, it really was happening in that way. But when you start to look at a collection of tunes in the body of work, then you, it’s funny, I realized, wow, there is this theme that ran through it, which is the thoughtful part I think of it. But the knee jerk reaction was interesting where I was just writing these tunes. It started with “Shine,” which is the lead track. And also feeling like I wanted those two gospely, faith-filled songs as part of this. And then these tunes just kept coming. “Road Trip.” very quickly. “Hold My Hand” came in a shot. It was literally looking at this picture—and again, heart took over and those words just came right out. And so it is interesting how music does come at different times in people’s lives and thankfully, this did all come and it’s a record I’m super proud of.

March 27, 2020 by Jeff Meade

Music

Five MORE Questions for Eileen Ivers

The acclaimed fiddler Eileen Ivers.

The fire-breathing fiddler Eileen Ivers has deep Irish roots. Her parents are from Ireland. She learned fiddle from the great Martin Mulvihill. She won the All-Irelands nine times. (Yikes.)

But if you know Ivers at all, you know she’s profoundly influenced by other musical genres, from jazz to Afro-Caribbean roots music. She was the featured fiddler in the megahit Riverdance, which brought Irish music to the fore in the United States and throughout the world (and which many purists regard as not at all Irish).

If you’ve ever attended an Eileen Ivers show, you know that her performance (and that of her band Immigrant Soul) can be both exhilarating and exhausting. She pours absolutely everything into a show—blood, sweat, tears, shredded bow hair and all. I attended an Ivers outdoor summer concert a few years back and, at the end, she was just drenched. (I hugged her, anyway.)

We chatted once before, and her upcoming show (Saturday, September 25, at 8 p.m. in the Zellerbach Theatre on the Penn Campus) gave us an opportunity to touch base once again. So we just picked up where we left off the last time. Here’s what she had to say.

Q. How often do you get into traditional Irish music sessions these days?

A. Not nearly as much I would like. Were going to Ireland in October and I seem to play in more sessions there than I do at home. We have a little house in Mayo, and there are a couple of really good sessions that I try to get to. It totally rejuvenates me. Sometimes, at festivals, there are great sessions on when you get back to the hotel. They’re always good to sit in on, of course.

Q. Is playing in sessions something you do, mostly, when you’re home? Or something you fit in when you’re on the road?

A. Definitely more on the road. When you’re home. you’re in a “home” mode. When I’m out and about, that’s when I hang out in sessions.

Q. What do you get out of sessions that you don’t get from performance?

A. It’s really all part of being an Irish traditional musician. It’s a wonderful privilege to be traveling around and playing Irish music. The venues that are looking to book Irish artists are really spectacular. We’re blessed to be able to perform, to do the symphony work. But at the same time, it’s important to get off the stage and sit in where the music is really living and breathing, playing with friends and remembering tunes, playing tunes that you haven’t played in years. You have to get back to that. It brings back why you’re playing in the first place.

Q. I don’t play fiddle, but if I did, I’m not sure I’d be able to play with you sitting next to me. My guess, though, is that you’re not really all that scary … or that’s not how session etiquette would dictate that people respond to you.

A. I don’t feel like that at all, and I would hate to have anybody think that or feel that. What I love about this music and our culture is that you’re part of a much bigger thing. And when you’re sitting down with a bunch of folks, and you look around and see the smiles, it’s healing. You’re just a part of it, and it’s so cool.

Q. How much time do you spend in teaching and workshops these days?

A. Not as much as I would like. That’s such a great feeling to put the music out there, especially to kids. I actually love when the band is in stage with me for the master class. They talk about the history of the music and the rhythms, and each musician will show how his instrument works. All of sudden, they’re inspired by this stuff. They see the fun, the joy of it. They think it’s the coolest thing ever. We do it as much as we can. We always offer it and we love doing it.”

September 14, 2010 by Jeff Meade

Music

Five Questions for Eileen Ivers

Eileen Ivers playing in the music tent at a recent Wildwood Irish weekend.

Back when she was about 3 years old, Eileen Ivers recalls, she ran around her house in the Bronx with a blue plastic guitar and a wooden spoon—her first fiddle and bow. Her Irish parents loved music and the community in which she lived nurtured musical talent, so there was probably no chance this precocious sprite would not grow up to become an Irish musician.

That’s just what Ivers became—but, of course, that is a gross understatement. Ivers, a veteran of Cherish the Ladies and the Riverdance band, is recognized as one of the most gifted and creative practitioners of the art. Starting when she was still very small, Ivers started competing. By the time the competing stage of her life was over, she had collected nine all-Ireland crowns.

She continues to tour the world, dazzling audiences with her virtuosity and her unbounded energy. Catch one of her concerts, and you’ll leave exhilarated … and exhausted.

Local music fans will have a chance to see and hear Ivers and her eclectic band Immigrant Soul on Saturday, June 6, at Longwood Gardens. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m.

We caught up with Ivers recently and posed a few questions. Here’s what she had to say.

Q. How old were you when you first took up the fiddle? Why did it appeal to you? Were you always good at it?

A. I was about 8 years old. Both my parents are from Ireland; they would always play the music in the house. I always loved the sound of it and the emotion of it. It was just something I really gravitated to because it can make people happy and emotional at the same time.

Was I always good at it? Not initially, that’s for sure. We lived in an apartment building and the neighbors weren’t too kind about my practice ritual. But the more you practice the more you start to see improvement … and I’m not driving people as crazy as I once did.

The violin being such an emotive instrument, it really is a wonderful mirror. Your emotions come through. It really has such a dynamic emotional and rhythmic range. It’s an extension of one’s personality.

Q. You grew up in the Bronx. Seems like so many great American Irish musicians come from your neck of the woods. Back when you were playing and competing in festivals, was there the opportunity to rub shoulders and play with some of the other folks we’ve come to know?

A. The community in the Bronx and the Tri-State area was always so supportive of the musicians. I have wonderful memories of playing with my teacher Martin Mulvihill, and with Mike Rafferty and Joe Madden—all wonderful mentors. They also showed you the fun of the music.

Q. You competed in the All-Irelands many times. Was competing fun for you?

A. For an Irish-American kid, competing in the All-Irelands is a great legitimizer. You can hear and play the tunes as an Irish-born musician would. [But] I don’t think I enjoyed it. It was just a part of learning and probably a good impetus to keep the standard of playing up, a way to just get better and to be part of the community. The last time I won I was 18. There was never a reason to go back.

Q. How did you develop your style? And do you gravitate to a particular style of Irish fiddling?

A. I loved Martin’s playing so much, so my early style mirrored Martin’s quite a lot. It probably would have been been his styles, from the Limerick Kerry border.

[But] eventually you just develop your own style. It’s a very natural progression. I remember looking at it as a pure player, hearing everything from Stefan Grappelli to classical violinists. There’s so much technique that goes beyond Irish technique. You constantly learn.

Q. You now play a wide variety of styles, from jazz to African and Latin influences. How did this come about?

A. What should one do? Should one play what Michael Coleman played in the 1920s? You have to have respect for where it [the music] came from. But my other collaborations just started because of a musical curiosity—because an African drum player plays rhythms similar to what a bodhran player plays.

May 28, 2009 by Jeff Meade

Music

Review: “An Nollaig,” the Eileen Ivers Christmas CD

There’s a lot to like about “An Nollaig,” Eileen Ivers’ latest CD, a celebration of Christmas in the Irish style.

You probably sense a “but” waiting in the wings. There is one, a small one—but …. let’s first talk about the good stuff. Not surprisingly, there’s plenty of it.

At the core or this recording, there is, of course, Eileen Ivers—one of the finest and most creative fiddlers playing today. As always, she has surrounded herself with some brilliant instrumentalists, including members of her band, bassist Leo Traversa, flutist and piper Isaac Alderson and singer-percussionist Tommy McDonnell.

On the purely instrumental tracks—notably a selection of reels, “Christmas Eve/Oiche Nollag/High Road to Linton” and a grouping of jigs, “Apples In Winter/Frost is All Over/Merry Christmas”—the band simply rocks. This CD, like so many of Ivers’ previous works, defies easy categorization. Traditional Irish fiddle rubs shoulders with Afro-Caribbean drums. Here and there, you hear touches of Stephane Grappelli-influenced fiddle jazz. It all works. It always does.

A few other tunes, far less fast-paced and more soulful, are also standouts, including a Danish winter song, “The Time is Approaching,” with some lovely flute playing by Isaac Alderson. The closing tune, Ivers’ matchless reading of “O Holy Night,” will undoubtedly find its way onto one or more of the ubiquitous Windham Hill Celtic Christmas compilations, in the fullness of time.

By far the best and most memorable cut on the recording is a haunting interpretation of “Don Oiche Ud i mBeithill (One Night in Bethelehem),” with powerfully emotive vocals by Dublin-born contralto Susan McKeown. It’ll give you chills.

Now, on to the “but.” I’m less enamored of many of the vocals, but … I think it’s just me. McDonnell, for example, does a creditable job on the classic Vince Guaraldi tune, “Christmas Time Is Here.” I think I just selfishly wanted to hear more Ivers!

And I’ll admit to the same irrational selfishness on “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”—it’s a jazzy, upbeat take on Bach. Still, the choir infuses the piece with huge, full-throated energy. (If anything describes Eileen Ivers’ approach to music, that does. I mean, what choice did they have?)

You may be more of a fan than I am of the singers and the arrangements. But even if you’re not, there’s enough pure Ivers on this CD to make it all well worthwhile.

November 8, 2007 by Jeff Meade