It seemed like everyone in Nashville wanted to lend a hand and we ended up with enough material for a pair of albums. Were very excited about the second volume which will be released early next year and which so far features guest artists Emmylou Harris, Patty Loveless, Allison Moorer, John Prine, Joe Ely, Jerry Douglas and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. In addition, Moloney is grateful for the wonderful support of Nashville producer Steve Buckingham for his talent coordination on DOWN THE OLD PLANK ROAD.
DOWN THE OLD PLANK ROAD blends authentic Celtic instrumentation, composition and arrangements. The album includes tracks with deep roots in Irish/American music such as the standout renditions by Vince Gill of Dark As A Dungeon, Lyle Lovetts Dont Let Your Deal Go Down and Molly Bawn as performed by Alison Krauss. Moloney first heard Dark As A Dungeon in Ireland in the 40s, and Molly Bawn is an old Irish ballad that later made its way onto the American folk scene under the title Polly Vaughan and featuring a different melody. Earl Scruggs signature banjo playing can be heard on Sally Goodin while Bela Fleck performs a medley of Irish reels with The Chieftains and joins forces with John Hiatt, Tim OBrien and Jeff White on the title track. Ricky Skaggs performs Cindy, while vocalists Patty Griffin and Martina McBride can be heard, respectively, on Whole Heap Of Little Horses and Ill Be All Smiles Tonight. The albums rousing finale, Give the Fiddler a Dram, features solos from most of the assembled musical cast.
You can hear the musical links in the melodies and trace it in the lyrics, remarks Moloney. The similarities between the Irish version of a song and its American variation are most times plain as day. Even when the material is particular to one country or the other, the foundation is still there. We wanted to bring it all back together again and make something new.
Uncut (12/02, p.132) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...An album of old-time bluegrass and Appalachian tunes..."
In doing this, the group drew on a diverse cast of guest stars that includes famed instrumental masters such as Earl Scruggs and Bela Fleck as well as bluegrass luminaries Ricky Skaggs, Del McCoury, Jeff White and Alison Krauss. Added to the mix were troubadours Lyle Lovett, Patty Griffin and John Hiatt. Rounding out the list of collaborators were a pair alt-country duo favorites Buddy & Julie Miller and Gillian Welch & David Rawlings plus two of Music Citys biggest stars, Vince Gill and Martina McBride.
The albums repertoire is laced with tragic folk ballads, lullabies and traditional fiddle tunes, sometimes from Ireland, sometimes from America and sometimes shared by both musical traditions. In addition, songs from the earliest decades of countrys history are presented in new Celtic settings on Down the Old Plank Road. The result is a brilliant project that sounds as old as our shared heritage, yet completely crisp and young.
Career Highlights
Formed in 1963, The Chieftains have become one of the most durable bands in modern musical history. They are certainly the best known popularizers of Irish music on earth. Down the Old Plank Road is the groups 39th album.
Among the highlights in what has been an extraordinary career was an Academy Award for scoring the 1975 movie Barry Lyndon. Later that same year, The Chieftains were named Melody Makers Group of the Year over such competitors as The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. The band has provided music for more than a dozen feature films, television productions and stage works. Nominated for 10 Grammy Awards, The Chieftains won musics highest accolade in 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1998. Their albums of1991 and 1995 earned U.S. Gold Record awards.
Down the Old Plank Road is not the groups first collaboration with artists from other genres. The Chieftains have been noted for such explorations for many years. They introduced American audiences to Irish step dancing by presenting Michael Flately and Jean Butler in concerts well before either enjoyed fame in Riverdance. One of the band Grammys was for a collaboration with Irish rocker Van Morrison and other albums featured the group with flautist James Galway. But their musical confederates have ranged far more widely than that.
The Chieftains in China found the band playing with traditional Chinese instrumental ensembles. A Celtic Wedding explored the music of Brittany with French folk musicians. Santiago did the same for the traditional music and musicians of the Galicia region of Spain. The Whos Roger Daltry and folk queen Nanci Griffith were featured on An Irish Evening. The groups CD The Long Black Veil included such guests as Sting, Mick Jagger, Tom Jones, Sinead OConnor, Ry Cooder and Marianne Faithfull. The Chieftains have performed and recorded with a number of classical orchestras.
Theyve even "gone country" before. The Grammy-winning Another Country CD of 1992 showcased the legendary group with Chet Atkins, Don Williams, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and others.
Down the Old Plank Road goes further back in time, to the very dawn of country's existence. It's a collection of performances that will thrill lovers of old-time music, delight fans of Irish music and excite the millions who have recently fallen under the spell of roots-music sounds.
