Luka Bloom
(born 23 May 1955 as Kevin Barry Moore
) is an accomplished Irish folk-rock singer-songwriter. He is also the younger brother of Irish folk singer Christy Moore.
|
LUKA BLOOM TICKETS
|
The name "Luka"
In order to avoid the pressure of being related to
Christy Moore, Bloom adopted his
pseudonym. "Luka" is taken from the title of
Suzanne Vega's song
"Luka" about
child abuse and "Bloom" refers to the main character in
James Joyce's
Ulysses
. Bloom is, however, very forthcoming about being Christy's brother and does not hide behind his
stage name.
Music style
Luka Bloom's style of
guitar playing is very distinctive and is generally referred to as "electro-acoustic". In his early career as Barry Moore, Bloom used a
fingerpicking style. However,
tendinitis in his hands forced him to adopt a
strumming style which is the one he still uses and is often credited with his success. He usually plays in the DADGAD tuning and plays his electro-acoustic guitar through a bass amplifier to give his sound that haunting, warm melody.
History and touring
He began his career in the United States playing small clubs in Washington DC and later in New York City. He was a frequent performer in New York's Greenwich Village-at the Red Lion, where he played with
Eileen Ivers backing him on
fiddle, during his "Irishman in Chinatown" tour. (Ivers would also appear on the
Riverside
album.)
He toured America frequently through the Nineties, although his contemporary touring schedules take him mostly to Europe.
Albums
His early albums showcased his frenetic strumming style, including "Delirious" the debut track on Riverside, and his penchant for thoughtful cover songs, an affinity that he maintains even in more recent work. Released in 2000,
Keeper of the Flame
was an album of
cover versions, featuring renditions of
ABBA's
Dancing Queen
,
Bob Marley's
Natural Mystic
and the
Hunters and Collectors'
Throw Your Arms Around Me
among others. Bloom had previously covered
LL Cool J's
I Need Love
and
Elvis Presley's
Can't Help Falling In Love
on the album
The Acoustic Motorbike
. Bloom is often heard to remark in concert about
Natural Mystic
that "...there are considerable similarities between
Jamaicans and Irishmen".
Bloom's 2004 acoustic mini-album,
Before Sleep Comes
, was recorded while Bloom was recovering from tendinitis. Bloom stated the purpose of the album was "to help bring you closer to sleep, our sometimes elusive night-friend."
Bloom released his album
Innocence
in 2005. Many of the songs feature a new found interest in Eastern European gypsy music and other World music. In his previous work, he relied on steel-stringed guitars that created his distinctive style. His guitars were often introduced by name at gigs. The album features a more classical guitar and the resonant plucking associated with that style of instrument.
In 2007 he released Tribe, a collaboration with County Clare musician Simon O Reilly, with O Reilly composing the music and sending the recordings to Luka for him to complete with lyrics and singing.
A DVD entitled "The Man is Alive" was released on 20 February 2008. It features concerts filmed in Dublin and at his home in Kildare, a question and answer session with fans, the documentary "My Name is Luka", and a CD of music culled from the two performances.
"Eleven Songs" was released in September 2008, featuring an expanded ensemble of instrumentation, giving the album a distinct sound within his catalogue.
Discography
Barry Moore albums:
- Treaty Stone
(1978)
- Barry Moore & Eamon Murray - In Groningen
(1980)
- No Heroes
(1982)
Luka Bloom:
- Luka Bloom
(1988)
- Riverside
(1990)
- The Acoustic Motorbike
(1992)
- Turf
(1994)
- Salty Heaven
(1998)
- Keeper of the Flame
(covers project) (2000)
- The Barry Moore Years
(compilation) (2001)
- Between the Mountain and the Moon
(2001)
- Amsterdam
(live) (2003)
- Before Sleep Comes
(2004)
- Innocence
(2005)
- Tribe
(2007)
- The Platinum Collection
(compilation) (2007)
- The Man Is Alive
(2 DVD + 1 CD set) (2008)
- Eleven Songs
(2008)