The Transatlantic Sessions have been going for quite a few years now and one of the singers in this year’s line-up, Kathy Mattea, appeared in the very first series on TV. She recalled how she got a call asking if she’d be interested in coming over to Scotland to stay in a mansion and play with musicians from both sides of the Atlantic. Her response was, how soon can I pack?
She and fellow American singer songwriter Darrell Scott are joined on the current UK tour by Karine Polwart and Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh who represent the home nations.
The house band includes such regulars as Michael McGoldrick, John McCusker and John Doyle along the long time participants Aly Bain and James Mackintosh. Jerry Douglas does the between-songs patter and adds his fine dobro playing to the mix but sadly Phil Cunningham has not been able to take part this year. Instead, on the accordion and piano we have Donald Shaw who has been involved with the Sessions for many years. The younger generation is represented by bluegrass duo Tatiana Hargreaves & Allison de Groot.
Of the guest singers Karine Polwart was, for me, the best of the bunch and there was a lovely instrumental tribute to Danny Thompson written by Michael McGoldrick and featured new double bass player Daniel Kimbro. Whether it was by accident or design that they got another bass player called Danny I don't know, but Mr Kimbro is certainly a worthy replacement. He has a nice sense of humour as we discovered when he got to come out front and sing a song borrowing Darrell’s guitar which was made by a luthier based in the North East.
There was perhaps inevitably talk about the political situation back over the other side of the pond with Daniel feeling torn between wanting to go home to see his family but reluctant to go back to the MAGA mania in the States.
While the audience was encouraged to sing along to choruses, with such a big band on stage - by folk and roots music standards - it was really only when Karine Polwart finished the night with Wild Mountain Thyme that our voices in the auditorium could really be heard. An encore of one final selection of tunes sent the Gateshead crowd off happily into the cold night with the singers and musicians off to their double decker tour bus and on to the next date on their tour.
I’m now back home in Lancaster listening to Allison de Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves’ album Hurricane Clarice which is well worth a listen if banjo and fiddle music is your bag. As Jerry Douglas commented, bluegrass music is in safe hands with such talented youngsters keeping the old traditions going.
Colin B
05/02/2026
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