GRAHAM TOWNSEND plays Don Messer

Sunday, November 13, 2011

A little over a year ago I presented "World Champion Folk Fiddler", Banff SBS 5406 (click here), Graham Townsend's last album on Rodeo's Banff line of LPs (he recorded 10 for the label). With this post I begin to wind my way back through Graham's Banff output by featuring his 1969 collection, "I Like Don Messer", SBS 5306. On it Townsend plays twelve of Don Messer's signature tunes as only he could. I feel these LPs, especially 5239 onward, are really his seminal recordings. He never made a bad LP, but to me the 1960's Banff LPs really defined his style.
Graham is accompanied here by fellow fiddle great Paul Menard on guitar, singer/producer Dougal (Dougie) Trineer on bass and tenor banjo, and the great Carol Kennedy (now Carol Dawson, wife of fiddler Peter Dawson) on piano.

Includes jacket/label scans.

Tracks:

1. Big John McNeil
2. Rippling Water Jig
3. Don Messer's Breakdown
4. Country Waltz
5. Lightning Hornpipe
6. Vail's Breakdown
7. Uncle Henry's Reel
8. Little Burnt Potato
9. Norweigan Waltz
10. Rambler's Hornpipe
11. Grandfather's Reel
12. Blue Mountain Hornpipe

*download here*