Switchback - A Midwestern Christmas

When they met in 1984, Switchback's Martin McCormack was studying voice in college, and playing in a well-known Chicago pop band with his brothers. Brian FitzGerald was playing Freddy Green-style guitar on Chicago's Maxwell Street and learning mandolin from Jethro Burns. Both were drawn into Irish music--McCormack through his family's connection with County Mayo and FitzGerald through the meeting with County Kerry legend "Cuz Teahan." 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 ten 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), the Irish roots album Bolinree (2005) and the much praised, Americana song-cycle Falling Water River (2006). (The Fire that Burns and Bolinree were both produced by Grammy-winning producer, Lloyd Maines.) 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. 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.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts and generously sponsored by Kindred Hearts of Green Lake.