Caswell & Carnahan
Steven C. Dziabczenko
think they split up quite some time ago) Caswell & Carnahan? I know of an
album they put out entitled "Borderland", and am fruitlessly-thus-far
searching for a copy of it on tape, album, anything....
Cleoma
with his wife Robin Petrie, who sings and is a fine hammer dulcimer
player. They have several albums on their own label (I'm sorry, I can't
remember any names right now) and do some touring. They're based here in
Berkeley California (I believe both Danny and Robin are originally from
the Bay Area). The magazine Dirty Linen is a fan of their music and may
know more about how to find their albums. Suzy Thompson
Robert G McCausland
: Does anyone out there know anything about a Canadian (??) group called (I
: album they put out entitled "Borderland", and am fruitlessly-thus-far
: searching for a copy of it on tape, album, anything....
*Borderlands*, Caswell & Canahan, 1982, KM-316, Kicking Mule Records.
Address on the album jacket is Box 158, Alderpoint, CA 95411; 707-926-5312.
I've not yet seen this on cd. Yes... a terrific set of music!
Chris Caswell: woodwinds, celtic harp, bagpipes, concertina, bodhran, vocals
Danny Carnahan: fiddle, mandola, guitars, cello, piano, vocals.
Track list:
The Peeler and the Goat/The Piper of Drummond
The Blackbird/John Allen's Pipes/Miss Jean Campbell
West Country Girl
Brightened in the Morning/Paddy Fahey's Reel
Bonnie Lesley
Easy and Slow/Planxsty Pegeen
The Grey Cairn/The Framers Curst Wife/The Devil to Pay
The Borderlands
This last song is my favorite: a transfixing Romantic tale about a crossing
between the fairy world and this one. This got quite a bit of radio play
hear in Boston, especially by Brian O'Donovan, at the time at Emerson
College's WERS, from whom I won my copy!
I think you'd say the duo is from California, not Canada (though it's a
safe bet one or both of them are orginally from Scotland or England); the
album was recorded in San Francisco, and mixed in Burbank. I know nothing
further about Chris Caswell, but Danny Carnahan has made at least two
records with Robin Petrie, who plays hammered dulcimer. The one I have is
*Continental Drift*, 1987, Flying Fish 442, and I love it.
Carnahan and Petrie also appear on a couple of tracks on Neil Hellman's
similar sounding (and equally magnificent) *Oktober County* (Gourd Music
101, 1987), as well as Hellmn's *Autumn in the Valley* (Gourd Music 116,
1993).
All of these are instrumental, blending traditional celtic with early
music with progressive structures. They are *not* the modern Scots
trad/trad-rock such as might describe *Borderlands*, but I do like
them a lot! If you enjoy fusings such as these, another group I'd
recommend is Hesperus: *Crossing Over* and *For No Good Reason and All*.
On the sunny side,
~~Rob McCausland
rg...@world.std.com
Robert G McCausland
: Track list:
: The Grey Cairn/The Framers Curst Wife/The Devil to Pay
I mean... /The Farmers Curst Wife/
: I think you'd say the duo is from California, not Canada (though it's a
: safe bet one or both of them are orginally from Scotland or England); the
Actually, as I listen to it now for the first time in a year or so, Danny
Carnahan may be Irish?
A. Marina Fournier
McCausland) wrote:
> I've not yet seen this on cd. Yes... a terrific set of music!
recorded by them. Have both on vinyl, but on no other media.
> I think you'd say the duo is from California, not Canada (though it's a
> records with Robin Petrie, who plays hammered dulcimer. The one I have is
Chris Caswell's family is up in Sebastopol, where they have a farm & vineyard.
Chris and his wife were buidling harps for a while, I believe Chris is
teaching harp.
Danny & Robin being married, are often seen together, and yes, Robin has a
recording of Victorian Christmas Carols out on Gourd Music.
They have a new album out, but I was broke and without my want-list so
that I could
remember what it was and look for it again. It was not on Gourd, and I
don't think
it was Celtoid, either.
marina
a fan in Santa Cruz
A. Marina Fournier <Aria...@Scruznet.com>
The (Re)Sourceress
C'est la vie, c'est la guerre,
Ce n'est pas une pomme de terre.
Meu...@slip.net
>Robert G McCausland (rg...@world.std.com) wrote:
>
Caliornia, I have played with him in sessions, he speaks
like a nativeand I believe he is not first generation here
from things a friend , now deceased, said of his family.
Carnahan is also a local Bay area boy if my same source
is correct.
Hope I am not dispensing with bad info, I have been to one
'reunion' concert and Danny spoke with no accent that I remember
Paul Hartman
>Does anyone out there know anything about a Canadian (??) group called (I
>think they split up quite some time ago) Caswell & Carnahan? I know of an
>album they put out entitled "Borderland", and am fruitlessly-thus-far
>searching for a copy of it on tape, album, anything....
They're from California. I have seen Chris Caswell's name pop up occasionally
in our itinerary section as an instructor at various music camps. I don't
know if he has any recent recordings.
Danny Carnahan has a bunch of recordings with his wife, Robin Petrie. The
latest is "Cut and Run", on Red House Records/ P.O. Box 4044/ St. Paul, MN
55104. [Fledg'ling Records in the U.K.]
Older recordings, including the excellent "No Regrets', are available from
Carnahan's label, DNA Records/ 725 Pomona Avenue/ Albany, CA 94706. I don't
know if they have any Caswell-Carnahan recordings, but I guess it wouldn't
hurt to ask...
________________________________________________________________________
Paul Hartman pa...@dirtylinen.com http://www.dirtynelson.com/linen/
Dirty Linen - Folk, electric folk, traditional and world music.
Reel Lass
further about Chris Caswell
<<
Unless I'm mistaken, I recall the Chris Caswell grew up in Saratoga,
California.
Reel Lass
Andrew A. Alexis
> In article <DB2Go...@world.std.com>, rg...@world.std.com (Robert G
> McCausland) wrote:
> > I've not yet seen this on cd. Yes... a terrific set of music!
> Yeah, youbetcha! Also, New Leaves from an Old Tree was
> recorded by them. Have both on vinyl, but on no other media.
>
> Chris Caswell's family is up in Sebastopol, where they have a farm & vineyard.
> Chris and his wife were buidling harps for a while, I believe Chris is
> teaching harp.
Chris Caswell is currently in the process of recording an album project
of some friends of mine who play French Traditional Music, French Creek.
I think he and his wife have their hands in a lot of music projects.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Andy Alexis(nd...@netcom.com OR ara...@dbserv2.teale.ca.gov)
Sacramento, CA "The Pearl of the Central Valley"
Saul Rosenthal
Caswell Carnahan put out two recordings -- "Borderlands" and "New Leaves
on an Old Tree." Both are great. I think they split up because Caswell
wanted to focus more on his family and making harps (apparently he makes
or made extremely good ones). Danny Carnahan (as has been posted) is
touring with his wife Robin Petrie.
I think the Caswell Carnahan recording were put out by Kicking Mule. As
far as I know, they never made it to c.d. I'm not even sure Kicking Mule
is still around.
--slr
--
_____________________________________________________________
I did the best to follow the calling of my soul. But, it's like that first
guitar I played...at the center is a hole, at the center is a...longing that
I cannot understand
--Ferron
I am still fighting for your life
When you've long since found peace
--Margo Hennebach
Life don't clickity-clack down a straight-line track
It come together and it come apart
--Ferron
_____________________________________________________________
Andrew A. Alexis
[snip]
>
> I think the Caswell Carnahan recording were put out by Kicking Mule. As
> far as I know, they never made it to c.d. I'm not even sure Kicking Mule
> is still around.
>
I have heard from a friend who runs a music store that the Kicking
Mule has died, and left this world owing many of its artists a
substantial sum of money.
Katherine Hardy
Oops, in previously noting that Caswell & Carnahan played with Robin
Williamson, I cut all the text out of the previous response except for
the sig. I saw it flash by just now as I sent off my little message.
Apologies to the author.