Transatlantic Sessions 9/2/2017

Most years we get to this annual event and it never disappoints. The formula of an extraordinary 'house band' augmented by a changing set of vocalists/songwriters works so brilliantly because of the talent of the musicians involved. Each songwriter/vocalist gets to do three or four songs and this year they were John Lauderdale, John Paul White, Tift Merrit, Eddi Reader and Karen Casey and also Dirk Powell who was guesting in the house band and did a couple of lead turns. Add to that the tunes from the house band as a whole or led by one of the house band musicians and you have a musical treat lasting just over two and a half hours and with plenty of amazing highlights. In no particular order Karen Casey's second lead song played from the piano and dedicated to her mother, John Paul White's moving first song, John Lauderdale's song which was a tribute to a late country singer and also his song 'Headed for the Hills' co-written with the one and only Robert Hunter. And of course all the tunes led by the Scottish contingent - the obligatory beautiful air from Phil Cunningham ('Irish Beauty'), the tunes led by John McCusker and anything that features Aly Bain who is the most amazing fiddle player. His whole body is still, bar the extraordinary patterns of the right arm and left hand driving to a place that anchors and leads whatever is being played. I haven't even mentioned Tift Merrit who sang beautifully and forcefully in a style that included some blues, soul and pop alongside the country or the marvellous Eddi Reader who finished the second set with a couple of songs. I still haven't mentioned the inimitable Jerry Douglas who was not introduced as 'The Greatest Dobro Player in the World' but certainly is or Michael McCusker or bandleader John Doyle or drummer Jim McTaggart or bassist, Danny Thompson or Donal Shaw. Roll on next year's gig.