by Rick Landers. Although Tony McManus clearly has a reputation as a leading Celtic guitarist, the ancient roots of the music itself are somewhat nebulous. Strains can be found originating in Ireland and Scotland, as well as other unexpected places such as Portugal. Whatever the origins, the music found its way to America and infiltrated the melodic intentions of Appalachian musicians, as well as gained popularity around the world. Irish born McManus delights in the sparkling guitar tunings of the genre and his league of world-wide fans grows with each new album. He taught himself guitar at an early age and after ending his academic pursuits he could be found as a session guitarist in Glasgow and Edinburgh. In 1996, Tony released his self-titled debut album on the Greentrax Recordings label. Next up was his Pourquoi Quebec that drew international attention. His reputation began to soar when Nashville’s Compass Records issued his Ceol More CD that featured arrangements of Charles Mingus’s jazz classic “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat”…
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