Celtic Confusion - an eclectic group of four to five musicians well known for high power performance, particularly when the whole pile of 'em show up for the gig! Gary Newman, Colleen Herning, Lisa Jaeger, Pat Webb, Max Newman, and Paige Steiner now comprise this fine band. Contact Gary at 488-2001 or gary(at)celticconfusion.com via email for bookings.

• Polar Drive - five folks, always willing to go out on the edge to bring in new wave traditional music, usually found back East. Bill Connor (flute); Betty Connor (fiddle); Charlie Hunt (mando and banjo thingies); Nancy Bayer on piano. Contact Charlie at 488-1216 for offers.

Gaelic Fusion - a fine mix of mostly young local Celtic type musicians, who gather when in town from college, Contact Gary at 488-2001 or gary(at)alaskafolkmusic.org for bookings.

• Fairbanks Red Hackle Pipe Band - this is the quintessential Great Highland Pipe Band, in full regalia. Great stuff from folks of giant lungs. Contact: Dennis Stephens at 479-5826.

Bill Stevens and Friends - Bill is the premier proponent and most renown of Athabascan fiddling. Briefly, the Athabascan Indians live in Interior Alaska and many learned Irish and Scottish fiddle tunes from the Hudson Bay traders that plied the Yukon River back in the relative old days. The Athabascans have taken the music and tunes to heart and endowed them with special qualities that make it their own. As much a separate tradition of fiddling as Cape Breton (Nova Scotia) style. Reach Bill at (907) 457-7811.

• Last Night’s Fun out of Anchorage plays Irish folk music faithful to the tradition, with some Cape Breton and Cajun influences. They perform throughout Alaska any time they can, and have even been known for the occasional foray to the Lower 48. John Walsh, tenor banjo/mandolin; Tom Walker, guitar/bouzouki; Dan Possumato, button accordion, melodeon; Mark Ward, fiddle. They all claim to sing. They'd love to hear from you. 376-3775.

• Nightwind - an Anchorage based, yet eclectic band, playing traditional and contemporary celtic music that may still be performing, if called upon. Mike Richardson, violin/vocals/bodhran/Irish pipes, etc.; Linda Yarborough, harp/keyboard/vocals; Bob French, flute/whistle/oboe; Helen Howarth, cello; David McCormick, guitar/mandolin. Contact 566-0829 or 562-7397.

• Not Fairbanks, or even Alaska, but here is a page for the foremost Irish band in the Northwest, The Suffering Gaels out of Seattle.

• For traditional music other than celtic, you can try the Other Alaskan Folk Musicians and Bands page.