“I know Julie from years ago, when I was living in Donegal. She used
to come to collect songs. She’s a fantastic Gaelic speaker. She’s like
one of the locals. She’s like a reflection of the old music in America.
I can see where the Irish and Scottish influences are in traditional
American music. When she sings, she has the nuances of our older
singers.”—Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, South Bend Tribune, 4/10/05.
Julie Henigan, whose performances have been characterized as
“mesmerizing,” her vocals as “stunning,” and her instrumental work as
“absolutely superior,” defies conventional musical categories. While
primarily known for her unerring command of the distinct though related
idioms of traditional Irish and southern American music, she also
performs a wide range of contemporary and original material; yet her
unique style and impeccable musicianship lend her performances both
seamless unity and striking originality.
A native of the Missouri Ozarks, an area noted for its rich musical
traditions, Julie has long had a deep love of southern American music
and was fortunate enough to hear some of best musicians in the region
from an early age. Several lengthy stays in England and Ireland have
enhanced her innate feel for British and Irish music, and her work as a
folklorist and scholar has added even greater depth to her
understanding of these traditions.
A singer of remarkable depth and versatility, Julie performs songs both
in English and Irish Gaelic, unaccompanied and accompanied on
open-tuned guitar, five-string banjo, mountain dulcimer, and fiddle.
Her song accompaniments are subtle and captivating, while her guitar,
banjo, and fiddle instrumentals (many of them her own compositions) are
at once accomplished and understated. Her “Farewell Song” has been
recorded by Sharon Fountain and fellow Waterbug artist Kate MacCleod,
and her rendition of the traditional song “Adieu, My Lovely Nancy” (on
American Stranger) has inspired recordings and performances of the song
by, among others, Altan, Jeff Davis, and Pete Coe.
Julie has performed solo at clubs, festivals, schools, dances,
and concerts throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom,
and Ireland. She has also been a member of a number of Irish and
old-time bands (including Missouri Girls, with Barbara Weathers and Kim
Lansford); has shared the stage with a variety of singers and
musicians, including Tom Paley, Bob Holt, Sara Grey, Dan Gellert,
Magaret Bennett, and Bill Caddick; and has opened for such luminaries
of Irish music as Altan, Paddy Glackin and Donal Lunny, Craobh Rua, and
Mick Hanly. Her recording of a Donegal song, “Thíos i dTeach an
Tórraimh,” appears on an anthology of songs called
Sean-nós Cois Locha: Rogha Sean-nós Milwaukee (Sean-nós on a Lake: Selections from Sean-nós Milwaukee 2003-2005), released on the Cló Iar-Chonnachta label in 2006 ( http://www.cic.ie).
Author of a popular Mel Bay book/CD on DADGAD
fingerstyle guitar, Julie also has a highly lauded CD on the Waterbug
label, entitled American Stranger (http://www.waterbug.com).
What the critics have said:
“With
performers of the calibre, passion and sensitivity of Julie Henigan,
the tradition is in safe hands.” --Dave White, Rock ‘n’ Reel Magazine
“Her interpretation is so natural, so simple and so right that you’d
swear you were listening to . . . well, listening to ‘real’ singing, as
opposed to the imitative stuff learned from recordings that so many
singers do.” --Bill Spence, Andy’s Front Hall
“Julie has an ear for excellent versions of traditional songs, and
she's pretty handy at finding them. Here she also reveals a skill in
composition on several tunes and an attractive 'farewell' song.... This
is rich material, thoughtfully and skillfully performed. Julie
convincingly spans the North American, Irish and British traditions.
She should be booked wherever audiences enjoy a true and uncluttered
approach to traditional music.” --The Living Tradition
“Her vocals are a stunning blend of all that is best from both the
American and the Irish traditions.... Julie Henigan has strength and
sensitivity in equal abundance.” --The Leicester Mercury
“She plays the guitar and fiddle with subtle delicacy, and sings with a
degree of clarity and expressiveness that is especially moving.”
--Steve Senderoff, the Bothy Club, Philadelphia, PA
“Her accompaniments . . . provide an engaging setting for her honest
and unpretentious songs, and her performances are illuminated by a
depth of knowledge seldom encountered in the world of folk music.”
--George Thomas, BBC Radio Leicester
“She has the voice, she has the style, she tells the story with firm
conviction and never wastes a note.” –Roy Harris, Taplas
“Her creative playing and singing is intimate and fresh, with guitar
and banjo work that is clean and assured--expressive, yet tastefully
restrained.” --Roger Dietz, Acoustic Guitar
“A massive talent, Henigan’s intricate performances . . . show an
impressive level of accomplishment.” –Matt Fink, All Music Guide
