Celtic musicians Karan Casey and John Doyle appear on Mountain Stage, recorded on the campus of Ohio University in Athens. Natives of Ireland, both Casey and Doyle were living in America when they helped found the traditional supergroup Solas, which was lauded by The Boston Herald as "the first truly great Irish band to arise from America."
The two have since launched solo careers, but after many years apart have reunited to record Exile's Return. Many of the songs from the duo's performance deal with immigration — which mirrors not only Irish tradition, but also the duo's own experiences. Casey's sweet, haunting voice is as equally at home in "Yankee Land" as in the dark tale "The False Lady," while Doyle's driving, rhythmic guitar style is on full display in "Madam I'm a Darling" — a song Doyle introduced as a "raunchy version of the Spanish Lady." A highly sought-after guitarist and collaborator, Doyle recently returned from a stint as Joan Baez's bandleader.
This segment originally ran on November 23, 2011.
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