Spencer Strickland at Omagh

Thanks again to Enda Donnelly for this photo of Spencer Strickland of Virginia, who was playing mandolin with the Kenny & Amanda Smith Band at the Omagh festival last weekend. He is a luthier as well as a musician, making guitars and mandolins on his own account and doing finishing work for Wayne Henderson.

Enda encountered Spencer's playing a year ago on YouTube, where there are several clips of him, notably on 'Cherokee shuffle'. Also playing mandolin at Omagh - with the Claire Lynch Band - was Jason Thomas, whose mother was a Hogan...