With her delicate touch, trademark shimmering lilt and ear for authentic ornamentation, Karen Ashbrook is considered one of the finest Irish hammered dulcimer players anywhere. Add her wooden flute and pennywhistle playing, and you have the consummate Irish musician. Irish reviewer John O'Regan calls her recordings "Celtic music for the mind and body."
Paul Oorts is an exceptionally versatile musician and scholar, well versed in Flemish, Walloon, French and Celtic traditions. His playing and accompaniment draws from world music rhythms - driving, exotic and syncopated. A native of Halle (Zoersel) in Belgium, Oorts' musical education took place in the pubs, cafes and coffee houses of Belgium. He is an accomplished string player who excels on mandolin, cittern, classical and steel string guitars, and musette accordion.
Since his first gig in 1969 Steve Bloom has played percussion in thousands of performances and recordings in Cuban, Latin, Brazilian, Jazz, Rock and Roll, New Age, Celtic and Middle Eastern styles. He has performed gigs and/or recorded with artists such as Tito Puente, John Faddis, Michael Manring, and flute masters John Wubbenhorst, Paul Horn and Nestor Torres. Since 1995 Bloom has been touring nationally in the Irish/Celtic genre. The Washington Post says, “…Steve Bloom has never met a rhythm he couldn’t master. ”
Karen, Paul and Steve play an exciting blend of instruments coupled with a repertoire based in Irish music and also drawn from Oorts' native Flemish and French music, contradance and classical repertoire.