A Very Switchback Christmas by Switchback

you're dealing with two of the most prolific songwriters on the music scene today. Check out their other works, but kick back, have a glass of egg-nog and have fun with A Very Switchback Christmas!

---Sonny Dale, Scott's Bluff, NE

Understanding the duo Switchback

When they met in 1984, Switchback's Martin McCormack was a college student, playing in a pop band with his siblings. Brian FitzGerald, moonlighting as a house painter, was a member of an Irish quartet. Over the next few years, the pair played together in three different bands (two of them traditional Irish). McCormack contributed bass and his classically trained tenor, and FitzGerald supplied guitar and fleet mandolin. By 1993, the tug of their own songwriting talents and love for American roots music inspired them to break away and form their own duo - Switchback.

Their partnership has produced nine albums to date, ranging from the lean and energetic debut, Ain't Goin' Back (1994), to the honky-tonk jukebox medley Dar's Place (1998), to the critically acclaimed Celtic twang of The Fire that Burns (2002).

Showcasing a repertoire ranging from sentimental ballads to blistering rockers, the duo deliver a powerful sound rivaling that of larger ensembles. While their musical paths have taken them to a variety of genres, Martin and Brian have never abandoned their traditional Celtic roots. Switchback's release, Bolinree, is their third traditional Celtic album. Produced by Texas legend Lloyd Maines, Bolinree truly reflects the band's unique interpretation of original and time-honored Irish music, a perspective formed by the lifelong experiences of their ancestral roots from this side of the Atlantic.

Their latest release, Falling Water River, is a serious conceptual album, following the life and times of one Private William Henry. Praised by critics and fellow songwriters, Falling Water River has been hailed as powerful a work for this generation as Simon and Garfunkel's "Bookends" album.

At once eliciting praise and frustration by critics who find it difficult to pigeonhole their eclectic sound, Switchback continues to be driven by their mission to create and bring music to far-flung places and unlikely audiences. And with the rhythmic cadence of their dancing shoes, the audiences return the favor, paving the winding road for the band's well-worn wheels

Average Customer Review: 4