JOHN SHEAHAN

Among these five bearded and hairy rascals, as they liked to call themselves, John Sheahan stood out for his class and discretion. A classically trained fiddler, he had flirted with traditional music throughout his youth, much to the chagrin of his fiddle teachers. It was in 1964, almost by chance, that he joined the Dubliners and remained with them for 48 long years, until founding member Barney McKenna died in 2012.

Throughout his career with the band, John Sheahan has flirted over the years with fiddling styles at the opposite end of the spectrum, from classical to swing, from baroque to bluegrass. And it wasn't until his eightieth birthday that he decided to give us a solo album, Flirting Fiddles. Sixteen tracks, fifteen of which he composed himself. As the name of the album suggests, John's music is accompanied by a host of musicians of all kinds, fiddlers, pipers, guitarists, from his comrade-in-arms Colm Mac Con Iomaire to jazz guitarist Drazen Derek, via piper Mick O'Brien and saxophonist Richie Buckley.

There are classics such as The Marino Waltz and more recent compositions such as The Winding River, but also Draggin' The Bow, a wild Texas swing, and Among Friends, which is reminiscent of the baroque compositions of T. O'Carolan. Almost all the tunes have been arranged for orchestra and string quartet, which adds a touch of originality.

Anyone looking for purely traditional music might be disappointed. But John Sheahan's music still has something to surprise. Age does not erase talent.

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