The Chieftains - Essential Chieftains

The Chieftains have had an incredible forty years-long career bringing classic Celtic folk songs to audiences the world over. On Essential Chieftains (RCA/Victor, 2006), the group beings their unforgettable music back into the public consciousness with a two-disc celebration of their incredible career.

Guest appearances include Nanci Griffith, Sting, Emmylou Harris, Jackson Browne, Van Morrison, and more!

As if the Chieftains' impressive career wasn't enough to warrant an incredible collection of their greatest hits, they had to go teaming up with some of the most unstoppable performers in American Folk Music.

Disc one of Essential Chieftains features 18 of the Celtic folk kings' greatest hits, including shining moments like "O'Sullivan's March" (originally from The Chieftains 7) and "Santiago de Cuba" (originally from Santiago). In fact, the recordings on the first disc of the collection showcase the group's versatility and the breadth of their Oscar- and Grammy-award winning career.

Where the first disc draws attention to the various different styles of music the Chieftains have explored in their career, the second disc drives that legacy home as the band is joined by some of the top names in folk, pop, and country music: Van Morrison, Nanci Griffith, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, and Alison Krauss, to name a few.

If the line-up of guest artists isn't enough to impress you, consider the Chieftains have played for just about everyone, including the Pope, and with just about everyone from Nickel Creek to Doc Watson. This is not a band to ignore, and this is not a greatest hits collection to pass up.