I don’t believe any of the Transatlantic Sessions are on “instant” view but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy parts of the series. I’m focusing on the first sessions since I enjoy them the most. Many of these performances can be found on YouTube in varying degrees of quality. The intro for the first series:

We got together in a mountain house in Scotland, Jay [Unger] from New York state, me [Aly Bain] from Shetland, and some of the best in the business from both sides of the Atlantic. No audience, just ourselves and, of course, the music.

If you want the DVD, I liked All Celtic Music‘s copy (just make sure your DVD player can play PAL Region 2 DVDs). Seventeen years ago…wow. Here is the list of episodes and performers from ACM’s website, with links to a few performances to see if you might like the concept (and I’m still wondering what’s up with Mary Black’s cheek for some of the recordings). It’s a wonderful mix of songs, original and traditional. It’s one of the few things that generates a smile right now.

Many of the YouTube links listed below come and go. I’ve given the line-up on each song so you can search the site for videos that may appear after this post.

Tracks

PROGRAMME ONE
Wheels Of Love – Emmylou Harris with Iris Dement & Mary Black
MacIlmoyle – Jay Ungar & Aly Bain with Russ Barenberg, Molly Mason & Jim Sutherland
Ready For The Storm – Kathy Mattea with Dougie MacLean
Spencer The Rover – John Martyn with Danny Thompson
Big Bug Shuffle – Russ Barenberg
Black Diamond Strings – Guy Clark with Emmylou Harris
Guitar Talk – Michelle Wright with Kathy Mattea
Ashokan Farewell – Jay Ungar with Aly Bain

PROGRAMME TWO
May You Never -John Martyn with Kathy Mattea
Big Scioty – Aly Bain, Jay Ungar, Molly Mason, Russ Barenberg & Jerry Douglas
Ta Mo Chleamhnas Deanta – Mairéad Ni Mhaonaigh with Dónal Lunny
Grey Eagle – Mark O’Connor
Talk To Me Of Mendocino – Kate & Anna McGarrigle with Karen Matheson
Mexican Monterey-Savourna Stevenson with Aly Bain & Danny Thompson
By The Time It Gets Dark – Mary Black with Emmylou Harris & Declan Sinnott (the Sandy Denny tune…my favorite version by far, but then I could say that about a lot of the songs from this series)
Auld Lang Syne – Rod Paterson with Mairéad Ni Mhaonaigh & Martyn Bennett

PROGRAMME THREE
The Loving Time – Mary Black with Declan Sinnott, Davy Spillane
Goodbye Liza Jane – Aly Bain & Jay Ungar with Russ Barenberg, Jerry Douglas & Molly Mason
Iain Ghlinn Cuaich – Karen Matheson with Donald Shaw
Turning Away – Dougie MacLean with Kathy Mattea
Boulavogue / Mrs McLeod-Davy Spillane & Aly Bain with Russ Barenberg
Let The Mystery Be – Iris DeMent
Wild Mountain Thyme – Dick Gaughan with Emmylou Harris, Kate & Anna McGarrigle & Rufus Wainwright
Far From Home / Big John McNeil – The House Band with Mark O’Connor, Martyn Bennett, Charlie McKerron,
Mairéad Ni Mhaonaigh & Cathal McConnell

PROGRAMME FOUR
Going Back To Harlan – Kate &Anna McGarrigle with Emmylou Harris
Daire’s Dream-Davy Spillane with Jerry Douglas & Russ Barenberg
Canan Nan Gaidheal-Karen Matheson with Donald Shaw
Jim’s Jig/Little Cascades/Fox In The Town – Simon Thoumire & Jim Sutherland
Farewell, Farewell – Mary Black with Declan Sinnott
Cat In The Bag – Mark O’Connor with Russ Barenberg, Dónal Lunny & Danny Thompson
Our Town – Iris DeMent with Emmylou Harris
Ronfleuse Gobeil – Aly Bain & Jay Ungar with Molly Mason, Russ Barenberg & Jim Sutherland

PROGRAMME FIVE
I Will-Kathy Mattea with Dougie MacLean
Will The Circle Be Unbroken – Michelle Wright, Iris DeMent & Mairéad Ni Mhaonaigh
You Low Down Dirty Dog – Jay Ungar with Aly Bain, Russ Barenberg, Jerry Douglas & Molly Mason
Gentle Annie – Kate & Anna McGarrigle with Rod Paterson
Jesse Polka – Mark O’Connor with Phil Cunningham, Russ Barenberg, Dónal Lunny & Danny Thompson
Green Rolling Hills – Emmylou Harris with Mary Black
The Dark Woman Of The Glen – Cathal McConnell with Aly Bain, Phil Cunningham & Russ Barenberg
Big Muff – John Martyn with Danny Thompson

PROGRAMME SIX
Hard Times– Kate &Anna McGarrigle, Rufus Wainwright, Emmylou Harris, Mary Black, Karen Matheson & Rod Paterson
MacCrimmon’s Lament – Martyn Bennett
Dublin Blues – Guy Clark with Karen Matheson
Sweet Is The Melody – Iris DeMent
A Maiden’s Prayer-Aly Bain & Jay Ungar with Molly Mason, Russ Barenberg, Jerry Douglas & Jim Sutherland
Don’t Want To Know – John Martyn with Danny Thompson
For No One – Emmylou Harris with Davy Spillane
Scotland – The House Band with Mark O’Connor, Martyn Bennett, Charlie McKerron, Mairéad Ni Mhaonaigh & Cathal McConnell

PROGRAMME SEVEN
Old Fashioned Waltz – Emmylou Harris with Kate & Anna McGarrigle
Clyde To Sandyhook – Savourna Stevenson with Aly Bain
Dark As A Dungeon – Guy Clark with Rod Paterson
The Lover’s Waltz – Molly Mason
Both Sides Of The Tweed – Dick Gaughan with Emmylou Harris
The Reason Why I’m Gone – Michelle Wright with Karen Matheson
Uncle Sam / Rain On Olivia Town – Jerry Douglas
This Love Will Carry – Dougie MacLean with Kathy Mattea

Lineup

MARTYN BENNETT Pipes / Whistle
MARY BLACK Vocals
GUY CLARK Vocals / Guitar
TRAVIS CLARK Bass Guitar
IRIS DEMENT Vocals / Guitar
JERRY DOUGLAS Dobro /Lap Steel Guitar
DICK GAUGHAN Vocals / Guitar
EMMYLOU HARRIS Vocals / Guitar
DÓNAL LUNNY Vocals / Bouzouki
CATHAL MCCONNELL Flute / Whistle
ANNA MCGARRIGLE Vocals / Guitar / Banjo
KATE MCGARRIGLE Vocals / Guitar / Piano
CHARLIE MCKERRON Fiddle
DOUGIE MACLEAN Vocals / Guitar
JOHN MARTYN Vocals / Guitar
KAREN MATHESON Vocals
KATHY MATTEA Vocals / Guitar
MAIRÉAD NI MHAONAIGH Vocals / Fiddle
MARK O’CONNOR Fiddle
ROD PATERSON Vocals / Guitar
DONALD SHAW Accordion
DECLAN SINNOTT Vocals / Guitar
DAVY SPILLANE Pipes / Whistle
SAVOURNA STEVENSON Harp
SIMON THOUMIRE Concertina
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT Vocals
MICHELLE WRIGHT Vocals / Guitar

TRANSATLANTIC HOUSE BAND:
ALY BAIN Fiddle
JAY UNGAR Vocals / Fiddle / Viola / Harmonica
RUSS BARENBERG Guitar / Mandolin
PHIL CUNNINGHAM Accordion / Whistle
MOLLY MASON Vocals / Bass / Piano
DANNY THOMPSON Bass
JIM SUTHERLAND Percussion