Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill at One Longfellow Square

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2. Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill

Irish fiddle virtuoso Martin Hayes and American guitarist Dennis Cahill possess a rare musical kinship, ranking them among the most memorable partnerships of our era. Together they have garnered international renown for taking traditional music to the very edge of the genre, holding listeners spellbound with their slow-building, fiery performances. The duo opens the doors of traditional Irish music and releases its pure, distilled beauty while incorporating sensibilities from the worlds of classical, blues and jazz. The New York Times calls them "a Celtic complement to Steve Reich’s quartets or Miles Davis’ ‘Sketches of Spain.’"

The musical rapport between Hayes and Cahill is so strong that it is often said they appear to be playing one instrument, "working on a seemingly telepathic level," as CMJ describes it. While Martin pursues a melody, Dennis explores the harmony and rhythms within the tunes. He seems to know intuitively Hayes’ next move, consistently matching it with astonishing skill and grace. Their live performances weave tunes that stretch up to thirty minutes long, in what Hayes describes as "a three-way conversation between the two of us and the music."