The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #125209 Message #2770958
Posted By: Will Fly
22-Nov-09 - 04:36 AM
Thread Name: The Transatlantic Sessions - Favourite?
Subject: RE: The Transatlantic Sessions - Favourite?
The Transatlantic Sessions occasional series is fascinating on several levels. At it's most obvious, it gives the viewer, not only the opportunity to see many top class musicians from the "folk-ish" world, but also the opportunity to see them playing in various combinations. As such, I wouldn't miss it for the world.
The reality is that they're not sessions in the sense of people getting together informally and spontaneously to make music. The music is carefully put together, tightly (and very quickly) rehearsed, in carefully chosen settings with a huge technical crew and production infrastructure, and complex editing & post-production work. So they're concerts without a live audience. As far as I'm aware, apart from bassist Danny Thompson (who showed a flash of irritation in Series 4), there are no English performers and little obviously English material performed. Which is a great shame. I would, for example, have loved to see someone like John Kirkpatrick and others of his ilk sitting in with the crew. But there you go - nothing in this world is perfect.
As far as the series have progressed - if that's the word - my feeling is that they've be come slightly less gutsy and more slightly more glitzy from series to series. Series 4, in particular, I thought bland in places. Just my personal reaction to it all. In contrast, I was so impressed by most of Series 3 that I bought the DVD.
I think one of the treasures of the series is Russ Barenberg - an unassuming and consummate musician - and his "The Drummers Of England" is a total joy.