Alison Brown Quartet with John Doyle and Tim O'Brien

May is bluegrass month, among a lot of other things celebrated at this time of year. So here's a video which combines bluegrass, Celtic, and American folk music.

It's from the ABC club, Glasgow, during Celtic Connections 2008. It's only a minute long clip but gives an idea of the great energy and fine music these people create. The Greencards were the opening act, equally fine and a really good idea for a double bill (I had the good fortune to be there, seated not far from whoever shot this video).

The song they are playing is called Jack Dolan or The Wild Colonial Boy, and John Doyle has recorded it on his album Wayward Son. That's John on guitar, Alison Brown on banjo, Tim O'Brien on mandolin, Joe Craven on fiddle, Garry West on bass, John R Burr on keyboards...and I know I'm forgetting somebody.

altan and mary black: green grow the rushes

Mary Black, Altan, and Paul Brady at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow...that'd be a dream gig, you'd think and it was. This was in January 2006 and I had the good fortune to be there. Mairead, lead singer and ace fiddler with Altan, was losing her voice though, which had Mary stepping in for more singing than she'd planned -- and that's why she's got the lyrics written out on a page here. Burns song in the heart of Burns country as a last minute fill in with someone else's band and arrangement -- it was actually delightfully informal to see her glancing at the lyrics now and then in the midst of this big deal concert and never missing a beat.
A gig not to be forgotten, and this excerpt from the BBC coverage brings bit of it home.