The new single from Irish bluegrass performer Danny Burns is simply gorgeous. Featuring the bright mandolin and characterful voice of the great Dan Tyminski, ‘Brother Wind’ is a superbly arranged re-imagining of Tim O’Brien’s much-loved folk anthem, benefiting from the fine musicianship of Cody Kilby on guitar, Billy Contreras on fiddle, Matt Menefee banjo and others. In particular, the flourishes of fiddle are magical, its sweeping, graceful notes soaring and tumbling like a bird in flight, gliding on currents of wind. Halfway through, the fabulously talented players take turns to deliver acoustic guitar, banjo and fiddle solos, all beautifully paced with fingers dancing and fluttering, notes flowing in tuneful dialogue with one another. The voices of Burns and Tyminski blend perfectly – they bring a soulful warmth to this reflective ballad, a touch of grit to edge the themes of resilience and redemption.
Burns says of the song: “‘Brother Wind’, by the mighty Tim O’Brien, has long been a favourite of mine since coming across it on the Transatlantic Sessions. I couldn’t have been more delighted when my musical brother Dan Tyminski agreed to sing with me — he brought his iconic golden voice to this track.”
‘Brother Wind’ follows ‘Blue Ridge Blue’, Burns’ most successful single on bluegrass radio to date, and will feature on “Southern Sky”, his upcoming album. Acclaimed stars like Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs and Sam Bush support Burns on new songs. Combining bluegrass, country, Celtic and folk traditions, Burns and his esteemed collaborators create some special Americana. We can expect the new record to appear on 22nd August – a perfect way to end your summer. In the meantime, lose yourself in the sweet melodic flow of ‘Brother Wind’.
