The final tour of Music Network’s 2005 Spring Season provides a unique opportunity to share a rare voyage of musical exploration with three of Ireland’s most highly regarded traditional musicians. Desi Wilkinson (flute, vocals), Máirtín O’Connor (accordion) and Brendan O’Regan (bouzouki) weave Irish and other folk traditions from around the world as well as playing original compositions and hybrid genres such as Parisian musette and Jewish klezmer. Under the banner Around the World in 80 Riffs, you can catch up with the trio at the Ramor Theatre, Virginia on 27th May.

The Lee Delta Blues Festival kicks off in Cork from Friday June 3 – Monday June 6, 2005 and features long established favourites like Paul Lamb and the Kingsnakes as well as visiting acts from the UK and Europe. The bulk of the shows are taking place in An Cruiscin Lan with a few dotted around other Cork venues. Admission to some of the events is free so there’s no excuse for you not to have fun.

Barry's, in Grange is one of those bolt holes where musicians know they’ll always find a good gig and Pierre Bensusan will be following the well worn path to their doors on May 20th. As a regular visitor here over the years he has built up a dedicated following and you can be sure bodies from right across the North West will be heading for this one.

What sets Pierre Bensusan apart is the passion, soul, intensity, and rythmic complexity that mark even his quietest and most elegant pieces. Bensusan can generate real excitement and drama with his solo work through intricate melodies, rich ornamentation, and sheer dexterity. He's an acoustic visionary, who combines shadings of ethereal jazz, pop, ethnic and classical melodies with a feel to soothe and remove the listener to a warm, luxurious mindset.

An entirely different brand of guitar virtuosity characterizes Chris Hillman's playing, and in addition to the previously announced show in the Green Room in Dublin, the former Flying Burrito Brother has now announced to further Irish shows to promote his long-awaited new album The Other Side which is set for release here on Monday 6th June. June 13 finds him in Culdaff, at McGrory’s, while the following evening he can be seen in the Town Hall, Newry, before wrapping up the Irish leg of the tour on the 15th in the Green Room.

Following on from its winter success, The Session at the Pipers reconvenes this Saturday in 15 Henrietta Street, one of Dublin’s most intimate venues. The acoustic concerts feature some of the most talented and renowned traditional musicians in Ireland and each week include one of Na Piobaire Uileann’s talented young piping students.

The season kicks off on Saturday May 14th with Maireád Ni Mhaonaigh and Dermot Byrne from the Donegal based group Altan in what will be one of the highlights of the summer schedule. The following week, inspired pipes and fiddle duet Mick O’Brien and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh will be on hand to perform some of the tracks from their outstanding recent album, Kitty Lie Over. Fresh from their own debut release, Paul O’Shaughnessy and Harry Bradley promise to electrify the proceedings with their sparkling mixture of virtuosity and wide-ranging repertoire. The first week of June sees Liam O’Flynn and Paddy Glackin team up for a rare live duo performance, followed by another elegant pipes and fiddle duet, Ronan Browne and Peadar O’Loughlin and the season finishes off with Tyrone born guitar maestro and officially the hard workingest musician on the planet Arty McGlynn and fiddle player Nollaig Ní Cathasaigh at No. 15. The concerts begin at 8:30pm and you should get along early as the venue is of the intimate kind. 

The Spirit Store is delighted to announce a very special show on July 18th when Michelle Shocked and band fly in to play the intimate Dundalk venue. The Spirit Store has a reputation for consistently punching above its weight and despite its medium size has had Beth Orton, Dirty Three, Snow Patrol, The Thrills and many others descend on the quayside hotspot in recent times. Artists like Ron Sexsmith , Glenn Tilbrook, Josh Ritter and Mark Geary are almost annual visitors to the venue and Michelle decided to do this show on the back of its reputation for great sound and a great atmosphere. The show forms part of a tour to promote her new albums. And no that’s not a typo, she’s released not one but a trio of new albums in an almost unparalleled spurt of activity. An appearance by a Hothouse Flower or two wouldn’t be totally out of the question given the long standing relationship there.

News is also out from the Spirit Store’s Derek Turner that this autumn will once again see the Tain Festival take over Dundalk. Last year’s outing saw a wonderfully varied programme with headline gigs from Rod and Gab, Kila and Dervish and smaller shows from a huge array of other acts including John Spillane in what has to get my vote for gig of 2004 where he electrified a Dundalk audience on a grey Saturday afternoon. Lets hope this year’s festival will also include some adventurous leaps of faith like the Redneck Manifesto show that was one of the highpoints of the previous festival. Firmer details will emerge in the fullness of time but don’t say you haven’t been warned.

Also announced this week is The 2005 Cork International Folk Dance Festival. From the 16th to the 22nd of August more than a dozen countries will be represented in performances and events throughout Cork County that will link into Capital of Culture celebrations in Cork City. Other towns involved include Carrigaline and Bishopstown; Youghal, Midleton and Cobh in the East; Nadd, Rockchapel and Freemount to the North; Clonakilty, Skibereen, Bantry and Kinsale to the West. Welcomed at the launch were representatives from both the Polish and Danish embassies who emphasised the importance of sharing cultural experiences with the next generation. The festival features performers of all ages sharing a love for dance, music and song from throughout Europe.

The Thatched Cottage in Cavan sees Louth man Gerry ‘Fiddle’ O’Connor team up with French guitarist Gilles le Bigot for a show on June 9th.

Originating from Saint-Brieuc Gilles le Bigot adopted the guitar in 1972 at the age of 13. He first performed as a dancer, and later as a musician, accompanying the group of singers Les Pillotouses (1976), and later formed part of the group Gallorn. Gerry O’Connor, one of Ireland’s most outstanding fiddle players probably needs no introduction. His family has played fiddle for at least four generations and Gerry is able to draw on this wealth of music learned from his mother Rose O’Connor Later he came under the influence of Joe Gardiner the great Sligo fiddle player, who lived in Dundalk for many years. Gerry breathes new life and intensity into many long forgotten tunes from his home area in the North East of Ireland. His unique personal style and splendidly fluid bow-hand combined with technical virtuosity have brought him to concert stages throughout the world and have earned him international renown. He is a founding member of the band Skylark and recorded four albums with this highly respected band that had toured Europe for 10 years.