Cóisir brings together three of Colorado’s top Irish music talents!

(Pronounced much like the word “kosher”, it means “Party” in Irish.)

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And the the music is a party, too! Cóisir plays the traditional dance music from Ireland, intertwined with haunting songs, and original tunes!

Cóisir consists of Jessie Burns on Fiddle, Pete Strickler on tenor banjo, and Marty Smith on bouzouki and vocals.

JESSIE

Jessie Burns hails from England and raised in a vibrant, music-infused household with strong Irish roots, embodies a lifelong passion for music that took root at the age of 7 when she first embraced the violin and piano. Jessie’s musical journey has included performing, recording and collaborating with celebrated musicians in the folk music world including Gregory Alan Isakov, Elephant Revival, The Bonnie Paine Band, The Mollie O’Brien Band,  Take Down the Door, and Gaelic Storm. 

Jessie is a cornerstone of the Celtic fiddling trio, The Bow Tides, gracing festivals nationwide and she co-produced their acclaimed 2023 recording “Sailing On”. Jessie plays at Irish Folk Sessions nationwide whilst on tour, as well as contributing to the dynamic Celtic Folk Scene in her home state of Colorado where she performs with the trio Cóisir.

A prominent figure in the global music scene, Jessie gained widespread recognition during her six-year tenure touring internationally with the acclaimed Irish-American Supergroup, Gaelic Storm. Her contribution to the group includes writing and recording on three #1 Billboard World Music hit albums.

PETE

Pete Strickler came to Irish traditional music after spending years in the music industry, from working for CBS records in the 1980s, to owning nightclubs, being a well-known radio personality, and promoting concerts. But when he discovered Irish traditional music, his world changed, and he has never looked back!

Pete plays plectrum instruments, including tenor banjo, tenor guitar, mandolin, and bouzouki. He has two solo albums out, including 2016’s Giotár (a tenor guitar album) and 2019’s Some Assembly Required (a banjo-centric release).

In 2010, Pete co-founded Portal Irish Music Week, a highly popular week-long immersion camp, geared toward folks coming to the music later in life. And he has performed and taught at festivals around Colorado and the US. Between the festivals and his now-famous Irish house concert series, Pete has performed with some of the biggest names in Irish traditional music, including John Carty, Kevin Crawford, Cillian Vallely, John Doyle, and John Whelan!

MARTY

Marty Smith has been playing folk music for over 25 years. He spent much of that time playing dance tunes of the British Isles on the hammered dulcimer but now almost exclusively plays the Irish bouzouki and sings!

His personal teachers have been some of the Bouzouki greats such as Andy Irvine, Aaron Jones and Roger Landes. Aside from playing gigs at pubs, festivals, and private venues, he’s also taught at music camps and school outreach programs across the Rocky Mountain region, both solo and in different collaborations in Wyoming, Utah and Colorado.

Marty has a large following on his active YouTube channel, and is fortunate enough to have played with some of the best musicians to have come out of this part of the US. He adds a lot to the unique sound of Cóisir!