Resonant Constellation

On Sunday I was lucky enough to attend a great concert given by the Irish band Danú. When the concert was over and we were leaving, my first thought was:
Why haven’t I heard of these guys?

I was absolutely blown away by the talent displayed by every member of the group. The button box playing was spectacular, the fiddle was wonderful, the guitar and bouzouki were as good as I’ve ever heard (and that’s saying a lot, since I seek these instruments out), and the flute/whistle playing were excellent. The highlights of the evening, however, were the singing and the drums. I hear a lot of both of these in sessions and more often than not they’re just disappointing. Out of the dozens of Bodhran players who’ve come through our local session or who I’ve met outside of it, I’d say I’ve only met one who has truly musical sensibilities and talent. For singers, I might increase that number to two. The singer for Danú, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh (don’t ask me how to pronounce it) has an incredible voice, and moreover, she knows how to use it-her ornamentation is nothing short of perfect.

The drummer with the band that night (he’s not part of the band, he’s just touring with them), Martin O’Neill, is famous enough that I actually have heard of him, though I didn’t connect the face with the name until after the concert (he played on the album Secret Orders by Claire Mann and Aaron Jones which I reviewed a while back). This man did things with his drum that I am still not sure are physically possible. Beginning with a jazz-like bit of brush work, he did a solo set in which he actually played a walking bass line on his drum. His pitch was impeccable.

So, my recommendation? Go see this band if you have the chance, you’ll have a blast.