Altan from Donegal in Berkeley

The Irish super-group Altan is coming back to the Freight. PopMatters calls them “Ireland’s leading interpreters of its musical tradition.” “Altan’s special strength,” says the New York Times, “is the clarity and coordination of its textures.” The Los Angeles Times declares, “Altan continues to be one of the Celtic world’s great treasures, gifted with a front line that is a sheer powerhouse,” and the Irish Echo adds, “Under no circumstances should they be missed in concert.” They have a knockout new album, The Widening Gyre, which brings Ireland to Nashville, as well as the other way around, featuring musical guests like Mary Chapin Carpenter, Alison Brown, Tim O’Brien, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Todd Phillips, Bryan Sutton, and Darol Anger.

March 20 at Freight and Salvage in Berkeley, also on March 17 for a St. Pat’s Day gala with Lúnasa and Tim O’Brien at the Mondavi Center, UC Davis CA,  March 18 at the Sunset Center in Carmel by the Sea.   March 19 in Fresno CA.

More than 30 years and a dozen albums have established ALTAN as the premier traditional group in Ireland. www.altan.ie