CARTHAGE — New England Celtic Arts will present Portland-based trio The Press Gang at Route 27 Arts in Stratton on Tuesday, May 20, and at Skye Theatre Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, May 21. Showtime is 7 p.m. with a jam session kicking off at 6:15 p.m on Wednesday at Skye Theatre.

The Press Gang fuses the talents of squeezebox player Christian “Junior” Stevens, fiddler Alden Robinson and guitarist Owen Marshall in to a high-octane musical partnership. The trio blends their skill and fluency in traditional Irish music with their curiosity and aptitude for other styles.

The result is a unique sound — at once energetic and sensitive, innovative and reverent. A debut CD, released in the spring of 2010, gives a generous helping of Irish tunes, spiced with Appalachian music and original compositions.

The joy that these musicians take from playing with each other shines brightly, both in the recording and on the stage.

Stevens has become an influential part of the Irish traditional music scene in America. Gracing stages across the country, he has performed with some of the genre’s most talented artists and is an in-demand performer and teacher.

Robinson learned the fiddle as a child in coastal Maine, and has traveled throughout the U.S. and Ireland in search of new tunes and inspiring players. He has become a staple of the traditional music community in New England.

Multi-instrumentalist Marshall is a highly sought-after accompanist in many genres. With his unique sense of harmony and rhythm, he has traveled and performed all over the world with many of traditional music’s top acts.

Skye Theatre is located three miles West of East Dixfield village at 2 Highland Drive, off Winter Hill Road and Route 2 in South Carthage. Route 27 Arts is located at the Stratton Community Building, 88 Main St., Stratton.

Ticket price is $15 at both locations. More information is available at www.necelticarts.com or by calling 207-562-4445 for Skye Theatre. For Route 27 Arts, call 207-264-2300 (answered as Flagstaff Country Store).