During this era Kieran Halpin (1955 – 2020), was one of the most respected and inspiring Irish singer-songwriters to be touring Europe on a regular basis. Back then often supported by his friend and guitar wizard, Chris Jones ( 1958 – 2005), a native of Reno, Nevada, based in Germany. These 2-track live recordings had been on the shelf since 1997 until Hans Hoogeveen, the driving force behind the Trouble Tree Folk Club suggested giving these recordings another listen. Hans had remembered this particular concert in his club as outstanding. Now, after some 27 years, it feels like the right thing to do to let the still impressive fan base relive some of Kieran and Chris’ "Glory Dayz."   
This evening in 1997 was also the first meeting between Liz Meyer, Kieran and Chris. In the late 90s, Liz and Chris toured Europe as a duo as well.

Live in Holland I

Closing Time in Paradise

Judas

Only Be Your Friend

Steve Young recorded a song of mine, “Contender”.  This was my first significant cut. To tell the truth, it meant the world to me. Later he would record “If My Eyes Were Blind”. His aversion of that song remains – to my mind – the best rendition. In 1993, we played in Lichtenvoorde, Holland for a concert series put on by Carl Van Melis. Ad Vanderveen was also playing on the bill. Ad and I have been friends since that concert.  Listening to these recordings after all these years reminds me of just how important that concert was to me. Steve was the real deal to say the least — prickly, saintly, enigmatic, son of the South and citizen of the world.
							-- David Olney, 2019

Live In Holland 1993

Montgomery In The Rain

Seven Bridges Road

Evermore

Train Wreck (Live)

Poor Clothing

Lenora

No One Knows What Love Is

Live in Holland

Wild Hog In The Wood

Happy Traum first appeared on record at a historic session in late 1962 when a group of young folk musicians, including Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger, Peter LaFarge, and The Freedom Singers, gathered in the studio at Folkways Records to record an album called Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1. With his group, The New World Singers.
For several years, Happy studied blues guitar with Brownie McGhee, who was a big influence on his guitar style. He was known as one half of Happy and Artie Traum, a duo he began with his brother. They released several albums, including Happy and Artie Traum on  Capitol records, and “Hard Times In The Country” on  Rounder Records. He continued as a solo artist and as founder of Homespun Music Instruction.
In 1971 Happy once again joined Dylan in the studio, playing guitar, banjo, bass, and singing harmony on four songs, which appeared on Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II, and The Bootleg Series Vol. 10, and Another Self Portrait. Dylan also invited Happy to participate in a famous session with poet Allen Ginsberg, which resulted in the box set Holy Soul Jelly Roll.
From  Jane Traum’s linernotes:  There is nothing like a live concert. It is spontaneous and the performer and the audience share the experience. There are no retakes or remakes. It is LIVE! The applause is real, the sound is real and the joy of performing is real. Happy loved to play music. He loved to teach music and he loved to communicate through his playing. The theater felt electric that night in 2017. I will treasure the memory of that evening always.


Koop dit album

Church Street Blues

Pawn Shop Blues

Danville Girl

Careless Love

Jay Gould's Daughter

Mississippi John / Freight Train

The Water is Wide

The internationally renowned Bluegrass formation The Country Gentlemen was formed in 1957 around Washington, DC. During the early years, the band consisted of the legendary quartet Charlie Waller, John Duffy, Eddie Adcock, and Tom Gray. Over the 47 years, Charlie Waller, always accompanied by many top-class bandmates, remained the center of the band until 2004. Throughout this era, The Country Gentlemen released over 40 albums. After Charlie Waller's passing in 2004, his son Randy Waller took his father's place. Randy, blessed with a beautiful warm "Waller voice" as well as being a more than deserving guitarist, continued this formation for another number of years. He brought, besides the original songs, also new repertoire to the band. In addition to performances with old classic members such as Eddie Adcock, Jimmie Gaudreau, and Tom Gray, he formed a contemporary band with Randy on guitar and vocals, Mark Delany on banjo and vocals, David Kirk on mandolin and vocals, and Gary Creed on bass and vocals.
In this setting, The Gentlemen toured the Netherlands in 2006. Several concerts on this trip were recorded by Strictly Country Records. In 2024, in consultation with Randy, the idea arose to produce a maximum CD-length musical document, with this “Randy Waller & The Country Gentlemen - Live in Holland” album as a result. The 24 songs included here are a balanced mix of their classic and more recent repertoire.


Strictly Country Records

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