The Chieftains
Down the Old Plank Road:
The Nashville Sessions
RCA – 09026-63971
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also available on Amazon
This is a beautiful melding of the traditional Irish music/songs of the Chieftains with the ‘newer’ music that has filtered through and been marinated by the American Country tradition which draws heavily on the music from the old country. The music that these people of the same heritage brought with them in the 18th and 19th century to the lonely hills and valleys of this country, that remained pure being handed down from one generation to the next in their living rooms. Isolated from the outside musical changes until the people who sang them came down to Nashville. The Lads from the Old Country have gathered here an exceedingly eclectic mix of country, alt-country, and bluegrass players to help them out on this disc. Ranging from John Hiatt, Bela Fleck, Patty Griffin, Vince Gill, and Buddy and Julie Miller to name a few of the ever-shifting folk. Again Paddy Moloney has produced and
arranged the songs on this disc so that there is an almost seamless flow, and everyone gets to shine. He’s taken a group of traditional songs, as well as a gem from Merle Travis, “DARK AS A DUNGEON, and one from James Driftwood, TENNESSEE STUD, and shows what can be done with these songs. The sparkling nonpareil results that come when you take stellar players and a producer who knows what he wants and allows his musicians the freedom to shine. I don’t know that I would pick a highlight as there are too many to choose from and it varies with each listening. This is a disc that should not be allowed to pass.