Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

Fri 09 Sep 2006The greatest show(man) on earthMusical mastermind Hal Willner is known for his audacity and sense of adventure. His latest escapade is to assemble casts of the great, the good and the sublime and bring them together to pay tribute to the work of Leonard Cohen. As the show prepares to take to the stage in Dublin, he tells Jim Carroll about bringing Antony, Laurie Anderson, Mary Margaret O'Hara, Lou Reed, Gavin Friday and the Handsome Family along for the rideBut every circus needs a ringmaster and, in this instance, the man in the metaphorical top-hat and waistcoat is Hal Willner. One of the most adventurous and audacious music men in the game, Willner is a producer who has been putting together albums and live shows since 1981.