Danny Burns

In this, our one-year anniversary episode, I'm going to be playing some of the best folk and roots music from some of the best folk and roots musicians from around the world.

including Fairport Convention, Riona Connolly, La Famille Le Blanc, Niall McCabe, Sam Carter, Casey Jones, Press Gang Mutiny, Damien Dempsey, Aisling Lyons, Danny Burns and more.

Yes, it's one year since we first unleashed Roots and Branches in the public domain.

So let's kick things off for our second year with La Portime Souriant from French-speaking Canada.

It's of a fair and handsome girl She's all in her tender years And she fell in love with a sailor boy It's true she loved him well Before to go off to sea with him Like she did not know how She longed to see that seaport town Called Canady, Iowa So she bargained with a young sailor boy It's all for a piece of gold And straightway then he led her All down into the hole Saying we'll dress you up in sailor's clothes, your jacket shall be blue And you'll see that seaport town called Cannondale Now when the other sailors they heard the news They fell into a rage And with the whole ship's company They were willing to engage Saying we'll tie her hands and feet, me boys And overboard we'll throw her And she'll never see that seaport town Called Canady Isles Now when the captain he's heard the news He too fell in rage And with his whole ship's company He was willing to engage Saying she'll stay all in sailor's clothes Her collar shall be blue And she'll see the seaport town Of Canady, Ohio Now when they came down to Canada It's scarcely above half a year She's married this old captain Who called her his dear She's dressed in silks and satins now And she cuts a gallant show Cos she's the finest of the ladies Down in Canady, I owe So come all you fair and tender girls Wheresoever you may be I'd have you to follow your own true love When he goes out on the sea For if the sailors prove false to you Well the captain he might prove true And you'll see The honour that I have gained By the wearing of the blue

Sam Carter and Kennedy Io.

Now, when I was touring and performing in Denmark in the early 2000s, I met and shared various stages with a young Irish musician called Danny Burns.

We spent a fair bit of time together and I could see then that his music was something special.

Yeah, we already know that one.

It's Danny Burns and Fisherman's Blues.

And conveniently enough, that's where we're headed pretty soon in our main top 20 bluegrass countdown.

Now back to the countdown.

From here on, every artist is close enough to number one to start practicing a surprised expression.

Number five.

Danny Burns was sitting at number four last week and he hasn't gone far.

Fisherman's Blues slips just one place to number five, now into its seventh week on the countdown.