Duet coming back to play for old friends and new fans

The Badgers, an acoustic duet from the United Kingdom, will be performing at the O'Shaughnessy Center on Sept. 23 at 8 p.m.

The Badgers - James Hickman and Chris Quinn - have merged the traditional styles of gypsy jazz, blues, bluegrass, Celtic, Western swing and folk, to create their own unique and recognizable sound.

The duo made their Flathead Valley debut last year. Local resident Dennis Wolfe saw them in a pub in Ireland and decided their talents should be shared with Montana audiences.

"Our friend here Dennis Wolfe who has organized the tour for us has told us there is a great deal of enthusiasm from people all over the Flathead Valley who saw us perform last year, so we are expecting some great gigs and to meet some nice people along the way," Quinn said. "Last year we met a lot of people at our shows and we made some friends too. It was a wonderful time for us."

Hickman and Quinn also play internationally and perform on a regular basis with violin legend Dan Cassidy. Recent tours include the United States, Germany, Ireland and Iceland.

The Badgers have just released a new CD, "The BBC Sessions," that will be on sale during the current tour. It was recorded live in Birmingham, England at the BBC studios about two months ago.

"We are really happy with the way it sounds," Quinn said. "It has some blues, some folk, some Celtic, some European jazz and some other stuff on it too. We talk on it about the songs as well so it is pretty unique as an album."

Their first album, "Live Studio Recordings" was released last year. It is a more folk-oriented compilation with British and Celtic influences.

Quinn began his musical career with the concertina at 5 years old and then quickly moved on to the guitar.

By his mid-teens, he was playing regularly on the pub and club circuit of England. At the age of 18, after finishing Music College, he went into the entertainment business and got a job at Kiln Park.

At Kiln Park, he supported acts such as the Searchers, Edwin Star and the Drifters, sometimes joining them on stage for jams. He then took part in an established show, The Blues Brothers, that traveled around the south coast playing theaters, entertainment centers and other events in front of audiences ranging from 300 to 1,500 people. The show ran for six nights a week for nine months.

He was then offered a job with the Debbie Angel variety show. After this he played the part of Frankie Avalon in the musical "Grease."

It was at this time Quinn decided to start a new act with Hickman, a lifelong friend.

Hickman has been playing the guitar and singing since a young age and has always had an interest in music. He started his career by going to Music College, where he met and auditioned for a successful Irish rock band. After getting the job, he moved to Ireland where he performed regularly in Dublin, Cork and Limerick.

His music tastes began to change as he started to appreciate jazz and blues. While in Ireland, he became involved with traditional Irish and Celtic music, forming a second band which traveled Ireland performing at festivals and clubs.

After a summer tour, he received an offer from old friend Dan Cassidy, the brother of the late Eva Cassidy, to go to Iceland and perform in his jazz swing trio. As rhythm guitar player and singer, Hickman performed for a 12-month period in top venues all over Iceland.

"I have been amazed that from the time Chris and James left Montana last year and then during the months leading up to this year's visit, lots of people are very happy to have them back," Wolfe said. "I am not a trained musician but I have received quite a number of comments from those that are that The Badgers are incredibly talented."

Reserved seating tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and $9 for students. Tickets can be purchased at the O'Shaughnessy Center box office or by calling 862-5371.