Luka Bloom

Named after a Suzanne Vega song and a character from James Joyce's Ulysses, Luka Bloom is the stage name of Kevin Barry Moore, born in Newbridge, County Kildare, in 1955 and the younger brother of the folk singer Christy Moore. His early records bristled with a frenetic strumming style that one critic likened to 'stadium rock for the bedroom', and he has long been drawn to thoughtful cover versions. After moving to the United States in 1987, he settled first in Washington and then New York.

His debut album, Treaty Stone, came out in 1978 under the name Barry Moore, and the 1988 record released as Luka Bloom was later withdrawn. Riverside (1990) drew on his years in New York and featured 'The Man Is Alive', while Turf (1993), cut before a hushed audience, and Salty Heaven (1998), inspired by his return to Ireland, marked his homecoming. Keeper of the Flame (2000) gathered covers including ABBA's 'Dancing Queen', Innocence (2005) brought classical guitar and Romany-inspired textures, and Eleven Songs (September 2008) widened the instrumentation.