THE Black Swan Folk and York indie promoters Please Please You are joining forces to present Damien O'Kane's 21st Century Irish folk night at The Crescent, off Blossom Street, York, tomorrow at 8pm.
"Damien is no stranger to York. He's appeared at the Barbican several times with his wife Kate Rusby and her band, but this is a headlining first and an absolute must for anyone interested in Irish music," says Black Swan promoter Roland Walls.
"Damien is a gifted banjo player, an accomplished and versatile guitarist, a seriously good singer, a naturally inventive arranger, an innovative musical explorer, a producer, a band-leader and a provocatively original interpreter of folk song. When all the pieces are fitted together with unconditional love, care and attention to detail, the results are spectacular, as evidenced by his new album Areas Of High Traffic."
Shortlisted in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Best Album category in February, O'Kane's follow-up to his first solo album, 2010's Summer Hill, presents an innovative take on Irish traditional song and music.
While its songs are rooted largely in his homeland in the north of Ireland and address such themes as emigration, the arrangements are are a melting pot of contemporary influences: folk, jazz, rock and electronica, performed by banjo and guitar player O'Kane with his band of Cormac Byrne on percussion, Anthony Davis on keyboards, Steven Iveson on electric guitar and Steven Byrnes on guitars and percussion.
Damien O'Kane's Areas Of High Traffic: "More modern sounding"
His wife Kate Rusby’s busy schedule means that Damien does not have the chance to take his own band on the road very often, and tomorrow in York will be one of only three English dates this autumn, alongside one in the Rusby home turf of Penistone, plus three in Northern Ireland.
"My new band on the album are all people that I've individually worked with on other projects and I know them personally and musically. I knew their musical strengths and what they could bring to the songs," says Damien.
"So I set out to write the album to be different and more modern sounding;I was bringing all the chords and song structures and they really wanted to put their stamp on the songs because they're so talented."
The band will be the same for the tour as on the album. "To be honest, it's one of those bands where I don't want to 'dep' anyone," says Damien, whose one absentee on stage from the recording sessions will be guest contributor Ron Block, the American bluegrass banjo player.
Nevertheless, Damien was delighted to have Block on board for Areas Of High Traffic and to let him express himself freely. "There would be no point getting in someone like Ron Block if you didn't let him do his own thing," he says.
"Ron is a great fan of Kate's music and came over with Sarah Jarosz to play on Kate's album 20 and to play a few gigs with us on that tour. He's such an incredible musician and such a calming influence, and when you get someone of his calibre to play on your album, with everything he does he seems to spin gold."
Damien O'Kane plays The Crescent, York, tomorrow with Irish singer Paula Ryan as MC and support act. Tickets: £15 from The Inkwell, Gillygate, York, and Jumbo Records in Leeds or online at seetickets or £17 on the door from 7.30pm.
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