Desert Aces: 'Bringing Oldtime into Newtime'

Desert Aces, the bluegrass/trad/folk/rhythm and roots/string band based in Dublin, consists of French virtuoso violinist Camille Champarnaud, Limerick folk singer Pete McGuire, Wicklow balladeers Mike & Barry Kehoe, and traditional musician Darren Hurley from Limerick. Playing the best of Irish and North American traditional and country music, Desert Aces are looking for bookings throughout the country and are already booked to play in leading Dublin music venues. Barry Kehoe reports:

We launch our debut album in Crawdaddy [at the old Harcourt Street station, Dublin 2] on 7 April. The 11-track debut CD features a mix of old-time tunes and original compositions, all with a distinctly North American roots and Irish folk sensibility. The CD booklet features liner notes on each track indicating the origins of this eclectic selection. Tunes are fused together that span all the way from the state anthem of Ohio to a polka from west Limerick.

Recent media appearances by the Desert Aces include articles in the Waterford Today (12 Mar.) and Munster Express (14 Mar.), and appearances on RTE (Seoige and O'Shea; 14 Mar.) and Lyric FM (Sunday night, 23 Mar.). A full listing of shows is on the band's MySpace site. Upcoming dates are:

Wed. 30 Apr.: On the Verge@Thomas Read, Smithfield, Dublin
Sun. 4 May: Kilkenny Rhythm & Roots Festival
Fri. 16 May: Lower Deck, Portobello, Dublin
Sun. 25 May: Kildare Riverbank Theatre
Sun. 15 June: Cobblestone, Smithfield, Dublin
Fri. 11 July: Whelans, Dublin

For more info, see the Desert Aces website and MySpace site.