John McCusker’s
Properganda choice of tracks
Bellowhead – see page 37 with Jez last year on the BBC 2 Radio Ballads. He wrote and
Matachin – I Drew My Ship Across The Harbour performed very powerful songs on the series.
This is a great track from Bellowhead’s new record. They’re a
Chris While and Julie Matthews – see page 5
great bunch of people and it’s been brilliant watching them
turn into one of the most exciting and popular live acts on the
Together Alone – The Sum Of What I Am
UK folk scene. There are lots of great tracks on this album but Chris and Julie are both magic singers. Like Jez Lowe I got to
my favourites are this one and Fakenham Fair.
play with both of them on last years fantastic radio ballads.
This powerful song comes from the program The Enemy That
Mary Black – see page 12
Lives Within. This is a really great record.
25 Years Of Mary Black – Song For Ireland
I’ve been a huge fan of Mary’s ever since she was a member
The Sacred Shakers – see page 16
of De Dannan. I used to listen to this song and all of Mary’s
Ready To Go Home
album Collected on vinyl loads when I was in school. She’s
This is a lovely song from this American group. I love the
got an amazing voice. I got to meet her a couple of weeks
laid-back feel they create and the voices are gorgeous. They
ago at a festival in Denmark. Myself, Heidi Talbot, Eddi Reader
are based in Boston and make old time, country gospel
and Mary stayed up ‘til the very wee hours singing songs and
influenced music...you can hear a lot of Hank Williams and
drinking beer…a brilliant night!
the Stanley Brothers in this.
Solas – see page 12
Cherryholmes – see page 20
Love And Laughter – Sunday’s Waltz
Don’t Believe – My Love For You Grows
I’ve been a huge fan of this band since their first record.
This Nashville based family band are fantastic. I saw them
They’re all amazing musicians and incredible to see live.
The reason I picked this track is because I love the way
play at Celtic Connections in Glasgow this year and they blew
Seamus Egan plays tunes on his guitar. He is a genius
me away. The father Jere is the band leader and he used to
multi-instrumentalist, everything he picks and plays is totally
take the kids to festivals when they were growing up which
brilliant. You should check out his soundtrack to the Ed Burns
explains why the whole family is so full of music.
movie The Brothers McMullen. Top soundtrack to a top movie.
Joan Baez – see page 14
Annabelle Chvostek – see page 13
Day After Tomorrow – Day After Tomorrow
Reslience – The Sioux
Steve Earle produced this album and it features amazing
I love this track. It features the brilliant fiddle playing of Bruce
players like Tim O’Brien and Darly Scott. This is a great version
Molsky and it’s a gorgeous song. This is a really lovely album.
of the Tom Waits song. My friend John Doyle is touring with
Joan really soon and it sounds like it will be a brilliant show.
Phil Hardy – see page 5
Revisited - Edinburgh Jig
Alec Dankworth – see page 30
Spanish Accents – El Levante
Phil makes brilliant whistles played by Michael McGoldrick,
Julie Fowlis, myself and loads of other musicians. This tune
Alec is a jazz bass master and has worked with loads of the
was written by Phil after a trip to the best city in the world! great jazz players including Stefane Grappelli, Dave Brubeck
and Van Morisson. I love his playing and with every record he
Doc Watson – see page 13 always finds something new to do that is always exciting. The
Best Of The Sugarhill Years – My Dear Old Southern Home
musicianship on this record is outstanding.
I can’t recommend this record highly enough. It’s a great
Cliff Edwards – see page 34
introduction to Doc’s music…but really you should go buy
all his records! The man’s singing and playing is impeccable
Sprigs Of Time 78’s From The EMI Archive - I Aint Got Nobody
and he always surounds himself with incredible singers and
Cliff Edward’s nickname was ‘Ukelele Ike’ and he was really
musicians.
popular in the 1920s and early 1930s. He was in lots of great
movies as an actor and was also the voice of Jiminy Cricket
Jez Lowe – see page 5
in Pinocchio! This is really brilliant music, you can tell there
Northern Echoes – A Call For The North Country
were no overdubs back then… just capturing the brilliant
Jez writes brilliant songs and is a great performer…so a live performance. The old sound of the record makes it even
CD from him is a perfect combination. I got to work a bit better I think.
25 Properganda 10
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