As a flute player, a double bass player and a composer, Clare-born musician Neil Ó Lochlainn has a natural a foothold in several radically different traditions, especially in his role as leader of Ensemble Ériu, the enchanting acoustic septet he co-founded in 2011 with concertina player Jack Talty. By drawing a connection ... [Continue Reading]
Traditional
Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin & Ultan O’Brien: Solas an Lae
Much more than a collection of tunes and songs shining a light on a particular style, region or era, singer Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin and fiddler Ultan O’Brien’s Solas an Lae (The Light of the Day) is also an acoustic experiment. The project explores the relationship between the human voice and the fiddle and how they complement each ... [Continue Reading]
Birds on a Wire: Ramages
Sur la place où tout est tranquilleUne fille s'est mise à chanter On the square, where everything is quietA girl has started singing Jacques Brel Franco-American singer songwriter Rosemary Standley and Brazilian-born singer and cellist Dominique Pinto (aka Dom La Nena) released their enchanting self-titled début Birds on ... [Continue Reading]
Martin Hayes & Brooklyn Rider: The Butterfly
For many, East Clare traditional fiddler Martin Hayes started venturing outside the tradition with The Gloaming project from 2011 onwards, or more recently with the Martin Hayes Quartet since 2016. But the seeds of these new endeavours were probably sown much earlier. In 2009, Martin Hayes commenced a musical partnership with ... [Continue Reading]
The Gloaming: Live at the NCH
Following in the footsteps of The Chieftains, Planxty, the Bothy Band and more recently Altan or Lúnasa, The Gloaming is one of the rare traditional Irish music bands to enjoy a commercial and critical success both a home and abroad while at the same time making a significant impact on the contemporary musical landscape. Since ... [Continue Reading]
Martin Hayes Quartet: The Blue Room
In a musical context, the word "quartet" can point to a small group of four classical performers as in a string, a baroque, a wind, a vocal or a piano quartet. It can also refer to a small jazz ensemble consisting of a horn, a chordal instrument, a bass instrument and a drum kit. Released on 251 Records on 27 October 2017 last, ... [Continue Reading]
Trio Da Kali and Kronos Quartet: Ladilikan
Opening the record, Trio Da Kali’s balafon (a wooden xylophone), bass ngoni (a traditional lute) and vocals clearly transport the listener to West Africa. But the introduction of Kronos Quartet’s classical strings a minute into “Tita” triggers an unexpected yet uplifting musical shift, thus unveiling an extraordinary fusion ... [Continue Reading]