Fresh from tours across the USA, Canada, Germany and India, Dan Walsh will be hot-stepping it to Moira bringing his dose of British, Irish and American folk music.
Nominated for best musician at last year's BBC Folk Awards, Dan Walsh combines 'virtuoso playing and winning songwriting'. Describing what Dan does is no easy task but at the heart of it is British, Irish and American folk music delivered with a healthy dose of funky grooves - all performed with his take on clawhammer style banjo helping to challenge all preconceptions about the instrument.
Add to all that poignant songs, astonishing musical departures and lively humour and the result is a truly memorable live show which will showcased next month at the National Forest Folk Club.
New album 'Verging on the Perpendicular' is Walsh's fourth solo album and again has received much critical acclaim and is accompanied by a hectic touring schedule taking in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Dan is also a member of the award winning Urban Folk Quartet, and has made guest appearances on stage or on record with Imelda May, Joss Stone, Seth Lakeman, Duane Eddy, Martin Simpson and the Levellers.
Verging On The Perpendicular is more stripped back than his previous release, the highly acclaimed Incidents and Accidents, virtually everything is completely solo apart from the two tracks featuring Tom Chapman and harmony on a couple of tracks by producer Mark Hutchinson.
One of the first things which amazed Dan when he first heard his banjo teacher George Davis play in the claw hammer style was that he made it sound like three instruments. The percussion element is something Dan has always loved and this really comes through when you hear the instrument on its own.
The best example of this is on Funky Haystack with that funky backbeat he loves so much. That said, Dan also has a love for slower music played on the instrument and it has produced some of his best work, The Chase Suite being a perfect example, the instrument can be so lyrical and expressive even though that's probably not what its best known for.
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Verging On The Perpendicular sees Dan Walsh revisiting his first musical love, that of traditional Irish and Scottish folk music but as usual with Dan there's a fairly eclectic range of music, but particular focus is on revisiting his past influences.
The original reason he took up the banjo was to play Irish/Scottish folk music after hearing some blistering jigs and reels from the likes of Gerry O'Connor and Barney McKenna. Never one to conform he ended up playing a completely different type of banjo from the one he'd heard but despite forays into different kinds of music he always wanted to come back to those wonderful session tunes.
The new album comprises traditional tracks including a pair of Irish polkas, a jig and a reel mixed with two of his own compositions and a wonderful old song called The Suilin.
He will be taking to the stage at the National Forest Folk Club at 8.30pm on Friday, October 13 at the Moira Miners' Welfare, DE12 6BP.
Tickets cost £10 in advance and are available by visiting www.nationalforestfolk.com or www.seetickets.com
More information about Dan Walsh is available by visiting www.danwalshbanjo.co.uk
