Lunasa & Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill April 23, 2010

Lúnasa, Ireland’s new all-star quintet, steers Irish acoustic music into surprising new territory with inventive arrangements and bass-driven grooves. With its distinctive use of the upright acoustic bass, teamed with percussive guitar, melodic interweaving of wind and string instruments, pairing flutes, fiddle, whistle and pipes Lúnasa achieves breathtaking arrangements. The result is a sound that, though distinctly Irish in flavor touches on jazz and other improvisational music forms.

Irish fiddle virtuoso Martin Hayes and American master guitarist Dennis Cahill have garnered international renown for taking traditional Irish music to the edge of the genre with slow-building, fiery performances while incorporating sensibilities from the worlds of blues and jazz. Hayes has taken home a National Entertainment Award (the Irish equivalent to the Grammy) and in 1999, was named Folk instrumentalist of the Year by the BBC Radio Awards. While Martin pursues a melody, Dennis explores the harmony and rhythm within the tunes. Hayes says, “Our primary wish is that the musical experience be one that lifts our spirits and those of the audience.”

Official Website: http://www.monmouth.edu/arts