Òrach
Compass Records
Òrach is
the Gaelic word for golden and, believe it or not, The Tannahill Weavers have
been touring continuously for 50 years. To put that in perspective, only folks
such as Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, and The
Chieftains have sojourned longer without a break or two. To commemorate this
milestone, The Tannies have invited some alums and friends to assist this them
on Òrach, their 18th
recording. A lot of those guests—Kenny Forsyth, Iain MacInnes, Colin Melville,
Duncan Nicholson, and Hudson Swan—are bagpipers, though current piper Lorne
MacDougall is certainly a worthy peer.
Roy Gullane (vocals, guitar)
and Phil Smillie (vocals, flute, whistles, percussion) are the Ur-core of the
Tannies, and fiddler John Martin has been with them since Ossian disbanded in
1989. No matter the personnel, The Tannies have long been masters of the
legendary Big Set—usually a march, strathspey, and reel combination—hence it is
appropriate that they kick off with the title track, which is in that vein. The
formula always works; let instruments drift in (keys, whistle, guitar, and
fiddle), then add the pipes, pick up the pace, and then open the throttle. I
will never forget seeing the band in one of their first American tours in the
1970s, when they let loose and the pipes peeled the paint from the walls. It
was one of the most exciting things I’ve ever heard though, objectively, back
then the execution was sometimes more loud than precise.
The discovery of grace took
the Tannies to the next level. On songs such as “Jessie the Floo’er of Dunblane”
and “Battle of Sheriffmuir” we can hear some wear and tear on the voices, but
it remains the case that few Celtic ensembles have mastered three-part
harmonies as well as Gullane, Smillie, and Martin. (The band's namesake, the
18th century poet Robert Tannahill wrote the first song, and the second comes
from some guy named Robert Burns!) You will hear harmonies in their glory on “Jennie
A’ Things” and “The Jeannie C.” If the latter title sounds familiar, it’s a
classic Stan Rogers sea song. All you need to know to determine its arc is its
repeating line: I’ll go to sea no more.
The most surprisingly song is “Oh No!” Alison Brown guests on banjo and it
sounds as if The Tannies have taken up bluegrass, though the piece was actually
penned by actor/comedian Billy Connolly. As the Scots and Irish say, it’s great
craic (fun, merriment).
I enjoyed each track on this
anniversary album immensely, though four really knocked me kilt over tam. “The Asturian Sessions” takes the Tannies to the Celtic region of northwest Spain, where
the band collaborates with members of Llan de Cubel. It’s an unusual piece made
all the more so by added didgeridoo from ex-Tannie Dougie MacLean. This rousing
set buzzes to the pace of the Scottish small pipes.
Two pieces memorialize World
War I. “Sunset Over the Somme” is a sweeping instrumental with vaporous vocals subsumed
in an anthemic mix. “The Ghost of Mick McDonnell” takes us a step deeper into
the mindless tragedy of war, with its beyond-the-grave account from a young
Irishman who perished in the conflict. It’s a haunting piece, adorned with just
a splash of sanguinary Highland pipes.
That instrument is aired out
in the “Gordon Duncan Set,” written in honor of one of Scotland’s most
respected masters and teachers of the pipes. Alas, Duncan struggled with
alcoholism and died in 2005, either from ill health or suicide, depending on whose
version you believe. This piece would have made him smile. It has a joyful
opening, with the small pipes chirping away, but its gathering pace combo explodes
into another Big Set, this one driven by the Highland pipes. The tune evolve
into a dance-until-you-drop groove. The Tannies have been making us do that for
a half century and the constant infusion of younger talent like Lorne
MacDougall—who has also shown up with the Red Hot Chili Peppers—gives hope that
50 years hence there will be a centenary Tannahill Weavers’ album.
Rob Weir
If you want to snippets of Tannahill
Weavers’ road stories, see the band’s Website, where they’ve excerpted a piece
I once wrote for Sing Out! Magazine.
And here's a link that captures The Tannahill Weavers live. If this isn't rowdy enough for you, seek help!
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