Carmel Sheerin & the Ravens in full-page ad in Banjo NewsLetter

Tom Hanway reports that the above photo of Carmel Sheerin & the Ravens will appear in a full-page ad for Stelling Banjos on the back cover of the April 2006 issue of Banjo NewsLetter, which will mention their forthcoming appearance as #1 European Bluegrass Band at IBMA's World of Bluegrass in September 2006.

Tom adds: 'After I had toured Ireland and Northern Ireland in 1997, I approached Geoff Stelling with design ideas for a new manufactured line of banjo, which he used to create the original Tom Hanway SwallowTail Deluxe, built in '98. BNL has a loyal worldwide readership (bluegrass and old-time musicians) and is found in all fine music shops globally, even in Ireland. By the way, actor Steve Martin (currently starring in The Pink Panther) bought a Stelling SwallowTail last week from Geoff. He is playing my banjo and called Geoff Stelling to report that he loves everything about it! Imagine that! Martin once wrote about his high school days learning to play to play the banjo, that "Obsession is a great substitute for talent." This is the third ad Geoff has done on me, but it's the first ad for Carmel Sheerin & the Ravens in an American-published, international bluegrass zine, and it will get noticed by pickers and the folks at Bluegrass Unlimited and Bluegrass Now.'


Tom and his Stelling SwallowTail at Dunmore East, Co. Waterford, during the 2004 International Guinness Bluegrass Festival

Tom Hanway will play live and give an interview to Charlie McGettigan on his Shannonside/Northern Sound broadcast on 8 April, 10.00 a.m.

Tom is leading the movement in 'Celtic fingerstyle' banjo, and in the 1990s did extensive field recording, innovated playing techniques and authored the Complete book of Irish & Celtic 5-string banjo (Mel Bay Publications, 1998), which has given a Celtic repertoire to legions of banjoists and is a popular seller worldwide. With over 100 tunes from all six Celtic nations and the diaspora, it is the first work of its kind for 5-string banjo. In January 1999, Bluegrass Unlimited wrote: 'What Earl Scruggs' book did for bluegrass banjo Tom Hanway’s book may well do for the 5-string in Irish and Celtic music... [This work] will certainly become regarded as "the bible" for any 5-string player with an interest in this joyous music'.