San Patricio - The Chieftains with Ry Cooder

BBC

this is a transatlantic musical campaign whose virtuosity, verve and sheer eccentric heart make it hard to resist.

Independent

This is how those Irish champs the Chieftains see their music folding into the tropes of Mexico, rough-riding on the story of the Irish "San Patricio Battalion", who fought in the US/Mex war of 1846.

San Patricio

"no white man sings like Van Morrison."

Van Morrison - I have a stack of LP's, CD's and downloads from Van the Man. He is in his 5th decade of performing - I am sold on the man. I have seen him lots of times with all sorts of people - Chieftains, Georgie Fame,Ray Charles etc. The Ray Charles concert was very strange because they never appeared on the same stage at the same time - there seemed to be two separate sets of fans as well who were not really interested in the other guys' music.

His repertoire of songs is glorious - there are so many sublime songs.

He is a perfectionist on stage and I have seen him really grumpy with his band - but so what - his voice is great. Anyway, you can probably tell that I'm a fan - so rather than continue to gush I'll just post some of my favourite tracks.

With Them in the early days


Astral Weeks has often been placed on the most authoritative lists of best albums of all time. In the 1995 MOJO list of 100 Best Albums, it was listed as number two and was number nineteen on the Rolling Stone magazine's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003.


I saw this - Van Morrison and Chieftains

I have seen both of these separately - there is a video with Santana comparing the two of them as having the same characteristics.
John Lee Hooker

The all time love song - suitable for Weddings, Christenings, anniversaries and funerals.
Have I told you lately that I love you?


There are so many other good songs and albums - 'Days Like This' etc.