Solas: Jazz-Flavored Celtic Music

WC was lucky enough to attend a live performance by Solas last night. Solas – the word means “sunshine” in Celtic – was formed in 1996 and is one of the outstanding Cletic music bands in the world today. Composed of American and Irish musicians, they performed a mix of traditional, pop and their own compositions is a fine show.

One of the things that strikes you about this group is that each of them is highly proficient at a number of instruments. For example, Seamus Egan, the group’s co-founder, over the course of the evening played flute, banjo, tin whistle, guitar, mandolin and bodrhan. The band was tight, polished, lightning-fast on many songs and explored an amazing range of music from traditional jigs and reels through Bob Dylan to Sting. An altogether amazing song list.

You wouldn’t think that there could be a new sound, a new approach to traditional Irish folk music. You’d be wrong. The Los Angeles Times said, “Solas offers a compellingly original, strikingly contemporary view of traditional Celtic sounds.” Although Solas can play straight traditional Irish music as well as anyone WC had heard, what was most fun was the varyingmix of traditional and contemporary sensibility. Solas moves between 300-year old songs and current pop hits with an ease and naturalness that is as astonishing.

If you’ve a taste for Celtic music, and Irish music in particular, but might want a new approach, Solas is your group.

It was an excellent concert. WC thanks Solas and the Fairbanks Concert Association for bringing the band to Fairbanks.