Welcome to 2009.  I was taking a short break from recording after the holidays to catch up on a variety of everyday things. So this week the show is a repeat of one I did in early December. I hope you enjoy this great music again.  There will be a brand new show next week with more wonderful tunes from all over the world.

In other news, the whispers are starting already about a possible Pyos tour in 2009. I can confirm that all the members of the band are in touch with each other right now and we are talking seriously about some gigs. There is nothing concrete yet though so hold tight and I will keep you up to date on anything we decide in the coming weeks. 

On this week's show. 

1. America - Horse with no name

2. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals  - I Fixed It -  Cardinology

3. Ray Lamontagne - You Are The Best Thing - Gossip In The Grain

4. Odetta - Pastures Of Plenty - The Greatest Songs Of Woody Guthrie

5. Alasdair Fraser & Paul Machlis - Slow Train - The Road Borth

6. Merle Haggard - Mama's Hungry Eyes - The Bluegrass Sessions

7. Claire Lynch - Up This Hill & Down - New Day

8. Solas - Eoin Bear's Reel/Tune for Sharon/The Rossa Reel - For Love and Laughter

9. Riley Baugus - Wandering Boy - Long Steel Rail

10. De Danann and Friends - Hard Times - Gael Force

11. Amos Lee - What's Been Going On - Last Days At The Lodge

12. Donal Lunny - Glentown - Coolfin

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2008 was good for you and I sincerely hope that 2009 brings you everything you wish for. Things are bleak for a lot of people in many parts of the world, but November brought us hope with a historic election and January will bring certain change. Lets hope the change is the kind of change we need. I have a feeliing things will slowly start to get better all over the world.

On today's show you heard

1. Ronnie McCoury - Barefoot Nellie - Little Mo' McCoury

2. Kathy Mattea -  Green Rolling Hills - Coal

3. Rhonda Vincent - Midnight Angel - All American Bluegrass Girl

4. Luar Na Lubre - Gaivota - Galicia, 20 anos de Folk

5. Miriam Makeba - The Click Song - The World Of Miriam Makeba

6. Albert Lee and Hogan's Heros - The Skip Rope Song - Like This

7. Alejandro Escovedo - Always a Friend - Real Animal

8. Pat Flynn - All On A Rainy Day - Request

9.  Leon Redbone - Settin' By The Fire - Whistling in the Wind

10. Maria Muldaur - Cajun Moon - 30 Years Of Maria Muldaur I'm A Woman

11. Little Feat - Spanish Moon (Feat. Vince Gill) - Join The Band

12. Dwight Yoakim -  Give Back The Key To My Heart

13. Jim Lauderdale - Almost Next to Nothing - Jim Lauderdale

Listen to the show on icrfm.ie on Thursdays at 6pm GMT and Sundays at 2pm GMT

As I mentioned a few days ago today's show is a special with banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck. His latest CD with the Flecktones is an album of Christmas and other festive songs done in some of the most weird and wonderful ways. Oprah has chosen it as her favourite Christmas record this year and it remains top of the jazz charts since its release in September. The CD has also gained two Grammy nominations. Bela and the Flecktones have been on tour for the past month and I was very pleased to catch up with him as he braved the cold snows of Maine. We spoke via Skype and talked about his new cd, his work with the Sparrow Quartet and his forthcoming documentary movie about his musical travels in Africa. But mostly we let the music do the talking. So enjoy the show.

Songs on the show this week

1.  Big Country

2. What Child is This

3. Sleigh ride

4. A Fuller Wine - with the Sparrow Quartet

5. The Twelve Days of Christmas

6. Christmas Medley

7.Wish I Had a River

8. Linus and Lucy

9. Danse of the Sugar Plum Fairy

10. Sunset Road

Next week is the Christmas show and as I type this I am agonising on what to play on the show. I think you will all be sick and tired of Christmas songs by the time the show goes out at 6pm on Christmas day. So if you have anything you really want to hear just This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and let me know

I am very happy to say that my special guest on Across The Pond this week is the incredible Bela Fleck.  His latest album with long time band The Flecktones, is the festive "Jingle All The Way". The album has just earned two Grammy nominations and is currently riding as high as you can get in the American Jazz charts. Not bad for an album of Chrstmas favourites. So join me as I talk to Bela about this masterpiece on Across The Pond, this Thursday at 6pm GMT (1PM EST) with a repeat on Sunday at 2pm GMT (9AM EST) on http://www.icrfm.ie

And don't forget you can vote for your favourite song from the show right here.