Grammy-nominated Brother Dege is one of the best-kept secrets in Louisiana; a musician, slide guitarist, writer (Louisiana Press Award 2004, 2008), outsider artist and heir to a long line of enigmatic characters birthed in the slaughterhouse of the Deep South.
The first Brother Dege release, the now critically-acclaimed Folk Songs of the American Longhair (2010) – a record that Quentin Tarantino later referred to as “almost like a greatest hits album” of new Delta blues.
Brother Dege’s latest album is the critically acclaimed ‘Farmer’s Almanac’(2018), an 11-track, southern gothic journey that explores escapism, class structure, and the opiated dark side of America’s small town rural communities. Brother Dege’s fourth album swarms with otherworldly slide guitars, rustic psychedelia, possessed barn burners, and swamp-drenched cinematic songcraft.
West of Ireland Dobro player, guitarist and songwriter Tom Portman is playing support and accompanying Brother Dege on these Irish dates before heading over to mainland Europe for the rest of the tour.
With 4 solo albums and guest session appearances on many other recordings, Tom’s a consistent eclectic and prolific force within Irish music. There’s a wide range to his work – from the Blues, Irish melodies, swing, ragtime through bluegrass, Indian ragas to good old rock and roll.
Gaining renown both in Ireland and abroad Portman’s playing with a plethora of acts in tandem with his own captivating one-man shows. Since 2015 Tom’s been playing with Brother Dege and the Brotherhood of Blues.