From Ireland to Istanbul

COSTA MESA - The performance Sunday night at the Segerstrom Hall in the Orange County Performing Arts Center was unforgettable.

Eileen Ivers is nine-time, All-Ireland Fiddle Champion, and she plays with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops, the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center, the Chieftains, Riverdance, as well as Patti Smith, Paula Cole and Hall & Oates.

Sunday's special performance went far beyond musical excellence, into the realm of heart and spirit, joining together people from all over the world who have a feeling for their roots through melody and musical instruments. She helps people see that we are all joined together through our roots, through the earth that holds us, becoming a joyous, laughing realization.

It may sound like a lot for a fiddle, pipes, flute, guitar, bass and some drums to do. But the musicians who have been playing with Eileen are simply fantastic.

Isaac Anderson is an All-Ireland Champion on the pipes, the flute and the whistle. Guitarist & back-up vocalist James Riley has performed throughout Europe and the Middle East and recorded with fiddler Marie Reilly and Solas members Mick McAuley & Steve Holloway.

Gregory Jones plays South African style bass and sings back-up after having recorded & toured with Savion Glover in "Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk" and with Carly Simon.

Drummer and lead vocalist Tommy McDonnell was a member of the Original Blues Brothers Band, and performed with Eric Clapton, BB King, James Brown and Issac Hayes.

And all together they play lively Irish reels and plaintive ballads while expressing the spirit of Irish music that connects with every deep down-home musical movement around the earth. And that connection is what makes the Turkish music of Burhan Ocal and Ahmet Elbasan, able to fit in so harmoniously and expand the evening so richly.

The musicians were having a genuinely great time, Eileen partnering with each one to raise the level of excitement, dancing and skipping around the stage, jumping straight into the air in delight, walking out among the audience, appreciating their cheers. She appeared to be an emissary from the Fairy People, bringing the threads to mend torn hearts and to connect all as one.

For more information about Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul, visit www.eileenivers.com . Information on Burhan Ocal can be found at www.burhanocal.com