Old Soul Orchestra for Monroe’s show

Marty O’Reilly and the Old Soul Orchestra will join in the Race Week festivities at Monroe’s Live this Saturday, August 2.

O’Reilly began his musical journey as a blues guitar player, exploring the works of Blind Willie Johnson, Mississippi John Hurt and John Lee Hooker.

Studying the early Delta greats gave O’Reilly a unique foundation onto which he subsequently added other musical influences from performers such as John Fahey, Nick Drake, John Vandiver, and Tom Waits.

O’Reilly’s deep and soulful voice and his emotional depth are to the fore, whether he is performing his own original pieces or interpreting the American classics.

For his Monroe’s show O’Reilly is backed by Jeff Kissell on double bass and Chris Lynch on fiddle. Their versatility and chemistry help to expand O’Reilly’s songs into pieces that drive like a ten-pound hammer, or float like feather.

The three men formed the Soul Orchestra in late 2012, and they have rapidly made a name for themselves along the west coast of America, having featured at many notable venues and festivals, including Outside Lands Festival, the Rivertown Revival Festival, Do It Ourselves Festival, Cafe Du Nord, Hotel Cafe, and Empty Sea Studios.

The band released a self-titled live album in 2013 and their debut studio album, Pray for Rain, in Spring of this year.

Tickets for their Monroe’s show this Saturday night, August 2, are €10 and are available from www.monroes.ie. People can enjoy free entry with their Galway Races wristband or race card until 11.30pm.