Transatlantic Sessions - LIVE Concert

Subject: Transatlantic Sessions - LIVE Concert
From: Scabby Douglas
Date: 27 Jan 04 - 07:59 PM

Given the interest in Transatlantic Sessions (the TV series), I thought I'd just post my reactions to the concert at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (Tue 27th Jan) as part of Celtic Connections.

The line-up as I was able to identify them :
Aly Bain (fiddle), Jerry Douglas (dobro), Tim O'Brien (fiddle, mando), Russ Barenberg (guitar), Donald Shaw of Capercailie (accordion), Michael McGoldrick (many bands) (whistle, flute, pipes),
Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Karen Mathieson (vocals), Eddi Reader (vocals), an Irish girl whose name I didn't catch but might have Karen Casey - in fact, it was her (just Googled), James Grant (vocal)

A magnificent Scottish Gaelic woman singer whose name I didn't catch - very distinguished, with a great voice. I'm embarrassed that I don't know who this woman is - she was fantastic.

There were a couple of other bodies, but those were the main participants. I can't imagine another setting where all of those musicians would be gathered in one place. Aly Bain said at the end: "If this was the last ever concert I played, that would be fine.."

Brilliant musicianship, brilliant singing.

If I was going to carp about any one thing - and it's only a tiny thing, it did seem rather biased towards the North American end of the Atlantic, and the Scottish and Irish artists got quite a bit less of the action. But it is only a niggle.

Great night. Well worth going to see.

Jerry Douglas. That man can play a bit.

Subject: RE: Transatlantic Sessions - LIVE Concert
From: GUEST,Scabby Douglas
Date: 28 Jan 04 - 10:23 AM

I just discovered the identity of the Gaelic singer I mentioned... it was Ishbel Macaskill. And she was brilliant..

Subject: RE: Transatlantic Sessions - LIVE Concert
From: The Shambles
Date: 28 Jan 04 - 10:26 AM

Jerry Douglas. That man can play a bit.

Just a bit..........And he does not even look as if he is trying all that hard either.

Was the concert recorded and do you know if there are plans for any more?

Subject: RE: Transatlantic Sessions - LIVE Concert
From: GUEST,Scabby Douglas
Date: 28 Jan 04 - 11:18 AM

It was introduced by Iain Anderson of BBC Radio Scotland, but there was no indication that they were recording it. I'll find out, though.

After a suport artist opened and did 30 minutes, the ensemble took the stage at 8:30 and played for 2 hours solid (apart from being off-stage for a minute or so while doing the will-they-won't-they-do-an-encore? dance)

I'm not aware of any plans for any more - I think that the logistics of getting these folk altogether in one place for longer would be interesting, to say the least. The auditorium was full - almost completely sold out.

Subject: RE: Transatlantic Sessions - LIVE Concert
From: Scabby Douglas
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 04:43 AM

Related thread on another forum:

http://www.footstompin.com/forum?threadid=11330

Member MMMFLLL posted the following:

Three missing names from the SteveC's line up were Danny Thompson, Gibb Todd and Dean Owens. A 16 piece ensemble.
Highlights
Magically song titled "Canada" written by Gibb Todd with the Macgarrigles singing harmonies.
"Talk to me of Mendicino" with The Macgarrigles
singing there own song as only they can.
Aly, Jerry and Russ playing Phil C's beautiful air
"Violet Tulloch, Queen of Lerwick" a real tearjerker.
Ishbel MacAskill singing the original version of the "Iriskay Love Lilt" - a real show stopper.
Russ Barenburg's wonderful tune titled " For JL " a beautiful piece written by Russ on hearing of John Lennon's death.
Finally Jerry Douglas's tour de force playing on
"Peadar O' Donnell" - a real jaw dropping moment.

These are my personal favourites but this is not to say that the other contributions are not worthy of mention. Eddi Reader, Karen Mathieson Karen Casey, Tim O'Brien and Dean Owens all sung and performed beautifully. I am sure as I reflect on a wonderful evening of music other moments will come back to me.

Subject: RE: Transatlantic Sessions - LIVE Concert
From: Scabby Douglas
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 04:54 AM

From the Glasgow Herald, review by Rob Adams..


Transatlantic Sessions, Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow

ROB ADAMS January 29 2004

The Transatlantic Sessions TV programmes, in which stellar musicians from both sides of the pond gathered to swap songs and tunes, generally involved an element of panning for gold, with a few panfuls being tossed back, and this hastily-assembled recreation achieved much the same results.
After a rather uncertain beginning, when the sound and production values threatened to take the essentially relaxed approach a bit too far, come the gold did. Yet when you have the dobromaster Jerry Douglas sitting side by side with one of the other true greats of American roots music, Tim O'Brien, this is only to be expected.
Douglas and O'Brien, along with Douglas's long-time associate, the brilliant guitarist Russ Barenberg, fiddler Aly Bain and the sure-footed veteran double-bassist, Danny Thompson, formed the heart of the show, providing apposite backing to singers including the Cork linnet Karan Casey and the McGarrigle sisters, and taking solo features that were worthy of a show in themselves.
If the McGarrigles' singing of the traditional Who Will Rock The Cradle? – complete with Michael McGoldrick on uilleann pipes – defined the transatlantic exchange, and O'Brien's up-to-the knees-in-the-Virginia-soil, mandolin-backed reading of the country-gospel standard I've Endured injected fizz and aplomb into the evening, then Douglas provided the instrumental high point with his stunning interpretation of Donal Lunny's beautiful slow air, Peadar O'Donnell, sliding bar and picking fingers creating a cascade of singing-strings emotion. The ruggedly effervescent breakdown that he followed it with wasn't half bad, either.