Paddy Keenan - the man they call the Jimi Hendrix of trad - talks to Siobhán Long
Traditional musicians are as vulnerable to the culture of cliché as are their peers in jazz, folk and blues. Having been variously christened the Jimi Hendrix of trad and the Long Rider (unsurprisingly, given his rangy Carradine looks), Paddy Keenan would be forgiven if he were to succumb to a full-blown identity crisis. But his musical and personal stamp cuts a swathe across the eclectic collaborations which have fuelled his career in recent years. From his bold collaborations with The Bothy Band to his more recent work with bluegrass supremo Junji Shirota, New York jazz guitarist David O'Rourke (with whom Keenan has recorded a live jazz album) and Deep Purple guitarist Steve Morse, Paddy Keenan has played like a demon and sounded like a man with an angel perched firmly on his shoulder.
Despite his near-guru status in traditional circles, Keenan is no effete purist, fearful of sullying the reputation that has him high in the firmament, among pipers and flute players alike. His latest album, The Long Grazing Acre, is an intrepid saddling-up with Kerry guitarist Tommy O'Sullivan - an unlikely collection of folk songs nestle cosily alongside traditional set pieces and a handful of pristine Keenan originals.
Keenan is quick to finger the difference between playing in the bosom of a full band, and stepping out without the scaffold, so to speak.
"You get used to what I used to call 'the blanket' ", he says. "In the beginning, it was strange playing on my own, especially with the pipes. Even though they're a one-man band, they're not that easy to listen to on their own. For myself, to listen to a piper all night long would be a little much. The way Tommy plays the guitar fills out the whole sound for me."
Keenan's reputation for passionate playing may not be diminished, but his appetite for, eh, external stimulants to drive it most certainly has. "Before, it was very difficult for a player to follow me, with bouzouki or guitar or whatever," he admits, "because it all depended on my mood, and no one ever knew what was going to happen next. Now, I suppose, I've settled down a lot more in my playing, even though the wildness is still there."
Tommy O'Sullivan is no stranger to multiple identities either. With a further album poised for release with Sliabh Notes (Along Blackwater's Banks), his multi-tasking abilities have kept him far from the employment exchange in recent years.
Sandy Denny and Rolly Sally have each contributed a song to the collection; the latter's Killing The Blues a particularly courageous interloper. "I felt that it could work really well with the pipes," O'Sullivan explains. Keenan nods furiously: "I don't think we've bastardised the music in any way by having a blues song in there, and if we have, well, there's something wrong somewhere with the music".
Keenan's lateral musical thinking has landed him in trouble in the past anyway. A US resident for the past 10 years, his musical projects have led him to jazz, bluegrass, blues, folk and Native American musicians, who've embraced his wilful eclecticism with relish.
He smiles wanly as he recalls the preciousness of early trad sessions in Dublin. "We played in sessions that we used to call shushoons," he nods, "because you'd be thrown out for sneezing! You were in a pub, this was dance music and the musicians were excited, and you were expected to sit still and do your knitting or bite your nails. That used to shock me. Every new tune was like breaking the ice."
What riles Keenan more though, is the double-think that leads to traditional musicians being revered for their music, and yet conveniently sidelined when it comes adequate remuneration.
"I think there is far too much rap about tradition and not half enough practice," he says. "If you listen to any of the radio stations, your ears will be blasted by everything but traditional music. There is far more respect and appreciation in the States and other countries for traditional music. If I were to take a job anywhere, I would be due a pension. Irish music has been a very strong reason for tourism in Ireland. We, the musicians take it around the world and back, leaving a trail of tourism - and what do we get in the end? A pauper's grave or a mention in the local paper."
Keenan's eye is equally jaundiced by the curve balls which have been cast in his direction as a musician with both Traveller and settled genes melded in his DNA. Having lived in the US, he reflects on the respect his music receives, alongside the music of indigenous Native Americans, while at home, his family and friends are still having to deal with long-standing fear and loathing.
The outstanding success of the Doran Weekend (a commemorative festival recently held in Limerick, celebrating the life and music of Paddy's brother, Johnny, and a host of other fine musicians) offers some glimmer of optimism for what he calls the "Pavee-Buffer" relationship.
'Even I didn't expect the weekend to go without some kind of friction," he admits, "nor did the only hotelier in the town who would take it on. But I got some photos from a young lad, a 13-year-old American piper, who was delighted to be in the company of some of the most highly respected names in the piping world. This young person shared in with the fun and took home fond memories, and shared these as a reminder of what we have here today. Peace and harmony and lots of great music. This is what the Travellers bring with them and this is what the settled community offers now."
The sheer exuberance of the Doran weekend was enough to light a fire in the belly of the staunchest cynic, Keenan suggests.
"We should be very proud of this," he insists, "and use it to set an example of our intelligent integrity, to be able to sit back and smile despite the ugly thoughts that haunt and darken the heads of those unenlightened. Friendly weekends like this will hopefully lead us back to the land that was taken from us, way back then."
• Paddy Keenan and Tommy O'Sullivan's new album, The Long Grazing Acre, is on Hot Conya Records, distributed in Ireland by RMG and via www.paddykeenan.com. Their tour starts on April 24th in Matt Molloy's, Westport