Not many classical guitarists transfer easily to traditional Irish music, but Benny O'Carroll of Tralee has done so with spectacular effect.
Together with established traditional players including Eamonn De Barra, Neil Lyons and vocalist Deirdre Scanlon, he has produced a CD - Sessions from the Hearth - that will command a place on any serious collector's shelf.
The tracks were laid down at the Siamsa Tire theatre in Tralee. The idea was to create the atmosphere of a spontaneous music session. It worked perfectly. The music is bright and lively, sometimes haunting. Benny hopes to tour with the musicians involved in the CD but makes the point that they are not part of a band.
"Yes we want to tour, in Ireland, Europe and perhaps the United States, but it is unlikely that the nine musicians involved will be available at the same time so we will be using different musicians at different times. In a sense, that is the joy of the session approach. "We recorded the CD unrehearsed over two nights. You might say that the musicians just fell into one mighty session. You don't usually find classical musicians turning to Irish music. I love the discipline of the classical genre but I also love the freedom that traditional Irish music offers," he said.
During the recording, the one and only Timmy "The Brit" McCarthy led the audience in dancing to the jigs, reels and polkas. When the show tours, probably next year, that is what the audience will get - the very essence of a live traditional session.
"This is a show I feel will go the whole way if managed properly," said Benny.