Roni on the road in Ireland

Thanks to Dave Hardy, leader of the Blue Clavon Orchestra. Being also a member of the Cabin Crew house band at Dublin's Cabin Sessions, Dave was present on Thursday night (26 May) when the First Lady of Banjo, Roni Stoneman, played as a special guest at the Cabin, and he has just sent us this link to a YouTube video with a series of photos of Roni against a soundtrack of her recent recording 'The day the banjo dies'.

The image above comes from a YouTube video of Roni playing and singing 'Goin' down the road feeling bad' ('Lonesome road blues') two years ago in Nashville. She has not slowed down since then. Tonight she tops the bill at the 4th Clarinbridge Banjo Gathering in Co. Galway, presented by the Clarinbridge Arts Group and Tom Cussen of Clareen Banjos, with Galway's Oldtown Rounders in support.

As in 2013, her trip to Ireland is a friendly visit rather than a show-a-night tour, so her next official performance will be at the Seamus Ennis Arts Centre in Naul, Co. Dublin, on Friday 3 June - the last chance for anyone to see and hear her in the Dublin area. All her dates are on the BIB calendar, including (of course) her set at the 10th Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival.

BIB editor's note: Banjo freaks will be interested in the great banjo that she has with her on this visit. It looks exactly like her 1950s archtop bowtie Mastertone 'warhorse', but the pot is apparently from the 1930s, the whole instrument is appreciably lighter than the 'warhorse', and it has a powerful sound; the Mastertone I play (considered loud by some people) sounds reticent by comparison.