Oud in Irish music?

[Avi Ziv]

I was going to post this question on thesession.org but decided I wanted to live a little longer

Are there any known attempts to use the oud in Irish music? I mean, the Greek bouzouki was imported into the Music and the accordion was not exactly a native Irish instrument either. Sometime frustrated by the short sustain of the mandolin, I started thinking what an oud might sound like in ITM. It has tons of sustain and a fretless neck - good for all the fiddle-type micro tones. It's not the loudest instrument but I wonder how it would sound in small ensembles - say right "under" a fiddle? Having grown up in the middle east, I listen to oud music and like the sound a lot. Having played in Irish sessions for a few years though, my head is pulling me in more than one direction.

Avi

[glauber]

I don't think anyone is doing this, so it must be your destiny. Go for it!

[delsbrother]

IIRC someone on this board was raving over his new Godin Glissentar.. I don't know what kind of music he was playing, though..

[Klaus Wutscher]

Why not? I´m not familiar with the oud tuning so the fingerings may not be as comfortable as on mandolin, but I can see the timbre of the instrument fit with the genre. More pleasing than the banjo and able to do all the little slurs and bends which really breath life into the music, esp. for the slower songs. I even think it would lend itself to bluegrass (the dark Monroe/Compton stlye, not the slick contemporary vartiety). Of course, some people , esp. in the US would probably be, politically challenged. I am European and have no horse in this race so the oud would definitely be fine with me. Showing up with one at IBMA , now that would take some guts, though....

Go for it, stranger things have been done!

[Dagger Gordon]

I think I'm right in saying that Scottish guitarist Rob MacKillop, who specialises in very early Scottish music, has used an oud. It is a form of lute as far as I know.

[DMC]

improziv,
I'm Irish (tenor banjo and mandolin) and I've never heard of an oud in an Irish session, though I'd love to see it! I also love the sound of the instrument and wanted to ask if you could recommend any albums? I only own one album called 'Barzakh' by Anouar Brahem - it's beautiful. An incredible musician.

[danb]

Roger Landes plays one, but I don't know if he uses it in an Irish session.