Irish folk legends Dervish will release The Great Irish Songbook, their first album for Rounder Records, on 12th April 2019.
The album features guests including Steve Earle, Rhiannon Giddens, Vince Gill, Brendan Gleeson, Jamey Johnson, Kate Rusby, The SteelDrivers, and Abigail Washburn.
The Great Irish Songbook is produced by Graham Henderson (Sinéad O’Connor) and it features some of the best-loved songs in the Irish tradition. Working with their guests, Dervish called on each musician to select their most cherished song within the genre.
The album was recorded mainly at The Magic Room in Sligo. It features everything from lovelorn ballads to traditional dance music to songs customarily sung at funerals.
One of the two newly written pieces on The Great Irish Songbook has Steve Earle accompanying Dervish for a wistful yet rousing version of The Galway Shawl, closing out the track with a full-hearted sing-along.
Accordionist Shane Mitchell, a founding member of the band, noted, “With this record we brought in people from genres sometimes totally unrelated to what we do, but still found a way to create some beautiful music together.” He reflects, “I think that’s an incredibly important thing to consider in life as well, especially now: everyone can find a way to collaborate, even if you’re coming from what feels like completely different places.”
Dervish will embark on an extensive US tour in March, with dates as follows:
March 1st – Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, Garden City, NY
March 2nd – Belleville Roots Music Concert Series, Newburyport, MA
March 3rd – One Longfellow Square, Portland, ME
March 5th – Iron Horse, Northampton, MA
March 7th – Longwood Gardens , Kennett Square, PA
March 8th – Irish American Heritage Center, Chicago, IL
March 9th – Milliken Auditorium, Traverse City, MI
March 10th – Blue Note Ballroom, Winsted, MN
March 12th – Focal Point, St Louis, MO
March 14th – Berea College, Phelps-Stokes Auditorium, Berea, KY
March 15th – Saint Anselm College, Dana Center, Manchester, NH
March 16th – Barre Opera House, Barre, VT
March 17th – Spire Center for Performing Arts, Plymouth, MA
March 18th – Triple Door, Seattle, WA
March 20th – Florence Event Center, Florence, AL
March 21st – Alberta Rose Theatre, Portland, OR
March 22nd – Sebastopol Community Center, Sebastopol, CA
March 23rd – Grange Hall, Aromas, CA
March 24th – United Irish Cultural Center of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
