Gage Averill, (1954-) born in Greenwich, Connecticut, is an educator, ethnomusicologist, musicologist, and writer. In 1984, Averill graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in ethnomusicology and later recieved his Ph.D there in 1989. He is known for his research on traditional Caribbean music.

Joe Heaney (AKA Joe Éinniú; Irish: Seosamh Ó hÉanaí) (1919 - 1984) was an Irish traditional (sean nós) singer from County Galway, Ireland. He spent most of his adult life abroad, living in England, Scotland and New York City, in the course of which he recorded hundreds of songs. A magnificent singer in both Gaelic and English, Heaney sings in sean-nos, the highly ornamented style of traditional Irish song.