Thirty-three years of touring in the United States is no small musical feat. But as far as Chieftains founder and front man Paddy Maloney is concerned, he’d visit six months out of every year.
“Our audiences are wonderful here,” he said in his high-pitched, unmistakable brogue. “There’s that feeling of absolute anticipation [and] we get a stunning reception.”
Having served as the benchmark for Irish traditional music, The Chieftains will no doubt enjoy that kind of reception this Sunday evening at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.
The Essential Chieftains Tour celebrates over four decades of musical performance both on stage and in the recording studio. In addition to Paddy Maloney, who has been dubbed the world’s most famous uilleann pipes player, The Chieftains? other original members include Matt Molloy on flute, fiddler Sean Keane, and Kevin Conneff singing and playing the bodhran (or Irish drum).
The shows also feature the step-dancing duo Jon and Nathan Pilatzke, renowned harpist Triona Marshall and the all-female group Laidan.
Maloney enjoys working with the younger performers, referring to them as “the pure drop,” which means the real thing.
The Chieftains are six-time Grammy winners witha career that spans 43 years and 43 albums. They have both recorded and collaborated with some of the greatest names in pop music, including Van Morrison, Willie Nelson, Mick Jagger and Sting.
Danny Stanton, president of the Emerald Isle Club in Baltimore, noted that in years past, The Chieftains, after their performance, were known to visit various Irish establishments around town, sit down, and play with the local musicians.
“I’ve caught a number of their performances,” Stanton said. “They’re wonderful, marvelous!”
Accolades aside, Paddy Maloney lives to stir emotions through his music.
“I love to make people happy, to make the tears come,” he said.
THE ESSENTIAL CHIEFTAINS TOUR
» Venue: Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
» Where: 1212 Cathedral Street, Baltimore
» When: Sunday, February 25 at 7:30 p.m.
» Ticket: $35- $55
» Information: 410-783-8000, baltimoresymphony.org
