Tony McManus (musician) explained

Tony McManus
Birth Date:1965
Birth Place:Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Genre:Celtic, folk, bluegrass, classical
Occupation:Musician
Instrument:Guitar
Label:Greentrax, Culburnie, Compass, Borealis

Tony McManus (born 1965) is a guitarist from Paisley, Scotland, who plays finger-style acoustic guitar arrangements of tunes from Celtic music, classical music, and other genres. He emigrated from Scotland to Canada in 2003.[1]

Music career

In 1988, McManus substituted forthe guitarist Soig Siberil in the supergroup Celtic Fiddle Festival, which consisted of the fiddlers Johnny Cunningham, Kevin Burke and Christian Lemaitre. He has worked as an accompanist for Catriona MacDonald and for the singer, guitarist and fiddler Brian McNeill. His album, Return to Kintail, was a duet with the Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser.[2]

In addition to traditional Celtic music, McManus plays classical music and other genres. He performed a piece by Erik Satie for the soundtrack of a movie by Neil Jordan. The mandolin player Mike Marshall prodded him to learn Bach's E Major Prelude. He performed a chaconne by J.S. Bach at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City with the jazz fusion guitarist John McLaughlin.

He released his first album, Tony McManus, in 1996 on Greentrax Recordings. He recorded his second album, Pourquoi Quebec?, in Quebec, Canada and released it on the same label in 1998. His third album, Ceol More, was released in 2002 and achieved widespread critical acclaim.

Christina Roden wrote on AllMusic, "As usual, his command of acoustic guitar technique is flawless, with a chesty, rounded, gorgeous tone and a knack for well-marked rhythms and singing phrases."[3] Gordon Potter wrote in Living Tradition, "Here is a musician demonstrating talent by making it seem understated. This is good, this is very good indeed, and there's not much else that can be said."[4]

The album includes a version of Charles Mingus' Goodbye Porkpie Hat.[3] He recorded an album with the bass guitarist Alain Genty, titled Singing Sands.[5]

In 2017, McManus was named one of "50 Transcendent Acoustic Guitarists" in Guitar Player magazine.[6]

Signature model

In 2011, PRS Guitars created a McManus signature model guitar, a distinction he shares with the jazz guitarist Al Di Meola, the folk guitarist Martin Simpson and the rock guitarists Carlos Santana, John Mayer, Mark Lettieri, Ted Nugent and Orianthi Panagaris. The custom model, designed by Paul Reed Smith, went into development after McManus visited the bluegrass musician Ricky Skaggs in Nashville, Tennessee, while on tour in America.[7]

Discography

As sideman/guest

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Adams. Rob. Paisley's Tony McManus is the guitarman's guitarist. The Herald . 22 November 2016. 3 November 2015.
  2. Web site: Harris. Craig. Tony McManus . AllMusic. 22 November 2016.
  3. Web site: Ceol More review by Christina Roden. Roden, Christina. February 12, 2002. June 14, 2020. Allmusic.
  4. Web site: Ceol More by Tony McManus. Potter, Gordon. April 10, 2002. June 15, 2020. Living Tradition. Folk Music. 15 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200615092947/https://www.folkmusic.net/htmfiles/webrevs/cdtrax226.htm. dead.
  5. Web site: Singing Sands. Anderson, Rick. November 10, 2005. June 15, 2020. Allmusic.
  6. Web site: Superheroes of Wood, Steel, and Nylon: 50 Transcendent Acoustic Guitarists . Guitar Player . 5 July 2018.
  7. Web site: Tony McManus Private Stock Acoustic. May 20, 2015. June 15, 2020. PRS Guitars.
  8. Web site: Tony McManus Album Discography . AllMusic. 22 November 2016.
  9. Web site: Tony McManus Credits . AllMusic. 22 November 2016.