In 2002, the legendary and insanely prolific Irish ensemble
the Chieftains released
Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions. Utilizing American icons like
Ricky Skaggs,
Del McCoury, and
Lyle Lovett alongside the blossoming
Gillian Welch and
David Rawlings, their interpretations of traditional Irish and Appalachian staples yielded a surprisingly lucid bounty. Not surprisingly, the sessions also yielded another record.
Further Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions follows the same thread on the neo-traditional loom, pitting the Celtic heroes against such heavyweights as
Doc Watson,
John Prine, and
the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, while incorporating younger artists like
Nickel Creek. The Chieftains, possibly the tightest veteran band still performing, have made a career out of effortless creativity and sheer enthusiasm, especially for projects like this one. On the gorgeous "Chief O'Neil's Hornpipe," Paddy Maloney's bittersweet piping effortlessly segues into
Chet Atkins' understated picking. It's like listening to a couple of old friends sharing a beer on a Sunday evening.
Emmylou Harris croons "Lambs in the Greenfield" that'll leave a lump in your throat, and
Tim O'Brien tears through a version of "Shady Grove," fueled by the ancestral flames of its birth. Only the forced soul of
Allison Moorer's "Hick's Farewell" and
Don Williams' generic rendering of the classic ballad "Wild Mountain Thyme" keep
Further Down the Old Plank Road from being a major achievement. ~ James Christopher Monger