Starting on Tuesday, January 29 at 10pm on BBC Two Northern Ireland, Blackstaff Sessions moves into its third series with eight programmes bursting at the seams with the best musical talent from home and abroad performing in BBC Northern Ireland’s Blackstaff studios in Belfast.
Kicking off the new series is Belfast singer Brian Kennedy, who performs along side the Blackstaff Sessions house band, and Lurgan duo Cat Malojian.
Also performing in the new series are The Blind Boys of Alabama, soul singer PP Arnold, folk singer Ralph McTell and home-grown acts such as The Delawares, Antony Toner, Majella Murphy and Garrett O'Hare.
Ralph says: “It's official, I am the luckiest man alive! How else could you describe someone who gets to introduce The Blind Boys Of Alabama onto his own TV show?
“I'm serious when I say that this series of Blackstaff Sessions might just be the greatest line-up of musical talent ever assembled in the BBC Belfast studios. Over the series I'll be introducing the cream of the musical crop from both home and abroad and letting them do their incredible stuff live. I have the easy bit, all I have to do is tell you about them - it's the great music that really makes this show. From international superstars like the Blind Boys of Alabama to amazing local talent like Lurgan duo Cat Malojian, Belfast rockers The Delawares and Coleraine man Antony Toner, this is the kind of mix that reminds you why live music is so great.
“My personal highlights in this series include Brian Kennedy's performance with the brilliant Blackstaff Sessions band that opens up the series. I've seen, and introduced, Brian on numerous occasions but I can honestly say the Belfast boy has never put in a finer performance. The choice of material he performed in front of our audience was breathtaking with a version of Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl staying long in the memory after the cameras stopped rolling.
“Other genuine highlights include soul legend PP Arnold, who turned in a an amazing performance of her hit First Cut Is the Deepest, former Blow Monkey mainman Dr Robert and the aformentioned Blind Boys who wowed the crowd with a deeply soulful version of Amazing Grace that they played to the tune of House Of Rising Sun and Ralph McTell who I've loved since my University days.”
The third series of Blackstaff Sessions starts on BBC Two Northern Ireland on Tuesday, January 29 at 10pm.