Normally, I listen to a CD a half-dozen times before I start working on my review. This CD sent me right to the keyboard. It's absolutely fantastic -- the quality, the instrumentation, the vocals, everything. And this is very unusual for me -- I immediately put it on my holiday shopping list for all my friends.

The idea for the CD came from Danny Carnahan, who has worked with or played with various members of the Grateful Dead since the early 1990s. The cuts on this CD combine traditional Irish jigs, reels and airs with classic Grateful Dead tunes. And although I am more of an Irish traditionalist than Deadhead, I think the result proves that the Grateful Dead wrote some enduring standards, and that traditional Irish music can be as modern as today.

Each cut includes at least one Irish instrumental tune and at least one Grateful Dead song. For instance, the first cut starts off with two jigs, "Banks of Lough Gowna" and "The Reunion," then switches to "Friend of the Devil." In between the chorus and verses, the band goes back the second jig, and then transitions flawlessly back to the song for the next verse.

In some cases, the Irish tunes are woven into the song. We'll hear the first part of a reel, then the song, with the rest of the reel interwoven masterfully in between lines of the song, as in the third cut that includes "Christmas Eve" (traditional reel), "China Cat Sunflower," "Bank of Ireland" (traditional reel), "The Bear" (traditional reel), "Bertha" and "Cliffs of Mostar," which the band calls an "unreel" based on a traditional reel, "Cliffs of Moher." The band jazzes up the old reel with more modern rhythms and harmonies, and the result is now stuck in my mind so that I now have difficulty playing it the straight, "old-fashioned" way. Thanks, folks.

One composer I would never have thought of in conjunction with the Grateful Dead is Turlough O'Carolan, an 18th-century blind Irish harper considered the foremost composer of Irish classical music. And yet O'Carolan's "Lord Inchiquin" provides a gorgeous backdrop to "Sugaree." The same can be said for "Brigid Cruise," which is paired with "Black Muddy River." The transitions between O'Carolan and the Dead are made possible by the beautiful Celtic harp provided by Maureen Brennan. Of course, given the tales that have survived concerning O'Carolan's character, he'd be thrilled to be part of this work. Somewhere in the ether of time and space, he's lifting a draught of his favorite ale in toast to this project.

It's in selections such as "Row Jimmy" that the close connection between Irish music and American folk music becomes so evident. With the common instrumentation of fiddle and mandolin, and the remarkable harmonies, it's hard to pick out that which is strictly Irish and that which is strictly American. Except, of course, for the uilleann pipes and Celtic harp -- that's Irish. OK, and the harmonies are an American thing. At any rate, it's a wonderful closing cut and beautifully illustrates how well the two cultures and styles of music can blend together. In an interview in 1976, Jerry Garcia mentioned that this was one of his favorite tunes and he was disappointed that nobody else really seemed to like it. I think he'd be gratified to hear what Wake the Dead has done with it.

The instrumentals are extraordinary as well. All of the musicians involved in this are exceptionally talented with decades of experience. Danny Carnahan plays guitar, fiddle and octave mandolin, Paul Kotapish plays world-class mandolin, bouzouki and guitar. We also hear from Kevin Carr, who is equally gifted on uilleann pipes, whistles and fiddle, Maureen Brennan on Celtic harp, and Cindy Browne on acoustic bass. There's even an appearance by Joe Craven, who performed and recorded with Garcia, doing his hand-and-mouth percussion thing. Kotapish and Sylvia Herold provide the outstanding vocals, and dare I say it, they sound much better than the Grateful Dead ever did.

My closing advice? Buy this CD for yourself and all your friends. Otherwise, they'll borrow your copy and you'll never get it back.

[ by Alanna Berger ]
Rambles: 11 October 2002