Riding
on the wake of The Chieftains critically acclaimed album
Down The Old Plank Road, this
DVD takes us to the live performance featuring a host of
special guests, recorded at Nashville's Historic Ryman Auditorium
in September 2002. This DVD with Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound
contains 120 minutes featuring the live concert, interspersed
by cameo interviews with many of the artistes taking part
in the concert. Four songs not found on the earlier CD are
featured here being "Lambs In
The Green Field" (Emmylou Harris), "Rosa
Caitha" (Jerry Douglas), "Shady
Grove" (Tim O'Brien) and "Jordan
You're A Road To Travel" (John Hiatt & Tim O'Brien).
Also found on the DVD we can also access two "Behind
The Scenes" featurettes on the making of Down
The Old Plank Road, interactive discography, plus
other features.
The Chieftains include Seán Keane,
Kevin Conneff, Matt
Molloy, harp/keyboard player Derek
Bell (sadly Derek was rushed into hospital while in
Nashville and later died) and of course front man Paddy
Maloney on uilleann pipes and tin whistle who
explains much of what the project is about. With a sparkling
blend of Irish, bluegrass and old-timey music, we are led
through an extravagant plethora of acoustic sound as we sit
back and enjoy each section of the concert, with each
featured artiste talking about his or her part in the
concert. Personally I found this a little irritating and
would rather have sat and watched the concert in its
entirety and then accessed these interviews later, but I
soon found that I could skip to the next performance and
therefore keeping the concert consistent. Just a few of the
featured artistes include the lovely Alison
Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Gillian
Welch & Dave Rawling and Patty
Griffin. Personally I felt that Martina
McBride was totally out of place on this acoustic
performance, but that was easily made up for by the likes of
Ricky Skaggs, Buddy
& Judy Miller, John Hiatt,
Tim O'Brien, Earl
Scruggs and the stunning Del
McCoury band.
Several dance sequences are featured in the concert,
including a clog dancing team and the Canadian Pilatzke
Brothers who took the stage by
storm with their fantastic Canadian version of Irish Ceili
step dancing. With teasing glimpses of brilliance from all
concerned, this is a performance to take your breath away.
As I sat and watched my 7-month-old grandson sat in his baby
bouncer, mesmerised by the sounds and images coming from the
wide screen TV, dancing and bouncing along to this
incredible music. Down The Old Plank
Road: The Nashville Sessions In Concert is a
performance to electrify the soul of anyone, any age from
babes in arms to grandparents.
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