John Doyle

It's been a few months since I was last at a House concert and it felt good to be back, especially as tonight's act was one of the greatest musicians to come out of the Irish tradition.  Doyle rose to fame as the guitarist in renowned Irish-American band Solas and has worked as collaborator and producer with many stars from the folk world.

This solo performance had him playing both guitar and a guitar-bodied bouzouki, both with incredible virtuosity.  Most of the set was given over to songs, with a few tunes thrown in to the mix. he's an excellent vocalist.  The tone of the voice isn't particularly distinctive, but it has a pleasing sweetness in the higher notes and his phrasing is inventive and original.  It's sign of a vivid musical imagination when even the most hackneyed classic such as Wild Rover comes out sounding hot off the press, the rowdy drinking song transformed into an emotional ballad.  John can also knock out some pretty decent songs and tunes of his own, with the beautiful Liberty's Sweet Shore standing out as a fine example of the craft.

Doyle, with his boyishly infectious grin, engages well with his audience.  He can tell a good story and provided plenty background information to the songs, with laughs along the way.  There's plenty opportunities for the crowd to join in on choruses, a sea shanty that was new to me being a highlight for building up a swelling sound in the room.  And out of that crowd, to play a set of whistle tunes and sing a song, came the legend that is Cathal O'Connell.  He might be looking a bit more frail than of old, but he still whistle up a storm.  And it was impressive to watch Doyle pick up on tunes he hadn't heard before and develop accompaniments that were much more than a few simple chords.

And it's that guitar playing that will be my principle memory of the evening.  I would have preferred a few more tunes at the expense of some singing, because watching and listening to those digits dancing across the frets was a source of joy, but that's quibbling.  A fabulous performance and a performer not to be missed if you get the chance.