Transatlantic Sessions - 9 February 2023

This was our eighth Transatlantic Sessions gig, the first being in 2010. Last year's gig was unfortunately without Aly Bain due to illness so it was great to see the greatest Scottish fiddler back again. His playing is both effortless and powerful and a joy to lsiten to. John McCusker was also on fiddle as usual and there was also a young fiddler from Canada, Tatiana Hargreaves who also did the business fiddle-wise. As usual the gig started with the house band - a tune called 'Waiting for the Federal' and then brought on the first vocalist Amythyst Kiah. She had a powerful voice and a country style guitar backing for her first song and then played banjo on her second. A great start was followed by a young duo, Allison de Groot (Banjo) and Tatiana Hargreaves who played a couple of 'old time' traditional style tunes and played them very well. Next up was John Doyle doing an Eoin McColl song and then what was for me the surprise of the evening, Martha Wainright. I had pegged her as a typical singer songwriter quietly singing sad songs but none of that - she was dynamic and upfront and did a brilliant version of a brilliant song (Going Back to Harlen) written of course by her aunt Anna McGarrigle and then a Tom Waitt's song. The guy who had been sitting at the front of the stage occasionaly playing a bodrhan and seeming a bit weird turned out to be Liam Ó Maonla singer from The Hothouse Flowers and he did a couple of numbers and it turned out he could sing very well! Last of the guest vocalists was one of the highlights for me who always sings beautifully, Karen Matheson and she did the business as usual starting with a sad song called 'I will set my ship in order' and then followed that with a Gaelic song. Great stuff and the end of the first half. The second half started with a real treat - Jerry Douglas doing his version of 'While my guitar gently weeps' with contributions from Michael McG and others. There was mainly just one more song from most of the vocalists, a great set of tunes from McCusker et al and at some point there was an air from Phil. A good song from Liam Ó Maonla telling us not to worry and of course some outstanding tunes from Aly with assistance from the other fiddlers. Another great eveing with the Transatlantic Session crowd.