- Gene Shay, WXPN Radio, Philadelphia PA

"Funktabulous infused Gaelic rock-esque folk with a big barrel of mead."

- Kevin Crowe, Knoxville's Weekly Voice, Knoxville TN

"Imagine Jethro Tull on Broadway and you're starting to get the picture."

- Sam McDonald, Daily Press Music Editor, Newport News, VA

"Coyote Run is one of the hottest Celtic acts on the circuit today."

- Louise Dunphy, Entertainment Coordinator for Celebration of Celts, Host of WMUA's Celtic Crossings

"Coyote Run blends a marvelously eclectic celt setlist with their ancient earthy vibe for a lavish musical feast of harmony and rhythm. But their hidden talent is holding an enthusiastic crowd with their perfect a capella when the rain comes down and the power goes out. I call em the Earth Mamas & Papas!"

- Kyf Brewer, founder and lead singer of Barleyjuice

"Saw Coyote Run for the first time in Abingdon... Wow! absolutely blown away with the quality and depth of the music. Timeless and meaningful, excellent quality and worth hearing over and over!"

- Susan Hamrick

"It was good seeing you guys this weekend at Fling! The new CD is great-fantastic-awesome-(insert any other adjective that fits)! I really like the 'kicked up' version of "Fool" and "The King's Proud Dragoons" just gives me chills every time I listen to it. You guys really nailed this CD!"

- Katy, PA

"We went to the Celtic fling last Saturday and were delighted to find your band was playing. After hearing you again, we purchased Between Wick and Flame and absolutely love it! I have to say it’s pretty much all I have been listening to since I brought it home. And on a personal note, I don’t mean to embarrass you, but you have, and I thought this last year, a beautiful voice. You could sing to me all day. We are so looking forward to seeing Coyote Run at the Faire this year and picking up more music.

I also wanted to say good luck with the fund raiser for the Upper Pottsgrove Fire Company. Unfortunately, people who hold positions of security and protection of others seem to get left behind when it comes to funding. I applaud you and your band for stepping up and assisting in such a good cause. I’m sure the community will appreciate it and as a fan, it warms my heart to follow a band with a conscience."

- Jackie E., Lancaster, PA

"I bought Between Wick and Flame at the festival in Leesburg 14 June 2008. I can not get enough of it. The King's Proud Dragoons followed close behind by We be Soldiers Three... are outstanding and make my 80 mile commute bearable. Even my four year old is begging me to play the album!"

- Morgan Puderbaugh, Leesburg, VA

"I am certain that you hear (read) compliments all the time, but I wanted to add my voice in. I thouroughly enjoy every concert I get to! Your energy and obvious enjoyment of the music is exciting. I think that your attention to the lyrics is wrapped into my appreciation of the whole experience. I wonder if a time will come that I get through an entire concert without tearing up. I hope not. You take such care to deal with some important issues, and it touches my heart every time! I look forward to many happy returns.

The 2 new members are tremendous! How great for us fans that you found them!

Shalom, blessings to you!"

- Chris, via the Internet

"Just wanted to say again, the show at the Yorktown library was great. I really enjoy seeing all of you perform and any drive to do so is well worth it. Hope to see you again in Williamsburg next month, and definitely at the Potomac Celtic Festival in June."

- Rick Stewart, Dumfries VA

"I have seen Coyote Run twice now in concert and plan on seeing them every time they are in town. I just recently lost my father to some unknown brain infection and Coyote Run's music has really helped me get through the rough times. They had a concert in Toledo, Ohio about two weeks before my father's passing, and what a huge stress relief it was to be able to enjoy such great music."

- Eric, OR

"Let me start by saying your show was fabulous! My husband and I quickly threw together a Thanksgiving trip to Williamsburg because his father was diagnosed with untreatable lung cancer in October and our little girl, Kaitlyn, really wanted to take a special vacation with Grandma and PapPap. We were able to get tickets to your Saturday evening show. My father-in-law is a man of very few words and really doesn't show emotion. Well part way through the show I looked over to see him sitting there with the biggest smile I had ever seen. I was able to snap a picture of him. When my husband saw his father's face he immediately started to cry. I just wanted to pass along what a truly great gift you gave our family to see him having a good time in spite of his grim health prognosis. You have forever touched our family and we look forward to seeing more of your shows in the future."

- Mrs. Nancy E. Sipe, York PA

"I just want to thank you for the fantastic performance your group put on last night at City Church. I am so glad I did not miss it! We had been out on the bay all weekend on our boat and worked hard to get back in time to come and we just made it. I don't think I've ever been so upclose to so much talent. I felt very privileged to be in the audience.

Thanks again for sharing your talent with us. It was very well received."

- Julie Richardson, Homestead FL

"Best of luck to you and the band. Maybe we will meet in person someday. By the way, your melding of Tso'ape and Bear River is haunting. Good work. Thanks."

- Ronald Snake Edmo

"We just got home from the PA Ren Faire and just wanted to let you know that we are so glad we got to see Coyote Run. Thank you for sharing your many gifts that God has blessed you with. You have many special gifts and we like to say God bless you back as much as you have blessed us and I'm sure many others with your talent.

Please keep up the great work. Your writing is awesome. We'll see you next weekend and get our tickets for Gettysburg. God's blessing on you and Coyote Run as you go forward."

- Phil and Carol Fike, Greencastle, PA

"Thanks so much for coming back to the Celt Fest in Elizabethton this year. We really enjoyed seeing you all again. We appreciate the intelligence, humor, creative talent, theatrical element, energy, and your ability to make the audience feel a part of each and every performance. Hope to see you all again soon. (Hopefully we won't have to wait a whole year for that.) Good luck and blessings on your tour. Oh yeah, and thanks for doing The Battle of New Orleans...so much fun!"

- Monica Clinard

"I'd just like to thank you for a great opportunity for people to see that family entertainment is possible. So much fun to see the crowd, which encompassed all ages, sharing the richness of the music. Even the little boy behind us who covered his ears and screamed "Oh nooooo!" when he heard you warming up the pipes wound up having a good time."

- Paulina Ley, Via the Internet

"Your music touched my soul that Sunday afternoon. I love all types of music, from country and bluegrass to classical and everything in between but I had never listened to Celtic music before that rainy Sunday afternoon. I'm not sure it is the Celtic sound as much as it is the unique soul inspiring melodies you so masterfully bring together with incredible heavenly vocals and instrumentals. The energy of your performance was like nothing I have ever seen before (and I have seen many bands who are considered legendary). I applaud the the unique talent your band has brought together.

I have not been able to stop telling friends and colleagues about the excitement your music generated in me. Don't ever stop doing what you do. I can't wait to see you live, in person again."

- Carla Beswick, MSN, FNP

"I am very much looking forward to seeing you guys again, you put on shows that remain forever impressed on the heart and mind."

- Jack Trythbal, Via the Internet

"I wanted to say thank you for a wonderful weekend at the Virginia Highlands Festival in Abingdon. I managed to attend 2 of your sets, both of which were truly marvelous. I had already had the great good fortune to be introduced to your music, and (as all of you noticed) I knew all of the words to all of the songs, but I had not yet been able to see you live. Being able to see a live performance simply made me love Coyote Run even more. Not only are all of you talented musicians (both instrumentally and vocally), but you are also gifted performers, and if that wasn't enough, you are truly genuinely wonderful people as well. All of you were friendly with the other bands at the festival and with all of your fans, both new and old: posing for pictures and signing Cd's and shirts (even mine, which I was wearing at the time!). Such a marvelous combination is rare and wonderful to see! I am thrilled to be a part of your constantly expanding fan base, and I hope to see you many times in the future! "

- Melinda Ley

"Saw you guys for the second time at the [Abingdon] Highlands Festival...(all sets)...You were still so much fun. Saw you last year at Sycamore Shoals and looking very much forward to September there. My hubby and I were looking forward to seeing Coyote Run all year and this year we get treated to two weekends with ya. Thanks so much for all that you bring to the stage from exceptional musicianship on all the wonderful and wonderous mix of instruments...the showmanship that delights in every way...the poetry of the music itself...and the gift of being transported back in time and to places we long to see. It truly is an exciting experience beginning to end with Coyote Run!!! Thanks to you all...there is no difficulty in being taken to those far off places, knowing personally the wonderful characters of your songs, and perhaps most important to me...remembering and coming back to the truth of who we really are inside. It's so easy to get caught up in all the pressures and chaos that life (especially with a teen-age boy and a thinks he's a teenager boy, a job, and a family to take care of, not to mention keeping yourself together...if that's possible.) You remind me to step-back, not take myself so seriously, to remember my roots, to count what is really important, and to have fun in life. Some of us actually do need to be reminded to have fun, and boy do you do your job on that front exceptionally well. Ok well I'll stop gushing now. I'll see you all again in September at the Sycamore Shoals Celtic Fest. See ya then."

- Monica Clinard

"I had a fabulous time seeing you guys play at Grandfather mountain last weekend! Your music is amazing and your vocals are phenomenal -- O Shenendoah gave me chills! Thanks so much for your amazing performances and for being so personable. It's great to be able to interact with a group that is so talented. Thanks again and I hope to see you at the Highland games next year!"

- Danielle Hitchcock, NC

"I just wanted to let you know you were amazing at the Celtic Fling. I only had a chance to see one performance this weekend because I was selling tickets at the front gate. I wanted to let you know that every time I have seen you I have gotten chills and been moved to tears. I can't wait til the faire starts to see you all. Hopefully, I will catch one of your shows and not just the finale"

- Kelly Rotzell, PA

"Guys - I just wanted to thank you for a great Fling weekend. We had a blast dancing with you at both the Ceili's. You were so easy to work with, the directions were perfect - a true dancer's band. I'll be passing along your contact info to several bars here in Northeastern PA. Hopefully we can get you up to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton soon. Thanks again,"

- Laura Hudak, Scoil Rince na Connemara Irish Dance Academy, PA

"Hi mi name is Janey Bell even if that is Scottish. I love you guys and girl. I have been to Willimsburg and I have seen you. Mi da talked to one of you I forget, but you are amazing!!! I think one of your best songs are "Lord of the Dance" !!!!!! That is mi favorite!!! Just wanted to commplament ya." [sic]

- Janey Bell, Age 12

"Thanks to Coyote Run for a spectacular evening last Saturday at the Williamsburg Regional Library! It was a great performance, artfully planned and perfectly executed. I'll be looking forward to hearing the CD created during the show. In the meantime, I've been singing along with "Coyote Run Pleads the Fifth" all week during my commute to/from Richmond. "

- Margaret Anne Lane, Williamsburg, VA

"I just saw your performance at the Unitarian Church in Fort Lauderdale and wanted to thank you for such a joyful experience. Along with the truly amazing musicianship of every member of the band and the unbelievable energy, what also struck me was the intelligence of the whole performance. You guys are spectacular and I am so grateful for the evening. Best wishes for continuing joy and success into the new year. "

- Gail Meltzer

"It is with a great deal of enthusiasm that I write this email to you and all the members of Coyote Run. My sister and I thank you all for creating a Circle of such sacred revelry, we are still dancing on Monday. Music is my inspirtation, always has been. It is a great gift, indeed, to generate an atmosphere so otherworldly that nothing exists within in except for the melody of Life.

It happens that we have both been in the kind of funk that sometimes not only clouds the ability...but even the memory of ability...to transform our circumstances. The pure joy of your sound was precisely what has motivated a shift in consciousness. Woo-hoo!

Many thanks for a feast for our collective senses and those parts of us that can only be touched by magick. You dedicated the faerie song to Lisa and wove it's fabric into our lives as well...song after song.

Goddess Blessings to each of you!"

- Saille Honor

"I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your show at the festival this year. I must confess it was the first time I heard your band. I'm hooked. I hope I get to see you guys in Leesport this year. If I don't make it will be my misfortune, but have a safe and blessed tour. You guys and girls are so witty and charming it's no wonder the audience loves you so much. Keep doing what you do.

Great show
May God bless you,"

- Albahooligan

"We would like to extend our thanks to you all Doug, Mick, Kat,and the Canoks from Huntung Mcleod for the great time we all had at the Whisp folllowing the festival this weekend .It truly showed us how talented and dedicated you all are at your craft. We will see you all soon ....hopefully before the next McHenry festival.. Still a running with the Coyotes!!!"

- The WWI Knuckleheads:
Tom Greenfield, Seaforth Highlanders
Steve Papa, Highland Light Infantry
Tom Price, Blackwatch
Bob Brown, Shetland Islands Gordon Highlander
Greg and Sarah Peck, Victoria Scottish 5th AIF

"Hello to all members of Coyote Run! I have been a member of the mailing list for approx. 3 years. After your rousing performance at the McHenry Highland Festival on June 2 and 3, I felt the need to write and congratulate you on yet another great performance. I have to admit that when I heard Gabe was leaving the band, I was a little skeptical about how much the band would change without him as he was, in my opinion, an integral part (the song "Gradh Mo Chroide" still makes me tear up, I have to admit). However, after witnessing Doug Bischoff's energy, intensity, and great singing voice, I was pleasantly surprised. I was totally absorbed by the music and attended all 3 performances, including the Friday night concert at the Wisp. I bought the two newer CDs and a long-sleeve T-shirt as I think I'm becoming a little obsessed. I have been coming to the festival for 3 years and from the beginning I have felt a connection to your music that is indescribable. This may have something to do with my Scots, Irish, and Welsh heritage, I believe. But, whatever the case, I just wanted to let you know that you all did a great job and I sincerely hope I see you guys back for years to come!! Thanks for the great experience!!"

- Mary Jackson, native Garrett Countian

"What can we say? We didn't think you could possibly get any better than you were when we saw you last on the closing day of the PA RenFaire, but were we ever wrong! Your performances yesterday at the Celtic Fling were better than ever, which just goes to prove that a little rain can't dampen the talent or spirit of Coyote Run!

We also have to tell you how much we enjoy the addition of Doug Bischoff to the "pack." While we truly enjoyed Gabe's musical talent and will miss him, Doug seems a perfect fit -- both musically and with his on-stage energy. It appears that he has added a whole new dimension to the vocal harmony of the group as well.

And last but not least, we want to thank you for singing "Shenandoah" yesterday. Mick - you were right. You HAVE been working on it! Your harmony was absolutely incredible, and it was, without any doubt whatsoever, the most beautiful rendition of that song we have ever heard...anywhere. You left us awestruck and totally speechless. We beg of you, don't deny your fans the opportunity to hear you perform this more often...PLEASE put this piece on your next CD.

David, Catherine, Mick, Bruce, Doug - thank you for sharing your talent, your gifts and your energy with us. You never fail to delight and entertain... and we can't wait for the opening day of the PA RenFaire in August so we can see what you you're going to do next! Good luck on July 3 & 5 in New York. Wish we could be there in person, but know we'll be wishing you well from here in Pennsylvania.

God speed!"

- Doodie & Bill Charles

"Very impressed with the CR's "style". Have enjoyed five live performances & two CDs. What I like most is the energy that you exude. A close second is the writing/arrangements. You've re-awakened in me (and my spouse) a love to perform (music!) and we're grateful to your inspiration. Hope to see you again soon - Charlottesville or Roanoke anytime soon?"

- Hans Weidig

"We had the pleasure of seeing your band at the Sycamore Shoals Festival last weekend. Just wanted to let you all know that it was amazing. Great mixture of old, new and just plain fun. Bought two of the CD's and aquired another throught iTunes. Thanks for a great afternoon of fun. Your music really does free the inner child. Even better you all seemed to be having such a good time doing it."

- Paulina Ley, Elizabethton TN

"I just saw you this past weekend in Manheim, PA (for the first time - I'm ashamed to admit), and just wanted to tell you (as probably hundreds of people do, daily), that I really enjoyed your sound and most definitely the energy and enthusiasm that you show and give off with your performances.

I was also impressed with the fact that you really kept the attention of my two young children, when we weren't running to the bathroom for one, then the other. These types of performances are so bitter sweet. Bringing the children is always difficult and keeps me from enjoying the music and performance as much as I'd like and could, but I so enjoy introducing them to different sounds and as much as I possibly can - so leaving them home is absolutely no option. (It's also always great to go to festivals and see/hear the bands/music, but then it always has to come to an end.) :o)

Well, at any rate, thanks for the great music. It's always a pleasure to find a band that lifts the soul. Take care (I hope you made it home safely - we saw you pass by as we were leaving the hotel down the street from the "Hampton"), and maybe we'll see you again soon. I didn't get a chance to buy a CD, either, so I'll have to do that soon!"

- The Blonde trio

"Y'all are wonderful! Great music and energy -- hope you return to the Bamboo Room soon!"

- Suzette, Palm Beach FL

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"Art Ketchen - Celtic Beat"

December 2009

Release Review: "A Kilted Christmas"

Coyote Run runs quite a musical breadth and length and brings it all together in an entertaining whole. Between the sets of young Irish step dancers and commentator Elizabeth Wiley bringing the hometown American Celtic touch to the proceedings-speaking about what people are doing for that holiday, are original instrumentals and vocals adapted on to traditional ("Somerset Wassail", "Gower Wassail", "Coventry Carol", "Huron Carol") works from different nations. "Drummer Boy" being one interesting work here,as is the "Christmas In The Trenches"/"Silent Night." There is "Wintry Queen" for those who celebrate the solstice-harking back to ancient lore.

No matter your first love in Celtic music,even if the strictly traditional, this is a very nice DVD to have this time of year.

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"Art Ketchen - Celtic Beat"

December 2008

Release Review: "Between Wick and Flame"

When I heard them last at Celebration of Celts though I enjoyed them I thought that Coyote Run might be losing their center-getting outside of what they do best. This new CD has allayed my concerns.This is the old Coyote Run, but at a new level, better. Coyote Run is great on a couple of levels, instrumentally and vocally, but they also give insights to literature, time and place, and history that often are forgotten today mainly because of the dumbing down in education. "La Pucelle" is magnificent with it's vocals and chorus, but it also serves to make those in their audience ask "Who is Joan Of Arc."

The first cut "Finnean's Dance" is a great rollicking rant in the otherworld. True to Coyote Run there is an emphasis on the Pagan. And on a repertoire that could be used in a Joseph Campbell lecture. This includes "Wintry Queen" and a splendid "Tam Lin" where story telling and music are wonderfully intertwined and where the chorus as in "La Pucelle" is put to maximum effect.

One strong cut and a most impressive modern rendition of a traditional standard is "Matty Groves" where the instrumentals give a wonderfully sinister cast to the story of what happens to he who makes time with the wife of the "merciless MacDonwald of The Western Isles." This I nominate as one of my favorites, not only from Coyote Run, but from the field of Celtic music today.

"Queen Of Argyll" which I last heard Coyote Run perform live, is a rockin' but legible straight up performance here as well.

"In The Service of The Crown" is a trio of which "We Be Soldiers Three" originally a French tune is great poetry and irony combined with "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye"-gaiety dancing with the Enkou, and "Falcon's Mouth" is a powerful picture of yearning for home in the midst of the terror of war.

"The Tiger" is another venture into education. I remember in school reading this William Blake work. Perhaps Coyote Run's grand rendition of this poem will move somebody to read or reread Blake.

"Whalesong" is a melding of the modern song of the extinction of the species with a forwarding chorus of the ghosts of the whalers singing "Rolling Down To Old Maui." Another collage is the joining of "Health To The Company" with Andy M. Stewart's "Blackbird." Both of these are haunting.

Coyote Run makes you listen and makes you think. In the current climate that is a very, very good thing. And I am very happy to see that they haven't lost their vision!

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"Wayne Bledsoe - Knoxville News Sentinel"

Knoxville, TN - February 2008

Celtic rock band howls to its own beat

The name Coyote Run doesn't exactly sound like the name of a Celtic rock band.

"It speaks more to my personal journey more than it does to the content of the music," says Coyote Run founder David Doersch. "The coyote is the trickster spirit in Native American spirituality. He's the one who doesn't like to be bound by rules or boundaries of any kind. That's been a big symbolic influence in my life. When we started the band we decided we wanted that playful spirit in what we do."

The band's instrumentation follows suit. In addition to the instruments traditionally associated with Celtic music (including bagpipes), Coyote Run utilizes African djembe drums, electric guitars, trombones and a didgeridoo.

"For us it's more about what serves the song rather than any kind of list that says A, B or C," says Doersch from his home in Williamsburg, Va.

Coyote Run began a decade ago when theater professor Doersch began writing music.

"It was all very Celtic (sounding)," says Doersch.

After Doersch gathered a group of musicians to make a recording of his songs, the musicians decided that they should remain a group and tour.

The group's touring was so successful that he dropped his teaching job to play music full time. The original group was much more in the Celtic folk tradition. When some original members dropped out five years ago, the group decided to stretch out.

Drummer/percussionist Catherine Hauke joined the group and helped the group redefine its sound.

"That's really when we became a Celtic rock band," says Doersch. "We've gone much further than that than we ever did before."

Doersch says his background in theater (and other members have theatrical backgrounds as well), means the group presents a very theatrical concert. The group also has two very different types of shows - one appropriate for school children and a regular show for all ages.

Doersch says the most difficult thing the group encounters is describing the band's music. While the band is far from traditional, the group is not just a rock band with bagpipes. Some listeners are surprised by the group's eclectic collection of instruments, but Doersch points out that musical instruments have a long history of immigration, including that most distinctive Celtic instrument.

"Bagpipes originated in Turkey," says Doersch. "Almost every old society has some instrument that involves an animal's guts with pipes coming out of it!"

The group may raise a few purist eyebrows, but Doersch says the band is prepared for disdainful critics:

"If people say 'That's not the way you play this type of music,' we know to say, 'That's the way WE play this kind of music.' "

The members of Virginia's Coyote Run put no fences around their music. The band is Doug Bischoff, David Doersch, Catherine Hauke and Michael Kazalski.

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Imagine Jethro Tull on Broadway and you're starting to get the picture.

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Review of Coyote Run's Concert at the Middle Earth Music Hall

You need to see this band.

Me? I don't like fluffybunny and most things that smack of New Age make me want to gag. Gimme Dream Theater, Savatage and Rush. Yes, I like the marriage of balls and technical proficiency. If the music has an edge as well as a heart, so much the better.

Coyote Run has all of that.

Now, to be honest, I went to see it because a friend of mine is the new bass player, lives 500 miles away and they'd gotten a gig at Middle Earth Music Hall. I knew perfectly well he wouldn't join a band that was crap, but well... I did not expect to be so impressed. It's a thinking man's band, but not of the cool intellectual sort. Naw, this music will move the body, too. (Depressing as hell that there wasn't room for dancing in front of the stage, confound it).

Most of the music is written by David Doersch, the lead tenor. He also plays Accordion, Octave Mandolin, Whistle, Djembe and Trombone. This guy is good. He can go from wry wit, to tender thoughtfulness to the outright playful naughtiness of Coyote, the band's namesake. His performance is energetic and interactive in the manner of the truly excellent performer.

Percussionist is Catherine Hauke. Couple of her favorite drummers are Stewart Copeland and Neil Peart. It shows. She's precise and ballsy at the same time. They refer to her as a Drum Goddess and the title is well deserved.

Michael Kazalski the new bass player and the friend I'd come to see. I knew he was good with the Djembe, having had the pleasure of having danced at a drum circle where he was playing. His bass playing is nice and smooth, a rich chocolate sound that goes well with Hauke's drumming. He has a Jazz background, but it blend so well with the rest of the band.

Doug Bischoff is the guitarist and lead baritone (fans self... my oh, my, that boy can sing... Sorry. Weakness for a good baritone. Don't mind me.) He also plays Bagpipes, Whistle, Mandolin, Didgeridoo, Bodhran, Dulcimer, Flute, Harp. He has a bit of the imp in him, but doesn't let it get in the way of a tight, professional performance. Quite appropriately Coyote and a delightful performer.

Go see them. Seriously. It's a good show.

Coyote Run is also downloadable on iTunes... Just saying.

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And now for something a tad more centered in the traditional. Coyote Run is very eclectic in it's musical approach. Here it is a good thing. They begin with Peter Bellamy's arrangement of Rudyard Kipling's poem "Oak & Ash & Thorn." Likewise Coyote Run runs with Robert Louis Stevenson's "Glory's Call." A most interesting combination of traditional Irish tunes with nineteenth century British literature(and in the case of Kipling very ironic indeed). Another song in this vein is "Ulysses" by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

"The Dragon of Cabo San Lucas" instrumentally has a distinctly Breton quality to it, albeit with a Calfornia of old locale to the lyrics. Everywhere on this CD the musical craftsmanship is flawless.

"Wee Be Souldiers Three" is one of the best renditions of this I've heard. "Mairi Mac" is also here. And for something totally unexpected "Bye Bye Blues"/"Bill Bailey" in the midst of all this combination of British literature, traditional tunes, and Celtic instrumentals. Another digression is Carl Franzen's "On The Road" which fits just fine here.

"Boardin' The Train" is an interesting takeoff on Welsh folklore written by David Doersch and sung boldly here. Coyote Run certainly is adept in it's own way with taking from all walks of Celtic tradition.

This holds right to the end with an unabashedly pagan "Lord Of The Dance."

Listening to Coyote Run makes me think of a large fascinating library, where every book you open gives you a view of something fascinating.

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"Kevin Crowe - Knoxville Weekly Voice 'Metro Pulse'"

February 2006

Celtic craziness is the term press releases and ho-hum music reviewers have stamped on the quirky five-piece group from Williamsburg, VA.; however, this succinct stamp doesn't do much to describe the vastness of the music, which takes Gaelic ballads and sentimental maritime jingles and updates them with a tinge of modern risque. It's a bit tongue-in-check, the way they approach playing in a historical genre; it's a bit over the top too. But that kind of unconstrained frivolity is what makes their live show one of the best - albeit unconventional - Celtic bands ever to don fancy plaid kilts.

"At first I thought it was the band version of Riverdance," Scott West says. But he was later informed that his biggest concern should be how much Coyote Run would out-rock any other band that's unfortunate enough to share the stage with these five certified virtuosos. "They say that they rock live," West adds. And with songs ranging from a jig in celebration of a loose-pantied girl named Mairi Mac to a strange hymnal about brave Ulysses, we're inclined to agree. Funktabulous infused Gaelic rock-esque folk with a big barrel of mead sounds more apt then Celtic craziness, for sure.

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Review of "Tend the Fire"

Coyote Run can't hold back their enthusiasm for the holidays. The opening track on [Tend] the Fire, "Somerset Wassail," strikes a galloping pace and plays with the traditional arrangement enough to introduce our merry balladeers. There are attempts to regain some sense of holy solemnity. The traditional "A Sail!" is delivered with steady, austere vocal harmonizing. "The Bells," performed with the title instruments, along with accordions and others, is a snow-crisp rendition of the familiar tune. But try as they might to keep a straight face, the Coyotes and their friends can't maintain it for long, and soon they're swinging through "The Christmas Song" and inserting tongues in the cheeks of overly familiar carols.

That enthusiasm, along with a varied song selection, makes [Tend] the Fire more flexible than most holiday albums. "Greensleeves" is a fine traditional song, at home any time of year. The dreams of peace on Earth in "Wise Men" and "Christmas in the Trenches" are especially resonant in the Christmas season, but universal and poetic enough to sound right on a midsummer's eve. Other songs, like the decidedly Christmassy "Boar's Head Christmas Carol" and the tongue-in-cheek "Twelve Days After Christmas" are boisterous enough to fit any holiday, from New Year's Eve to May Day.

Despite its flexibility, [Tend] the Fire is still very much a Christmas album. There are meditative, almost holy moments, in many of the chosen carols, enhanced by Coyote Run's choir-like vocal layering. Contrasting their elegantly streamlined vocal arrangements with extravagant and varied instrumental assortments, Coyote Run perfectly captures the mix of rejoicing and contemplation that is the holiday season at its best, and delivers it in one fine CD.

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Review of "Don't Hold Back"

Coyote Run started as four guys making high-energy music and enjoying the process. Their third CD attests this remains the case, but David Doersch, Steve Holliday, Les Kayanan and Gabe Stone now reveal subtleties and refinements missing from their earlier efforts. Their close harmonies sound more secure, their energy more focused and their songwriting, mostly by Doersch, more poetic and interesting. Producer Paul Mills contributes mightily to the coherence and sophistication of this recording and adds his nimble fingers (as Curly Boy Stubbs) on a variety of string instruments on most of the tracks. The Coyotes, based in Virginia, recorded in Canada, and perform with a Scots-Irish influence. They offer an ample selection of 14 songs on this CD, eight by Doersch, one by Stone, a Hawaiian song by Taylor and Flanagan, the well-known "The Last Leviathan" by Andy Barnes, the traditional "Over the Hills and Far Away," and Andy Stewart's lyrics for "Blackbird" as a medley with"Here's a Health to the Company." To conclude this CD of grand ballads, they take on a risky song for any one other than its composer; Stan Rogers' "Northwest Passage." They acknowledge this by employing a choir that includes Stan's widow, Ariel, not to mention the production by Stan's friend and producer Mills. They succeed admirably on this giant iceberg of a song. The Coyotes fascinate beyond their engrossing sound because of the nature of their songs. All the songs tell involving stories that draw you in, including "The Hunley," the true story of one of the first submarines; "Peter and Anya" takes the listener to the doomed Russian submarine Kursk, that sank August, 1999; and "Goodnight, Innocence," a song for Doersch's daughter occasioned by September 11, 2001. This CD contains all the right stuff: energy, intelligence, and memorable music. Don't hold back, buy it.

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Review of "Don't Hold Back", "Full Throttle Celtic", "Tend the Fire", "Coyote Run"

Coyote Run's CD's runs from Celtic to alternative, to sea-faring folk, to traditional. Each CD brings a new awareness of sound, energy and emotion. This high energy group performs with technical expertise in musicianship and songwriting. Embedded in their performance is passion. This passion to entertain is fully demonstrated in their songs and expressed with vocal power. These are well-trained vocals capable of carrying the emotion even in a-capella. Their songs are simple in construction holding true to their chosen genre, yet these simple songs possess the same power of emotion as fully orchestrated songs and is due to the extreme talent of this well-defined band. Each of their CD's have the qualities to fully entertain even the most discriminating listener.

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Coyote Run is an excellent example of cultural diversity. They hail from historic Williamsburg, VA.; their name is from the American Southwest; they perform traditional Celtic and folk music; and they record their music in Canada. While the roots of their inspirations are all over the map, they have a focused talent for narrative music. Coyote Run's songs range from serious and somber to light-hearted fun, and the continuity of strength is in their ability to convey a story.

If you want direct storytelling, there are gripping adventures such as "The Dragon of Cabo San Lucas" and "The Hunley." If you want subtlely and double-entendres, listen to "The Coyote Polka," which employs a goofy polka sound to expose the silly yet sad nature of prejudice, and "Dammit, Man," a funny look at addictive aggression leading to political revolution. Or if you prefer to wrench out your heart, you won't leave wanting. "Goodnight, Innocence" is a heart-breaking ballad about the juxtaposition of a man's innocent child to the horror of Sept. 11, 2001. There's also a tragic imagining of a possible victim of the 1999 sinking of the Russian submarine, the Kursk, in "Peter & Anya."

I have to admit that as you listen to this album, if you have any complaints, they will be obliterated by the absolutely wonderful rendition of Stan Rogers' "Northwest Passage." Steve, Dave and Gabe start off strong enough, but the arrival of the chorus will blow you away. The chorus is so fantastic that if I keep writing about them I'll need a thesaurus for more positive descriptions. This song alone is worth buying the album.

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Review of "Full Throttle Celtic"

Recorded before a live audience in August 2002 at Tonesoup Recording Studios in Connecticut, Coyote Run's new album "Full Throttle Celtic" supercharges traditional Celtic favorites and debuts the finest of Coyote Run's own recent creative work.

A few favorite songs from Coyote Run's self-titled album are performed live, including "Lord of the Dance," "Them's Fightin' Words," and "Ripe and Bearded Barley." In the few years since David Doersch recorded "Bear River" on Warrior Poet, the band contacted the Shoshone Native American poet Ronald Snake Edmo and gained permission to perform one of his poems as a preface to David's song. In this live recording of "Bear River," the dual-voice recitation of Edmo's poem "Tso 'Ape (Ghost)" shadows the tragedy of the Shoshone massacre in Utah in the 1860's. Another treatment of serious material is Coyote Run's performance of Schooner Fair's song "Powder Monkeys," which recounts the loss of the young boys on maritime ships who carried volatile buckets of gun-power to feed the ships' cannons.

Full Throttle Celtic also has plenty of songs to lighten the heart, including the crowd-pleasing Bostonian favorite "The MTA," and the familiar "Wild Rover." The listener understands why this is "full throttle" Celtic music when Coyote Run launches into a quickly paced and revved-up arrangement of Rudyard Kipling's "Oak and Ash and Thorn."

New material on the CD include "Gra Mo Croide," a finely crafted song of love, immigration, and loss; this the first of Gabe Stone's own writing to be recorded by Coyote Run. "Boarding the Train" is another Coyote Run original recorded for the first time and features a single-note choral drone ("It's okay to breathe once in a while!" warns David to the audience). In this song, the vocals and driving beat of the bodhran conjures the image of a ghostly train picking up newly departed souls to be delivered to the afterlife.

Coyote Run saved the best for the next-to-last musical track on the CD. Described as the product of an argument between the band members who each wanted to go a different direction with a new song, Coyote Run's arrangement of "The Battle of New Orleans" is a show-stopper. Combining Gabe's love of Irish rhythms, Les Kayanan's passion for military history, Steve Holliday's affection for vintage rock-and-roll, and David's wish for "something with a little spice," the four thrashed out this incredibly entertaining, foot-stopping, whooping and hollering, musical montage. "The Battle of New Orleans" stands out as the strongest song of the recording, and the live performance setting captures the energetic response of the audience.

Full Throttle Celtic is the first live performance recording by this quartet of incredibly talented men. For someone new to Coyote Run's music, this CD is the perfect introduction to the sound and style of the band. Those who are familiar with Coyote Run will find themselves enjoying the delights of their new material and Celtic-with-a-kick arrangements.

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Review of "Coyote Run"

The packaging of this disc caught my eye first off - it is different, but beautifully done. The pictures blend well with the text, as well as the cultures that are joined here on this disc - both Celtic and Native American. It is an adventure, and one of great music and wonderful energy.

According to the liner notes, "In the American Southwest, there comes a time of day when the coyotes run amok. They appear in twos, threes or more, to yip and race and play. This display of energy and playfulness, incredible in the desert heat, is called the Coyote Run." This is a name which seems quite fitting for this group.

Coyote Run consists of David Doersch (vocals, accordion, bass guitar, djembe), Steve Holliday (vocals, bass, 6- and 12-string guitars), Les Kayanan (vocals, 6- and 12-string guitars, bass guitars, percussion), Arthur Rosenberg (vocals, keyboard, recorder) and Gabriel Stone (vocals, flute, tuba, mandolin, recorder, cittern, bagpipes, percussion). This is a talented and rather eclectic group of musicians who make the differences work very well.

Off to Madagascar" is a lively song about smugglers and the life they lead on the open sea. Carrying their cargo from the supplier to the buyer, running from the Navy, being greeted by whores in port. A life of danger and romance, one which has caught more than one young man's fancy over the years. The lyrics are imaginative and capture the simplicity of such a life, while the music contributes to the whimsy.

There's a wonderful a cappella piece contained on this disc titled "Back to Galloway." David handles the lead vocals, with the rest contributing vocal support. It is a faultless piece, conveying the love of home. Their voices build and twine about each other, only to fall silent before repeating the experience. This is a commanding track, and one which caught me by surprise -- I wasn't expecting such a blend of wonderful vocals...

...There are some exquisite original tracks on this disc that will appeal to many people from many walks of life. From Celtophiles to pagans, to those who believe yet in the magic to be found deep in the forest, all will find something to their liking on this first release. I certainly hope that there will be more, with as much originality and talent as is found here.