Charmas’ original music includes Celtic fusion/rock, surf rock, and American folk-pop music. As a “working band” (for private events and small venues), Charmas Trio performs traditional Irish/Scottish Music. As a festival band, Charmas full band performs original Celtic fusion/rock and Sea Music.

Meet our collective group of performers…

ELISE MACGREGOR FERRELL – Band Manager, Songwriter, Trio performer on fiddle, Great Highland Bagpipes

Elise’s musical journey began at age 5, with piano lessons and playing flute for her middle school’s marching band, as well as listening to classical music every night during dinner. She fell in love with folk music at Yosemite’s first Strawberry Music Festival, becoming a regular at both the Spring and Fall festivals, while also entering the world of rock and roll music as a handheld camera operator and principle director for the Concord Pavilion’s live-feed video screens. Later taking up fiddling, she squandered countless early motherhoood evenings learning traditional Irish and Scottish tunes at drop-in Celtic sessions, and joining old-time/bluegrass jams. It could be said that Elise jumped off the deep end when she became a Great Highland Bagpiper, nowadays performing solo for swank private events, competing with the Monterey Bay Pipe Band, and marching seasonally with Canada’s 100-year-old Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band. Elise’s original inspiration for founding Charmas came from watching her favorite Celtic bands – The Old Blind Dogs and Molly’s Revenge – and nowadays she is aiming to steer the band toward performing more high-energy dance music, in hopes of inspiring a new generation of youths to become Celtic music fans.

 Mick O’Broain – Creative Collaborator, bass, lead vocals

Mick started playing bass at 17, mainly due to uncooperative girlfriends.  He quickly worked his way up to managing a 10-piece band, and producing multiple recordings of his own original music, arranged for full band with three- and sometimes four-piece horn sections.  Although he is a bassist at heart, he has also performed and recorded on guitar and piano, and has many lead and backing vocal credits.  Fortunate enough to attend Alisdair Fraser’s “Fiddle Camp” for a few years as an “accompanist” on bass and guitar, Michael learned the subtle intricacies of Celtic rhythms.  Seven days in the woods with over a hundred fiddle players will definitely change a person.  These adventures also included regular study under preeminent Celtic guitarist Tony McManus.  A tragic addiction to Guinness stout, acquired during a hitch-hiking trip through Ireland, still haunts Michael, but he assures us regular access to “the Black” was not a major factor in his decision to play with Charmas.  More at MKBmusic.com

 AARON CLEGG – Sea Music captain, Trio performer on lead vocals, wooden flute, whistles, saxophone

Aaron Clegg: At age 13, Aaron first went to a traditional Celtic music session with his musician father, and his life changed forever. He returned to that session in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for the next 15 years off and on, learning to play Celtic flute and tin whistle, singing Irish songs and sea chanties, and eventually taking classes and playing in sessions with many famous Irish musicians. Meanwhile, he played saxophone in high school and college jazz bands. Rounding out his versatility in instruments and genres, Aaron became part of the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir for two years, performing at major concerts and sporting events and on national television. In 2013 he sang at the San Francisco Sea Music Festival. Aaron teaches private lessons in classical and wooden flute, tin whistle, saxophone, and voice technique, performs at weddings and memorials, and earns the balance of his living teaching at schools in the Santa Cruz area.

JIM POWELL – Songwriter, chordsmith, Trio performer on acoustic guitar, electric guitar, vocals

Jim started playing guitar at 14. His first job was taken solely to be able to buy a Fender Stratocaster and an amplifier – the guitar is now considered “vintage” – Jim is not sure how he feels about being the original owner of a vintage guitar. He discovered Celtic music by hearing Alisdair Fraser and the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers playing in the late 1980s. He played with that group for several years, before switching to smaller, local Celtic (and non-Celtic) groups. Over the years, he has accompanied fiddlers, pipers, flautists, accordionists and singers. He also plays bouzouki and mandolin.

 PHIL JOHNSTON – Trio performer on acoustic and electric guitar, lead vocals

Phil’s musical family started him on the piano at age 6 -which  only lasted for a year, before the “great Folk scare” and the arrival of the Beatles inspired him to switch to guitar and never look back. Phil was 11 years old when he landed a lead singing role in a production of the Gian Carlo Menotti operetta, “Amahl and the Night Visitors.” Seven succeeding years of learning how to play the Blues and Psychedelic Rock music (with a particular focus on the music of Jimi Hendrix) may have helped  Phil to earn a degree in Music Composition and Theory from the University of California Santa Cruz. “Between jobs” after college, he answered a want-ad for a guitarist/vocalist to join the Celtic-American folk group, Shanachie, and subsequently spent three years touring the U.S. and Europe, performing Celtic and American folk music. One highlight of this touring which Phil fondly recalls was representing the U.S. at the Dublin, Ireland Millennium Folk Festival in 1989. Nowadays, Phil uses his combined talents as a guitar player and vocalist to cross between genres and creatively explore the Celtic and American Roots music catalogs, developing ideas that bring fresh character to the Charmas musical family.

 PHIL JURMAN – bass By day, an electrical contractor. By night, a funk junkie who enjoys playing for rooms full of dancing people. When asked about his musical background, Phil doesn’t bother explaining. He just picks up his bass and talks with his instrument.

 STEPHEN VAHLE – kit/hand drums and percussion A lifelong drummer, who can effortlessly switch back and forth between trapset drumming, African drumming, ornamental percussion, jazz drumming, old school rock, and just about anything else Charmas throws at him. He can be found performing in retirement homes, nightclubs, jazz jams, and sitting in for recording sessions just about every night of the week.

 DEVIN LARA – kit drums

Born in County Santa Cruz, and working as a plumber by day and a musician by night, Devin spent a decade playing guitar/bass for bands whose styles ranged from stoner metal and jazz, to blues, heavier metal and everything else in between. Stale coolers filled with warm, cheap beer in San Francisco’s late-night clubs might not have motivated Devin’s switch to drums, but he has since developed a passion for percussion that swerved dramatically when he joined Charmas. And perhaps The Stars have always wished for Devin to play Celtic music, because (we kid you not) he was born on St. Patrick’s Day!

MATT JOHNSON – tenor banjo, pennywhistle

Matt’s diverse musical background began with playing trumpet and baritone horn in his high school’s symphonic, marching, and jazz bands. He claims to have learned to play old time banjo from a dubious relative in Aptolachia (south of Sokewell and Capittola), but, then again, he also claims to know someone who is his own grandpa. We do have proof that Matt took up playing pennywhistle, guitar, and banjo during the 1980’s, and that he became a regular fixture at Santa Cruz’s legendary Britannia Arms Irish sessions. Matt spent a subsequent decade playing rock and blues by night, while running his business, T&M Concrete, during the daytime. As soon as he returned to playing in local Celtic sessions, he got swept up by Charmas like sheet music in a sea breeze. Today, the old-spice scented minstrel looks back upon his nearly 30 years of picking strings, and playfully admits that he might finally be “getting serious” about music. His lingering childhood dream is to someday play Celtic tuba for Charmas.

 RICHARD DWYER – lead vocals, low whistle, bodhran

At the tender age of 6 Richard started piano lessons and went on to spend 5 years studying music at the Royal College of Music in Dublin, Ireland. A long stint with an Irish Rock band ensued, but eventually life took a hand and Richard left the music scene, and the country. Quite a few years passed before he took an interest in music again, in of all places, his local church. Thanks to their St. Patrick’s day celebration and his nomination as the token Irishman, he began organizing their annual shindig and developed a love for Celtic music. He now plays whistle and bodhran, and is the lead singer in his own band Luckless Pedestrians, as well as the traditional bodhran drummer for Charmas.

 MIKE HALLORAN – lead vocals, bodhran

A former bandmate of Phil Johnston, when the pair toured with Celtic band Shannachie. He’s got some roaring-funny comedy songs worked up with Phil, and a huge repertoire of Irish Top 40 songs, perfect for wakes, singalong house parties, and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

 Jeremy Friedenthal – lead vocals

This Bay Area native has picked up boatloads of Olde English and Irish songs from the docks of San Francisco, and hangs around with our local folk musicians far too often to be considered sane. He also enjoys doing stupidly healthy things, like bicycling through snow or heat, and running to his local pub 16 miles away. Boredom sometimes inspires him to organize house concerts and music events, while at other times he can be glimpsed singing loudly in his car.

 DAN BLAKE – bass

Dan’s musical adventure began at age 10 when his Scottish grandma gave him guitar lessons. He didn’t keep up the lessons, but grandma insisted he keep the guitar just in case he decided to pick it back up. That’s exactly what happened and he still owns and plays that old Yamaha guitar 45 years later! While still playing guitar, he found a love of all things bass along the way and has played in local bands for many years. He has also sung with the Santa Cruz Peace Choral and hopes to continue if time allows. He’s excited to continue his musical journey with Charmas. If you don’t see him on stage around town look for him in the audience watching others playing! His motto? Support live music!

 RUSS BENNETT – bodhran

Russ played drum set as a teenager, and at 20 years old, he went to work overseas, playing concerts and entertaining military personnel. During a long career of operating a construction-based business in the SF Bay Area, he studied various styles of percussion with experts John Santos, Michael Spiro, Brian Rice, and Jim Griener. A decision to move to Santa Cruz got him involved with Cabrillo College’s Latin Jazz Ensemble, and inspired him to specialize in playing hand drums. Russ plays the Brazilian Pandiero, Middle Eastern Darbuka (for belly dancers), Tar, Conga, Cajon, Bongo, as well as full drum set. Russ fell in love with Celtic music and started playing the Bodhran Irish frame drum. He has studied Celtic percussion with David Brewer and some the very best teachers from Ireland such as Colm Phelan and Eamon Murray.