Lalla Rookh

In the late 1980s, Fort Collins, Colorado residents Charley Gannon and Mary Whalen formed Lalla Rookh after their initial meeting. During daylight hours they ran the Osprey Guitars music shop, yet outside those duties the pair performed as a duo and shared a strong passion for Celtic music. Following appearances across Colorado, the group expanded its roster with fiddler Kay Williams and bassist Jim Abraham. Williams had previously played in the Colorado State University Orchestra, while Abraham brought experience from the West Virginia Wesleyan Jazz Ensemble. Mandolinist Paul Honeycutt also joined the lineup. The ensemble issued its debut album, Book One - Tales and Tradition, in 1998. Lalla Rookh, whose name matches the title of a poetry collection by Sir Thomas Moore, followed with the 2002 release Do You Want Kilts. Festival stages for the band have included the Colorado Irish Festival and the Wyoming Celtic Festival.