LIVE: Masters of Tradition @ The Egg, 3/25/14

Video and photographs by Tim Raab
Additional photographs by Andrzej Pilarczyk

Just because Saint Patrick’s Day has come and gone for another year doesn’t mean that the Irish music scene goes into hibernation til 2015. Not around Nippertown, anyway.

In fact, The Egg in Albany hosted a pair of back-to-back Celtic concerts this week – Masters of Tradition and the Irish Rovers. By far the more traditional – and more satisfying – of the two was Tuesday night’s Masters of Tradition concert at the Swyer Theatre.

Fab fiddler Martin Hayes was at the helm, leading an all-star ensemble of talented musicians – including vocalist Iarla Ó Lionáird, fiddler Cathal Hayden, guitarists Dennis Cahill and Seamie O’Dowd, accordionist Máirtín O’Connor and uilleann piper David Power. With a variety of Celtic jigs, reels and airs, the evening built from individual musical showcases and various small group configurations through to sometimes powerful, sometimes poignant performances by the entire ensemble.

SECOND OPINIONS:
See more of Tim Raab’s photos from the show