Album Launch: Dancing The Line by Ultan O’Brien
Ultan O' Brien with special guest Nic Gareiss
& support from Méabh McKenna
Ultan O’Brien’s debut solo release, Dancing the Line, is due to be released on March 20th through Nyahh Records. The 14-track album delves deep into sound art and experimental music, exploring the connection between percussive dance and old fiddle music through rhythm and tone.
Ultan will be joined by harpist, Méabh McKenna, and percussive dancer, Nic Gareiss.
Bio
Ultan O’Brien is a fiddle player and composer from County Clare. Ultan is a performer as well as a regular at sessions all over Ireland and can be found by chance in any pub in Dublin, Cork or some remote village on the edge of nowhere. Ultan was reared in the rich tradition of Irish music which is so commonly found and heard in Co Clare, but he also delves deep into sound art and experimental music. He has often been heard in the back of a car after a few pints quoting lines from Alvin Lucier or speaking at length about improvisation and its place in modern Irish music.
Ultan O’Brien is a fresh and vital player who has much to offer with his unique approach and technique to a tradition so old and ever ready for a subtle change every 100 years or so. Ultan has played and recorded with people and bands such as Skipper’s Alley, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, John Francis Flynn, Slow Moving Clouds, Cuar, Laura Jurd, Martin Green, Natalia Beylis, Paul Roe and Nic Gareiss.
‘in its [Ultan’s fiddle playing] sincerity of tone it reminds me somewhat of those great caoineadh which were played with such elusive grandeur by Denis Murphy and Pádraig O’Keefe’ Adrian Scahill
‘lets the heart brighten and the feet tap’ Richard Hollingum -KlofMag