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The genesis of Edsall Road occurred during the summer of 1996 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Matt Tourville and Billy White were there, performing in the Nova Scotia International Military Tattoo with the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. While they were there, they discovered a similar interest in traditional Scots/Irish music. By the end of their trip to Nova Scotia, Matt and Billy were spending their days on the streets of Nova Scotia playing flute and bodhrán for crowds of passers-by. After returning to Northern VA, Matt and Billy enlisted Charles White to form a trio. In 2002 Joshua Dukes joined Edsall Road as a replacement drummer for Charles who had left to attend college. Joshua soon carved out his own niche in the band, however, not only covering the bodhrán parts but adding low D whistle, and bouzouki to the line up. When Charles returned in 2004 the band officially became a quartet and on occasion a quintet, when Bill White, Sr. sits in with his fiddle and songs.
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Edsall Road has performed all over Northern VA and D.C. including stints at Brigadoons in Georgetown, Ireland's Four Provinces, Pat Troy's in Alexandria, Kate's Irish Pub, Ireland's Four Courts , Sine's, Sullivan's Irish Pub and The Colonial Tavern in Fredericksburg and Molly's Irish Pub in Warrenton.
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In addition to playing the local pubs, Edsall Road headlined numerous concerts including the St. Thomas Music Festival in McLean VA, the Williamsburg Regional Library annual concert series and regular appearances at the annual "Occasion for the Arts" Festival in Williamsburg VA. Edsall Road has even done "educational programming" as part of the Hennage Auditorium concert series. This series, at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Gallery in Williamsburg, VA hosts educational concerts and programs designed to entertain and inform the audience. Twice in 2004 Edsall Road was asked to appear at the Hennage Auditorium to share its music and explain the origins and importance of Celtic Music. Additionally, music from "a long time coming...", the band's debut CD, was featured in a 2001 Colonial Williamsburg Video Production.
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The band is also very community minded, performing a number of benefit concerts including events to support cancer and diabetes research, the Special Olympics and most recently in support of Fine Arts funding in the public schools.
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Regardless of the venue or medium, Edsall Road remains a fun and lively band committed to performing the traditional music of Scotland and Ireland as well as some of the best contemporary celtic folk and their own original compositions.
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