04 September 2017

'Smoky wind' - 'Browngrass' from two continents


Thanks to Donal McKernan in Australia for this link to 'Browngrass', an article posted last week by his father Joe on the blog of the Bruderhof community, and the song 'Smoky wind' that comes with it, written by Donal and Geordie McKernan.

The article's a fascinating story of how a family combining Irish catholic and Dutch/ puritan/ quaker/ huguenot ancestry were welcomed into the mountain culture of rural Pennsylvania, moved to the Australian countryside, and are now composing songs that combine recorded contributions from brothers in both Australia and the USA. It's also an illustration of the power of music to bring people together.

The full text of 'Smoky wind' is given - as Joe explains, 'tasting smoke on the wind is part of Australian springtime.' The song has a strong old-timey character with very nice fiddle, banjo, and guitar backing, and ends with a banjo tune reminiscent of Dwight Diller's 'Boatin up Sandy'. Warmly recommended.

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