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All Music Guide:
Multi-instrumentalist Michael McGoldrick has been playing traditional Irish music since his early childhood days in the dismal working class town of Manchester, England, thanks to his influential parents and thickly absorbed cultural background. By his mid-teens, McGoldrick had become so enthralled with his music that he was already playing with one of Manchester's beloved Celtic-rock bands, Toss the Feathers. His craft at playing the flute was absolutely exciting and moving; his incredible folk-rock contributions led him to work to other bands such as Afro Celt Sound System and Capercaillie. In 2000 the praise continued as McGoldrick was named the Best Overseas Artist in the Irish Music Magazine Readers Poll. That same year, McGoldrick released his first album Fused.
Wikipedia:
Michael McGoldrick (b. 1971, Manchester, England) is an Irish flute and tin whistle player. He also plays the Uilleann pipes and low whistle.
Bands
McGoldrick has been a member of several influential bands. In 1994 he was awarded the BBC Young Tradition Award, and in 2001 he was given the Instrumentalist of the Year award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
McGoldrick was a founder-member of the Celtic rock band Toss the Feathers while still at school. He also competed at that time in the Fleadhanna with Dezi Donnelly (fiddle) and John-Jo Kelly (bodhrán), whom he had met at local Comhaltas meetings. He made appearances at various local and national festivals and ran whistle/flute workshops at the Cambridge Folk Festival and for Folkworks on their "Flutopia" concert tour.
McGoldrick formed the band Fluke! (later renamed as Flook) with Brian Finnegan and Sarah Allen in November 1995. After one tour, he left to pursue other projects.
He was an early member of Lúnasa from 1997 until roughly 2000 and played on their first two albums. He also joined Capercaillie in 1997, playing on two albums.
McGoldrick has played regularly for Afro-Celt Sound System and Kate Rusby's band. As of 2011 he leads the Michael McGoldrick Band.
He has recorded four solo albums: Morning Rory showcases his traditional skills. Fused explores several other musical genres including trance, while Wired, released in October 2005, takes the experimental approach of Fused even further. His latest album Aurora, released in 2010, is less experimental but still adventurous. He also recorded an album, At First Light, with John McSherry (also ex-Lúnasa) going back to his traditional roots.
In 2010 Michael replaced John McCusker, joining Tim O'Brien on Mark Knopfler's US leg of the Get Lucky Tour.