Review: 'Original Transatlantic Sessions' DVD

Subject: RE: Review: 'Original Transatlantic Sessions' DVD
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jan 10 - 04:30 PM

If you are very interested in the Transatlantic Sessions part 2
( 2-DVD ) and the Scottish Highland Sessions ( also a 2-DVD ), which were broadcasted in 1995 / 1996 on BBC television, you can get more information. I do have these VERY RARE recordings with EXCELLENT sound and picture quality ( even Hi-Fi Stereo sound ). The Transatlantic Sessions part 2 are containg 7 episodes. You can see and hear Kathy Matthea, Jerry Douglas, Iris Dement, Paul Brady, Nancy Griffith, Maura O'Connell, Michael Douchet., etc. etc. For more information about Transatlantic Sessions part 2 e-mail me at: [e-mail]

Some of the songs on Transatlantic Sessions 2 DVD:

1. Waiting for the Federals - Aly Bain
2. Simple Life - Ricky Skaggs
3. Blue Train - Maura O'Connell
4. Marriage Made in Hol lywood - Paul Brady
5. Tribute to Peadar O'Donnell - Jerry Douglas
6. Hummingbird - Eddi Reader
7. Danse de la Vie - Michael Doucet
8. Bachelor's Walk - Breda Smyth
9. Always Will - Nanci Griffith
10. Nobody Wins - Radney Foster
11. Veuves de la Coulee - Russ Barenberg
12. There's Always Sunday - Karen Matheson
13. Excuse Me Mister - John Martyn
14. 40 Shades of Green - Rosanne Cash

The Highland Sessions is a series celebrating the links between Irish and Scottish music. Each episode opens with Da Mihi Manum (Give Me Your Hand), performed by Steve Cooney and Kathleen MacInnes. The musicians come and go in the songs featured throughout the rest of the programme: below is a list of all those taking part in this episode, following the playlist.

Featured music:



Siúil a Rún (Walk My Love)

A Mhairead Og (Young Margaret)

Bunker Hill

Buile Mo Chroí (Beat of My Heart)

Taimse im' Chodhladh

Puirt a Beul (Mouth Music), incorporating Mhorag an dean thu tighinn?, St Kilda Wedding, Air an Fheill, and Buachaille Dubh Fionnghal

Chuir m'Athair Mise Dha'n Taigh Charraideach (My Father Sent Me to the House of Sorrow), incorporating Seudan a'Chuain (Jewels of the Ocean)

Eileanor na Rún (Darling Eileanor)

Malfunction Junction

Oran Mòr Mhicleoid (The MacLeod's Great Song)

Gaol ise Gaol i (She's My Love)

Ealaigh Liom (Elope With Me)

An Eas Bheag (The Little Cascade)

Slán le Maigh (Farewell to the Maigue)

O 's Tu 's Gura Tu th'air a'Aire (You're the One That's On My Mind)

Sadhbh Ni Bhruinneallaigh

Puirt a Beul (Mouth Music)

Cumha Alasdair Dhuinn (Lament for Alexander Mackenzie)

Oro se do Bheatha Bhaile (Welcome Home)

Fead an Iolair (Eagle's Whistle)

A Chomaraigh Aoibhinn O (Sweet Comeraghs)

Gaol ise Gaol i (She 's My Love)

Gleann Bhaile Chaoil (Ballachulish Glen)

The Green Shades of Gask, incorporating Captain White's and Mike MacDougall's

Dónal Og (Young Donald)

Lal, lal, ars' a'Chailleach (Lal, lal, Said the Old Woman), incorporating Canntaireachd

Theid is Gun Teid e Leam (He Will Go, He Will Go With Me)

Caoineadh na dTrí Muire (Lament of the Three Marys)

Cumha Dhonnchaidh MhicRath (Duncan MacRae of Kintail's Lament), incorporating Kings of Laois

Jimmy mo Mhíle Stór (Jimmy, My Treasure)

Teampall an Ghleannáin (The Templeglantine Reel), incorporating Plearaca Dhoire Chreasain

Bruach na Carraige Báine (White Rock Hill)

Cùm 'ur Gealladh (Keep Your Promise)

Feasgar Luain (Monday Evening)

Cailín na nUrla Donn (The Brown-Haired Woman)

Sí Beag Sí Mor (Fairy Mounds)

An Spealadóir (The Scytheman)

Iain Ghlinn Cuaich (John of Glen Cuaich)

An t-Each Iarainn (The Iron Horse), comprising Whinney Hills of Leitrim and Gladstone's Reel

An Raibh tu ag an gCarraig? (Were You at the Rock?)

A' Bhean Eudach (The Jealous Woman)

Failte gu baile Ghráinne (Welcome Home Grainne)

Mo Ghile Mear (My Dashing Darling) Performers:




Mary Black

Alasdair Codona

Steve Cooney

Allan Henderson

Trevor Hutchinson

Neil Johnstone

Mary Ann Kennedy

Allan MacDonald

Iain MacDonald

Kathleen MacInnes

Seosaimhin Ni Bheaglaoich

Triona Ni Dhomhnaill

Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh

Mick O'Brien

Caoimhin O Raghallaigh

Donald Shaw

Jim Sutherland


[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Review: 'Original Transatlantic Sessions' DVD
From: michaelr
Date: 27 Dec 09 - 12:08 PM

Probably MusicScotland, that's where I got my copy.

Subject: RE: Review: 'Original Transatlantic Sessions' DVD
From: Will Fly
Date: 27 Dec 09 - 06:39 AM

My son had the devil of a job getting hold of this DVD - finally he found a Scottish web site that could send him one, and then it took days and days to arrive. Why, I've no idea - perhaps it was just the Christmas rush.

Subject: RE: Review: 'Original Transatlantic Sessions' DVD
From: r.padgett
Date: 27 Dec 09 - 05:39 AM

I will keep an eye out for these, presumably available at/from folk record outlets rather than High St shops?

Ray

Subject: RE: Review: 'Original Transatlantic Sessions' DVD
From: Will Fly
Date: 27 Dec 09 - 04:38 AM

But then, who says a session can't include recent compositions?

Not me, for one - I was merely commenting on the fact that the featured performers very often performed their own material rather than material by other people. It would have been interesting, for example, to have seen Mark O'Connor featuring one fiddle piece other than his own.

Nothing serious here - just a casual thought.

Subject: RE: Review: 'Original Transatlantic Sessions' DVD
From: michaelr
Date: 26 Dec 09 - 07:39 PM

Without actually counting, it seems to me that at least half of the material on the three TS videos that have been released is traditional. But then, who says a session can't include recent compositions?

Subject: RE: Review: 'Original Transatlantic Sessions' DVD
From: Will Fly
Date: 26 Dec 09 - 05:44 PM

Interesting that the whole set of these programmes, from 1995 to the present, have been called sessions - a word which, at least in Mudcat-type circles, would indicate a gathering of musicians playing traditional tunes - when the greater part of the tunes played are the composed works of the featured performers. In Sessions 1, there were even a couple of Lennon-MacCartney compositions.

I'm really looking forward to the day when one TV production company or another puts on sessions of English tunes with English musicians - of which there are many great examples of both... So, come on Pelicula Films and the BBC - how about it?

Subject: RE: Review: 'Original Transatlantic Sessions' DVD
From: GUEST,David E.
Date: 26 Dec 09 - 05:20 PM

I heard John Renbourn remark one time that he thought he was a blues musician until someone invented Celtic music.

David E.

Subject: RE: Review: 'Original Transatlantic Sessions' DVD
From: Nick
Date: 26 Dec 09 - 03:25 PM

Take it all back - I looked on Spotify and out of 400 tracks between Stefan Grossman and John Renbourn there was Shebeeg and Sheemore and a couple of O'Carolan tunes.

Subject: RE: Review: 'Original Transatlantic Sessions' DVD
From: Nick
Date: 26 Dec 09 - 03:02 PM

Ok.

I'm sure that John Renbourn and Stefan Grossman would both find it enormously entertaining to hear them referred to as 'Celtic' guitarists.

The former has devoted most of his life to playing VERY English music with forays into jazz, blues, and various other things but I'm desperately wracking my memory for anything that I can think of as even faintly Celtic.

And Stefan Grossman? I learned a load of ragtime tunes from one of his albums; enjoyed some country blues; but I have that same block - which were the Celtic albums?

Russ Barenberg is a beautiful player.

I went to see John Etheridge play locally last year (wow) with Sweet Chorus. He is a startling musician with everything he does and Christian Garrick is wonderful. But one of the things that John Etheridge most pointed out was how wonderful Dave Kelbie is - presumably because most people wouldn't notice him as he was 'only playing chords' rather than playing intricate lines. Most people look at the soloists not the accompanists - but they are the oil in the engine that keeps it working.

If I could wave a magic wand and do the most to improve music in the worlds I come across it it would be to give everyone the ability to play in time and to change time WITH others as they play (ie listen and react in real time) rather than playing what they want it to be or think it should be. *sigh*

Dreams...

Subject: RE: Review: 'Original Transatlantic Sessions' DVD
From: michaelr
Date: 26 Dec 09 - 02:44 PM

Alex S did, in this thread.

Subject: RE: Review: 'Original Transatlantic Sessions' DVD
From: Nick
Date: 26 Dec 09 - 02:08 PM

Who said Russ Barenberg isn't top notch?

Subject: RE: Review: 'Original Transatlantic Sessions' DVD
From: michaelr
Date: 26 Dec 09 - 01:56 PM

I recently got this, as well as season 4. I especially liked John Martyn and Kathy Mattea duetting on "May You Never" and the two solo spots from Karen Matheson. Another high point was harper Savourna Stevenson, whom I haven't heard of before or since.

How anyone can say Russ Barenberg isn't a top-notch guitarist is beyond me.

Subject: Review: 'Original Transatlantic Sessions' DVD
From: Will Fly
Date: 26 Dec 09 - 11:01 AM

My son bought me the DVD of "The Original Transatlantic Sessions" of 1995 for Christmas, and I've just spent Boxing Day afternoon watching it all. A great treat.

The highlights, for me: seeing Russ Barenberg getting the chance to display his superb guitar and mandolin prowess a bit more than in later sessions; the late great Martyn Bennett's stunning piping - but why, oh why, did the bloody producers think it fit to show shots of waterfalls and rivers for half of his solo performance, grrrr!; John Martyn was his usual self, and "Spencer the Rover" was as good as ever; Iris Dement as unique as ever; good also to see Dick Gaughan, Kathy Mattea and Guy Clark...

The production, on the whole, was slightly less cluttered with "production values" than, say, TS4 (in my view) and it was interesting to see Jay Ungar, rather than Jerry Douglas in the musical directing chair with Aly Bain.

Well worth seeing if you don't have it already (and also a bit of fun to see how the various artists have aged in 15 years).