One of the finest traditional musicians in the north is currently celebrating the launch of a long-awaited solo album.

Fiddle player Gerry O'Connor is a member of the well- known musical family from Dundalk and Journeyman is the title of his new CD.

It sums up O'Connor's reputation as an instrumentalist of the highest quality who has performed his music on concert and festival stages all over the world.

Taught from the age of six by his mother Rose, he was also influenced by the great Sligo flute player the late John Joe Gardiner, who lived in Dundalk for many years.

In 1986, O'Connor was a founder member, with Ulster traditional singer Len Graham, of the group Skylark, and in 1991 he formed his own band, La Lugh.

He recorded with both of these outfits, but we have had to wait until now for the release of his first solo album, and it is a case of pleasure deferred being pleasure doubled, for it is a listener's delight from start to finish.

On this dazzling medley of reels, jigs, highlands and airs, O'Connor is, of course, the main man, but he has also enlisted the accomplished back up services of five friends, namely his son Donal (fiddle and piano), Paul McSherry (guitar), Martin Quinn (accordion), Neil Martin (cello) and Martin O'Hare (bodhran).

It deserves an honoured place in any Irish music collection, and the good news is that you can purchase your copy when Journeyman Gerry comes up to Belfast to play a promotional gig at Madden's Bar, Berry Street, this Sunday night (8pm).

There, he will be accompanied by Donal and Paul and I would advise you that their concert will be a ticket only affair, so book yours now at Madden's (tel 9024 4114). It has all the makings of a mighty session.

Meanwhile, another kind of musical journey is currently being explored by the American singer, song collector and five-string banjo player Sara Grey.

Sara, who grew up in the bluegrass stronghold of North Carolina but has lived on the Isle of Skye for many years, has made a special study of the trans-Atlantic migration of traditional songs from Scotland to the USA via Ulster.

Accompanied by her son Kieron on guitar, she will be dwelling on that fascinating aspect of folk music history when they come over from Skye for a short UIster tour next week.

Their dates are at the Linen Hall Library, Belfast (Thursday, November 25), The Black Nun, Ballymoney (November 29) and the Verbal Arts Centre, Londonderry (November 30).

Folk rock legend John Martyn, recent winner of the lifetime achievement award at the Ards International Guitar Festival, is back in these parts again for concerts in the Nerve Centre, Londonderry, next Thursday, and Belfast's Elmwood Hall this day week (tickets from Knight's Records, Botanic Avenue). His special guest, by the way, will be the excellent Northumbrian slide guitarist Johnny Dickinson.

And finally, the 11th annual William Kennedy Piping Festival is now well under way in Armagh, and there's a bagful of hot piping goodies still to come before the last tune is played on Sunday night. Check out the website on www.wkpf.org