Shay Black, whom I have come to know and admire during the last year of hanging out at the Starry Plough Sunday night Irish sessions, and his brothers Michael and Martin performed at the Freight and Salvage (also in Berkeley) last night, and what a concert it was. Another friend from the Plough, Kate Brubeck, opened for the brothers with a half-dozen a capella songs, the final one with the brothers joining her on the chorus. Kate has a lovely, true, bell-like voice, and her set was a real treat. Then Shay and his brothers took over.

Shay and Kate are more responsible than anyone else of convincing me of the beauty of a capella solos, something for which I had no particular appreciation before Pam Swan convinced me to come to the Sunday night Plough sessions. And Shay's brothers both are masters of the art as well, and in harmony they are overwhelming. Their show combined in equal doses unaccompanied and accompanied songs: their accompaniments, Shay on guitar, Michael mostly on banjo, and Martin on fiddle, are rich and orchestral, far more so than I'm accustomed to hearing from the various folk and bluegrass groups I've heard. Their solo vocal styles are all wonderful, all very individualistic...I can't name any solo artists who sing any better than any of the three, nor any vocal groups who can match the richness of their harmonies. They really are that good. (Oh, part of the instrumental mix was Alisa Fisher (?) on piano and pennywhistle.)

I bought two CDs, one of the brothers and one of the Family (with their sisters). I haven't listened to them yet: the souns of their concert are still rin