The "Blues" Byrne comes to Mullingar

Dermot Byrne is Ireland"s foremost roots and blues performer and he will be performing at The Stables, Mullingar on Thursday, September 11. A prolific songwriter, he has taken his authentic style of blues to top festivals in Europe and the United States.Playing fingerstyle, slide guitar and harmonica he is a regular performer on the club and festival scene and his music has received critical acclaim in the music press.His influences are the blues masters such as Son House, Robert Johnson, Fred McDowell and Texas folk-blues artist Huddie Leadbetter. Some of the acts Dermot Byrne has played with or supported include legendary names such as Sam Mitchel, Eric Bibb, Homesick James, Sonny Boy Edwards, Steve James, Long John Hunter and Byther Smith. As well as doing workshops for schools and colleges on the 'origins of the blues', Dermot has narrated and performed a short film for Trinity College Dublin entitled 'The life and music of Leadbelly'.In 2005 Dermot Byrne came first in the finals of the Irish Blues Challenge (solo/duo) and subsequently performed at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis T.N. He has done gigs in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and performed on the world famous King Biscuit radio show in Helena, Arkansas. Dermot Byrne"s first album (Raw Whiskey Blues) was released in 1998 on the 'Me And My' Label in Holland, and distributed in Europe by Continental Records Services. This album was later released in The United States on the Beatville Label, and is still widely available. The album includes fourteen songs in the Delta Blues and Roots tradition. These include Slow Train, which is self penned by Dermot Byrne, and Walkin Blues.Also included are classics like 'Catfish Blues','Roll And Tumble' and 'Death Letter Blues'. Blues and Roots Records in conjunction with the 'Me and My Label' in Holland have compiled a collection of the best of Dermot Byrne"s acoustic recordings between 1996 and 2006. These recordings offer interpretations of Delta and roots classics as well as three songs which are self penned.The collection is titled : DERMOT BYRNE -The Country Blues 1996-2006.It is available at DERMOTBLUESBYRNE.COM www.myspace.com/dermotbluesbyrne