TEN years ago The Chieftains recorded the Grammy-winning Another Country with the luminary likes of Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson and Chet Atkins.
For the Irish ensemble's 40th album in 40 years, Paddy Maloney and his veteran Celtic colleagues returned to Nashville. Their mission: to trace country music to their Irish roots on an archaeological journey from green grass to bluegrass in the company of Martina McBride, Buddy and Julie Miller, Vince Gill, John Hiatt, Ricky Scaggs, the Del McCoury Band, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings.
Stand-outs? The flying banjo of Earl Scruggs on Sally Goodin; Alison Krauss's haunting Molly Ban; Lyle Lovett's austere Don't Let Your Deal Go Down; Patty Griffin's lullaby Whole Heap Of Little Horses; and the shindig finale, Give The Fiddler A Dram. Shortly after a concert and television recording, Derek Bell MBE, The Chieftains' harpist for 30 years, died in Phoenix Arizona, aged 66.
His playing can be heard one last time on a second volume of The Nashville Sessions, to be released early next year with another galaxy of guests.
This Transatlantic tapestry is a swell farewell.
Updated: 11:03 Thursday, November 07, 2002
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