Lúnasa is an Irish traditional band with a rhythmic difference. Rhythm—their ingenious application of it, and their clear mastery of it—has made Lúnasa the single most influential and innovative band performing Irish instrumental music today. What Lúnasa has accomplished in their now decade-plus career has deeper precedent in jazz and progressive bluegrass, and has made them unique in Celtic circles. Simply put, Lúnasa welds the ancient soul of traditional instrumental Irish music to a new rhythmic framework, one which breaks down the barrier between soloist and accompanist and creates a dynamic polyphony that preserves the dignity of their sources while placing the band firmly in the modern age. From day one, the double bass of Trevor Hutchinson (formerly of The Waterboys) has been the band’s fulcrum. The presence of more young Irish bands featuring the double bass—a relative stranger to the genre—is testament to Hutchinson’s commanding presence on the instrument and his ability to invent an integral role for it where once there was none.