Mark Black

Mark Black

Mark Black is a musician from Donegal, Ireland, known for roots-based blues drawing on folk, delta blues and Celtic melody. He develops a broad following in his native county and is described as both a musician and performer, with stories and anecdotes woven into his songwriting.

His album Sweet Rescue Blues combines blues with an Irish sound and includes a range of instrumental and stylistic references. The opening track, “Jesus Never Let Me Down,” uses a dark groove with a lazy bodhrán, while the title track is built around a gospel-style chorus. Across the album there are Celtic and Middle Eastern melodies, including on “Crazy in the Light,” and a Bob Dylan-like harmonica sound on “Stay (Here with me).” “Travellin Riverside Blues,” the Robert Johnson song, is performed on a seven-string flat-neck dobro.

Live performance

Black also performs live as Weird Conclusion. This three-piece lineup features Seamus Devenny on drums and percussion and Martin Smyth on bass, with both players also contributing vocals. The group’s instrumentation includes didgeridoos, amplified 12-string acoustic guitars, lap steels, drums and bass.