NTB support Dori Freeman (USA) at Tradfest, 24 Jan. 2019

The organisers of Tradfest 2019 announce a post-Christmas sale offer of two selected shows for the price of one. This will apply only from midnight on St Stephen's day to midnight on 27 December. Full details are on the latest Tradfest e-newsletter.

Included in the offer is the show at St Michan's church, Dublin, on 24 Jan., at which the Niall Toner Band will be supporting singer/ songwriter Dori Freeman (above) from Galax, Virginia. Galax has a special place in the history of old-time, country, and bluegrass music, and though Freeman often uses country instrumentation her singing has a traditional heart: listen to 'Over there', with clawhammer banjo, from her Letters never read album. Doors open at 8.00 p.m. and the show starts at 8.30. Tickets (€15.99) can be booked here.

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Last Tuesday (18 Dec.) Niall Toner dropped in to Sin É in central Dublin to sit in on the weekly Dublin Bluegrass Collective jam - the last one of 2018. He writes: 'The standard was, to my ears, very high indeed, on all instruments, and there's no fear for the future of the music here in Ireland. [...] I would have to say that the standard was just as good as that I experienced at IBMA in Raleigh, recently.'

Niall adds: 'I am keeping busy with new music, and we recorded recently in Orchard Studios in Enniscorthy. I hope to be able to release a mini-album early in 2019.'

NTB: Gerry Madden, Dick Gladney, Niall Toner, Johnny Gleeson