Sept 7, 2001 Kennedy's Kitchen Press Kit

Kennedy's Kitchen plays tear-up-the-floor, break-your-heart beautiful Irish music: traditional dance tunes, pub and original songs, stories, jokes, and well embellished tall tales.

They have played from New York City to Chicago and from Dayton, Ohio to the Irish Fest in Muskegon, Michigan, entertaining audiences with their own special sound on: fiddle, whistles, banjo, bouzouki, guitars, bodhran, harmonica and bass. It's the ancient tradition and it's as fresh as a spring rain.

Kennedy’s Kitchen is based in South Bend, Indian and has grown over ten years out of weekly seisuns at Lula's Cafe in South Bend, Indiana. As a seisun is as much a social gathering as a musical one, so like their performances, the music is intermingled with stories, jokes and well embellished tales. No two performances are the same. Out of their respect for each other's talents comes an abiding drive to share their enthusiasm for Irish music and culture with others.   Rowdy and toe-tapping or sweet and sentimental, you'll have it all.

Kennedy’s Kitchen has played the Krannert Center at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The Shaheen Music Series at Saint Mary College. In 2006 they shared billing with Tommy Makem at the DeBartollo Performing Arts Center at the Universit of Notre Dame.   The Kitchen is a regular performer at region's premier venues for acoustic and folk music: The Acorn Theater, in Three Oaks, Michigan, The Box Factory for the Arts in Saint Joseph Michigan, The Front Porch in Valparaiso, LVD Concert Series in Goshen, and the Mainstreet Theatre in Michigan City, IN.

The band’s third CD, A Pocketful of Lint, was chosen among the top thirty acoustic CDs of 2007 by WVPE FM 88.1's The Back Porch.

“To hear Kennedy’s Kitchen is to experience the heart of music, the culture of the songs being handed from musician to musician, the beauty of melody untouched by gimmick and the magic of this group of musicians coming together with one aim - to leave you, and them, breathless. Then, on the the next song, they’ll have you partying and dancing as never before. One of America’s best!”
Tom Schaub, Entertainment Director    Michigan Irish Music Festival

In September 2006 they shared equal billing with Tommy Makem at the DeBartollo Performing Arts Center at the Univeristy of Notre Dame.
"Kennedy’s Kitchen, was excellent. They have a really nice traditional flavor, relaxed attitude, and a lovely sound."
A Tommy Makem fan, taken from the Makem guest site.

In 2001, Kennedy's Kitchen appeared in the Shaheen Music Series at Saint Mary College along with Dervish, Colcannon, and The Baltimore Consort. In 2002 they performed a concert at Notre Dame with world champion step dancer Paul Cusick and USA national champion Caitlin Allen. In 2004 they performed at the Kranert Center for the Arts at the University of Illinois. In addition, The Kitchen has played some of the region's premier venues for acoustic and folk music: The Front Porch in Valparaiso, LVD's in Goshen, Indiana, and Kraftbrau Brewery in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

The band released their first CD, self-titled, in July of 2003 amd selected by National Public Radio affiliate WVPE FM 881's The Back Porch as one of the top 25 folk releases of 2003.. Their second CD, a live recording, entitled Music in The Glen was released in September of 2004. Their third recording, A Pocketful of Lint was released in November of 2006.

" 'A Pocketful Of Lint' contains some of the best traditional Irish music there is - plus some great original tunes and songs. The musicianship is outstanding. A thoroughly entertaining CD - just what you'd expect from one of the top Irish bands in the Midwest. Buy a copy - you'll be glad you did." Al Kniola, Host of The Back Porch, 88.1 WVPE Public Radio

Based in South Bend, Indiana they play regularly in festivals and venues throughout the Midwest. Their instruments include fiddles, flute, whistles, mandolin, bouzuoki, guitars, tenor banjo, bohdran, and bass. They have been together since 1998.

Photos for press use. Credit Steve Echols

Press Photo..... 4.8 meg. Credits: Steve Echols
Rob Weber, Chris O'Brien, Bob Harke, joHn Kennedy, Nolan Ladewski

Press Photo..... 3.2 meg. Credits: Steve Echols
Nolan Ladewski, joHn Kennedy, Rob Weber, Chris O'Brien, Bob Harke

The Celtic Fire Stepdancers frequently perform with Kennedy's Kitchen.

Band Lineup

joHn Kennedy See film ... joHn in 6/8 time
Vocals, guitar, tin whistle, bouzouki, bohdran, banjo, embellished stories.

John is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist musician/promoter who along the path of life also acquired a doctorate in develoment economics from the University of Notre Dame (’79, ’91). Besides playing acoustic guitar, bouzouki, tin whistle and the bodhran, his rich, deep voice is an instrument unto itself as he sings his original compositions and Irish tunes. He has promoted and brought to the South Bend area: Solas, Natalie McMaster, Siucre and others. His interest of Irish music led him to help form the band 'Seamaisin' in 1990 and co-produced two recordings with that group ‘Joseph Harvey's Fiddle was Left in the Rain’ and ‘Seamaisin: Live at The Tin Shop’. Seamaisin also produced music for the sound track of the short-film, Araby, an adaptation of James Joyce's short story of the same name. Araby was nominated for an Academy Award in the Student Narrative Film category. The band ‘Seamaisin’ can also be heard in one of the scenes from the movie ‘Rudy’.

joHn is the 2004 All-Ireland Fleadh Silver Medalist in Accompaniment, competing on guitar which was held in Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland. He has won numerous medals in traditional singing and acommpaniment competing at the Midwest Fleadhs.

joHn's solo CD ‘I'll Learn To Fly’ was chosen by WVPE FM 88.1's Back Porch program as one of the top ten folk releases of 1998. Other recording credits include: ‘St. Patrick's Day at Notre Dame’, recorded live with David James, Dan Gellert, Kevin and Maggie Henry, Pat Max, and Rosie McCormick; ‘The Notre Dame Experience’ with Nolan Ladewski, Autumn Rhodes and Tim O'Neil on the opening cut of this Piano Brothers production; and ‘Extra Stout, Live at the Inn at Long Trail’ a recording which joHn engineered and produced with Pat Max

"His voice is absolutely phenomenal" Helen Norris, Senior Life, October 2001.
"joHn Kennedy puts his whole heart into it." Andy Hughes, South Bend Tribune, March 16, 1996
"The best storytelling songs that I've heard since Harry Chapin", A fan, overheard in the lavatory at a show at Box Factory for The Arts.

joHn is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Chile 79-81) and has a PhD in Economics from the University of Notre Dame. He served on the faculty of Notre Dame from 1991 until 2001. He is now a full-time musician.

Nolan Ladewski
Tin whistle, low D and other whistles

Nolan has been playing music since he was six years old. He began learning from his uncle, joHn. He recently traveled to England to study with Brian Finnegan of Flook. He has attended the Comahltas Irish music school in Ireland three times and studied with a number of Ireland's master tin whistle players. He recently began composing tunes for Kennedy's Kitchen. Nolan took first place in the slow aire cateory on tin whistle at the midwest fleadh, 2005, age 13-17. He took first place in his age category for tin whistle at the 1999 Midwest Fleadh and competed in Ireland that year. In 2004 Nolan played soloist for his uncle joHn's all-Ireland Silver Medal in the Accompaniment Category.

Bob Harke
Guitar, bodhran, and vocals

Bob, the eldest of the group, and the only member to sport a silver-gray coif started dabbling with the acoustic guitar when he was ten. In the early days, he was drawn to and influenced by the haunting and twangy sounds of Ferlin Husky, Jim Reeves and Kenny Rogers. Later the harmony and unique lyrics of the Kingston Trio, and Peter, Paul and Mary was added to his repertoire of listening pleasures. Bob has been a person unto himself playing and singing the songs he loved, basically for his own enjoyment, seldom stepping into the limelight at gatherings. In 1995 while preparing for a trip to Ireland he became immersed in the sounds and cultural nuances and rhythms of Irish music ultimately composing and singing his first Irish tune 'The Rustic Stone Bridge.' He is much influenced by the styles of Dublin Balladeer Paddy Reilly and Noel Nash from County Kerry, Ireland. While visiting Ireland this new love was cultivated and enriched as he embraced the tunes, songs, ambiance and culture found in the local pubs.
In recent years this newly found joy has been kept alive through his participation in local seciuns and wherever musicians gather to play Irish tunes. This is how he met John Kennedy and he now plays acoustic guitar, bodhran and vocals for 'Kennedy's Kitchen.'
As Bob holds a B.S. from Purdue University and an M.S. from Notre Dame he can be observed sharing his knowledge of biology, chemistry and anatomy/physiology with his high school and college students in South Bend, Indiana. When he is not in the classroom or crooning a tune with his guitar, one may find him in the garden admiring and analyzing one of his newly hybridized daylilies.

Chris O'Brien
Fiddle, tenor banjo,mandolin, and vocals.

Chris began classical violin at the age of 9 and later turned to Appalachia and Irish Traditional music. Her early influences include the soulful and rousing tunes of Tommy Peoples from County Donegal, Ireland and the all Irish born Bothy Band. She has studied fiddle at the Willie Clancy School in Milltown-Malbay, County Clare, Ireland. She is currently employed in art and frame restoration. She is also an avid accomplished gardener, just for the joy of taking care of flowers that have no other place to go. Chris has spent many summers in Kilkee, County Clare, Ireland

Rob Weber
Bass, really low vocals

Rob, a musician since the age of twelve, lived in Texas and performed with many of the blues, jazz, and R&B artists for which Texas is famous. His longest tenure was with the renowned 'Midnite Flyer Band', an eight piece R&B group featuring Jimmy Luke, the Texas R&B singer and harmonica player. On his return to his hometown of South Bend, Rob "fell in" with the session players at the Monday night sessons at Lula's. A writer with a novel and hundreds of short stories and novellas to his credit, Rob was completely taken with the story telling qualities of Irish music. "The cultural similarities of the Irish and the Jewish peoples have many touchpoints. The both value family, the home, music, and the traditions of passing the legends, myths, and the histories from one generaton to the next,

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BAND HISTORY Past members of the band.

Joel Cooper Founding member of the band, appearing Kennedy's Kitchen, Music in The Glen, and A Pocketful of Lint. Joel lives in Minnesota with his family. He occasionally joins the band for performances.

Bass, guitar, and vocals.

Joel is a gifted songwriter and singer. A founding member of Kenndy's Kitchen now living in exile, he is known as Michiana's favorite bass player. He returns to South Bend as often as he can to perform withthe Kitchen and with area folk musicians joHn Kennedy, Judy Berg, and Noah and Irene Carver. He has recorded with Noah and Irene Carver on their 2000 release You're Always There. He is working with joHn on his upcoming solo CD and with Judy Berg on her upcoming CD. He brings to folk and Irish music 15 years of singing tenor with various choral groups, notably with the Notre Dame Chorale and the Vesper Chorale. He states that his last big choral gig was singing Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" with the South Bend Symphony.

Joel is presently the Director of information Technology at Carleton College in Minnesota, a position he once held at Saint Mary's College.

In Minnesota Joel is active in several musical venues including playing bass for the up-and-coming folk/rock band 'Old Enough To Be Your Dad'. He is also a singer and composer. His composition "Land By The Sea" is on the Kitchen's debut CD. His composition Immigrant Song is on the bands second CD, Music in the Glen.

Sally Joyce appears on Kennedy's Kitchen and Music in The Glen. She is a gifted multi-instrumentalist. She is currently enrolled at the University of Harvard.

Fiddle, low D and other whistle.

Jim Bradberry appears on Kennedy's Kitchen and Music in The Glen.

Mandolin, banjo, and v ocals

Jim is the founder and owner of Mr. Bradberry's Violin Shop. He started playing music on the back porch with his family and in the seven ties played guitar with Jericho and TD Davis. He now enjoys playing country, bluegrass, Bulgarian and Irish music. His wife, Martha teaches Suzuki violin and they both play with a bluegrass band. Martha also plays with the South Bend Symphony. Jim appears on the bands first two CDs.

Autumn Rhodes

Flute, Tin Whistle

A founding member of Kennedy's Kitchen, she appears on our first CD. Autumn is a gifted multi-instrumentalist and arranger. She plays in numerous band, including Mira with Sally Joyce and Nolan Ladewski.