Conga Room Goes Eclectic--and Celtic

It wasn’t surprising that the highly regarded Celtic group Danu would turn up in town for an appearance around St. Patrick’s Day. What was surprising was the fact that the venue for Thursday’s performance was that shrine to salsa, the Conga Room. Actually, as it turns out, it really wasn’t all that unexpected, since the Conga Room management is on a campaign to expand the club’s bookings.

Danu was one of several Celtic groups on the forecasted schedule, and jazz will soon become a significant presence.But it’s obviously going to take a while for the word to get out that the Conga Room has gone eclectic, since the turnout for Danu was slim. And that was a shame, because the seven-piece ensemble lived up to its advance notices, delivering a program of jigs, reels and ballads with spirit and enthusiasm.

Danu’s program relied heavily on traditional music, as well as new material composed in traditional style. Much of it traced to the band’s new album, “All Things Considered.” What made it especially appealing, however, was the manner in which the band dealt with the traditional tunes.

There was fine flute playing from Tom Doorley, warm-toned singing from Ciaran O’Gealbhain and a versatile combination of bodhran drumming and Uilleann piping from Donnchadh Gough.

Add to that a set of attractive arrangements--featuring a blending of violin, flute and two accordions to produce subtle instrumental textures not always found in small ensemble Irish music--and the results provided a compellingly original, strikingly contemporary view of traditional Celtic sounds.