Gary Palmer--Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals
Gary Palmer (aka "the Captain") plays guitar, mandolin, and sings. As a youngster he studied accordion and trombone, but didn't find his musical niche until he bought an electric guitar and joined a garage band as a teenager. Gary began by experimenting with many different playing styles, ranging from Jimi Hendrix to John Denver. But it was in high school that he first heard the siren song of the sea and was accepted as a cadet at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. His first real exposure to traditional music was listening to sea chanteys while climbing the rigging in America's Tall Ship, the Coast Guard Barque Eagle. Gary went on to a distinguished Coast Guard career as an officer, commanding several Coast Guard cutters and serving in a variety of assignments from Florida to Alaska. He rescued mariners in distress, busted drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea, and stopped fish poachers in the North Atlantic. He also served ashore as a judge advocate and military judge, and in the White House as a liaison to the Office on National Drug Control Policy. He retired in 2004 after 30 years on active duty.
Throughout his successful Coast Guard career, his interest in traditional music (especially songs about life at sea) continued to grow. Will O'Hare introduced Gary to Celtic music, and after that he was he was hooked. He studied with accomplished Celtic guitarist Paul Oorts, and is especially influenced by the playing styles of guitarists John Doyle, Donnogh Hennessey, and Artie McGlynn. In addition to Full Gael, Gary has made several recordings of Celtic music with long-time Connecticut fiddler Bob Thurston. Gary is always on the lookout for new material relating to sailors and life at sea, and can spin a fine yarn telling the occasional sea story during performances