Local Ground
Local Ground is the ninth studio album by Irish folk music group Altan, released in March 2005 on the Narada label. Recording. For the recording of "Local Ground", Altan invited a few of their friends in music to play on the album. Former Bothy Band founder Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill plays piano on guitarist Dáithí Sproule's composition "The Roseville", a kind of a slip-reel. Steve Cooney guests on bass and Dónal Lunny adds guitar. Altan have asked Galician piper Carlos Núñez to contribute some gaita (Galician bagpipes) to two tracks. Bodhrán maestro Jim Higgins provides the rhythmic  pulse on many of the tracks while Graham Henderson adds some touches of keyboard colour to a set of reels. Artwork and title. The cover art is a reproduction of a painting by Kilkenny-based artist Bernadette Kiely. The album title "Local Ground" comes from the painting title. Critical reception. "Local Ground" received a very positive review from the musicscotland.com website, describing it as «an album of beauty, energy, grace and finesse, retaining the enthusiasm that originally shaped [Altan's] music.» The album also received a warm review from Amazon.com website's critic Christina Roden, stating: «For ["Local Ground"], the  veteran Irish ensemble has gathered 13 traditional and newly composed tunes. [...] The set list includes several of the jaunty dance tunes that are the soul of Irish music. [...] Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh's fragile, girlish soprano creates many of the album's most memorable moments [such as] "Adieu My Lovely Nancy" and [the] lullaby "Dun Do Shuil". [...] The entire album has home-town warmth to it, a sense of achieved heritage that is at once soothing and invigorating.» Track listing. Source All songs, medleys and tunes are traditional, except as indicated. 2021 re-issue. Originally released in the US in March  2005 by Narada Records, "Local Ground" had been unavailable for several years. Compass Records (Altan's label partner since the 2012 release of "Gleann Nimhe – The Poison Glen" and home to most of the band's catalog) re-issued "Local Ground" on 12 March 2021. The 14-track Deluxe re-issue includes a bonus track "Andy Dixon's/Ríl Chois Claidigh/The Swilly Reel," which was previously only available on the Japanese release (also long out of print). Personnel. Altan. Adapted from the AllMusic credits. Live performances. Altan played live in concert the following tracks: References. Notes