The Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay proudly presents Lunasa, ‘the hottest Irish group on the planet’, according to the Irish Voice.

Celebrating the release of their eighth CD, ‘La Nua,’ (‘New Day,’) the quintessential quintet of our time performing traditional Irish instrumental music, Lunasa, makes an eagerly-awaited return to Santa Cruz. Internationally renowned for fiery, ferocious & frenzied renditions of reels & jigs, played with power, panache & passion on uilleann pipes, fiddle, flute, whistles, guitar & upright bass, Lunasa’s concerts & recordings have earned numerous rave reviews, including "an Irish dream team. Music that moves, pulsates and thrills to the very marrow," from Folk Roots and "a potent force; live-wire excitement! fresh intricate arrangements of traditional tunes performed with ear-pinning virtuosity. The band has the best one-two rhythm punch in Irish traditional music today and has a melody of frontline players second to none," from The Irish Echo. For more, visit the Lunasa web site at www.lunasa.ie.

Tuesday, September 21st at 7:30pm

The Kuumbwa, 320 Cedar St. in Santa Cruz. Admission: $25 or $22 to Celtic Society members. On sale now at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/110394 and from 6/9 at More Music, 512 Front St. in downtown Santa Cruz. Reservations: contact the Celtic Society at (831) 704-7038, (408) 847-6982 or celtsoc@aol.com.

The Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay proudly presents Irish master guitarist & singer John Doyle in a house concert.

Impossibly in demand in the studio & on the road, immensely talented & blessed with an acute ear, a wicked sense of rhythm & seemingly endless bag of tricks in his play, composing, performing & producing, John has solidly established himself as one of the most versatile, creative & prolific voices in folk & traditional Irish music. This will be a unique opportunity to experience the playing & singing of one of the truly great contemporary Irish traditional performers in an intimate & friendly house concert setting.

In addition to his critically acclaimed solo CDs, ‘Evening Comes Early' & ‘Wayward Son,' the latter provoking the rave, ‘he has a magical touch, always providing exactly what is needed: the right progression, a nimble melody, a delicate harmony line – a dream guitarist,' to confine a look at John to just the last year or so, let us consider the following. John has released the 2010 contender for Album of the Year with fellow former Solas member, Karan Casey, entitled ‘Exiles Return,' the Grammy-nominated ‘Double Play,' his third collaboration with fiddler Liz Carroll with whom he performed at the White House on St. Patrick's Day for President & Mrs. Obama & guests, been featured on the DVD/CD release ‘Absolutely Irish' with other Irish & Irish-American luminaries, that was broadcast on PBS & has been touring with Joan Baez at her invitation as music director & guitarist. You don't have to be an Arthur Conan Doyle creation to detect Doyle, who loves performing in Homes, is a Sure lock to provide a grand evening of entertainment. For more, visit www.johndoylemusic.com.

The Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay proudly presents Solas, ‘the first truly great Irish band to arise from America'.

Since forming in 1996, Solas (the Irish word for ‘Light') has been loudly proclaimed as the most popular & exciting Celtic band ever to emerge from the United States. The Wall Street Journal has raved, ‘Solas has electrified crowds everywhere it has played; it's an Irish traditional band bearing all the marks of greatness' & The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote they make ‘mind-blowing Irish folk music, maybe the world's best.' The internationally acclaimed supergroup performs traditional Irish music as well as anyone alive or departed, pens powerful originals & covers contemporary material in a variety of genres. Celebrating the release of their 10th CD, ‘The Turning Tide,' on Compass Records, the Solas sound is anchored by founding members, the astonishing multiple All-Ireland Champion on 4 different instruments, Seamus Egan on flute, banjo, mandolin, whistle, guitar & bodhran & fiery fiddler Winifred Horan, joined by Mick McAuley on accordion & concertina, singer Mairead Phelan & guitarist Eamon McElholm. For more, visit the band's website at www.solasmusic.com.

The Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay proudly presents the Scotish folk music icon, master singer, songwriter & guitarist Archie Fisher in a rare West Coast concert.

For nearly half a century, Fisher has been introducing the songs of his homeland to the world through his tours and recordings, earning such honors as being inducted into the Scots Traditional Music Hall of Fame and being awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire), a prestigious honor nominated by his peers and bestowed by Queen Elizabeth. Known the world over as one of the finest traditional singers, Archie first made popular many songs, such as ‘The Broom of the Cowdenknowes' & ‘Will Ye Gang, Love,' that are now the staple of every Scots singer. Archie's original songs, such as ‘Men o' Worth,' ‘Dark Eyed Molly' & ‘The Witch of the West-Mer-Lands,' fit seamlessly into the tradition & have been covered by countless singers. Beloved in Scotland as the famed host of BBC Radio Scotland's award-winning weekly ‘Travelling Folk' show, Fisher has just left the program after 27 years. This concert will be his first time back at Kuumbwa since the memorable night 13 years ago when he performed John Renbourn. It was while working with Renbourn that Archie began work on an album that finally saw fruition last year, ‘Windward Away,' a collection of introspective ballads that evoke the wild & rough beauty of the Scottish Border country where he now lives. The CD also includes songs from a recently-discovered master tape of a recording that was thought long lost from the late 1970's when Archie was working with Tommy Makem & Liam Clancy. For more, visit www.myspace.com/archiefisher.

The Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay proudly presents Irish Christmas in America at the Kuumbwa.

This family-friendly entertainment features evocatively-sung Irish ballads & holiday carols, stirring narration bringing to life ancient customs & stories, lively traditional tunes & thrilling Irish dancing. Produced by & featuring All-Ireland Fiddle Champion Oisin Mac Diarmada of the award-winning Irish group Teada, the atmospheric extravaganza will once again have as special guest star, the top Irish singer & button accordionist Seamus Begley in the touring line-up. After an incredible reaction from audiences during the 2009 tour, Begley, from West Kerry, rejoins some of Ireland's leading performers for this engaging performance rich in history, humor & boundless energy. Mac Diarmada's band mate in Teada, Tristan Rosenstock, contributes spoken word and buoyant bodhran playing & the magic of the Irish harp & uilleann pipes, from leading exponents Grainne Hambly & Tommy Martin augments the rhythmic pulse of Brian Cunningham's stunning old-style Irish dancing. For more, follow the Irish Christmas links at www.rgmbooking.com.