Although perhaps best known to readers of this column as the secret weapon in Jinx Lennon’s armoury, Miss Paula Flynn was performing in her own right long before she met the Dundalk tunesmith. This month sees her resuming her solo career with the launch of debut album, Miss Paula Flynn.

She’ll tell you herself that her favourite band is the Carter Family. So it’s no surprise that the LP has a solid country backbone. Flynn will be marking the release with a date in Bewley’s Cafe Theatre on Friday September 25. She also plays Boyle’s in Slane on Thursday October 1 (after slipping in an in-store appearance at Dublin’s Tower Records earlier that day), The Thatch in Rahan on Friday October 2, Ballybofey’s Balor Theatre on Thursday October 9, the Town Hall Theatre in Galway on Tuesday October 27, Belfast’s Black Box on Thursday October 29, Dundalk’s Spirit Store on Thursday November 5 and The Roundy in Cork on Thursday December 3.
In October, meanwhile, Jinx Lennon will be putting out a concert DVD, Magic Rawness and Rage: Live at the Sugar Club. It features the talents not only of Miss Flynn, but also Cork stalwarts Los Langeros and Dublin slam poet Stephen James Smith.
Spider John Koerner hasn’t played an Irish gig since 1966. Back then, he was best known as one third of Koerner, Ray and Glover, who counted the Beatles and Dylan as fans. Influenced by roots legends such as Leadbelly and Robert Johnson, their repertoire was crammed full of blues and folk standards, played hard and sung with abandon.
Now in his '70s, Koerner has lost none of his gusto, as the Live At The 400 Club album, recorded with long-time stage partner Dave Glover in 2006, attests. His Irish tour takes in Lisdoonvarna’s Roadside Tavern on Thursday September 24, Cork’s An Spailpin the following evening, Dublin’s Button Factory on Sunday September 27 and a final date in Mick Murphy’s in Ballymore Eustace on Monday September 28.
Ger Wolfe will release No Bird Sang, his fifth collection of original songs, on Friday September 11 on his own Raggedy Records imprint. Although not nearly well-known enough outside his native Cork, he has caught the ear of folk fans such albums as Word and Rhyme and The Velvet Earth. See him at the Bewley’s Cafe Theatre on Sunday October 4.
The gloriously named James McMurtry and the Heartless Bastards stop off in Dublin for a show in Whelan’s on Thursday October 15. McMurtry appeared on the soundtrack of the film Falling from Grace, alongside John Mellencamp, John Prine, Joe Ely, and Dwight Yoakam in a “supergroup” called Buzzin’ Cousins. He also clocked up his sixth album last year in the shape of Just Us Kids.
Music Network’s mission to broaden our idea of what constitutes ‘folk’ continues. Next month they present a tour by Norwegian traditional ‘supergroup’ Hekla Stalstrenga. The ensemble is fronted by Ragnhild Furebotten, one of the rising stars of the Norwegian traditional scene.
Admired for her dynamic, inventive live shows, she has also performed as a soloist with Mory Kanté and in collaborations with dancers and storytellers. Rhythmic underpinnings are provided by Norwegian Grammy-award winning bassist Trond-Viggo Solås, and drummer Christian Svensson, best known for his work with the folk-rock bands Hedningarna and Harv.
The tour gets going in Bray’s Mermaid Arts Centre on Wednesday October 7. It then moves to The Source Arts Centre in Thurles the following evening, Kilkenny’s Watergate Theatre on Friday October 9, Navan’s Solstice Arts Centre on Saturday October 10, before crossing the country to Clifden for a show in the Church Of Ireland on Sunday October 11.
After a couple of well deserved days off, they play the Coach House at Dublin Castle on Tuesday October 13, then head for Tralee where they grace the stage at Síamsa Tíre the following evening.
It all wraps up with a date in Tinahely Courthouse Arts Centre on Thursday October 15.