Celebrating forty years as Irelands biggest exponents of traditional Irish folk music, The Wide World Over brings together some of their most famous compositions. The album includes collaborations with a selection of artists including, Sting, The Corrs, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, and Sinead OConnor, to name but a few. “When a group like the Chieftains survives to play music together for forty years Ireland, and indeed, the world, has every reason to celebrate. And one of the primary reasons for the relatively phenomenal success of the Chieftains is their willingness to embrace change. Evidence of which is contained, in abundance, on this CD. Back when Paddy Moloney (uilleann pies and tin whistle), Sean Keane (fiddle); Derek Bell (harp/piano); Kevin Conneff (bodhran/vocals) and Matt Molloy (flute) first played together, they performed purely folk music. Music like March of the Kings of Laois/Paddy’s Jig/O’ Keefe’s The Chattering Magpie, which kicks off this collection. Or Live From Matt Molloy’s Pub, a track from their last album,Waters From The Well, which brought the Chieftains right back to their roots. But time and again along the way founder member Paddy Moloney has insisted on pushing the musical boundaries of the group further than maybe even he could have conceived was possible forty years ago. Indeed, what other group could make the leap from largely improvised reels to meticulously arranged and orchestrated movie music such as Morning Dew/Women of Ireland, The Love Theme From Barry Lyndon, then cross cultural boundaries and slip so easily into a track like Guadalupe, complete with Txalaparta introduction? Or slide into the heart of country music to perform tunes like Cotton Eyed Joe with Ricky Skaggs, and Full of Joy with a Chinese Band? Then, of course, there are the Chieftain’s forays into the world of rock ‘n’ roll, which is where they really have stretched the boundaries of Irish music bringing on board rip-roaring reprobates like The Rolling Stones, for a version of Rocky Road to Dublin that gleefully redefines the word ‘rocky.’ Equally transformative are their collaborations with rock icons such as Sinéad O’ Connor, on The Foggy Dew; Elvis Costello, on Long Journey Home ; Van Morrison on Shenendoah and Joni Mitchell on The Magdelene Laundries. Add to that list former Police-man Sting singing Mo Gile Mear and you’ll see what I mean by musical eclecticism.” – Joe Jackson Track Listing 1. March of the King of Laois/ Paddy’s Jig/O’ Keeffees – Chattering Magpie (Reels) Live from ‘An Irish Evening’ 2. The Foggy Dew with Sinéad O’ Connor from ‘The Long Black Veil’ 3. I Know my Love with the Corrs from ‘Tears of Stone’ 4. Cotton-Eyed Joe with Ricky Skaggs from ‘Another Country’ 5. The Magdalene Laundries with joni Mitchell from ‘Tears of Stone’ 6. Live from Matt Molloy’s Pub from ‘Water from the Well’ 7. Shenandoah with Van Morrison from ‘Long Journey Home’ 8. The Munster Cloak/An Poc ar Buile/Ferny hill-Little molly 9. Morning has Broken with Diana Krall and Art Garfunkel 10. Morning Dew/Women of Ireland from ‘Film Cuts’ 11.Mo Ghile Mear with Sting from ‘The Long Black Veil’ 12. Carolan’s Concerto from ‘The Celtic Harp’ 13. Guadalupe with Linda Ronstadt and Los Lobos from ‘Santiago’ 14. Full of Joy with Chinese Ensemble from ‘The Chieftains in China’ 15. Here’s a Health to the Company from ‘A Chieftains’ Celebration’ 16. Chasing the Fox 17. Long Journey Home (Anthem) with Elvis Costello from ‘Long Journey Home’ 18.The Rocky Road to Dublin with The Rolling Stones from ‘The Long Black Veil’ 19. Redemption Song with Ziggy Marley
