Where Johnny Doherty meets Chuck Berry

In the fifth of the series of LEGEND SESSIONS, Ballyshannon Folk and Traditional Music Festival is delighted to again host a virtual session exploring the possibilities where two musical genres coincide.

This year the centre point will again be the legendary Donegal Fiddler John Doherty whose roots run deep in the Bluestack Mountains of his native county but who travelled and transcended musical boundaries throughout his life until his last years spent in the Rock Hospital in Ballyshannon. The musical odyssey continues despite the best efforts of the Covid Pandemic and this year’s session imagines the evolution of the scene if John Doherty had embarked on a journey along the Blues trail from Chicago to Mississippi, the musicians he may have met including Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, the tunes and songs that might have been swapped, the stories behind the music and finally the life experiences which they would have shared.

The session will be personified by two legends of the current music world who have themselves travelled extensively sharing their musical talents and experiences literally all over the world but whose roots are firmly in the Bluestacks and the Blues.

Seamie O’Dowd from Sligo is a multi instrumentalist and singer but for this session he will focus mainly on the fiddle in his portrayal of John Doherty’s music. Johnny Gallagher from Bundoran is also multi-instrumental but will focus on the blues guitar which he is renowned for all over the world. Johnny will portray the New World’s bluesy music. Both will blend their unmistakeable blues soaked voices together to push boundaries and break down barriers.

This is ‘Safe Session” which will take place in the Covid compliant Abbey Centre in Ballyshannon on Friday night July 30th at 8:00pm. Audience will be limited to 40 participants. Tickets will be available on a first come first served basis from https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/legend-sessions-where-john-doherty-meets-chuck-berry-tickets-164292383943

The event will also be streamed on-line through our face book page www.facebook.com/ballyshannonfolkfestival

Be sure to join us on Friday, July 30th at 8:00pm and why not start you own watch party with your friends!