Various Artists - Hands Across The Water

So what are the Hands across The Water collaborations all about? These notes are about the music and the bands that have inspired the songs for the project. The artists chose their own tracks and offered a new song or a piece that they would trust the producers to mould into something a little different from their original intention.

Some of the artists approached knew many of their transatlantic counterparts and knew just who they might want to collaborate with. In many other cases some interesting and occasionally odd pairings were set up!

Audio samples and track list:

• Darrell Scott with Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, Oisin McAuley and Paul Rodden - This Beggar's Heart
  Darrell wrote this song and recorded a rough demo of it after being inspired while on tour with Tim O'Brien and the Crossing.
• Jon Randall with Máirtín O'Connor and Alison Brown - Get Through It
  Jon is a favorite songwriters and a great singer as well. As soon as he heard what was going on doing he gave a choice of four songs. The amazing Máirtín O'Connor was asked to sit in.
• Karen Matheson with Donald Shaw, The Duhks and Bryan Sutton - Ae Fond Kiss
  Capercaillie's Karen Matheson and pianist Donald Shaw immediately offered to help. When they sent the tracks and the Duhks spent two days in a studio in Winnipeg, Canada finalizing the track.
• Andrea Zonn with Flook and Bill Shanley - Standing Still
  Andrea chose this beautiful Sally Barris song for her contribution to the project and English trad band Flook were brought in to add a touch of magic.
• Tim O'Brien with Lúnasa - Fair and Tender Ladies
  Tim had been a fan of Irish band Lúnasa for some time so when he was asked to be part of the project he specifically asked if he could work with them.
• Sharon Shannon with Jackson Browne - A Man Of Constant Sorrow
  This track was originally released on Sharon's Diamond Mountain Sessions CD. This is the only track where nothing was added.
• Solas with Mindy Smith - Reason Land
  Seamus Egan and his band Solas arrived in Nashville two days early for the start of their US tour to record a song especially for the project. The amazing Mindy Smith was brought in to share the vocals with Deirdre.
• John and Fiona Prine with Dermot Byrne - 'Til a Tear Becomes a Rose
  This is a rare duet between John and his Donegal born wife Fiona. The Donegal spirit intact by adding Altan's Dermot Byrne on accordion.
• Beth Nielsen Chapman with Christina Quinn, Bonnie Raitt, Michael McGoldrick and Donald Shaw - Be Still My Soul
  Beth was the first person to record a track for teh project and this gorgeous piece of music was left untouched.
• Paul Brady with Rodney Crowell - 40 Shades of Green
  Paul took on this Johnny Cash classic while recording his latest album in Nashville. Rodney dropped in and added his own great vocals on the track.
• Blue Merle with Pauline Scanlon - Part of Your History
  One of the hottest young bands in the country generously picked up the phone and offered to help as soon as they heard of ther project. Pauline Scanlon is one of Ireland's most unique singers. Pauline headed to Dublin to record her vocals at Bill Shanley's studio.
• Altan with Vince Gill - Lets Heal
  Altan reworked a traditional Irish song with new words in English. Vince jumped at the chance to help and recorded his unique vocal and guitar in the Compass Sound studios in Nashville.
• Cerys Matthews with John Jorgenson and Stuart Duncan - An Occasional Song
  Cerys is known as a rock star with Catatonia but here she sings a traditional Welsh song. She brought in John Jorgenson and Stuart Duncan to give this traditional song its exciting and unusual sound.
• John Cowan with the Brock McGuire Band - Cumberland Plateau
  This song was co-written by John Cowan and Darrell Scott and features some great picking all round.
• Jim Lauderdale with Maura O'Connell - This World's Family
  Jim was asked to write a song for the project and he was delighted to help especially when he knew he would be working with Maura O'Connell.
• Jerry Douglas with Ciaran Tourish - In The Sweet By and By
  Jerry very generously gave up this beautiful track and asked that his old buddy Ciaran Tourish from Altan add something to it. Ciaran recorded low whistles to make this one of the most haunting tracks on the CD and the perfect tune to close the project.