 The Chieftains celebrated an extraordinary milestone in 2002 - 40 years of making some of the most beautiful music in the world. After all these years, The Chieftains' music remains as fresh and relevant as when they first began. And their touring schedule keeps them on the road for many months each year, taking their musical magic around the world. Six time Grammy winners, The Chieftains, are now recognized for bringing traditional Irish music to the world's attention. They have uncovered the wealth of traditional Irish music that has accumulated over the centuries, including the compositions of the legendary harpist Carolan, making the music their own with a style that is as exhilarating as it is definitive. The nature of their playing and their extensive use of improvisation ensure that no two performances are the same. Although their early following was purely a folk audience, the range and variation of their music very quickly captured a much broader public, resulting in their present fame worldwide. The Chieftains began 2002 with their annual U.S tour, starting January 12 in Sacramento culminating with their traditional St. Patrick's Day concert at Avery Fisher Hall in New York. As always, The Chieftains bring wonderful guest artists along with them and this tour is no exception. They will be joined by, among others, Canadian fiddlers, Natalie MacMaster and Richard Wood, talented country singer, Allison Moorer and guitarist, Jeff White. On this tour, longstanding stepdancer Donny Golden welcomes dancers, Jon and Nathan Pilatzke, also from Canada who bring yet another dimension to The Chieftains in concert. In April, The Chieftains return to Italy for another tour, before traveling to South East Asia. The band's 40th anniversary recording was released in early 2002 on the RCA Victor label. This stellar career overview will provide a snapshot of The Chieftains' many friends and collaborators, who have included over the years such artists as Sting, the Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Sinead O' Connor, Marianne Faithfull, Bonnie Raitt, Natalie Merchant, Joni Mitchell, Los Lobos, Linda Ronstadt, Sarah McLachlan, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, Art Garfunkel, Ricky Lee Jones, Ry Cooder, John Williams and Tom Jones. The CD will include special bonus tracks of never-before-released material. The Chieftains, who are Irish film star Pierce Brosnan's favourite band, were invited to attend, and perform at his wedding to Keely Shaye Smith in Ireland. The guests and wedding party stayed in the fabled Ashford Castle and the service was held in the famous Ballintubber Abbey in August. Then, in September, The Chieftains performed at the new Mile One Stadium in St. John's, Newfoundland and broke the venue's previous attendance record.
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