Planxty Circle Session

A Planxty Circle Session  

Cool as Lough Erne celtic folk selection and a hats off to the legendary Irish folk group Planxty and related artists. Also features some very nice Scottish, Northumbrian and English folk songs. Like much Gaelic art, the music here has a comforting cyclical feel to it over the length of the session.

 

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Big spotlight on legendary Irish folk supergroup and multi-instrumentalists Planxty along with some of its esteemed & luminous members. Four tracks here from their classic 1970's albums with Andy and Christy alternating on lead vocals. Really chilled version of The Lakes of Pontchartrain, I just love Moore's vocal phrasing here. Andy Irvine name his name in the 60's with folk group Sweeney's Men , who enjoyed success on the London scene, before hooking up with Christy Moore, Liam O'Flynn and Donal Lunny to eventually form Planxty in the early 70's. Tracks from Sweeney's Men as well as memorable, lively solo tunes from Irvine's 1980 Rainy Sundays... Windy Dreams album. Four great solo tracks by Christy Moore from the 70's & 80's, including a charming cuts of the Dark-Eyed Sailor and Dylan's Song for Woody Guthrie. Incidently Fairport Convention also do Dylan here with a rocking 70's version of George Jackson. Another sometime Planxty collaborator Paul Brady also gained renown in London through his work as part of the powerful Irish group The Johnstons from the late 60's. Here are four strong tracks from the Johnsons' Colours of the Dawn & Bitter Green LPs and then two solo performances from 1976-78 with Irvine in support. 

While not directly related to Planxty as such several artists blend into the vibes seamlessly. Scottish group Boys of the Lough perform a couple of well known Irish ballads in Lough Erne and On Raglin Road and also do two planxties (slow airs) from the Second Album (1974) & Open Road (1983). The Northumberland Collection is a 1998 album by small pipes specialist Kathryn Tickell and features several local collaborators. Tynedale natives Carolyn Robson and the late Terry Conway both do renditions of songs of local complexion. Hearing these songs always transports me right back home to England and the precious Roman Wall country I love so well. Everyone must hear Farewell Regality, its a stormer! Barry Dransfield does a bright, crisp version of Byker Hill. The 2020 LP Natural Invention by Peter Knight's Gigspanner Big Band is absolutely tremendous. Astoundingly well performed long, virtuoso performances of folk book classics like Searching for Lambs and The Snows they Melt the Soonest by his all-talented band, led by the master violinist himself. Two deep cuts by Dick Gaughan, including his take on the Cruel Brother. Early music gorgons Gryphon come with a couple of witty numbers. Three 1970's tracks by progressive folk rock band Curved Air made it off the runway onto the mix and add some nice extra colour & contrast. The revolutionary Marie Antoinette is right out there man...

Continuous mix 2hrs 30

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