Tomorrow sees the release of Dan Walsh’s latest album Verging On The Perpendicular which finds him returning to the Scottish and Irish music that first inspired him. Watch him performing Banish Set which he tells us more about below:
The whole reason I took up the banjo at 13 was because of what I’d heard in Irish folk music. It turned out of course that what I’d heard was a completely different instrument to what I played, it being tenor banjo rather than 5-string, but the want to play that music remained! I’ve really been getting back into that lately so this is an out and out tune set. The first tune Banish Misfortune is a classic Irish gig and one that I absolutely love to play. The second Washington’s March is actually an American tune and as the name suggests is normally more march-like than reel-like but here I’ve basically adapted it to be a reel. Then on the album track, there are two tunes of mine written in a very trad style but in the video, I played two classic Irish reels, the Swallow’s Tail and High Reel.
Verging On The Perpendicular is one of Folk Radio UK’s Featured Albums of the Month. In his review (which you can read here) Thomas Blake concluded:
To the uninitiated, the banjo can often seem like a slightly one-dimensional instrument. It brings to mind old men on back porches singing murder ballads and songs about illegal liquor. And while that style is still perfectly valid, it is by no means a true reflection of everything the banjo has to offer. With Verging On The Perpendicular, Walsh has assembled a collection that is more than just a whistlestop tour of all the farthest-flung points on the musical map. It is the perfect balance of authenticity and flair. Without ever ignoring the past, it points the way to an exciting future for banjo music.
Verging on the Perpendicular is released on April 28th, 2017 via Rooksmere Records
Order via: Amazon | ProperMusic (Ltd Autographed Edition)
April/May Solo UK Dates
19 Apr – Dog Gone Roots, Sittingbourne
20 Apr – Ritz Acoustic Club, Burnham on Sea
21 Apr – Deal Folk Club, Kent
22 Apr – Folk Weekend, Oxford
23 Apr – Nailsea Tithe Barn, Somerset
27 Apr – Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge
28 Apr – Brewtown Folk Club, Burton-on-Trent
29 Apr – Conquest Theatre, Bromyard
30 Apr – The Sunny Sailor, Maldon
01 May – Green Note, London
02 May – Bicycle Shop, Norwich
03 May – Cut Arts Centre, Halesworth
05 May – Ram Folk Club, Thames Ditton
06 May – Stanley Halls, Croydon
09 May – Gatehouse Theatre, Stafford
10 May – The Hive, Shrewsbury
12 May – Town Hall, Birmingham
13 May – (with John Dowling) Crossover Fest, Cheshire
For complete tour dates including his US Tour visit: www.danwalshbanjo.co.uk
Photo Credit: Johnny Dent