Jim-Here is a Gamalon orchestra at Holy Cross. It may be too late in the semester to hear them, but I believe they have an open rehearsal every week and doa concert every semester.Myra McCloud does a lot of trad Irish music. She plays fiddle and usually does not work with a vocalist.There is an awesome mariachi band at Ixtapa in Lunenburg every Sunday night from 5-8pm. It is a Mexican resteraunt that is very good.

I agree, Keith--most of it is very untraditional, Enya-type stuff.  But I was in Ireland last month and it reminded me how good it can be when four or five musicians are just sitting in the corner of the bar in a circle, paying attention only to each other, playing traditional jigs and reels and marches, not giving a shit whether anyone is listening, and losing themselves in the melodies.  That's what I'm looking for.

Thanks for the suggestions, YT.  I will check those people/places out.  And I know all about Myra--I am trying to get her to add fiddle to a song on our CD when we record this summer!

By the way, I just noticed that Levon Helm (of Band fame) is coming to the Boston Pavilion this summer on June 21st.  Bad news for some of you that he's teaming up with Phil Lesh and friends (of Grateful Dead fame), but Helm's Grammy-winning CD, Dirt Farmer, is really an incredible recording.  Traditional American folk, rootsy and gutsy.