Chieftains Play Traditional Irish Tunes With Verve, Enthusiasm

The Chieftains have performed in so many different parts of the world, in so many variations on Celtic music with so many different guest artists that it can be easy to overlook the simple fact that the six veteran Irish players (together for 38 years) also are superbly effective interpreters of traditional Irish music.

Their concert Friday night at UCLA’s Royce Hall was a potent reminder, as the ensemble concentrated upon material included in their about-to-be-released RCA album, “Water From the Well.”

The album’s program consists of traditional tunes recorded in various Irish locations, and the Chieftains’ performance of classics such as “Drops of Brandy” (“Lots of Drops of Brandy” in their rendering) took a similar path. Splendid as a group, they were equally impressive in their solo passages. Unlike some of the younger Irish groups, the Chieftains did not cross over into pop elements--with the exception of a single whimsical reference to the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” But they played their excellently arranged traditional pieces with a verve and enthusiasm.

Piper and leader Paddy Moloney rarely allows a Chieftains concert to be limited to the ensemble itself, and the Royce program was no exception, with a series of appearances by additional instrumentalists and step dancers.