John Doyle's gifts as a guitarist, songwriter, vocalist, and producer have played an essential role in the ongoing renaissance of Irish traditional music.
As a member of Irish-American supergroup Solas - and a highly sought-after session player - Doyle pioneered a rhythmic, sophisticated approach to Irish guitar accompaniment, setting a new standard for the instrument. When the original members of Solas parted ways, Doyle embarked on a solo career, producing albums for other artists and touring as a sideman as well as recording his own material. Preserving the tasteful simplicity of tradition, Doyle nonetheless adds a contemporary edge, finding fresh life in even the most well-worn of tunes. His playing encompasses hard-driving strumming, inventive chord voicings, precise single-note runs, and powerful rhythmic effects borrowed from traditional instruments such as the bodhran and fiddle.
Wayward Son, Doyle's second solo release, showcases the guitarist's genius for arrangement. While the material is primarily traditional, the record is sprinkled with Doyle originals, which prove difficult to pick out from the time-tested numbers that precede and follow them. Three sets of tunes balance the primarily vocal album, and the traditional American murder ballad Little Sadie pays homage to Doyle's chosen home of Asheville, North Carolina, adding a New World presence to the collection of Old World melodies. Musicians include Doyle's former Solas band mates Seamus Egan and John Williams as well as Alison Brown, John R. Burr, Liz Carroll, Stuart Duncan, Kenny Malone, John McCusker, Michael McGoldrick, Tim O'Brien, Kate Rusby, Danny Thompson, Linda Thompson, and Garry West.
Now an accomplished producer as well, Doyle has worked with such artists as Liz Carroll and Heidi Talbot. While with Solas, the guitarist also shared stages and studios with Frank McCourt, Linda Thompson, Kate Rusby, Mick Moloney, Brian Conway, Joannie Madden, James Keane, Karan Casey, and Cathie Ryan. He continues to innovate, finding the seeds of his contemporary approach within the tradition itself.
8pm. $15 advance / $17 day of show. Sunday, April 11th, 2010.
