Oak Park Library Folk Music Series Presents
Jamie O’Reilly
“I Know Where I’m Going”
Irish Songs & Poetry
With Jamie O’Reilly, soprano
Peter Swenson, guitar
Michael Smith, guitar
Belinda Bremner, reader
Thursday, November 19 at 7:00 PM
Veteran’s Room, Second floor
834 Lake St. Oak Park, Il
Call: 708.452.3440
http://oppl.org/events/friends-library-folk-music-concert-jamie-oreilly?ajax=1
CHRISTMAS SHOW!
Wed. Dec 2
Chief O’Neill’s Pub
3471 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
Call: 773.203.7661, Jamie’s cell
http:chiefoneillspub.com
With Jamie O’Reilly. Peter Swenson, Michael Smith,
Belinda Bremner and surprise guests!
$20, reservations begin Nov 19.
THE PERFORMERS
Chicago vocalist and producer Jamie O’Reilly is delighted to return to the Oak Park Library for a fourth time, having previously performed The Gift of the Magi and Pasiones: Songs of the Spanish Civil War (with Michael Smith). She sang selections from Songs of a Kerry Madwoman in a Women’s History Month program with folksinger Anne Hills. This musical evening focuses on Jamie’s classical and Celtic music roots, and the rich vocal tradition developed over a lifetime. A graduate of the DePaul University School of Music, Jamie vocal debut was at Orchestra Hall Chicago, in the John McCormick Centenary Concert in 1984. Jamie’s first accompanist was/is guitarist Peter Swenson, with whom she first performed at age thirteen, and joins her on stage tonight. Audiences will recall concerts with Jamie as lead singer with the popular eclectic Irish band Jamie O’Reilly & The Rogues: Tom Amandes, Paul Amandes, Stuart Rosenberg, Peter Swenson and John Floeter. They were seen at Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn, and on WFMT and public radio, earning Jamie a place in the Chicago folk music scene. In 1984, folk legend Bob Gibson introduced Jamie to Anne Hills and Michael Smith, who would become lifelong friends and collaborators. Now, over three decades – and 12 albums – since her vocal debut, Jamie continues to perform as a concert soloist and recording artist. It is her good fortune that she comes from both a talented family, and that she finds savvy and smart collaborators and loyal fans, allowing her to create and present work on a constant basis.
Belinda Bremner and Jamie worked together for the first time last year in a program entitled
Epitaphs and Apparitions, co-created for the End of Life/Afterlife Series for Chicago Artist Month at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Old Irving Park, and later for the Rhino Theaterfest at Chicago’s Prop Thr. By DOOPER standards, she is a recent arrival (to Oak Park). During her ten years here, she has been deeply involved with the Oak Park Festival Theatre as artistic associate, actor, director writer, and pretty much whatever else needed doing. Her directing credits include Dancing at Lughnasa, Of Mice and Men, Richard III, Faith Healer, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, Mrs. Coney and the many Midwinter’s Tales (for which she both writes and directs.) Her onstage roles for OPFT include Lady Bracknell, Maude Atkinson, Amanda Winfield, and the chorus in Henry I. Before joining OPRF she worked with such theatres as The Goodman, Northlight, St. Nicholas and The Court. She was a member of the Body Politic Ensemble, (where she first met Jamie). She co-founded Shaw Chicago. Please make plans to share this year’s Midwinter’s Tales with Belinda and cast, on December 5 at Grace Episcopal Church in Oak Park.
Guitarist, composer and musical arranger Peter Swenson musical tastes and fine talent have taken him from classical guitar repertoire, to early music for lute, to performing Baroque opera on theorbo, to folk and Irish music, to his current fascination: jazz. He performs regularly with the Ambrosia Jazz Trio. His recent composition: “There is a Season,” is “musical evocations of the seasons with influences of classical music, folk music and jazz, for flute, cello, guitar and bass.” Written for the Coeur de Lis ensemble, featuring flutist Lily Floeter, cellist Cora Swenson Lee, bassist John Floeter and Peter on classical guitar, it is now on compact disc. Find it here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/coeurdelis
A favorite on the Oak Park Library Folk Music Series roster, Singer/Songwriter Michael Smith
has collaborated with Jamie on many theatrical and musical projects, including the aforementioned Gift of the Magi, Pasiones, and Songs of a Kerry Madwoman, as well as the award-winning Hello Dali (at Victory Gardens Theater, directed by Oak Parker Paul Amandes) Songs of a Catholic Childhood is their most recent recording and show. Michael is currently touring with puppet master Blair Thomas in parlor theatricals of Moby Dick. The Selfish Giant, their children’s theater piece, was featured in last year’s Chicago International Puppet Festival.
Jamie and Peter’s recording “I Know Where I’m Going”
will be on sale that evening. READ MORE.
