Seven extraordinary musicians will serve up stunning Irish roots music this March at Old Town School. Masters of Tradition, whose debut tour last spring found them in New York and Washington, features fiddler and arranger, Martin Hayes, and guitarist, Dennis Cahill - both artists who have enjoyed successful careers in Chicago, though the remaining members are home-grown.
Hayes is responsible for assembling an annual Fest in County Cork, which showcases traditional Irish repertoire performed in the historical Bantry House. By age nineteen, he had already garnered six fiddle championships and numerous other awards. Currently he lives in Connecticut. Prior to finding his calling in Irish music, he participated in an electric band.
Although Dennis Cahill, guitarist, resides in Chicago, his parents are from the Dingle Peninsula. In the 1980s, when he and Hayes formed the band, Midnight Court, they explored jazz and other genres.
Masters of Tradition have enjoyed great success in Sydney where they sold out the acclaimed Opera House in 2009. The audience was riveted by their solo and ensemble work. Hayes affirms that "the performers are all masters of their instruments."
The ensemble also includes Uilleann pipes, accordion, additional fiddles, guitars and the talents of vocalist, Iarla O Lionaird (formerly of Afro Celt Sound System). With O Lionaird's striking vocals, this acoustic septet cuts to the core of Ireland's sonic pulse, while lifting the spirits of the most blase audience. Though their whispering nuances and heartfelt melodies surely sound authentic in the ancient Bantry House, Old Town School's state-of-the art acoustics will, undoubtedly, make them feel right at home.
WHO: Masters of Tradition
WHERE: Old Town School, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave., 1 773 728-6000
WHEN: March 3, 2013, 7:00 PM
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