"Instant movie" (sort of) for the weekend: Season One of the Transatlantic Sessions

I don't believe any of the Transatlantic Sessions are on "instant" view but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy parts of the series. I'm focusing on the first sessions since I enjoy them the most. Many of these performances can be found on YouTube in varying degrees of quality. The intro for the first series:

We got together in a mountain house in Scotland, Jay [Unger] from New York state, me [Aly Bain] from Shetland, and some of the best in the business from both sides of the Atlantic. No audience, just ourselves and, of course, the music.

If you want the DVD, I liked All Celtic Music's copy (just make sure your DVD player can play PAL Region 2 DVDs). Seventeen years ago...wow. Here is the list of episodes and performers from ACM's website, with links to a few performances to see if you might like the concept (and I'm still wondering what's up with Mary Black's cheek for some of the recordings). It's a wonderful mix of songs, original and traditional. It's one of the few things that generates a smile right now.

Tracks

PROGRAMME ONE
Wheels Of Love - Emmylou Harris with Iris Dement & Mary Black
MacIlmoyle - Jay Ungar & Aly Bain with Russ Barenberg, Molly Mason & Jim Sutherland
Ready For The Storm - Kathy Mattea with Dougie MacLean
Spencer The Rover - John Martyn with Danny Thompson
Big Bug Shuffle - Russ Barenberg
Black Diamond Strings - Guy Clark with Emmylou Harris
Guitar Talk - Michelle Wright with Kathy Mattea
Ashokan Farewell - Jay Ungar with Aly Bain

PROGRAMME TWO
May You Never -John Martyn with Kathy Mattea
Big Scioty - Aly Bain, Jay Ungar, Molly Mason, Russ Barenberg & Jerry Douglas
Ta Mo Chleamhnas Deanta - Mairéad Ni Mhaonaigh with Dónal Lunny
Grey Eagle - Mark O’Connor
Talk To Me Of Mendocino - Kate & Anna McGarrigle with Karen Matheson
Mexican Monterey-Savourna Stevenson with Aly Bain & Danny Thompson
By The Time It Gets Dark - Mary Black with Emmylou Harris & Declan Sinnott (the Sandy Denny tune...my favorite version by far, but then I could say that about a lot of the songs from this series)
Auld Lang Syne - Rod Paterson with Mairéad Ni Mhaonaigh & Martyn Bennett

PROGRAMME THREE
The Loving Time - Mary Black with Declan Sinnott, Davy Spillane
Goodbye Liza Jane - Aly Bain & Jay Ungar with Russ Barenberg, Jerry Douglas & Molly Mason
Iain Ghlinn Cuaich - Karen Matheson with Donald Shaw
Turning Away - Dougie MacLean with Kathy Mattea
Boulavogue / Mrs McLeod-Davy Spillane & Aly Bain with Russ Barenberg
Let The Mystery Be - Iris DeMent
Wild Mountain Thyme - Dick Gaughan with Emmylou Harris, Kate & Anna McGarrigle & Rufus Wainwright
Far From Home / Big John McNeil - The House Band with Mark O’Connor, Martyn Bennett, Charlie McKerron,
Mairéad Ni Mhaonaigh & Cathal McConnell

PROGRAMME FOUR
Going Back To Harlan - Kate &Anna McGarrigle with Emmylou Harris
Daire’s Dream-Davy Spillane with Jerry Douglas & Russ Barenberg
Canan Nan Gaidheal-Karen Matheson with Donald Shaw
Jim’s Jig/Little Cascades/Fox In The Town - Simon Thoumire & Jim Sutherland
Farewell, Farewell - Mary Black with Declan Sinnott
Cat In The Bag - Mark O’Connor with Russ Barenberg, Dónal Lunny & Danny Thompson
Our Town - Iris DeMent with Emmylou Harris
Ronfleuse Gobeil - Aly Bain & Jay Ungar with Molly Mason, Russ Barenberg & Jim Sutherland

PROGRAMME FIVE
I Will-Kathy Mattea with Dougie MacLean
Will The Circle Be Unbroken - Michelle Wright, Iris DeMent & Mairéad Ni Mhaonaigh
You Low Down Dirty Dog - Jay Ungar with Aly Bain, Russ Barenberg, Jerry Douglas & Molly Mason
Gentle Annie - Kate & Anna McGarrigle with Rod Paterson
Jesse Polka - Mark O’Connor with Phil Cunningham, Russ Barenberg, Dónal Lunny & Danny Thompson
Green Rolling Hills - Emmylou Harris with Mary Black
The Dark Woman Of The Glen - Cathal McConnell with Aly Bain, Phil Cunningham & Russ Barenberg
Big Muff - John Martyn with Danny Thompson

PROGRAMME SIX
Hard Times- Kate &Anna McGarrigle, Rufus Wainwright, Emmylou Harris, Mary Black, Karen Matheson & Rod Paterson
MacCrimmon’s Lament - Martyn Bennett
Dublin Blues - Guy Clark with Karen Matheson
Sweet Is The Melody - Iris DeMent
A Maiden’s Prayer-Aly Bain & Jay Ungar with Molly Mason, Russ Barenberg, Jerry Douglas & Jim Sutherland
Don’t Want To Know - John Martyn with Danny Thompson
For No One - Emmylou Harris with Davy Spillane
Scotland - The House Band with Mark O’Connor, Martyn Bennett, Charlie McKerron, Mairéad Ni Mhaonaigh & Cathal McConnell

PROGRAMME SEVEN
Old Fashioned Waltz - Emmylou Harris with Kate & Anna McGarrigle
Clyde To Sandyhook - Savourna Stevenson with Aly Bain
Dark As A Dungeon - Guy Clark with Rod Paterson
The Lover’s Waltz - Molly Mason
Both Sides Of The Tweed - Dick Gaughan with Emmylou Harris
The Reason Why I’m Gone - Michelle Wright with Karen Matheson
Uncle Sam / Rain On Olivia Town - Jerry Douglas
This Love Will Carry - Dougie MacLean with Kathy Mattea

Lineup

MARTYN BENNETT Pipes / Whistle
MARY BLACK Vocals
GUY CLARK Vocals / Guitar
TRAVIS CLARK Bass Guitar
IRIS DEMENT Vocals / Guitar
JERRY DOUGLAS Dobro /Lap Steel Guitar
DICK GAUGHAN Vocals / Guitar
EMMYLOU HARRIS Vocals / Guitar
DÓNAL LUNNY Vocals / Bouzouki
CATHAL MCCONNELL Flute / Whistle
ANNA MCGARRIGLE Vocals / Guitar / Banjo
KATE MCGARRIGLE Vocals / Guitar / Piano
CHARLIE MCKERRON Fiddle
DOUGIE MACLEAN Vocals / Guitar
JOHN MARTYN Vocals / Guitar
KAREN MATHESON Vocals
KATHY MATTEA Vocals / Guitar
MAIRÉAD NI MHAONAIGH Vocals / Fiddle
MARK O’CONNOR Fiddle
ROD PATERSON Vocals / Guitar
DONALD SHAW Accordion
DECLAN SINNOTT Vocals / Guitar
DAVY SPILLANE Pipes / Whistle
SAVOURNA STEVENSON Harp
SIMON THOUMIRE Concertina
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT Vocals
MICHELLE WRIGHT Vocals / Guitar

TRANSATLANTIC HOUSE BAND:
ALY BAIN Fiddle
JAY UNGAR Vocals / Fiddle / Viola / Harmonica
RUSS BARENBERG Guitar / Mandolin
PHIL CUNNINGHAM Accordion / Whistle
MOLLY MASON Vocals / Bass / Piano
DANNY THOMPSON Bass
JIM SUTHERLAND Percussion