The Diamond Mountain Sessions [Compass]

• Artist: Sharon Shannon & Friends
• Rating:
• Release Date: March 13, 2001
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: World

Review

While Sharon Shannon is perhaps best known as a talented fiddle and accordion player in Celtic circles, The Diamond Mountain Sessions should broaden her appeal. This album finds her joined by a multitude of talent, including luminaries such as John Prine, Jackson Browne, and Steve Earle. Since Shannon is primarily a musician and not a singer, the album also contains a number of fine instrumentals. Things get started with "A Costa de Galicia," a lovely jig full of intricate accordion work, and the pipes of Carl Nunez. Next up is a hard, driving Earle song, "The Galway Girl," that is immediately likable and will remind many of his best acoustic work. Browne's vocal on "Man of Constant Sorrow" is enriched by the addition of Mary Staunton on backing vocals, while Dessie O'Hollaran offers a more traditional take on "Say You Love Me." It is probably inevitable that Americana radio will push the vocal tracks, and while this isn't a bad thing, the instrumental tracks have just as much to offer. The Woodchoppers join Shannon on the lovely "The Pernod Watlz," while Liz and Yvonne Kane join her on the medley of tunes titled "Fire in the Bellies." Even though a number of players are present on each track, the arrangements are never crowded. Instead, the sound is open and airy. It is nice that artists like Shannon have been given the freedom to make albums that are stylistically all over the map like The Diamond Mountain Sessions. This broad musical palette serves to show that Americana and Celtic have a lot in common, and gives fans of either style a nice way to expand their tastes. Shannon's confident debut on Compass shouldn't be missed. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
A Costa de Galicia	Traditional	Carlos Nunez, Sharon Shannon	(3:23)
The Galway Girl	Steve Earle	Sharon Shannon, Steve Earle	(3:01)
The Diamond Mountain		Sharon Shannon	(3:21)
Slan le Van		John Hoban, Sharon Shannon	(3:57)
The Four Jimmys [The Fitz Theme]	Sharon Shannon	Sharon Shannon	(2:13)
A Man of Constant Sorrow	Traditional	Jackson Browne, Sharon Shannon	(3:35)
Say You Love Me	Traditional, Hal O. Browne	Sharon Shannon, Dessie O'Halloran	(4:27)
The Pernod Waltz	Johnny Cunningham, Mícheál Ó Domhnaill	The Woodchoppers, Sharon Shannon	(2:03)
The Hound of Letterfrack	John Regan, Phil Cunningham	Sharon Shannon	(4:46)
On the Banks of the Old Pontchertrain	Ramona Vincent, Hank Williams	Sharon Shannon, Hothouse Flowers	(4:26)
Love Love Love	John Prine	Mary Staunton, John Prine, Sharon Shannon, Mary Staunton	(3:21)
Jota Do Porto Do Cabo	Traditional	Sharon Shannon, Carlos Nunez	(2:43)
Fire in the Bellies	Liz Carroll	Sharon Shannon, Liz & Yvonne Kane, Yvonne Kane, Liz Kane	(4:29)
Northern Lights	Traditional	Sharon Shannon	(7:19)

Credits

Sharon Shannon (Accordion), Sharon Shannon (Arranger), John Dunford (Producer), Keith McDonnell (Digital Editing), Sharon Shannon (Whistle (Instrument)), Sharon Shannon (Vocals (Background)), Yvonne Kane (Arranger), Dónal Lunny (Producer), Ciaran Byrne (Engineer), Carlos Nunez (Recorder), Tom Skerritt (Engineer), Sean Smith (Fiddle), Carlos Nunez (Whistle (Instrument)), Quentin Guiné (Assistant), John Hoban (Mandocello), Aiden Foley (Mastering), Liz Kane (Arranger), Bill Wright (Bouzouki), Jesse Smith (Fiddle), Noel Bridgeman (Drums), Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (Vocals), Keith McDonnell (Assistant), Tony Molloy (Bass), Sharon Shannon (String Arrangements), Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (Arranger), Jackson Browne (Performer), Jim Murray (Arranger), James Delaney (Piano), Dónal Lunny (Bouzouki), Tom Skerritt (Mixing), Peter O'Toole (Guitar (Acoustic)), Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (Keyboards), Jim Murray (Guitar (Acoustic)), Liz Kane (Fiddle), Sharon Shannon (Producer), Yvonne Kane (Fiddle), Tom Skerritt (Engineer), Fiachna OBraonain (Guitar (Acoustic)), John Dunford (Mixing), Sharon Shannon (Fiddle), James Delaney (Organ (Hammond)), Mary Shannon (Arranger), Steve Earle (Vocals), Steve Earle (Mandolin), Dónal Lunny (Guitar), John Hoban (Vocals), Dónal Lunny (Bodhran), Richard Forde (Assistant), Dónal Lunny (Mixing), Lloyd Byrne (Percussion), Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (Piano), Yvonne Kane (Vocals (Background)), Sharon Shannon (Mixing), Mary Shannon (Vocals (Background)), Jesse Smith (Viola), Keith McDonnell (Mixing), Jill Furmanovsky (Cover Photo), Fiachna OBraonain (Arranger), Dónal Lunny (Arranger), James Blennerhassett (Double Bass), Carlos Nunez (Pipe), Mary Shannon (Banjo), Liz Kane (Vocals (Background)), Lloyd Byrne (Drums), Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (Vocals (Background)), Carlos Nunez (Arranger), Richie Buckley (Saxophone), Mary Shannon (Fiddle)