The Chieftains - Down The Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions in Concert (2003)

In September of 2002 a once-in-a-lifetime show was taped at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium. Internationally acclaimed Irish group The Chieftains joined with some of Nashville's finest country and bluegrass stars for a stellar performance, titled Down The Old Plank Road. The Chieftains were founded over 40 years ago by front man, Paddy Moloney, and over the years have been instrumental in introducing Celtic folk music to new fans around the world. After watching the DVD, it is easy to see why this group continues to perform to sold-out audiences. They truly enjoy what they are doing, and it is easy to become mesmerized just watching them work their magic. A sad aspect of this project was the death of harpist Derek Bell. He had been with The Chieftains for nearly thirty years and passed away just a few weeks after the concert was filmed. The Chieftains' group has six present members; Paddy Moloney, Martin Fay, Sean Keane, Kevin Conneff and Matt Molloy.
I am learning to really enjoy the Celtic sound, and the Irish Folk Dancers that come out onstage during several of the songs are an added bonus. I could literally sit and watch the dancers for hours. I have to say that my favorite Chieftain has to be their Bodhran (drum ?) player. Kevin Conneff always has a smile on his face and is into the music whenever you catch a glimpse of him. I like the style in which he plays his instrument, watching him keep the rhythm is interesting; the one-handed style in which the instrument is played is very neat to watch. All of the The Chieftains are excellent at what they do.
Some of the guest stars that combined their talents with The Chieftains were: Jeff White, Buddy & Julie Miller, John Hiatt, Tim O'Brien, Earl Scruggs, Emmylou Harris, Jerry Douglas, Patty Griffin, Ricky Skaggs, Martina McBride Alison Krauss, The Del McCoury Band, Gillian Welch, David Rawlings and many others. The whole show has the feel of an old fashioned "pickin' & grinnin'" session. It is the kind of thing that in the old days you would gather your neighbors in a backyard after church and just see what happened when you started pickin' your instruments. Of course throughout the DVD, it goes back and forth from the show in the auditorium to the artists talking about what went on during the recording of each segment and what their feelings were about the chosen material. It was neat that they did it that way, because you always had the background information on the chosen material.
The songs I chose as my favorites were: "Tennessee Stud" performed by Jeff White, "Down The Old Plank Road" performed by John Hiatt, Jeff White & Tim O'Brien, "Sally Goodin" performed by Earl Scruggs, "Cindy/Cotton Eyed Joe" performed by Ricky Skaggs and of course the grand finale "Give The Fiddler A Dram." All the artists were spotlighted in this segment. I also don't want to forget the two young men from Ottawa, Canada who have some exceptionally fine footwork along with their excellent instrumental skill.
Bottom line is that if you enjoy good music and watching people that enjoy what they do, you will really enjoy this project. If you haven't heard of The Chieftains before now, this will have you searching for more of their material for your collections. ~Jolene Downs

Tracks:
01. Opening Sequence - Various Artists
02. Medley - The Chieftains
03. Tennessee Stud - Jeff White
04. Country Blues - Buddy & Julie Miller
05. Down The Old Plank Road - John Hiatt, Jeff White & Tim O'Brien
06. Sally Goodin - Earl Scruggs
07. Lambs On The Green Hills - Emmylou Harris
08. Rosca Catha - Jerry Douglas
09. Whole Heap Of Little Horses - Patty Griffin
10. Cindy / Cotton Eyed Joe - Ricky Skaggs
11. Shady Grove - Tim O'Brien
12. I'll Be All Smiles Tonight - Martina McBride
13. Jordan's A Hard Road To Travel - John Hiatt & Tim O'Brien
14. Molly Ban (Bawn) - Alison Krauss
15. Rain And Snow - The Del McCoury Band
16. Katie Dear - Gillian Welch & David Rawlings
17. Give The Fiddler A Dram (Finale) - Various Artists
Special Features:
- Two "Behind The Scenes" Featurettes On The Making Of Down The Old Plank Road
- Artist Interviews
- Interactive Discography
- Motion Menus

Personnel:
- Derek Bell - Harps, Tiompan, Keyboards
- Sean Keane - fiddle
- Kevin Conneff - Bodhran & Vocals
- Matt Molloy - Flute
- Paddy Moloney - Uilleann Pipes and Tin Whistle

Big thx to meloman67