In House #1788: The Chieftains in Idaho Tonight

While they're not exactly our regular schtick, we could hardly let the date pass without acknowledging the presence of the legendary Irish band The Chieftains in the area this week. In their 44th year of existence the band plays Idaho Falls' Civic Auditorium tonight, one night after a performance in Boise. Paddy Maloney continues to lead the band he formed four decades ago with his signature tin whistle and uillean pipe, the mournful sounds of which have become an identifiable foundation of their songs. While they have, over the years, essentially become synonymous with traditional Irish and Celtic music, they've also made deliberate attempts at becoming more of a "world music" band over the past twenty years or so, which has seen them collaborate with everyone from Mick Jagger to Willie Nelson, Carlos Nunez to Diana Krall. After forays into Celtic-styled pop (1995's Long Black Veil) and latin sounds (1996's Santiago), The Chieftains have spent much of the current decade in collaboration with American roots artists like Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, Tim O'Brien, and Del McCoury with two volumes attempting to locate the spot where traditional Celtic music became Americana (2002's Down the Old Plank Road and 2003's Further Down the Old Plank Road). The latter of those two releases also marked a seismic shift in personnel, as it contained some of the final recordings featuring longtime harpist Derek Bell, who died the same year. Still, the group has soldiered on as a quartet, releasing a tribute to Bell, Live in Dublin, in 2005, which received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditonal Folk Album. The Chieftains continue to tour regulary in North America, with 2007 dates scheduled through March.

The Chieftains

In House #1788.
Airdate: 1/18/07
Focus: The Chieftains in Idaho Falls tonight, plus music from Ron Sexsmith, The Pogues, John Wesley Harding, Tom Waits, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
The Chieftains with Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, from Down the Old Plank Road:
"Katie Dear" (MP3)

The Chieftains with Mick Jagger, from Long Black Veil:
"Long Black Veil" (MP3)


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #241