Anna Shannon
A precocious musician from a musical family, Anna Shannon was by the age of 12 the youngest member of the North Riding Youth Orchestra. But at 19 Anna gave up music to raise her family.
n the early 90`s Anna once again picked up her instruments, dusted them down and started performing seriously by playing fiddle and flute in an Irish Band. Around this time she also discovered the power of the blues via such diverse artists as Tom Waits and Nina Simone. This led to her forming a vehicle for her own song writing talents - The Chloe Doody Persuasion. Two CDs of the band featuring much of Anna`s own material have been recorded.
n the following years Anna played washboard and fiddle with skiffle group "The Worried Men", played fiddle and sang with cajun band Red Hot Boudan, and fronted the folk-rock band "SlinkyMalink" playing flute, oboe, fiddle and sax.
ore recently Anna has gone back to her folk roots, enthusiastically writing and recording songs as well as fronting "johnny-jump-up" an energetic trio playing Irish rockin` folk and trad. In this band she plays fiddle, flute and various whistles and takes a few vocals. In August 2006 Anna was awarded BBC Radio Yorkshire Songwriter of the Year and in May 2007 won first and second places in the " Song for the Sea" competition at the Whitby Captain Cook Festival. Her debut solo album "The Whale Dreaming" received excellent reviews.
