Transatlantic Sessions: The Best of Folk, Volume 1

Nashville dobro and lap steel player Jerry Douglas joins forces with Shetland fiddle player Aly Bain to form the nucleus of several bands for this BBC/PBS co-production filmed in living-room-like spaces throughout the Scottish Highlands. Onscreen text identifies the 28 artists, while pop-up video facts note their various albums and films. The setlist features 10 vocal tracks and two instrumentals (all in English, except for Julie Fowlis's selection, “Celebrate the Big Bonnet,” which she sings in Scottish Gaelic). James Taylor (“Copperline”) mentions that he has family in Marykirk, Eric Bibb (“Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad”) remembers the first time he met Douglas, who told him to “keep it simple,” and Béla Fleck (“Falani”) admits that his first exposure to banjo was by way of The Beverly Hillbillies. The set begins with Dan Tyminski (George Clooney's singing voice in O Brother, Where Art Thou?), who performs “Man of Constant Sorrow” with jaunty accompaniment from accordion, flute, and standup bass. Other highlights include 22-year-old Sarah Jarosz's (the youngest musician) “Run Away” (with backing vocals from Alison Krauss), and Aoife O'Donovan, who performs “Oh Mama” (with backing from four vocalists, including Mary Chapin Carpenter). Krauss (“I Believe in You”) and Carpenter (“Jubilee”) also take the lead in separate segments, although it's nice to see these Grammy winners supporting lesser known artists. Presented in stereo, this is recommended. (K. Fennessy)