Paddy Keenan, who has been referred to as "the King of the pipers," is generally acknowledged as the most accomplished, innovative uilleann piper playing today. Paddy was the 2003 recipient of the Irish National Traditional Musician Award. Specializing in a wild, fluid style solely his own, never playing a tune the same way twice, Keenan will be joined today by guitarist/singer John Walsh. A founding member of the Bothy Band, one of the most influential Celtic bands of the 1970s, Paddy Keenan continues to tour in Europe and the U.S. and has released several solo albums including his most recent CD "The Long Grazing Acre." Paddy was born in Trim, Co. Meath, to John Keenan and the former Mary Bravender. The Keenans were a Travelling family (the wanderers of Ireland known amongst themselves as Pavees) steeped in traditional music; both Paddy's father and grandfather were uilleann pipers. Taking up pipes at age 10, Keenan moved to America at age 17 to play blues and rock and roll only to return to Ireland in the seventies. After several member changes, Paddy soon found himself with musicians who would go on to change the face of traditional Irish music. Paddy's virtuosity on the pipes combined with the ferocity of his playing made him, in the opinion of many, its driving force. Paddy's style has continued to mature in the intervening years since the break-up of The Bothy Band as he has pursued a solo career. Keenan is certainly one of the most brilliant musicians of his generation and in a live situation, Keenan is possibly one of the most exciting traditional musicians in the world. His inventiveness and willingness to take risks most players wouldn't even think of and pull them off, make his playing an endless source of fascination for traditional music lovers and pipers in particular.