Greengrass, Volume 8 (a Spotify playlist)

Greengrass, Volume 8 on Spotify

There are a couple of new tunes on this playlist, but most of the tracks in this set are old favorites that have been in my collection a dozen years or more.

The Tossers – “221B/The Sneaky Priest (The Gloria Scott)”
The second tune on this track also goes by the name “Tamlin” or “The Glasgow Reel”. I have a recording of this tune by Gaelic Storm, but it’s not on Spotify. I was happy to find The Tossers version. It’s a good one.

Béla Fleck and the Flecktones – “Stomping Grounds”
With Sam Bush playing a mean mandolin. It’s basically a contest between Victor, Béla, and Sam, to see how long they can keep this tempo sustained. This is one of my favorite Flecktones tunes.

Nickel Creek – “Robin and Marian”
A nice instrumental from San Diego bluegrass favorites Nickel Creek. This mandolin-centered jig makes a nice bridge between the Flecktones and our next tune.

Alasdair Fraser – “Calliope House/The Cowboy Jig Medley”
I think I’ve played this jig set at a wedding or two. I like it, though the production style kind of dates this version. I’d prefer a cleaner recording with less reverb.

Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill – “The Old Bush/The Reel With The Burl”
Just fiddle and guitar.

Patrick Street – “Music For A Found Harmonium”
This is a great arrangement of a great tune, and one appears on several compilations. You almost forget it’s Patrick Street because Kevin Burke isn’t featured.

The Tossers – “The Crutch”
Many may recognize this tune from Flogging Molly’s instrumental version which they entitled “Swagger.” But The Tossers predate Flogging Molly by several years. Whether Flogging Molly borrowed it from The Tossers or both garnered it from an ancient traditional source remains unknown. I don’t think I have the liner notes anymore. Speaking of Flogging Molly…

Flogging Molly – “Salty Dog”
This tune starts out with the Kesh Jig like you probably haven’t heard it before.

Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers – “Northern Island”
Bluegrass instrumental.

Séamus Egan – “Poultry in the Parlour”
Enough of Séamus’s banjo. Let’s hear some Bouzouki!

Celtic Fiddle Festival – “Teolena/Marche De Roskonval/Sandizan”
Soïg Sibéril on solo guitar.

Chris Thile – “Ready for Anything”
Winding down the set with a minor-key ballad with solo mandolin accompaniment.

Skyedance – “Bannockburn”
Alasdair Fraser & friends. He maybe have been jumping on the Braveheart bandwagon with this title, but I guess he’s allowed to, since he played on the soundtrack, after all.