Musicality of Poetry Festival VII: The J.B. Pariahs, Performing Dubliners in Song:

?Dubliners in Song: Portrait of a Town and an Artist by the Liffey,? is a work of poetry, anecdotes, an song that sets James Joyce?s short stories to a combination of original lyrics and Celtic Flavored music. That music will be provided tonight by The J.B. Pariahs (J.B, Lynne Clayton and Gerry Field), a band of great renown throughout the Chicago area and the U.S. as well. This show takes you long ago and far away to turn-of-the-century Dublin. The guide is Nora Bloom, loosley based on Joyce?s wife Nora and Molly Bloom of Ulysses. Through verse and anecdotes based on Joyce?s writings, she gives insight into the author?s self-imposed exile, his writing philosophy, his conflicts with religion and censorship, and his reflections on the book. ?Dubliners in Song? is the culmination of two years of research on Joyce and a lengthy immersion in Celtic music.

J.B. or John Pariah (guitar, harmonica, vocals) has been a college English teacher since earning an M.A. from DePaul University in 1985. His credits include a recently released CD of rock and acoustic songs, ?Singer in the Rye,? which he is currently performing in the Chicago area Lynne Clayton (vocals, guitar, percussion, tin whistle) holdes a B.S. in Music Education from the University of Illinois. Lynne has been a part of several women?s a cappella ensembles, including After Hours, The Millers Daughter, and Prairie Rose. Her many storytelling credits include shows at the Wild Onion Storytelling Festival and the Museum of Science and Industry.

Gerry Field (fiddle) has recorded with such artists as Richard Thompson, Manfed Mann, and Bryan Bowers, and was a founding member of the Rosehip String Band, the first group ever recorded by Flying Fish records. His Irish background includes recordings with Lilty Mist, the Dooley Brothers, and the Sullivan Brothers, with whom he still performs.