Luke has a mastery of the mandolin – and we get to hear it in its own right as a lead instrument. Right up there with the very top exponents of mandolining, he puts a drive and feeling into the tunes which allow a range of expressive tones and shades.” – The Living Tradition magazine, Scotland
Hailing from Tasmania, Australia, mandolin virtuoso, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Luke Plumb comes to the Firehouse Arts & Events Center in Bellingham. Through his work with Shooglenifty (renowned Scottish “acid croft” folk band), Irish folk legend Andy Irvine (Patrick Street/Planxy/Mozaik), and many collaborations in Australia have made him a driving force on the acoustic music global stage. During his 10 year tenure with Shooglenifty, Luke’s original tunes and arrangements dominated the band’s repertoire. His 2009 solo album, A Splendid Notion, features just mandolin and percussion. Recent recording collaborations with Andy Irvine (2016 Precious Heroes), and Kate Burke (2019 duo album of groove-based interpretations of traditional folk songs) have gotten rave reviews. In 2018 with his new band, Luke Plumb & the Circuit, he released Turn & ReTurn, which features mandolin, trumpet, and driving guitars, bass and drums, and draws on sounds from Crete and the Rolling Stones, to create a new music melding folk, ethnic traditions, rock and jazz. “Enough imagination and innovation to inspire a new generation … folk music of breathtaking originality.” Bruce Elder – The Age/SMH

Accompanying Luke on his Northwest tour is Seattle and Lopez Island’s Stanley Greenthal (guitar, bouzouki and vocals). Greenthal is an internationally acclaimed songwriter and instrumentalist who stretches musical borders from Scotland, Ireland, Brittany, Greece, and the Balkans. Stanley and Luke met years ago while teaching and performing at ZoukFest, the first international gathering of bouzouki players, which evolved into an innovative World Music Camp, held most recently in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Their musical friendship and collaboration continues, with this opportunity to play their arrangements of traditional and original music for audiences in the Northwest.

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