I know very little about trad, but whatever the genre, I love watching musicians 'bring it' on stage and experiencing something new. So when the chance came up to hear The Chieftains and Ry Cooder showcasing some songs from their new album, 'San Patricio', in Studio One in RTÉ, I was counting down the hours until the evening of 28 January. Now I'm counting down the days until the record comes out.
The resurrection of the story of the Irish emigrants who swapped sides and fought with the Mexicans as the San Patricio Battalion against the Americans during the 1846-1848 war, 'San Patricio' mixes trad songs and airs from Ireland and Mexico with Cooder's guitar genius and the results are seamless, startling and life-affirming. If Springsteen's 'The Seeger Sessions' is still welded to your stereo, it could have some serious competition.
After an introduction from a lady from the Mexican Embassy - part history lesson, part tribute to the musicians - The Chieftains and Cooder amble on with no fuss or fanfare. But they've got reinforcements with them: the Mexican group Los Cenzontles, harpist Triona Marshall and fiddlers Jon and Nathan Pilatzke.
What follows is like watching an amazing jam session in your front room. They play five tracks, with solos, dancing and audience foot-stomping throughout. The likes of 'El Chivo', 'The Sands of Mexico' (with lead vocals by Cooder) and 'The Iguana' sound colossal and have the potential to crossover and reach as many people as Cooder's collaborations with Cuban musicians on the 'Buena Vista Social Club' album. Something tells me that The Chieftains are going to have a lot of new fans in Mexico - boyband adulation, even.
People would've stayed and listened until the milk was being delivered the next morning, but while this was all too soon, it was a great more-more-more taster for what's to come.
Hopefully Paddy Moloney, Cooder and co can synchronise schedules and take these songs out on the road together over here. It'll be one of the shows of your life if they do. They really 'brought it' last Thursday night in under 30 minutes. The thought of spending two hours with them...
Harry Guerin
'San Patricio' is released on 5 March.
