Summer 2008

2008 Springfield Irish Festival
The 2008 Springfield Irish Festival was a huge success. The Lone Raven Septet played Friday night along with The Kells and the wonderful Eileen Ivers Band.

Led by the dynamic Tommy McDonnell, Lone Raven joined The Eileen Ivers Band for a finale that brought down the house.

Thanks to Cindy Funk of WYSO radio in Yellow Springs for the great photos.

Spring 2008

Andi Wolfe "An Obair"
Andi Wolfe just completed her new solo CD project, "An Obair". It consists of a wonderful collection of tunes from the Irish Harper, Turlough O'Carolan, as well as some great original and traditional selections.

Andi displayed her versatility on this project and played hammered dulcimer, bodhran and fiddle. She also provided vocals on several of the tracks and made her debut on the Nigerian UDU drum! Helping Andi out on the project were Aisling band members Craig Caldwell, Mary Bertke, Stuart Brand and Steve Wolfe. Ex Stark Raven multi instrumentalist, Sid Omasta, also joined in on some excellent acoustic bass parts.

New Holiday CD From Evening Rose
Celtic trio, Evening Rose just completed their new Holiday CD here at Lone Raven Studio.  Titled "Christmas Rose", the CD will be ready for the 2008 Holiday Season.  We had a lot of fun working on this CD, so be sure to pick up a copy soon.

"Christmas Rose" has some really great arrangements of traditional Holiday material, as well as some gorgeous original compositions.  Evening Rose is Laura Elder, Kathy Smith and Cindy Wolfinger. Their CD release party is scheduled for Saturday, July 12 at 1:30 pm at the Hocking Township Building, 1175 Cincinnati Zanesville Rd (St Rt 22), Lancaster, OH, 43130

Winter 2007/2008

Busy concert season for the new Septet
World/Celtic band, Lone Raven, just completed a very busy fall and winter concert season. The band toured much of Ohio, playing such venues as the Troy Hayner House, OSUM's Morrill Hall, Dublin Irish Festival, Springfield Irish Festival, Upper Arlington concert series, and others. Then, they wrapped up the year with their 5th annual holiday concert at the Shamrock Club. So far, 2008 is booking fast and promises to be a big year for the Septet.

And speaking of the Shamrock Club, this year's concert was the best yet. In addition to the Lone Raven Septet, the lineup consisted of The Kells, Death By Banjo and Neil Jacobs. The night opened with a Jazz-flavored set of Christmas songs featuring Lone Raven, along with special guests Sid Omasta on bass and Karl Wohlwend on jazz guitar. There were special guest appearances by Charlene Adzima, Pat Mogan, Phil and Josh Franck, Ric Smith, Marian Funk, Pat Byrne and others. The attendance was standing room only, and next year's event is already in the planning stages. The Shamrock Club deserves a big applause for supporting this event, as well as all of the other great events they sponsor during the year!

Summer 2007

"We May Be Deaf, But We're Not Lazy"
OK....whatever you do, you have to check out the new CD from Columbus-based Irish Trad band, "The Kells".  Their new CD project, titled "Don't Burn The Water", should be back from the pressing plant just in time for this year's Dublin Irish Festival. The CD contains 15 traditional and original tracks with some very pleasant surprises and a full 74 minutes of music. Band members, Brian McCoy, Kim Rattan, and Pat Foley were joined by guest artists Brock Napierkowski on fiddle, Ed Norris of The Hooligans on vocal and lead humor, Dave McCandlish on bass, and Craig Markley on Hammond B3.

Due to a fire in Brian's apartment, we did not get started on this project until mid June. As such, we spent some long studio sessions together and burned the old midnight oils on many of them. We had some great times and laughed a lot, ate our share of Atomic Fireballs and pasta salad, ran from the dog, played with the cat, got out more percussion instruments than anyone should and.....actually got the project done!!  Oh yeah, for more explanation on the "We May Be Deaf, But We're Not Lazy" quote, you will have to see Brian.

Two Families, Two Friends-The Lone Raven Septet
The father/daughter team of Craig and Kara Markley, along with fellow "Lone Raven" member, Mark Richards, have joined forces with longtime friends and family, Hilda Doyle and Daughters Stephanie and Heather of "The Ladies of Longford".  Topping off the septet is fiddler wiz, Liz Blickenstaff.  The band has been performing for concerts around the state and is now accepting bookings for 2008. 

The new Septet lineup features incredible lead vocals from Hilda, Stephanie, Heather and Kara, as well as 5-part harmonies. The band's instrumentals are fueled by the twin fiddles of Kara and Liz, and driven by the band's rhythm section-featuring Heather and Mark on percussion, and Stephanie on electric bass. Hilda and Craig round off the rhythm section by switching off on piano, guitar, banjo, mandolin, accordions and whistles.

Note: The above photo was from the 2007 Celina Concert Series. Photos were taken by Tanya Markley and Jeff Pontsler of The Grand Lake Independent.

Spring 2007

New CD from Death By Banjo
Longtime friend and ace musician, Sid Omasta, recently joined up with a great bunch of guys, "Death By Banjo".  This is one of the most innovative group of bluegrass musicians that I have heard lately.  Members are Tom Zinser, Paul Brown, Pete Remenyi and Sid Omasta.  Check them out live and, by all means, pick up a copy of their new CD.  You won't be sorry.

New Aisling CD
Central Ohio Celtic group, Aisling just completed their new CD, which will be back from the pressing plant just in time for this year's Dublin Irish Festival. Engineered by Craig Markley and produced by the band's multi-instrumentalist, Andi Wolfe, the CD also features members, Mary Bertke, Steve Wolfe, Stuart Brand and Craig Caldwell. There are some really nice traditional and original tracks on this CD, so be sure to pick up a copy.  Also, Andi will be releasing another new CD in the near future, which will feature compositions from the famed harpist/composer, O'Carolan.  Stuart is also hard at work preparing material for his first solo project.

In the Studio
In the Lone Raven studio, are Aisling, Neil Jacobs, Shawna Ray, The Kells, Lyn Ford and Hilda Doyle. Also, Craig, Kara and Lone Raven will be starting a new project soon also. Just completed were projects form Debbie Walton and Sharon Ackers, Death By Banjo and others.  Please check back for updated info.

Winter 2006/2007

St. Paddy's Guinness Promotion
Craig and Kara just finished their third year of playing for the St. Paddy's Guinness promotions, which are produced by area company, Hill Distributing.  The events, which started in 2005, take place at some of the area's larger Kroger and Giant Eagle super stores.  There was no shortage of Guinness merchandise, and it was a great time for all.

2007 Studio News
Lone Raven Studio is gearing up for new sessions with Aisling, Neil Jacobs, Death By Banjo, Hilda Doyle and others.  The studio just upgraded to Pro Tools 7.2 HD and added a suite of new plug-ins.  Of course, this is a great reason to buy more new microphones!

Charlene Adzima & Liz Carroll in Studio
Studio sessions are starting back up in January for the Charlene Adzima project. The production/engineering team of Mike Dugger and Craig Markley will be at the helm, with guest appearances by fiddler Liz Carroll, and others. By the way, if you have not heard it yet, be sure to pick up the new CD from Liz and John Doyle, titled "In Play".

Pictured left to right-Liz Carroll, Rick Nelson, Charlene Adzima, producer Mike Dugger and engineer Craig Markley.

Shamrock Holiday Concert
Please mark your calendars for the annual Shamrock Club concert on December 15. Musicians will consist of Lone Raven, Ladies of Longford, Neil Jacobs, and others. For more information please visit the Shamrock Club website.

Fall 2006

Charlene Adzima in Studio
Charlene Adzima is in the studio working on her new solo release.  The CD is being produced by the golden ears of Mike Dugger (of Scartaglen and Glen Road fame).  Charlene will be playing fiddle and viola as well as providing vocals.  Guest musicians include multi-instrumentalist Zac Leger, John Sherman, Marian Funk, Rick Nelson, Jeni Westerkamp, Craig Markley and others.

Exciting Lone Raven News
Ohio Arts Council-Lone Raven has just been accepted to the Ohio Arts Council "Artists on Tour" roster.  This provides various organizations around the state with fee support for performances.  And for those of you who have complained about the filing process in the past, OAC has greatly simplified the application process for fee support.  Click here to access the new form.

OAPN Showcase-Lone Raven will showcase at the 2006 OAPN convention this October 16-18.  The showcase will be held in Akron at The Tangier.  In addition, the exhibit floor will be open for all three days.

Mark Richards-Joining Lone Raven is new band member, Mark Richards, percussionist extraordinaire and Craig's longtime friend from the Columbus-based band, "Panorama".  Mark, also known to his friends as "monkey drummer" (you had to be there), has an impressive pedigree and is a great addition to the band.

Spring/Summer 2006

2006 Dublin Irish Festival
Don't forget to mark your calendar for the Annual Dublin Irish Festival. The festival runs from August 4 through August 6 and features top entertainment from around the world.  Some of this year's artists include Cathie Ryan, Old Blind Dogs, Solas, Gaelic Storm, John Whelan, as well as local favorites such as General Guinness, Ladies of Longford, Kells, Heartstone, Knot Fibbn and Lone Raven.

New Lone Raven CD
The new CD release, "Bridges of Time", from Lone Raven will be available in July.  The CD will feature a combination of new tracks and several remixed selections from past CDs.  Please email us for preliminary ordering information.

Fall/Winter 2005

December 9-Holiday Concert at the Shamrock Club
Don't forget to mark your calendar for the Annual Shamrock Club Holiday Concert.  This year's concert will be at 8:00 PM on Friday evening, December 9.  Featured Artists will be Lone Raven, Sirens and The Ladies of Longford, with guest appearances by Neil Jacobs, Kay Harris, Kim Rattan, Pete Cary and Cyndi Stamps, The Kells and others.  Don't miss this one!

New "Winter Moon" CD Reviews
Craig and Kara Markley's CD, "Once Upon A Winter Moon", just received two new rave reviews.

"Putting this album on your audio system is akin to opening a treasure chest; jewel after jewel tumbles out."

The latest review is by Carol Swanson, and is on the wonderful website, ChristmasReviews.com.  This is a truly unique website, and is very well done. 

"Once Upon a Winter Moon is a rich tapestry, from the elegant cover art to the drop-dead gorgeous content. This is an amazing CD on so many levels. The instrumentation is diverse, richly textured, and bursting with a joy. Four of the 12 pieces are breath-taking instrumentals. On the vocal numbers, Kara Markley's voice is remarkably warm, welcoming, confident, sweet, and brimming with passion. Finally, the Markleys are gifted songwriters--daddy Craig contributes three fine tracks and daughter Kara provides one more. What an incredible package!"

The CD is also featured in the Holiday Recordings section of the December '05/January '06 issue of Dirty Linen magazine, and was written by reviewer Michael Parrish. 

Click here for more information on this recording

Andrew Hartman Duo in studio
Guitarist, Andrew Hartman, and Vocalist, Jessica Agler, were in the studio to record tracks for their new demo. The demo consists of abbreviated versions of some wonderful Jazz standards, one of which Jessica sings in Portuguese. Let me tell you, this is one hot duo!! Andrew and Jessica plan to start the full-fledged CD project soon, and I am looking forward to it. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for these two.  For more info on the duo or Andrew's solo or trio projects, send an email to Andrew Hartman.

Shamrock Concert coming soon
Though it may seem like a ways off, don't forget to mark your calendar for the Annual Shamrock Club Holiday Concert.  This year's concert will be on Friday evening, December 9.  Featured Artists will be Lone Raven, Sirens and The Ladies of Longford, with guest appearances by Neil Jacobs, Kay Harris, Kim Rattan, Pete Cary and Cyndi Stamps, The Kells and others.  More details will be posted later.

New CD Release by Neil Jacobs
Neil Jacobs, master of the 12-string acoustic guitar, just put the finishing touches on his new CD, "Secret Places". The CD features some wonderful new compositions by Neil, as well as his unique arrangements of "Bolero" and "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy".

While the focus is obviously on Neil's fabulous acoustic guitar work, a few of the selections feature guest musicians, Arkadiy Gips, Craig Markley, and Steven Fox.

There is also a great traditional tune performed by Neil's old band, Zivili, using traditional stringed instruments such as Prim, Brac and Bugarija.

More information may be found at Neil's website at www.neiljacobs.com.

Shelly Martin
Shelly Martin was back in the studio last month. The track she recorded was an original composition, and featured ace guitarist and longtime Lone Raven friend, Randy Ross, on guitars, bass and percussion. Shelly laid down all of the vocals and plans to use the track on an upcoming and long-awaited CD release. If you have not heard Shelly perform, you are missing out on a great vocalist, so keep your eyes and ears peeled!

Ivan Subbotin Benefit
Guitarist, Andrew Joseph, and Vocalist, Aileen Wittkopp, were in the studio to record a track in memory of their good friend, Ivan Subbotin. Ryan O'Neil (Ivan's step brother) and Matt Dickerson also attended the session and took scads of photos for future documentation (see photo below). The song, written by Aileen and Andrew, was originally performed by them at Ivans funeral, and will go a long way in touching the hearts of many folks.

Death By Banjo
You just gotta love that name!!  Death By Banjo, fueled by the banjo playing of Paul Brown, consists of veteran performers Tom Zinser, Sid Omasta and Pete Remenyi.  This eclectic bluegrass quartet was recently in the studio laying down tracks for their upcoming CD.  Watch out for these guys....great stuff.

Spring/Summer 2005

Lone Raven at 2005 Dublin Irish Festival
Thanks to everyone who attended our performance at this year's Dublin Irish Festival. Lone Raven's performed on Dave Proffitt's Irish Thunder Stage, which also featured national recording artists Leahy and Baka Beyond.  Joining Lone Raven this year, was Middle-Eastern dancer, Shakira al Fanninah.

Other performers at this year's festival included Eileen Ivers, Cherish the Ladies, The Cottars, Ashley MacIsaac, Ged Foley & Kevin Burke, Seven Nations, Tommy Makem, Ladies of Longford, Homeland, Changeling and many more. 

In addition to Lone Raven, Craig also performed with Hilda Doyle and the Ladies of Longford.

Storyteller Lyn Ford
Ace storyteller, Lyn Ford, is in the studio working on here new CD. Expected release is in July, 2005, so be on the lookout for it. Click here for more info on Lyn.

New Lone Raven CD in the works
Craig and Kara are working on tracks for the new Lone Raven CD. The CD will feature a selection of new original and traditional World music. Musicians will include Sid Omasta, Beckie Boger and Robb Jarrett, along with special guests.

Winter 2004/2005

Major Gear Upgrade at Lone Raven Studio
Over the Holidays, the studio went through a major equipment upgrade.  Every single piece of recording equipment from the computers to the hard drives to the AD/DA converters was replaced with the newest up-to-date gear from Digidesign, Apogee and others.  Since the quality of the studio was great before, I have to admit that I was skeptical I would hear any difference.  Boy, was I wrong!  The audio quality that can now be achieved is hard to put into words....you just have to hear it!  For you gear-heads, more info is available here.  Anyway, after being down for almost two weeks while performing the upgrade, the studio is back up and running and booking time slots.

2nd Annual Shamrock Club Concert
Once again, we would like to extend a special "Thank You" to everyone that attended our sold-out concert on December 3 at the Shamrock Club in Columbus.  We would also like to thank the wonderful staff at the Club, and especially Mike and Diane Loughley for all of their hard work.  For those of you who were unable to attend, this year's show was spectacular (not to rub it in)!!  There were combined and individual performances from The Ladies of Longford, Lone Raven, Sirens, Pimenton Y Arana and Bardic Wind (you have to see these guys!).  At times there were as many as 13 musicians on stage! 

The main hub of musicians/dancers were Kara Markley, Craig Markley, Pete Cary, Cyndi Stamps, Molly Pauken, Beckie Boger, Robb Jarrett, Kay Harris, Sid Omasta, Hilda Doyle, Heather Doyle Fraser, and Stephanie Doyle Kephart.  In addition to this, there were surprise guest performances from psychedelic fiddler Ric Smith, percussionist David Wojnowski, longtime friend and master guitarist Randy Ross, and Yankee Celtic fiddler Phil Franck.

The music ranged from traditional Celtic to World to flamenco to roots-rock to a Pink Floydish version of "Carol of the Bells" (you had to be there).  We are still trying to figure out a way to actually book this large of a band!!

Philip Aaberg in studio
Sweetgrass Music artist, Philip Aaberg was just in the studio recording a track for an upcoming Windham Hill release.  Phil who, aside from this solo efforts, has played with Peter Gabriel, Elvin Bishop, John Hiatt and many, many more, is also currently performing with master fiddler, Darol Anger.  This project had a Celtic theme, and so Phil recruited Ohio's own Brian McCoy (whistle) and Eddie Cotter (bodhran) of The Kells, along with guitarist John Sherman.  Pictured left to right are Craig Markley (engineer), Phil and promoter, Brent Eberhard.  Be sure to keep an eye out for this new release, which is expected early in 2005.

She is not getting a commission, Really!!
“Many people expressed an interest in the color-changing necklace Kara wore at the Shamrock Club Christmas Concert, and asked where they could find one. The necklace is called “Fuze” and is made of a real quartz stone. It can be purchased at “Mantras”, a lovely little shop in downtown Delaware on 18 W. William Street. “Mantras” is one of Kara’s favorite shops in Delaware, and it is also connected to a Reiki, massage and yoga center next door. Please give them your business! We all know how difficult it can be for independently-owned shops to make it these days.”

Summer/Fall 2004

OAPN Conference
We just came back from the latest OAPN conference, held in Springfield, Ohio.  The conference is always great fun, and is a wonderful place to meet up with old friends such as Changeling, Knot Fibb'n, Neil Jacobs and Bob Ford. It is also great fun to hear new artists and make new friends, such as Pam Temple from the wonderful duo, Wild Carrot, Eleni Kelakos and the very talented comedian, Karen Gray.  Changeling showcased on Friday night and both Knot Fibb'n and Lone Raven showcased on Saturday night; followed by a late night jam with Bob Ford, Seona McDowell and members from Changeling, Knot Fibb'n, Lone Raven, Elixir, etc.  In addition, Craig had the chance to exchange Bodhran tips for circular-breathing-on-the-Didg pointers from Austrailian artist, Seona McDowell. 

Kara at the Ohio Renaissance Festival
Arrrgh, Matey!!!  From August 28 thru October 24, Kara will be performing on fiddle at various times during the day at the Ohio Renaissance Festival.  Aside from accompanying the dance troupe, she will be giving impromptu performances throughout the day.  

Studio News
We just completed three new CD projects from several of the area's finest Celtic bands:  The Ladies of Longford, The Kells and Heartstone.  All three will début their new CD at this year's Dublin Irish Festival. 

Also, Neil Jacobs is in the studio to start his newest CD release.  If you have not yet heard Neil, you are in for a treat.  His music has been featured on "Echoes" and many other programs.

Spring 2004

Kara and Craig join the Ohio Arts Council
GREAT NEWS!!  Craig and Kara have been selected for membership in the Ohio Arts Council.  This is a wonderful organization and often works hand-in-hand with OAPN.  As part of their "Artists on Tour" series, fee support will be made available to qualifying organizations.  For more information on the Ohio Arts Council, check out their website.

Ladies of Longford
The Ladies of Longford are in the studio working on their newest CD.  Stay tuned to this website for future updates.  You can also check out Hilda's website at www.hildadoyle.com.

Winter 2003/2004

SPECIAL THANK YOU
Kara and Craig would like to extend a special "Thank You" to everyone that attended our CD release party on December 12 at the Shamrock Club in Columbus.  We would also like to thank Mike and Diane Loughley for their hard work, and for just being the greatest folks to work with, along with our friends and guest musicians:  Pete Cary, Cyndi Stamps, Beckie Boger, Robb Jarrett, Kay Harris, Sid Omasta, and The Ladies of Longford-featuring Hilda, Heather and Stephanie Doyle.  The night was a great success, with lots of wonderful music.  As a matter of fact, we had several requests to book this line-up, however it may be a little tough to work an eleven-piece band.

"Once Upon A Winter Moon" CD Release Party
Craig and Kara's new CD is back from the pressing plant and ready for sale. The CD release party will be Friday, December 12, 8:00PM at the Shamrock Club in Columbus.  Craig and Kara will be joined by some of the musicians that performed on the CD, including Pete Cary on guitar, Beckie Boger on flute and vocals, Robb Jarrett on drums and percussion, Kay Harris on vocals, Sid Omasta on bass and mandolin, and The Ladies of Longford-featuring Hilda, Heather and Stephanie Doyle.  In addition, each of the artists will be performing a couple of their own numbers, which includes some traditional flamenco music and dancing from Pete Cary and Cyndi Stamps.  

She Don't Worry
The new CD release, "She Don't Worry", by Sirens is now available.  The CD features great new original tracks from the Molly Pauken/Kay Harris based band.  Aside from writing all of the material, Molly provides bass, guitars, drums and percussion and Kay recorded all of the vocal tracks.  In addition, the CD features Pete Cary on guitars, Jeff Peters on drums, and Craig Markley on keyboards, accordion, whistles, and even some uilleann pipes and didgeridoo.  For more information, check out the Sirens website at www.sirensmusic.com.