Folk and Roots presents 'Monday Monday', a night of the best of the folk and roots scene which will be held on the first Monday of the month in central London as from October 2009. See 
Artist: Boo Hewerdine, Dave Hulston, Holly Taymar and Roscoe La Belle
Venue: NxNY, Basement Bar
Town: York
Date: 20/11/08
Website: http://www.boohewerdine.net
To me, Holly Taymar is just as much a part of these NxNY events at the City Screen Basement Bar as the floor, walls and ceiling. Each time I've been there, so has she, and on each occasion Holly has provided precisely what is expected of her; some good songs and an equal helping of fun and whimsical banter. Just the thing to warm the place up at the beginning of the evening, especially on such a cold night as this. Tonight Holly started with a couple of songs from her current CD 'Before I Know', "Home" and the jazz inflected "Fairground" sandwiched between two other, presumably newer songs, "Waking Up Is Hard To Do" and "Keeping Time", a song originally written for a university project, hopelessly labouring under the notion that it was Stravinsky-inspired. But we know different don't we Holly?
Roscoe La Belle, a local four-piece band consisting of singer/guitar player Chris Ryan together with Jo Griffin (guitar), James Chisholm (drums) and Simon Bolley (bass), played a short set of sensitive songs reminiscent of Damien Rice. Opening with "Soldier", Chris and Jo eased us into their set before being joined by the rest of the band for the more uptempo "Beside Your Shadow", which had toes tapping throughout the bar. Dedicating "Always You" to his wife, Chris rounded off the band's short set with a tender ballad culled from a much darker place.
Kicking off his set with an unplugged "Dangerousdays", Manchester-based Dave Hulston quietened the Basement Bar audience with a selection of finely crafted songs, some of which have been around for a surprisingly long time. It's difficult to put an age to Dave Hulston, but a 1980s version can be googled to reveal a fresh-faced Steve Howe/Hunky Dory-period David Bowie lookalike. Not much has changed as the fashion conscious songwriter found his way to the Basement Bar stage, complete with David Lynch style shirt (buttoned up to the neck of course), after being feverishly sought out by Rudie who apparently rediscovered the singer songwriter after a box of goodies turned up unexpectedly, containing an old tape of Hulston from earlier in his career. One of the songs on that tape, "Julie", was dutifully resurrected especially for our host tonight.
"Forward" reveals a performer comfortable with a distinctly cool jazz approach; a song probably more suited to a Summers day than a cold winter night, but welcome nonetheless. I'm reminded of fellow Mancunian Roy Harper in songs such as "The Knife" and the quirky "Dogs", in terms of both delivery and lyrical content. 'You should've chained your dog to a tree' is right down Harper's street I should imagine.
There's a couple of different cover designs knocking about for Boo Hewerdine's 'A Live One' album. On the version available for sale tonight, we see a tall bearded songwriter sitting in a laundrette, tentatively fingering his guitar, the square-tiled emptiness being a suitable metaphor for loneliness, solitude and autonomy. The City Screen Basement Bar in York could almost be seen as the same, with our troubadour hidden away backstage as Holly, Dave and Roscoe La Belle warm up the audience for what could potentially be a night to remember.
I had a chat with him up in the bar, where he sat on a high stool, making him look even taller, thumbing through a local newspaper, half listening to my routine enquiries and half listening to what was going on downstairs. Boo seemed completely relaxed, having spent the day in York, part of which was in the studios of BBC Radio York, where he played one of his songs, "White Lillies" live on air.
The song was repeated tonight along with several other classic Hewerdine songs, including "Muddy Water", "Please Don't Ask Me To Dance" and "Patience of Angels", songs written for Eddi Reader. "Harvest Gypsies", a 'folk song' written for Kris Drever, was also performed and so too was "Bell, Book and Candle", not written especially for, but featured in an episode of Emmerdale, thus providing the song with the reputation of being the most used Hewerdine song for pegging out to. One by one, each of Hewerdine's songs, from his impressively prolific repertoire, is revealed as a complete statement; you feel there's nothing missing in terms of musical structure, lyrical content, or indeed in the performance of these familiar songs. They're all neat and tidy, yet soulful and expressive at the same time.
Recently Boo has taken to releasing finely packaged mini-albums; a little too long to be considered EPs and not quite chunky enough to be considered full albums. Toy Box No 1 and No 2 respectively, contain songs destined to sit comfortably beside the best of Hewerdine's repertoire, adding to an already impressive body of work. For "Stone In Your Shoe", Hewerdine was joined by James, Roscoe La Belle's drummer, who provided a little snare back beat, presumably an enjoyable chore, repeated on "59 Yards" and the final song of the night "Footsteps Fall". Sadly. Even the offer of a free CD for anyone in the audience willing to get up and dance failed to attract a single soul. I was almost tempted...almost.
Allan Wilkinson
Boo Hewerdine/Chris Difford Live at The Brighton Komedia April 9th 2008
It was ‘Muddy Waters’- the Boo Hewerdine penned song on Eddi Reader’s ‘Peacetime’ that motivated me to drive fifty miles down to the Komedia in Brighton.
Motivated, inspired, and not disappointed in the least, despite no ‘Muddy Water’; Boo keeps such good company [ Kris Drever, John McCusker, Roddy Woomble, Heidi Talbot to name but a few] I felt I wouldn’t be disappointed.
As I walked in Boo had just started to sing Harvest Gypsies, a song I know best from Kris Drever, but it is, of course, another Hewerdine classic. Standing on stage in an open necked checked shirt and jeans, he spoke in a quiet self effacing manner; his attempts to get people up and dancing leading to chuckles of delight when he announced anyone who did would get a copy of his latest EP- the very lovely ‘Toy Box No.1’.
Everything he sang was eloquent and moving; that’s not to say that his songs were lacking in vitality or passion, or only slow and dreamy, more that his manner in performing was understated and gentle. I only bought one cd after the gig-and I was lucky to get the last one- but it won’t be long before I’m adding more to my collection. A sign of things to come?
After half time, [as Boo said, ‘time to change ends and visit the shop!’] Chris Difford appeared, in a slightly embarrassed fashion, with his band; vocalist Dorie Jackson, Boo Hewerdine on backing vocals and guitar, and Melvyn ‘Los Pacaminos’ Duffy playing pedal steel. After a couple of Squeeze classics Chris seemed to relax as it became apparent that the audience were enjoying the songs; and as the set continued it appeared that his confidence in his performance grew.
I was surprised and delighted by how many Squeeze songs there were- probably just under half- but equally pleased to see that his new songs were just as good. Wordy, cleverly written, relevant and touching, these stories were about going to the gym, middle age, and childhood memories.
Jokes just for the Brighton audience, a brief Pink Floyd moment during the encore of ‘Cool for Cats’ and the final whistle blew. Just time to visit the shop and buy that cd before I head home.
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Nancy Kerr, James Fagan & Robert Harbron - Dorking Folk Club - 14.10.09
Two weeks running…and a rare attendance from me at the same club within a month. Having said that, this is one of the nicest clubs I’ve been too in a while. Within the walls of Dorking’s Friend’s Provident social club the theatre style setting is rather posh although, I hasten to add not in an austere way. Starting proceedings, MC Neil McRitchie proved a genial host who also happens to be a performer himself and a fine concertina player to boot.
Kicking off with his own composition “The Trees Are Raining” and a Morris dance tune “Highland Mary” the audience were nicely warmed up for the main guests Kerr, Fagan & Harbron. Diving in with the digitally demanding “Favourite Duet” interplay between the concertina and fiddle of Rob & Nancy respectively you could just tell we were in for a treat with displays of vocal prowess coupled with divine musicianship. With a wonderful set of songs including “Alan Tyne Of Harrow” and “The Diamantina Drover” (from their recent “Station House” recording) featuring James fervent vocals and Nancy’s own self-penned “Queen Of Waters” culminating in the chorus led “Keep Hauling On” this feast of music composition brought the climax of the first half to a stirring end.
Paving the way for the second set we were treated to a couple of songs from club ‘regular’ Dave White who regaled us with a rousing rendition of “Fathom The Bowl” lustily buoyed by an audience more than eager to join in the refrain. What more could we ask than a storming second set from the ‘guests’ in which we were treated to instrumental pyrotechnics from the fluid rhythm and lead of James ‘Bizarre’ (a term utilised by wags for the Stefan Sobell 8-stringed instrument that he so proudly utilises) and musically challenging songs such as “It’s Hard To Be Leaving Old England” segueing seamlessly into the more established “Hard Times Of Old England”. As I’ve said, these are ‘real’ musicians who obviously enjoy challenging themselves whilst providing the assembled crowd with a thoroughly ‘entertaining’ evening. If you hadn’t guessed it already this is ‘folk’ music at its best and I can’t wait to see the trio again at the earliest opportunity.
For further details check out the band’s website at www.kerrfaganharbron.co.uk
Kerr Fagan Habron - Station House (Fellside Recordings FECD211)
There surely can’t be a finer trio on the folk scene and we should all celebrate this debut CD from Nancy Kerr, James Fagan & Robert Harbron. From the opening bars of Gustav Holst’s glorious “Thaxted” leading into the uptempo waltz song “Leaving Old England” the trio utilise counterpoint melody (including a clever overlapping Hard Times Of Old England) with soaring fiddle and concertina filling any gaps. Breathtakingly theatrical and with no let up on dynamic content the following track “Alan Tyne Of Harrow” conveys the story of a Highwayman who buys his horse from none other than Henry Fielding…yes, City Of Vice’s original Bow Street Runner…such delicious irony! The very seam of British and Australian character that runs throughout the album including Nancy’s own “Break Your Fall” and Hugh MacDonald’s classic “Diamantina Drover” is testament to the group that they’re proud of their heritage and the English tune sets including several from the manuscripts of William Winter sound very much in the vein of William Mittell. And that’s where the beauty of this recording lies; all of the songs have strong storylines that make you want to listen to the lyrics as much as the music accompanying them and the tunes are such that, if you’re a musician, you’ll want to learn them all. 2008 has already produced some very interesting folk CDs but I have to say I’d be hard pushed if this wasn’t my album of the year!
Pete Fyfe
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
The Visitors at The Troubadour 27th March
A basement club with an L-shaped room and a tiny cramped stage was my introduction to the Visitors, visiting, as it were, from Portsmouth. Founded originally by Ross Ingram and James Dyer, influenced by Counting Crows, and sounding to me like The Stands/Turin Brakes, this band played all of their songs on their current EP ‘ Travelling’ and several new songs which hopefully will make an appearance on their forthcoming album.
They played as a five piece tonight, having left keyboard player Adam Saunders behind. It appeared fairly formulaic at first- drums, bass, and three guitars, but the Visitors are far from ordinary. Unusually both Ross and James take turns on lead vocals, the other providing harmony support. How they decide who sings what I don’t know, but it works- Ross on the powerful rocky ‘Promised Land’, or James on ‘Travelling’ a gentle folky song, with pedal steel .Their voices are so different that somehow it comes together, particularly when they share vocals on ‘Another Day’ the song that first captured my heart when I heard it on MySpace.
They had their work cut out tonight; the stage was at the corner joint of an L-shaped room, meaning the sound was difficult to balance and the band played to two audiences, it was also so small that there was no room to manoeuvre and any unplanned move with a guitar could have ended in disaster.
Fortunately this didn’t happen, and as the set progressed the band relaxed, losing themselves in their music. I love it when that happens. And it has to happen - how else can you enjoy a gig if the band playing look like they’d rather be at home watching paint dry?
So, a good gig - and one with a huge amount of promise. The Visitors have the right mix of talent, individuality and creativeness to make it work- and I’m looking forward to the next time I see them.
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Flook! - Live at Gosport and Fareham Easter Festival - March 23rd
Flook, that famous award- winning Anglo Irish four piece, were five tonight. Not in age-they've been around twelve years now, but in number… the fifth being Damien O'Kane. I'm still not entirely sure why he was there, but not only did he fit in the band perfectly, he also told the funniest joke of the evening. More of that later…
Flook are one those bands that you think you know. Not only do their tunes seem like friends, their performance makes you know that they are. And yet tonight, they caught me unawares. New songs, like Brian Finnegan's 'Night Ride to Armagh', 'Penistone Shroud' and Damien O' Kane's 'Shuffle' proved that they are a band always evolving, raising their game at the same time. The communication and intuition between them all apparent on the sensitive 'Last of the Stars'- a gentle emotive tune written about Brian's grandmother, as well as their 'disco' tune- G.D.'s- this being completely different in tempo, a fast furious Flook.
Thanks to Damien we also got Singing Flook, a first for me. Sarah Allen was hopeful that all the boys would sing, but sadly not- brilliant none the less though; just John Joe and Damien for the verse, the others joining in on the chorus with Brian's playing outstanding. Old favourites like 'Gone Fishing', and songs by other people like Adam Sutherland and Crooked Still all seemed to grow in stature as Flook added twists and flourishes that had the audience applauding enthusiastically.
We got watchable Flook too; Sarah Allen standing one legged, her raised foot against her knee yoga style, Brian Finnegan standing in the spotlight against a velvety black background, playing the flute with every muscle in his body, John Joe able to make the crowd smile with just a raised eyebrow in his expressive face, and Ed, alternately hunched over his guitar to play or regaling us with stories.
Oh, and that joke?
Damien was describing the background behind a new reel in the way that folkies often do, and added that it was a Foofighters song written by a friend of his. I laughed out loud at that!
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
BOX CLUB – Box Club (Box Club Records BoxclubCD1)
Starting with the bright and breezy “The 1st Rule” the Box Club exude a positive and fresh approach to the Celtic music scene with their quad accordion driven sound. Now, you might think that four accordions would prove to be overkill but far from it, by playing to the strengths of harmony and counter-point melody the band really know how to rock and each member of the band; Angus Lyon, John Somerville, Mairearad Green and Gary Innes along with the rhythm section Michael Bryan (guitar), Duncan Lyall (double bass) and Martin O’Neill (drums) give their all in some great set-pieces. With the Scottish ceilidh circuit going through something of a renaissance at the moment it shouldn’t be surprising that those doffing their caps to the great Jimmy Shand are now leading the way utilising cross-cultural references to create a spirited performance that should please both purists and the general public alike. I can see many a happy Tennents induced audience getting down and dirty to the “Teabeggin Set” and if I was a festival organiser I’d certainly look at putting the band forward for the end of evening bash. Good fun all round…now somebody pass me another tinny.
Pete Fyfe
www.boxclub.co.uk
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Arc Light - Lau
The indefinable Lau have done it again. Arc Light, their second studio album, was released at the end of March and looks set to propel them further up the ladder of all time folk greatness.
The harmonies and melodies both fly and meander by turn through both songs and tunes; and still the three instruments coalesce [four if you include Kris’s voice] in that unique Lau-ness that sounds like a whole orchestra.
Frank and Flo’s and Banks of Marble-with its electronica accordion, were released previously on Lau Live, but the other tracks are all new. The frenetic Stephen’s, the haunting Temple of Fiddes, and the glorious harmony filled song ‘Wintermoon’, sounding almost hymn-like; and it’s hard to decide whether The Burrian, with its ethereal backing vocals, or Horizontigo- orchestral highs and lows as it sweeps along, is the best tune on Arc Light. Maybe that’s why this cd has been a constant in my cd player.
Nine tracks long- with Lennon/McCartney’s Dear Prudence as a bonus, this album is a shining example of how well Drever/Green/O’Rourke work together. Like three primary spotlights on stage, highlighted independently but combined to make white light. Or Arc light. Genius either way.
Lau at the Borderline - 28th May 2009
On a warm and sunny May night in London Lauren McCormick, co-promoter at the Magpie's Nest, opened events at the Borderline. Joined by James Delarre on fiddle and Ros Gladstone on cello, her relaxed and easy manner, slightly reminiscent of Eliza Carthy, made the audience warm to her, and they were soon joining her in singing choruses. With a set list including songs by Kate Rusby, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan, as well as 'The Owl And The Pussycat' there was plenty of opportunity to showcase both the variety in her voice and her ability on silver flute, and the audience showed their appreciation warmly.
Warm was the word for the evening, and by the time Lau came on it seemed there was hardly any air left in the Borderline. People were crammed in, even hanging over the banisters of the stairs leading down into venue, the summer's heat like a haze above them.
Lau - the trio of Drever/Green/O'Rourke were out to promote the new album 'Arc Light' and most of the songs/tunes tonight were taken from it. Arc Light is great, but Lau live are even greater. Stephen's - a circus fanfare of a tune that takes melody and harmony on a chase - twisting and turning through the Big Top, stopping and starting and spinning away again - left the audience by turn smiling and dancing or eyes closed and swaying.
And the audience were an eclectic mix - as if the passengers of the tube at Tottenham Court Road had decided on a whim to follow me down Manette Street to the Borderline: eclectic, but connected. The venue falls silent at Aidan plays a slow air on his fiddle, cheers wildly as Martin Green uses his empty beer bottle to slide up and down the keys of his accordion during Hinba, and stands amazed at Kris Drever's vocal effects on 'The Burrion'.
Maybe that's it. The fact that they're indefinable, they don't fit any genre or category, and neither do their fans. Inexplicably brilliant and inventive, and unmistakeably Lau.
www.laurenmccormick.co.uk
www.lau-music.co.uk
Lau - The Platform, Morecombe
Saturday 14th February 2009
The Platform was full yesterday- not of people waiting for a train, but of an audience waiting for Lau, this year's deserved winners of 'Best Band' at the snow hit Radio 2 Folk Awards. A trio unlike any other I've seen, consisting of Aidan O'Rourke [fiddle], Kris Drever [guitar] and Martin Green, these guys craft fine tunes with more layers than seems possible for just three instruments to play. The achingly beautiful fiddle introduction at the beginning of 'Stuarts', the fast furious 'Frank n Flo's'- with loud accordion and Aidan's fingers moving so fast they seemed to hardly touch the strings, and Kris Drever's rhythmic guitar playing on the 'Lang Set'.
Yet just when you think you might understand this band they mix things up, turning everything on its head again- the evocative soundtrack 'Sea', the thought provoking 'Gallowhill', the downright physical 'Banks of Marble'…The phrase 'there's no end to their talent' seems made for Lau.
New songs, like 'Burrion' have a different feel- changes in tempo and Kris Drever's vocal used as a backing track rather than lyrically. The new album 'Arclight' - out next month- seems set to promise another 'Best Band' nomination for next year at the very least.
The spring tour starts soon to promote 'Arclight'. Check their website and go and see them- you won't regret it!
Lau - Live at The Slaughtered Lamb- 4th June 2008
Best Band at the Radio 2 Folk Awards this year, Lau were at the ElectroAcoustic Club at the Slaughtered Lamb [London’s best acoustic venue] to promote their new album ‘Lau Live’.
They played two nights to full houses; people cramming onto settees, shoe horning into alcoves and standing in the shadows of this atmospheric club-if there had been rafters to swing from, then they’d have done that too- the place was buzzing. The crowd - mostly twenty somethings from East London – loved Lau; the loud and lairy ‘Frank n Flo’s’, the slow start to ‘Stewarts’, Kris Drever singing ‘Harvest Gypsies’.
Lau Live is brilliant live; the orchestral beauty of ‘Gallowhill’ and the new arrangement of ‘Sea’- an atmospheric film score of a tune- had the audience whistling, cheering, and bursting into spontaneous applause.
Hard to believe that all these sounds come from just three guys and three instruments. No trickery, no special effects, just inventive Lau. Kris’s rhythmic guitar, Aidan’s fingers blurring at speed on his fiddle strings, and Martin playing drumbeats with his right hand and chords with his left. Their skill as a live band as Aidan broke a string, and changed it while Kris and Martin carried on playing, to the utter disbelief and amazement of crowd as he rejoined the tune effortlessly, leading to a fast frenetic finish.
Lau should have won best Live Act too; they’re fantastic, faultless, and funny too. Ask them which one’s lush!
Lau - Live at Gosport and Fareham Easter Festival - 22nd March
I love Lau. And they love me too…if their badges are to be believed, anyway. And they just get better and better. This year's winner of the BBC Folk Awards Best Band and showing no signs of resting on their laurels, Lau are Kris Drever, Aidan O'Rourke, and Martin Green.
They opened the evening set at Gosport and Fareham's Easter Festival with a new tune, fast, frenetic and relentlessly energetic; like being on a fairground ride - a rollercoaster of swooping highs from the fiddle, lurching lows from the accordion and guitar, looping the loop and turning the tune upside down till you can scarcely remember the point at which you started. Not that it matters anyway- Lau are about excitement and passion, and make the most emotive music I've heard, whether it's the tune Aidan composed on the ferry to Tobermory, or Kris's tale of the rabbit and the dog.
Yet it's not all furious speed- Martin's song about his partner's grandfather, and Kris's 'Unquiet Grave' are by contrast beautiful and haunting.
This band is a trinity -'the state of being threefold'. Three musicians playing what appear to be completely different tunes, yet making what potentially could have been a discordant disaster into something gloriously triumphant. Seeing them on stage; Aidan pivoting in his chair, feet off the ground, Martin rocking backwards and forwards over his accordion and Kris hunched over his guitar swaying, they all seem spirited away by the music, seemingly oblivious to each other and the audience, and playing with such mad wild passion it seems extraordinary that they seem able to stop the tune dead with such precision.
And when they're not playing they're laughing and joking, telling what was the second funniest joke of the evening to the mystification of half the audience- Aidan announced they'd had their first falling out of the tour , and Martin added that it had been so bad that the fourth member hadn't even made it to the stage.
Made me smile anyway!
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Nels Andrews - Off Track Betting (Reveal 34)
'Sunday Shoes' was always going to be a hard act to follow, but Nels Andrews
handles this new set of nine self-penned songs on 'Off Track Betting' with
intelligent assurance. Todd Sickafoose's production is somewhat reminiscent of
Daniel Lanois particularly in his attention to detail, but is spared the
over-indulgence. I normally tire quickly of the overuse of sound effects on
acoustic music, but on this production, the effects help create a specific mood.
Throughout the album Andrews employs a multitude of weird and wonderful instruments, utilizing the harp, a klezmer banjo, some assorted sampled electronics, the odd toy piano as well as making the best use of a wine glass orchestra since Robin Williamson treated us to a skin full on his ode to the celebrated Welsh bard in "For Mr Thomas" in the Eighties.
The industrious use of percussion on "Sunday Shoes" (shouldn't this have been on the first album?) is reminiscent of post Swordfishtrombones Tom Waits. It's all there to mimic the sounds of the city we are led to believe and surprisingly it doesn't jar.
Outside the city and back on the road appears to be more familiar territory for
Andrews as he follows the heartworn highways of America on "Three Days", a road
song that Steve Earle would be proud of. Andrews criss-crosses the landscape of
America, if not in the footsteps of Dean Moriarty, then certainly in the shadow
of Sal Paradise. He's an observer of the road, and it comes through his music
loud and clear, particularly on "Rented White Sedan". For all intents and
purposes, 'Off Track Betting' has temporarily replaced the bebop of Charlie
Parker for the soundtrack to Kerouac's bestseller, if only for a while. If this
is the evolving route for all things Americana, then it's fine by me.
www.nelsandrews.com
Allan Wilkinson
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Heidi Talbot - In Love and Light (Navigator 6)
No stranger to those remotely familiar with Cherish the Ladies, Heidi Talbot
brings forth her own unique voice with this, her follow up to 2004's 'Distant
Future'. Delicately produced by Boo Hewerdine 'In Love and Light' is the perfect
title for this selection of lovely and light songs. The occasional County
Kildare inflections, especially on her gorgeous reading of Tom Waits' "Time",
leaves the listener in no doubt as to what part of the world this young singer
hails from.
With contributions from the likes of Eddi Reader, John Doyle, John McCusker and Michael McGoldrick, as well as Mr Hewerdine popping in from behind the mixing desk, 'In Love and Light' showcases Heidi Talbot's rich vocal delivery and it is with this voice that our attention is held throughout.
There are moments of familiarity here that will no doubt fall well within the confines of Talbot's canon. "Bedlam Boys" and "Glenlogie" bear all the hallmarks of a modern folk arrangement; interesting time signatures and crystal clear interplay between strings and whistle. But on this collection of songs, Talbot broadens her scope and tackles other melodic areas with relative ease. "Invisible" conjures up the same distinct feeling of Fifties pop as John Lennon applied to "(Just Like) Starting Over" way back in another era. It's the essence of the smoochie dance floor hit but without forcing it or being a pastiche of it.
Whilst Boo Hewerdine's "Everything" borrows from Joni's "Woodstock", bringing with it a joyous celebration of everything we are and basically answering some of the questions posed by the high priestess of hippie ponderings almost forty years on, "Whispering Grass" is whimsically revisited in much the same manner as Sandy Denny's classic rendition on her 1974 'Like an Old Fashioned Waltz' album, rather than following the Ink Spots original template. Isn't it a shame that this beautiful song will forever be associated with two sweaty men in khaki shorts and pith helmets!
Duetting with Talbot on "The Blackest Crow" is Kris Drever, who offers a second voice to the album and which is very much welcomed, alternating between verses and culminating in a final verse in unison. You tend to be left wanting more of the same.
My only minor niggle with Heidi's second album has nothing to do with the music
itself, but with the artwork and in particular the miniscule white text on a red
ground. The extinction of vinyl albums forced us into using a magnifying glass
to gain information, which is not normally readily available on the bus back
from the record store. 'In Love and Light' requires a microscope. Be prepared to
squint.
www.heiditalbot.com
Allan Wilkinson
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Gosport and Fareham Easter Festival - March 24th 2008
There may have been snow and sleet this Easter, even as far south as London, but down at the Gosport and Fareham Easter Festival the welcome was warm; from the friendly faces on the ticket desk, the smiling stewards on the doors, and the smell of hog roast drifting out from the refectory.
The Festival is organised by Peter Chegwyn, and has been running for a number of years in the Portsmouth area. Using two or three local venues and based around the town of Fareham this year's line up boasted folk stalwarts Show of Hands and Oysterband, as well as up and coming acts like Breabach and Wheeler Street.
I arrived for the last full day of this festival, and saw Bella Hardy, Spiers and Boden, Roy Bailey, Chumbawumba, Lau, Luka Bloom and Flook. Flook featured Damien O'Kane as a new fifth member, which was an added bonus. Most of the festival's action is centred around Ferneham Hall, a self sufficient venue; with bars, trade stalls, somewhere to eat [featuring the afore mentioned hog roast!] and 650+ capacity theatre, which can be either fully seated or partly standing, making it truly versatile for all kinds of acts.
Peter certainly knows how to book top acts. Living in the south it can be hard to see some of the top Celtic bands, as they simply don't seem to venture this way very often- whether this is down to a perceived or real lack of support in the area, I don't know.
It felt like that great Scottish festival- Celtic Connections - in all the best ways.
An assortment of both longstanding and excitingly new acts of differing styles, a mixed age audience, and even a Festival Club [based at the Lysses Hotel across the road]. The bands themselves selling CDs after the show and hanging around for a chat, and everything being onsite, instead of having to traipse around different venues and careful programming meant no worrying that you may have missed the next new thing.
All in all, a top way to spend an Easter weekend, and for those of you who don't fancy the enormity that is the Cambridge Folk Festival, Peter has just the thing…. http://www.stokesbayfestival.co.uk
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Heidi Talbot and Kris Drever - Live at The Slaughtered Lamb 13/03/08
I sat cross legged on the carpet last night, with a drink in my hand, listening in enjoyment to Heidi Talbot’s pure and gentle voice, singing ‘Whispering Grass’- from her new album ‘In Love and Light’ .The settee behind me, large cushions in the corner, my friend tapping his feet next to me, and the dark room gently illuminated by a wooden standard lamp covered in a large white lampshade.
Doesn’t seem like a description of a pub just around the corner from the Barbican, but the Slaughtered Lamb is just that- and the Electroaccoustic Club happens downstairs in the basement there. A gem of place, with a warm relaxed feel, good sound, and comfortable seating, it was the perfect venue for Heidi Talbot, joined on Thursday by Kris Drever -her Navigator stable-mate, and John McCusker, who made a surprise appearance.
Watching Kris and Heidi was a bit like a ‘Best of …’ evening. Tracks from each of their recent albums, both of them taking turns to lead and support- ‘Time’ had beautiful evocative harmonies, ‘Shady Grove’ its rousing rhythms and Patrick Kavanagh’s ‘Raglan Road’ - John with his eyes closed, Kris with his plectrum in his mouth, and all three swaying gently.
It was a privilege to be in close quarters with such amazing musicians, but instead of feeling awed the audience were relaxed, enjoying the banter and ad libs between the trio, and revelling in the laid back atmosphere of the club. A joy.
www.heiditalbot.com
www.krisdrever.com
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Artist: Wizz Jones
Venue: The Regent
Town: Doncaster
Date: 10/03/08
Website: http://www.wizzjones.com
Occasionally I have these overwhelming flights of fancy whilst attending
concerts, especially gigs that feature musicians I heard about in my youth, the
kind of musicians you read about in the back pages of Melody Maker or whose name
you would hear being casually dropped by God-like guitar heroes of the Sixties.
There's always this lurking romantic vision of the mysterious man with a guitar
who steps in from the cold windy night, plays a little, then heads off back into
that dimly lit street and back into oblivion. This is what happens when you
watch too many old films featuring the likes of Big Bill Broonzy, seductively
entertaining a handful of highly dubious female beatniks in some smoky
subterranean Belgian jazz club back in the Fifties.
That image of Broonzy would have been iconic to the young Wizz Jones in post war London and would be partly responsible for many a young novice of the day picking up a guitar for the first time and starting his own skiffle group. I missed this period by a matter of only a handful of years, but this romantic notion was subsequently handed down to my generation and has resulted in a lifetime appreciation of the likes of Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Davy Graham, Al Stewart and Ralph McTell, essentially, the cream of British folk blues troubadours.
In all fairness, Wizz Jones never quite achieved the same level of popularity as his contemporaries, but has instead found his name in the indexes of biographies of some of the big names in the history of popular music, simply because he is a musician's musician. With an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of blues styles from the likes of Broonzy, Blind Blake, Mississippi John Hurt, Doc Watson and Blind Willie Johnson, to name but a few, Wizz Jones has spent a lifetime travelling and playing guitar and not a lot has changed in the ensuing years. He's the real deal. A bone fide British folk blues troubadour.
Tonight at Bob's Monday Music Club at the Regent, Wizz Jones took command of his slightly weatherworn Epiphone and treated us to some songs from another era. I can't imagine tonights performance being any different from those heady days of Les Cousins in London's Soho district way back in the Sixties. Wizz still has the hair too! Starting with Big Bill's "Guitar Shuffle" and revisiting several blues standards along the way, including "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out", Doc Watson's "Sitting On Top of the World" and "Corrine's Blues", from his very first LP, Wizz performed with the kind of assurance that can only come from experience, which in his case is as plentiful as hydrogen.
As a songwriter, Wizz admits that he is far from prolific, 'I don't like doing it' he confesses. This is clearly a shame as his songs are really quite good. "The Burma Star" and "Lucky the Man" address two generations of the Jones family, his father and his daughter respectively, whilst "Happiness Was Free" takes a closer look at relationships, and at the same time, in tentative nostalgic terms, alludes to the ideology of the 'beatnik' generation.
There is no question that Wizz knows his instrument well and can tackle with relative ease the cream of the blues giants as well as bringing to the table songs by Jesse Winchester "Black Dog", Bob Dylan "Song to Woody", Jackson C Frank "Blues Run the Game" and even Clive James "Touch Has Memory". Wizz also is a darn good banjo player as he frailed majestically through Ewan MacColl's "Father Song".
So, just as Big Bill had done in that old film, as he placed his guitar back in it's battered case and left that dark and seedy Belgian night club all those years ago, unaware he was inspiring a generation of musicians including the young Wizz Jones, I watched an older Wizz Jones leave the Regent on this cold and rainy windy night, guitar in hand and banjo over his shoulder and felt equally inspired.
Allan Wilkinson
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
FOLK MEETS FACEOLOGY at WALMER BRIDGE. (IAW FRIENDS of FOLK)
PHIL COOL & KEN NICOL at Walmer Bridge Village Hall Saturday 8th March.
I caught a plug for this concert, during the afternoon, on BBC Radio Lancashire and having played at the venue myself, a couple of times I knew that there would be a warm welcome from Tommy Shorrock and his team at Walmer Bridge. It's a first class venue excellent facilities and great acoustics. Expecting there to be a few folks there we arrived in good time for the 'announced' seven o'clock start only to find an almost empty car park. This shocked me initially because I know, of old, the pulling power of Ken Nicol when he treats us to a show on the outskirts of his home town. We got to the ticket desk at about ten to seven and immediately spotted the anomaly - the large poster in the foyer informed us that the actual start time was eight o'clock and we weren't the only ones to turn up over an hour early. The constant stream of people arriving thereafter suggested that it would be worth the wait and by the time Ken & Phil promptly took to the stage the room was packed to the rafters with the committee having to bring in extra tables and chairs to accommodate those people who had turned up on spec.
The 'duo' welcomed the audience then Phil left the stage to leave us in the very capably hands of Ken who kicked off with a very impressive tune from his latest album 'Initial Variations' He went on to sing one of his 'standards' 'Two Frets From The Blues' then performed another tune from the album before inviting Phil back on stage to join him.
I'm not sure whether it’s down to reputation or a natural stage presence but as Phil walked back on stage and picked up his guitar he looked sternly at the audience, immediately grabbing the attention of everyone present, and simply flicked his eyebrows which caused fits of laughter, not only from the audience but from Ken. I expected this to turn into comedy show but far from it - Phil sang some self-penned songs with Ken providing a superb guitar accompaniment to each and every one. This is not to say that Phil is not an accomplished guitarist in his own right but to have your playing embellished by being accompanied by one of the finest guitarists in the business must give you quite a buzz. Phil is a great wordsmith and I particularly liked two of his compositions – ‘Cabbage Hall Fields’ and ‘Valentines Day’ and his ‘Ode to a Fylde Guitar’ (Sorry if I didn’t catch the title) done in a Jake Thackery voice, was fabulous.
The interval arrived – it didn’t seem like a full hour since the pair took to the stage but is was. Pie and Peas followed by Apple Pie and Cream was a nice touch. The obligatory raffle was drawn much to the delight of the ten or so prize-winners then it was everyone sitting comfortably and we’ll start the second half.
Again Ken kicked off with a tune then he surprised us by picking up his ukulele gave an almost George Formby-esque song that he had written entitled ‘It Could Have Been Me’ this had the crowd giggling and I think (I may be wrong here) that fact delighted Ken so much that he decided to finish of this slot with another humorous composition ‘Holiday In Stornaway’ which had the audience laughing and joining in with the refrain as they could almost feel the icy cold rain of North West Scotland running down the back of their necks.
This could be turning into a comedy show after-all (I suspect that maybe some of the audience were kind of expecting that anyway).
As Ken left the stage Phil came back on – far from Cool though! He got the strap of guitar in a right tangle and then got the ends of the strings caught in the stage curtain. I honestly don’t know whether this was by accident or whether it was a deliberate and well-rehearsed routine but it was hilarious and set the scene for what was to come. Phil went to great lengths to explain that he is not an Impressionist but a Faceologist and he treated us to some classic Phil Cool comedy with skits on Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Bill Clinton, John Major, Tony Blair, Paul McCartney and Rolf Harris to name but a few- he certainly has got an amazing ability to alter his face – you can actually tell who he is mimicking before he opens his mouth to speak. His penultimate caricature was old George W himself, at which point he brought Ken back on stage who played his banjo to accompany the American President on ‘I’m an Oil Man’ I’ve got to say that seeing the normally, immaculate, debonair, cool unruffled Ken Nicol not only playing banjo but playing ‘Straight-man/foil’ as half of a comedy duo was a treat and he did it very well indeed.
At this point I was laughing that much that I can’t remember which was the last song and which was the encore but we got Ken and Phil singing a song about being miserable – Phil in Johnny Cash character and also ‘Walking With My Baby Down By The San Francisco Bay’ as a tribute to Psycadelic Sid Kavanagh a past mutual acquaintance of them both.
All in all a first class event and I think it will have made one or two ‘Folk Virgins’ appreciate the genre and one or two ‘Folkies’ appreciate the value of not taking the art form to seriously.
Thanks to Jim Minall and the FRIENDS of FOLK team + the committee at WALMER BRIDGE (who host some great events) for giving us an evening to remember.
Graham Dixon
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Skyhook - Skyhook (Own Label SHMCD01)
Skyhook are a trio of versatile musicians comprising Cath James (Fiddle & Viola), Eoin Teather (Vocals, Guitar & Bouzouki) and Martin Harwood (Fiddle, Guitar, Bouzouki & Piano). On my first listen through the album it occurred to me that this CD is more memorable than most due to the duetting fiddles lending a more abrasive edge to the tune sets. Accompanied by the strong rhythms, the sound is brash in presentation and a pleasant change from the precise-ness showcased by other artists of a similar ilk. Talking of all things brash, I thought I’d stumbled upon a long lost recording by Paul & Eddie Furey and Davey Arthur aka The Buskers (ask your mum or dad!) listening to Skyhook’s version of the classic “Arthur McBride”. In many ways that’s how I like my songs, sung with passion and just the right side of rough to give the listener something to digest. Although there are plenty of traditional influences scattered throughout the tune sets, Cath proves no mean tunesmith herself including a beautifully crafted jig “Cronkers” which I’m sure will become a standard at many sessions. I really enjoyed the overall feel of the full package and if you have any Celtic blood flowing through your veins or a pint of Guinness to hand this’ll do nicely.
Pete Fyfe
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
I buy Jackie Leven. I get it. When I first encountered him a few years ago, wearing a pair of brown brogue shoes, ankle socks, khaki shorts, a duffel coat and a thick scarf at the Beverley Festival, I knew we were dealing with someone slightly more eccentric than your usual visitor from the 'Kingdom of Fife'. I'd heard his records and had become a fan long before I discovered the man himself. Those records continue to be filed under the autonomous category of 'Jackie Leven', quite simply because there is no other category for this particular collection of songs to find themselves in.
As a raconteur, I believe everything he tells me from the stage, whether it's a simple mundane tale of being inspired to write songs whilst watching Columbo on TV with his dogs Basil and Ronnie by his side, to the highly implausible tale of drinking Lord Olivier under the table with a 'Scottish-style cognac', whilst collaborating on the lyrics of a potential blues song. Once you are aware of Jackie's colourful past, which includes near death experiences from a random attacker and drug addiction to the fact that a former girlfriend ran off with the Dalai Lama's bodyguard, then anything is possible.
As a performer, Leven has the ability to fill any room he plays with sound. His only requirement as a solo performer is a straight backed chair, together with a couple of direct inputs for his guitar, a microphone for singing into and another one to hover somewhere above his left foot, for the metronome he creates to beat away throughout each song. His larger than life personality is matched measure for measure by his large frame. You wouldn't want to mess with this man.
Opening tonight with a couple of songs from his last album 'Elegy For Johnny Cash', "Museum of Childhood" and the title song, with its droning guitar and unambiguous lyrics, Leven's statement of intent was to tell it like it is. The rockier aspect of Leven's recorded output somehow makes the transition to acoustic performance rather well and loses none of it's power.
"Kings Of Infinite Space" from Jackie's latest studio offering 'Oh What A Blow That Phantom Dealt Me' reveals a more soulful Leven. The Billy Paul 'Me and Mrs Jones' coda was begging to be crooned, even before Jackie started to. You feel that if Leven's hand was forced and that he had to settle into a distinctive style, then it wouldn't be too far removed from sweet soul music.
Jackie's contribution to the Kevin Coyne tribute album 'Whispers From The Offing' was a self-penned tribute song called "Here Come The Urban Ravens", which also appears on the 'Phantom' album. The notion of Coyne returning as the collective soul of Ravens appeals enormously to an avid Coyne fan. Even though Leven's song was crucial to the album, I couldn't help pondering upon which of Coyne's songs Jackie would have covered had they not allowed him to provide an original song. Dog Latin perhaps? Eastbourne Ladies? Surely not Good Boy?
Although it's always a pleasure to hear new material by any artist, it's important to be reminded of the songs that brought you here in the first place. "Single Father" from the 'Defending Ancient Springs' era, tells of the relationship between father and son, unpretentiously washing away all the sentimentality found in other songs on the subject. 'Father and Son' and 'The Cat's In The Cradle' spring to mind. Here we have an outpouring of rhetoric, which serves to point out some of the latent anguish of losing the custody of a child. He doesn't like to talk about such personal matters but confesses that it's good to share these small and important things in the form of a good song and a true song, especially when he feels safe. Jackie Leven felt safe tonight.
Another older song, this time from the excellent 'Forbidden Songs From The Dying West' album, was probably the moist poignant moment of the evening. Needing no introduction, "Men In Prison" became both lament and lullaby at the same time with its melancholy air and which managed to bring the Rock audience to silence. 'Are these songs okay?' asked Leven. The room nodded in unison.
So prolific as a songwriter and recording artist that Leven often has too much material for his record company to logistically deal with. This does not faze Leven too much, who instead of bottling it, opts to record under a pseudonym. Two albums exist under the guise of Sir Vincent Lone, 'Songs For Lonely Americans' and 'When The Bridegroom Comes (Songs For Women)' from which Leven's cover of an old and obscure Donovan song comes. "Ballad Of Geraldine" continues to bear the hallmark of early Dylan, even in the hands of Jackie Leven, but becomes distinctively Jackie's own.
So as we drew to the close of the performance, with that last song "A Little Voice In Space" and with no encore, Jackie left his audience aching for more (always a good thing) and disappeared into the night. 'When shall we meet again?' he enquired. Soon I hope.
Allan Wilkinson
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
At odds with this entrance she opened the set quietly and hesitantly, appearing almost uneasy, singing so gently in Welsh that the audience were silent. A few songs in, and joined by her band on this tour; Mason Neely- 'he plays anything you can sit him in front of!', Andy 'Wal' Coghlan, and Kevin Teel; she seemed more relaxed, with hints of her previous ballsy Catatonia style apparent on Morning Sunshine and Ruby.
The second half was more upbeat; Cerys saying that it was an opportunity to be more rock-disco, or up tempo folk! It was certainly different- with a variety of instruments from the conventional double bass, guitars, drums and Steinbeck piano, to melodicas, mouth organs, xylophones and a green bullet microphone. The xylophones in question belonged to Cery's children- Andy Coghlan had one in a blue plastic case, and Cery's was yellow.
The set list was equally varied- songs from Cockahoop and Never Said Goodbye sitting comfortably alongside Welsh folk songs, hymns, and Catatonia classics like Dead From The Waist Down played by Mason on piano. Then just when you thought you knew what to expect she'd take you aback, throw you a curve ball like Doris Day's Secret Love or Welsh punk anthem Deio. Galway Shawl was awesome- a traditional Irish folk song sung acoustically in Cery's beautifully pure voice, segueing into Strange Glue, with hints of the gesticulating trademarks of Catatonia days and ending again with Galway Shawl.
Road Rage was astounding. Stripped back to just voice and piano chords, it was heartbreakingly honest, Cerys showing hints of powerful past performances, but reigning it in using amazing control and strength to fill the acoustics of the theatre with an intense clarity.
There were new songs too, so brand new they only have working titles, contemporary indie sounds a world away from the acoustic folk feel of a few years ago; yet still sounding completely Cerys like. And it's exactly this that makes a Cerys Matthews gig such a special place to be. She's indefinable; quirky, funny, honest and down to earth- a natural performer who constantly questions both herself and her audience. Her voice- one moment soft and gentle, so clean and pure it seems to come straight from the heart of her beloved Welsh coast- the next hard as slate, full of strength and power.
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Peatbog Faeries are out on the road, and travelling south to promote their new ‘live’ album- the first in their thirteen year history. Dingwalls is not the kind of venue that I thought would attract Faerie fans, and not only because it’s a long way from Skye! I got there just after 8pm, and there were only about twenty people scattered about…
6 Day Riot were the support, and did their level best to engage the small audience and get them singing. Fortunately engaging is something that Tamara Schlesinger does very well- she reminds me of both Clare Grogan and Audrey Hepburn. Probably best labelled as gypsy/folk, 6 Day Riot are made up of drums, upright bass, trumpet, fiddle and guitar; they have a new album out in July as well as a date at Glastonbury!
Peatbog Faeries shoehorned themselves onto the tiny Dingwalls stage just after 9pm, and as the dry ice cleared, the area in front of the stage started to fill up with men wearing kilts and /or tartan shirts. It was almost as if the Glasgow Flyer had been re routed, dropping customers outside at Camden Lock.
The venue therefore filled, the band set to work, playing their individual style of celtic fusion that sounds so unmistakeably ‘Peatbogs’. Whether it’s Peter Morrison’s pipes/whistles, Iain Copeland’s drums, or the new style double fiddle line up [Adam Sutherland and Peter Tickell] Peatbog Faeries know how to get a crowd on its feet and dancing; the brass section [this time a trio] adding jazzy overtones to the rich mixture of traditional reels and dance/trance drums and bass.
I’ve been fortunate enough to see this band in a packed ABC in Glasgow, a heaving festival tent, and now an indie venue in alternative Camden. Each time they’ve been the same- able to get the whole audience dancing and grinning.
I can’t wait for Glastonbury!
It was late one August evening back in 2002, the moon was up, and there was a hint of the day’s heat still in the air. I was surrounded by thousands of people, some drunk, some happy, some dancing and some trying to do all three at the same time; all of them enjoying the Chemical Brothers on the main stage at V. The arc lights lit up the sky, illuminating the two figures hunched over the decks, and the noise pulsated around me. One of those moments that I’ll always remember.
One that I was surprised to be recalling on a cold wet January evening at the ABC as part of a Celtic festival. But there was no doubt about it, the audience were the same. The music was inducing that same happy daze, the necessity to dance, to do something, anything, just move to the incessant beat that filled their heads, their hearts, and very souls.
The huge glitter ball and light display probably helped, but instead of two DJs there were the Peatbog Faeries, all six of them, complete with brass section and obligatory kilt. And they were amazing. Starting with Friend of Crazy Joe, leading the dancing masses straight into Crusty Mary, and then Invergarry Blues, the Peatbogs were had the crowd in raptures. Hands in the air, swaying, jumping and gyrating, the dry ice swirling round limbs, torsos silhouetted in the pulsing lights.
And when it seemed like it couldn’t get any better it just did. The sound of Adam Sutherland’s fiddle ricocheting from speaker to speaker, the drum solo from Iain Copeland on Dancing Feet , the bump n grind bass rhythm of Innes Hutton in Still Drunk in the Morning., and the brass section in There's a girl behind the bar who thinks she's Garbo. Trance. Or dance. Or the rebellious rousing nature of the pipes and whistle, like chieftains calling their clans together. Dancing compulsory
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Laura Leder,. founder of the Cool Mandolin Company in 2006, conceived the idea of an album to sample cuts from fifteen different mandolinists. Most are original compositions from the American, Canadian and British artists who donated their time to a project that will allocate 100 percent of its profits to funding scholarships for up-and-coming mandolin players. Many of the tunes have been pre-released on the artists’ own album projects, but six tracks are previously unreleased. Besides Leder, the contributing mandolinists include Andrew Collins, Justin Moses, Dominick Leslie, Rich DelGrosso, Ryan Holladay, Butch Baldassari, Sierra Hull, Ben Winship, Simon Mayor, John McGann, Josh Pinkham, Scott Gates and Frank Solivan II. From their “Occupational Hazards” album, the vocals of John Lowell and Ben Winship appear in “Road Agent’s Lament,” and Rich DelGrosso also sings on the bluesy title cut from his album, “Get Your Nose Outta My Bizness!”
At nearly an hour, “An American Tradition” is an eclectic compilation of genres and picking styles. While we hear representations of old-time, bluegrass, new acoustic, blues and Celtic music, another volume will be necessary to cover the instrument’s use in classical, jazz, Latin and other world genres. John McGann’s use of triplets in a Celtic medley of “The Stage/The Western” is a fine study of that technique. The album also has a special appeal because the arrangements range from solo or twin mandolin to full ensembles. One particularly uniquely-arranged tune is Simon Mayor’s leisurely “The Buttermere Waltz “ with his self-played seven mandolins, four mandocellos, three guitars, and organ bass pedals. Hilary James joins him on double bass. The album also introduces us to some young players that we may not have heard before. As one minor suggestion, the liner notes could have identified the brand and model of each artist’s mando. Overall, the superb CD is so cool that it’ll surely get mandolin fans shakin’ in their boots and shiverin’ with excitement. Joe Ross
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
There was a time when I used to sit in on the sessions at the White Hart, Fulham Broadway and enjoy listening (and joining in) with some of the best musicians the Celtic world had to offer. In many ways this album recalls those glory days and even some of the tunes remain the same including “The Sligo Maid/The Killavil Fancy/The Sailor On The Rock” and a few of the wonderful Ed Reavey melodies for good measure. All three fiddlers: Kevin Burke, Christian Lemaitre and particularly new kid on the block Andre Brunet with his solo “Jig de Valcartier/An Italian Tune/Reel de Maisonneuve” give sparkling performances. It’s an album unadorned of any frills given a real lift by Ged Foley’s intuitive guitar accompaniment and for those (like myself) who enjoy their music more organic this is a little beauty!
Pete Fyfe
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Utilising the Gaelic language for the songs brings to mind a youthful, energised Capercaillie and there’s nothing wrong with that as Skilda give their own twist to the established “An Nighean Dubh”. Followed by the chant inducing “Saorsa (Freedom, Future)” this exciting explosion of folk/techno/jazz/rock may not be as forward thinking as it purports to be but it seriously gives a good kick up the backside where other bands fear to tread. Take my word for it, this is the kind of act that every seasoned ‘folk’ festival organiser should try to finish with such is the band’s butt-kicking enthusiasm. So, no shrinking violets here then but then again a stiff dose of excitable rhythm never hurt anyone unless you’re a serious ‘folk’ traditionalist and let’s face it, how many of those are still around these days?
Pete Fyfe
More self penned tunes than before, but those hoping for a return to the trad style of ‘Morning Rory’ will be sadly disappointed, as this album is rich with trumpets, saxophone and tablas. Neil Yates’ brass arrangements are empathic and inspiring at the same time, particularly on ‘Freefalling’ and ‘’Ships in the Night’. In fact, the whole album reads like a folk ‘Who’s Who’, with contributions from Donal Lunny, Signy Jakobsdottir and John McCusker, as well as the usual suspects familiar to anyone who has seen the McGoldrick Big Band live.
On first listen it’s only ‘Tunin Dre’ that stands out, a heavy bass and brass led dance groove, evocative of small dark night clubs. Carefully crafted, however, with evocative multi layered production, I think this album may turn out to be a bit of a gem, with each listen revealing yet another brilliant face. Definitely worth a listen, if only to hear Michael McGoldrick playing mandolin and singing a Dirk Powell song!
Barely a week since Celtic Connections ended and Michael McGoldrick was in Hammersmith; back at the Centre he’d played so often, in so many different guises. Tonight he was there with childhood friend Dezi Donnelly, and former Flook band mate Ed Boyd as a Trio.
Starting with Mouse in the Kitchen and Blessings of Gold, both from Michael’s work with Sharon Shannon, this trio are amazing. Able to accommodate and predict each other’s playing, knowing instinctively when the tune changes, or indeed, if it doesn’t, these three men are intuitive and sensitive, weaving instrument, melody and accompaniment seamlessly together until it’s hard to separate the individual strands.
Trip to Ireland/Jutland was perhaps my favourite tune tonight; a slow beating gentle seductive caress of a tune, tinged with an air of sadness.
Kishors- by Soig Siberil, was wonderfully atmospheric as always, the beautiful guitar introduction from Ed, the jazz like improvisation from Michael, and the fast intro straight into Kilfenora by Dezi.
And that was the way of the evening. Each given the chance to take the limelight- Dezi on Paddy’s rambles through the park, Ed on Trip to Ireland, and Michael on Jutland; then playing together fast and furiously, reels and jigs, like Fisher Street, and Paddy in the Smoke, till the audience were stamping and clapping appreciatively.
There were background stories about the tunes, funny tales of other gigs, and laughter when Ed started playing Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart; these three maybe excellent musicians but at heart they’re down to earth and love a good joke!
If you’ve never seen this trio in a small intimate setting- go, you won’t be disappointed!
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
‘Brace yourself for the return of Michael McGoldrick’s mighty big band line up’ - so says the introduction in the Celtic Connections booklet. Fair warning, I thought. Because there’s always an air of excitement about a McGoldrick Big Band gig; enthusiasm about what you might hear, expectancy of seeing the best musicians around, and anticipation of the fusion of Celtic/Traditional /Jazz /World sounds that McGoldrick has made his own.
Tonight was no exception. Glasgow’s Old Fruitmarket was full, a mainly young audience eager for the show to start, illuminated by the multi-coloured fairground carousel lights looped around the balcony and ceiling of this old building.
Mike started the set simply, a traditional trio of John Joe Kelly on bodhran and Ed Boyd on guitar- uncomplicated, clear and pure. As the pace increased the rest of the band appeared; Dezi Donnelly on fiddle, Ewen Vernal on bass, Donald ‘Genius’ Shaw on keyboards, James Macintosh on drums and Parvinder Bharat on tablas.
The saxophonist Tommy Smith was new to the line up, replacing the missing Neil Yates and his trumpet, but somebody seeing this band for the first time could never have known, as Tommy joined Mike in a slow air. The hall gradually quietened, the chattering at the bar stilled, as the sound of these two instruments soared upwards, one moment together, the next split between melody and harmony, crossing boundaries; accompanied, I later realised , by Donald, who is just perfect at that- supporting but never overpowering. This same slow air became a bodhran introduction to a faster set, Tommy’s turn to look on in admiration as the band united in a swirling, whirling dervish of a tune.
Mindy Smith came on to sing, looking very tiny amongst the rest of the band. She messed up on a line, and the band covered it up, laughing together as she apologised at the end of the song.
It was good to hear Dub Reel again and a great opportunity for John Joe and Parvinder to hold the stage on their own, playing with the beat, passing it back and forth between them like a football, in a game of keepy uppy! The audience whooping and calling, standing grinning at each other in disbelief at what they were hearing, the band creeping out from the wings to encourage them further before cementing this drums n bass reverb ‘thing’ with their own impressions!
The set list was varied- Watermans- in 7/8 timing, Paddy in the Smoke – a pipes led set of reels hypnotizing in its rhythm, and in Fisher Street the trio seemed invisibly welded together, invincible – while in the background Ed and Ewen were laughing and joking together, Donald and Tommy chatting before joining in. This is one of the great things about this band- they make it appear like a big relaxed informal session, involving the audience and making them forget, for a moment, that they’re not playing too.
The band encored with Noon Lassies and James Brown’s march, bringing with them Grace Kelly and Emma Sweeney from Michael’s hometown of Manchester, John McCusker, and Salsa Celtica’s Éamonn Coyne. A riotous carnival of music and dancing, John McCusker and Dezi playing the same fiddle at the same time- a real party atmosphere!
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Kris Drever is doubtlessly one of the most appealing singers of his generation working the current folk scene. He approaches each song in such a laid-back manner, without sacrificing a scrap of intensity or subtlety. With a distinct talent for interpretation of song that manges to be both robust and sympathetic, Drever's delivery is unassumingly stirring. He could well be the Christy Moore of his generation: he certainly brings a similarly frank gravity to the songs he tackles.
There are impressive guests abound on Mark The Hard Earth, but it is Tim O'Brien who makes a noticeable impact, with his lonesome vocal harmonies and distinctive fretwork bringing an americana charm to nestle alongside Drever's unmistakeable Caledonian brogue. The light touch of Roy Dodds' percussion is the album's subtle heartbeat, whilst the assured hand of John McCusker takes the production helm.
Sandy Wright's ubiquitous "Shining Star" swings along nicely, with a nonchalant deference, and Wright is covered again on "Wild Hurricane," which takes a rather circumspect view of life's troubles. The carefree pop infusion of Boo Hewerdine's "Sweet Honey In The Rock" provides the albums lightest moment, whilst "O' A' The Airts" demonstrates Drever's canny skill for bringing an unpretentious contemporary air to traditional material.
Set to the sprightly traditional tune, "Penan Den," and performed as a duet with Heidi Talbot, "The Banks Of The Nile" receives an illuminating makeover that provides more in the way of hope than despair. Another duet, this time with Karine Polwart, is on Hamish Henderson's resplendent "Freedom Come a' Ye". The Drever/Polwart partnership is an unsurprisingly well attuned affair, and when you consider the august beauty of Karine's Fairest Floo'er album, it's tempting to wonder of the delicious fruits that could be borne from a further exploration of this alliance.
Drever's skill boils down to the fact that he can take songs from wide and varied sources and imbue them with a character that is recognisably his own; he achieves this in an almost genre-less manner that is likely to further assist his wide appeal. Kris Drever may well be the best friend a song could ever have.
Mike Wilson
Kris Drever ambled on stage in jeans, a red t shirt, and a black jumper looking for all the world like he was just dropping in on his way to buy milk, or even a pint. Not like someone waiting to be filmed for a ‘Live DVD’
But who cares? This was a lovely informal relaxed gig from the man that I’d first seen playing upright bass for Kate Rusby a few years and a few hundred miles away. Listed as a ‘Classic Album’ gig- whatever that is- it was an opportunity for Kris to perform his songs with a big band setting, featuring the guests from his album ‘Black Water’. And what guests! - Andy Cutting, Donald Shaw, John McCusker, Ian Carr, Ewen Vernal, and Heidi Talbot, Karen Matheson and Roddy Woomble on vocals.
The full band gave a big sound to songs like Green Grow, adding detail and emphasis that had the crowd swaying, and singing. Boo Hewerdine’s Harvest Gypsies was brilliant, a hugely commercial sound in the huge Fruitmarket that could hold its own with radio darlings Kate Rusby and Seth Lakeman.
Rodney’s Glory and another fast strathspey, as well as duelling guitars with Ian Carr, and the crowd, a motley assortment of ages and styles, were enthusiastic in their support, encouraged further by the reappearance of Karen Matheson and Roddy Woomble to sing Navigator.
With Shady Grove as an encore, the Classic Album was done and dusted. As was the Classic Gig!
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
If you've ever had the good sense to buy a ticket for a Ruth Notman gig, you will notice it comes with a guarantee that you will get two very definite things for your money. Firstly you will encounter a chirpy Nottinghamshire lass with a beaming smile and an infectious sense of fun; you feel that much of what she says has just popped into her head a microsecond before. Secondly, you will hear one of the most distinctive voices on this or any other music scene for that matter. Her debut album 'Threads' made everyone sit up and listen from the likes of Kate Rusby, Kate Rusby's number one fan Mike Harding, Bob Harris, Colin Irwin and John Tams, whose recommendations should never be taken lightly.
Accompanying herself on guitar and piano, Ruth played a few of the songs from the album in a faultless performance tonight at the Drill Hall. Opening with the unaccompanied and timely seasonal song "The Holland Handkerchief", learned from the singing of another great Northern voice, Norma Waterson, Ruth was in no hurry to get through this set. Composed and seemingly relaxed, taking a few seconds to gather herself before each song, Ruth went on to sing some of the most memorable songs from her debut, "Billy Don't You Weep for Me", "Fause Fause", "Cruel Sister" and the quirky yet brilliant "Limbo", which Ruth still sort of apologises to Eliza Carthy for. No need, Ruth's version is a folk classic in its own right. What makes Ruth so special is that she has the ability to take a song like Dougie Maclean's "Caledonia", already a much loved and definitive statement, then make it her own.
The side of Ruth Notman that has only been marginally tapped into is her writing ability. The album contains three of her own compositions, one of which was written for a school project. "Lonely Day Dies" is a beautiful song with or without the Westlife key change (without tonight), and the recorded version has one of the defining moments on the album, courtesy of Saul Rose's beautifully underplayed melodeon. Ruth is hoping to take some time out soon to deliver an eagerly anticipated Threads II, and this reviewer is hoping for some new originals, as well as rewarding some established songs with a Ruth Notman makeover.
Tonight, the audience was having none of it. There was no way Ruth was going to be allowed to leave the stage after her allotted spot was up and she returned to sing the aptly titled Richard Thompson song "Farewell, Farewell", which I'm sure would have Sandy Denny raising a pint of beer to, wherever she is.
Allan Wilkinson
This highly anticipated appearance at Bob's Monday Music Club at the Regent, was Ruth's first club outing this year and she brought with it just about every song from her debut album 'Threads'. The anticipation of this gig incidentally came about due to Max (the sound man), whose persistent playing of 'Threads' through the PA as regulars took to their seats on previous guest nights, made it completely irresistible to attend. The liner notes of this album site such inspirations as Nic Jones, Eliza Carthy, Martin Carthy, June Tabor, Richard Thompson and Dougie Maclean, credits that could not fail to help the CD find it's way into my virtual shopping basket.
Alternating between guitar and piano, with the odd unaccompanied song thrown in, Ruth delighted her audience with her unmistakable voice and faultless song choices. Opening with her own take on Nic Jones' "Billy Don't You Weep For Me", Ruth's set displayed a lightness of touch on both guitar and piano. Had there been room in the car, she confesses, she would have probably brought along the harp as well. Name-dropping the likes of Cara Dillon, Sandy Denny and Eliza Carthy throughout her set, Ruth demonstrated an insatiable appetite for the cream of British female singers. Ruth also joked about Westlife, especially when tackling power ballad key changes as illustrated in "Lonely Day Dies", which she admits is there simply to "meet the criteria of the examination board" in her Music A Level!
Ruth proclaims from the get-go that women write the best songs; 'they don't dilly-dally' she declares. She does however make an exception when Dougie MacLean springs to mind, and her treatment of "Caledonia" is one of the highlights of the set. Other highlights include "Limbo" recently heard at the club by Martin Carthy, which in the hands of Ruth Notman adopts a jaunty piano motif that becomes equally accessible and memorable. "Farewell Farewell", the classic Richard Thompson song, definitively performed by the late Sandy Denny on the celebrated Fairport Convention 'Liege and Lief' album, is approached with both maturity and assured confidence.
Songwriters often tell of the circumstances surrounding how they came to write a particular song, which informs the listener and fills in any gaps that the rhetoric cannot afford. Confessions of having written a lyric on a freight train or whilst dipping one's toes in the Mississippi may have a certain romance, but it's not often you hear a line like 'I wrote this in English Lit class instead of doing an essay on Othello!' Such is the introduction to one of Ruth's own compositions "Hideaway", a song that comfortably straddles the folk/pop boundary.
There's almost an apologetic air to her song introductions, especially when addressing almost sacrosanct figures such as Nic Jones and Sandy Denny, but I personally think this is a nonsense that the old guard foists upon young people. Ruth, along with any newcomer to folk music has every right, if not more right, to trawl these back catalogues and breathe new life into these old songs. Ruth is one of the new breed of folk singers, along with Bella Hardy, Lisa Knapp, Jackie Oates and Rachel Unthank, to name but a few, who are not only keeping this music fresh and alive, but are making it exciting once again.
Allan Wilkinson
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Martin Carthy is a leading figure on the folk scene and in many respects he has 'paid his dues' and the letters that appear after his name (on envelopes, if not on billboards) have been truly earned. As a musician and singer he has been involved in dozens of projects over the years, but he still has time to come along to these smaller venue clubs to perform and little has changed over the ensuing years. He's still the man on the pallet being hoisted up into the sky with his faithful Martin on his lap, even forty-odd years on.
Kicking off with "Heather Down The Moor" Martin settled into a set of songs and tunes familiar to anyone with even the vaguest passing interest in the folk revival. "Limbo", a song about the debtor's prison in his native London, which has been recorded by Carthy Snr with Brass Monkey and also Carthy Jnr on her 'Anglicana' album, can also currently be heard on Ruth Notman's debut 'Threads' as indeed can "Heather Down the Moor". Tonight, Carthy sang this and an array of other songs with his usual flair and passion.
I have two minor irritations these days with Martin Carthy which I will impart to the masses fully aware that I may be shot at dawn by the folk police. Firstly the excessive tuning up. Bizarrely, the longest tuning festival in tonight's performance, which went on for a good two or three minutes, preceded "Invitation to the Funeral", an unaccompanied song! Secondly, and this may be contentious, is Martin's current trend of abandoning strict tempo rhythm for what I hesitate to describe as freeform droning. I noticed this trend began some years ago, but it has now enveloped almost every song. "Bonny Woodhall" falls very much into this category of highly stylised phrasing. "Seven Yellow Gypsies" returned to standard timing and I was able to tap my foot once again, instead of stuttering with it. Still, these are minor niggles.
Where his sense of rhythm shines these days is in his treatment of instrumentals. A masterful guitarist with an instantly recognisable sound, Martin excelled in his delivery of Morris tunes such as "Princess Royal" and "The Quaker/Banbury Bill" where he doesn't miss a beat. But there again you wouldn't dare with a Morris team depending on you.
Carthy described "Company Policy" as fifty per cent of his songwriting output, proving you don't necessarily have to be prolific to come up with a good song. This protest over the Falklands episode resonates still with audiences today, due in no small part to the fact that we are still doing wars. "Bill Norrie" from the same period shows Carthy as a masterful story teller, although I didn't really see the need to introduce this song in so much detail as it employs a pretty self explanatory narrative.
It's not all death and doom with Carthy as he treated his audience to lighter moments with a couple of regular songs in his set "A Stitch in Time" and "The Devil and the Feathery Wife", both of which bring out the smiles, even after many hearings. Martin finished the night off with "Green Broom" from his family band Waterson-Carthy's 'Fishes and Fine Yellow Sand' album, leaving Doncaster once again with little doubt that a national treasure had just popped by.
Allan Wilkinson
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Pete Fyfe
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
www.myspace.com/rossandjarlath
Pete Fyfe
I first saw Ross and Jarlath as part of Salsa Celtica a couple of years ago. The Celtic part, obviously, as Jarlath is from Ireland and Ross from Scotland! I knew then they were good, and but now they're amazing. They've only been playing together for three or four years but sound like they've known each other forever- exciting exhilarating rather than dull and jaded.
Partners in Crime is an unlikely collaboration between Uileann and Border pipes. Something which on paper appears unwieldy and awkward, uncommercial and old fashioned yet in reality is vibrant and exciting, funky and ground breaking.
From the hauntingly beautiful 'Jenna Drever of Kirkwall' a slow air which takes you on a trip through the scenery of the Scottish Highlands, with its mists and mountains, like a sound track to a film, with pipes and whistle in exquisite harmony; to the fast furious get-on-yer-feet-and -dance 'No More Cages'. Then 'Breton Tune' with its overlapping rhythm and pipes heading in an almost Eastern way, and the best tune of the album- the Henderson penned 'The Crackin Fiddle'. I'd love to see this tune live with a full big band sound.
Partners In Crime is an astonishing debut album that grabs your ears and holds them captive, takes your feet and makes them dance and is on constant repeat on your mp3 player. This is as good as Michael McGoldrick's Fused.
Praise indeed.
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Pete Fyfe
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Teddy Thompson played a predominantly country set at Fibbers tonight with his
small but highly competent band featuring New Yorker David Mansfield on pedal
steel, dobro, lead guitar and fiddle (but not all at once), well respected
Graham Hawthorne on drums and Brad Albetta on both double and electric bass.
Opening with a short set of new and old acoustic numbers, including the only
song of the night from his critically acclaimed second album 'Separate Ways',
"Everybody Move It", Teddy went on to play almost all of the new album, the
country-covers CD 'Up Front and Down Low', which features an entire album's
worth of country standards and one Thompson original "Down Low".
Teddy admits that the idea of a country covers album at this stage of his career
might have been ill-advised but it was precisely this fact that made him
determined to do it. Despite it working well a couple of decades ago for Elvis
Costello when he recorded the 'Almost Blue' album, it does come across as a
strange choice in light of the fact that Teddy's songwriting ability is showing
increased maturity. Although Teddy's set tonight was assured and tight, it was
not dissimilar to any number of bands you can catch at Layla's in Nashville.
This is not a negative statement by any means, as most of the bands who get to
play on the Broadway bar circuit are particularly good. Where the album worked
best though, was in the stunning arrangements by Robert Kirby, famed arranger on
Nick Drake's first couple of albums, which couldn't possibly be transferred to
the intimate setting of Fibbers. Perhaps I'm just pouting because I wanted more
Separate Ways.
There's a melancholy air about Teddy Thompson which lends itself perfectly to
good country music. Throughout his set, he maintained a stoic presence with
occasional flirtatious interaction with the younger female members of the
audience. I was unfortunately at the end of the line of females he was
addressing, safely attached to the safety barrier, and to whom he apologised
'sorry, I only talk to women, but how are you anyway?' He didn't wait for a
reply.
What was touching about Teddy tonight was the sincerity he expressed when
speaking of his peers and in particular with working with Iris DeMent. "My Heart
Echoes" is just one of several accomplished covers that Teddy tackles with
relative ease both as a duet on the new album and pretty much solo live. There's
a nod to Ernest Tubb, George Jones and Dolly Parton, to name but a few of the
major leaguers Teddy was listening to back in the old days whilst his dad was
doing his Rasul and mum was doing the ironing.
A thoroughly enjoyable evening despite the absence of "I Wish It Was Over" and
"I Should Get Up", with excellent support from New York based Jaymay and
Glaswegian songsmith Brendan Campbell. Teddy's encore of Bob Luman's "Let's
Think About Living" provided the audience with a memorably catchy tune to
whistle their way back to the car parks of York.
Allan Wilkinson
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Pete Fyfe
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
In customary folk tradition it deals with issues of justice (and injustice), of real events and characters, and of enduring symbols. English Green - “a hymn to English identity” - begins with Lincoln Green, proceeds by way of the weather, and ends with the dream of Jerusalem. Waltham Blacks tells the story of ‘King John’, an eighteenth-century Hampshire Robin Hood and his fellow ‘Hunters’ who fought for the rights of the common people against the local Bishop and the Whig Government’s repressive Black Act of 1723. Hanging Tree, evokes the lonely cross roads and the gibbets on which criminals were hung and which were once a common feature of the English countryside. Widow of War and Mr Mitchell’s Angel, meanwhile, convey a patriotism that has nothing to do with nationalism.
Mr Mitchell’s Angel, the dramatic opening track, is perhaps the most potent in both musical and symbolic terms. RJ Mitchell was the designer of the Spitfire, an aircraft which symbolizes not just the English, but the British spirit of dogged defiance against oppression, as well as serving as an enduring memorial to those who died (and those who survived) defending our freedoms. While many tracks on the album are of a firmly traditional and acoustic folk mode, Mr Mitchell’s Angel is one of a number of others in a folk-rock style, with powerful keyboard provided by another member of the Bundell family, Shamini, and soaring electric lead guitar from Ivor and Kevan’s long time musical collaborator Paul Gateshill.
The songs above notwithstanding, this album is not simply a history lesson set to music. Other songs - If wishes were horses, the more upbeat Slip Away (a nice contrast with the more folky tracks) and I loved her too much - are more personal; they speak of loves won and lost, regret for the lost ideals of youth, of a looking back at life’s mid-point. And many of the songs are shot through with the a feeling - characteristically English - of melancholy and of loss. There is also the particularly fine borrowing from John Bunyan of Who would true valour see, and indeed the influence of hymn tunes and church organ is a recurrent theme across the album.
This is an easy album to listen to – with fine vocals and enlivened by whistle, mandola, percussion and keyboards – but it has a real depth of meaning and of emotion, mixing traditional folk and contemporary styles together with ease. Anyone with an ear for traditional or modern folk should take a look and a listen at www.bundellbros.co.uk .
David Chun Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Pete Fyfe
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Pete Fyfe
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Burns' words draw attention to both the playfulness and longing of love and lust, emotions that Emily and Jamie flood with life in their colourful interpretations. "Silver Tassie" tends to the darker side, telling of a soldier preparing to embark on a war-bound ship, allowing Emily to display the full force of her captivating and emotive vocals as she wraps them around Burns' lovelorn words to stunning effect. A more joyous celebration of love is found in "The Plooman," with Emily's sprightly vocals seemingly dancing with joy alongside Jamie's spirited guitar and fiddle accompaniment. And so they continue, moving effortlessly between exuberance and woe.
A fondness for the subtle features of nature are oft present in Burns' writing, as a defining backdrop or an allusion to a more mortal beauty. There are a few songs here that deliver to this promise, with the wild birds, spreading leaves and flooers of "Craigieburn Wood," or the blooming heather in "Gala Water." These scenic hints define the landscape in which Burns' words flourish, and this might well be an influence on Emily's own writing, as she displays a similarly well-trained eye to the finer details of the natural world around her.
Many of the songs featured on Adoon Winding Nith were passed down to Emily through the oral tradition that was very much a part of her Borders upbringing. The sleeve notes include a brief commentary on each song, as well as a useful glossary to aid your understanding of Burns' Scots dialect. Emily's reference material is also quoted, reassuring you that this is no passing whim, but a subject about which Emily is well versed; indeed, there may well be no better Scottish singer to reinterpret the words of Burns. Between them, Emily and Jamie have fashioned a fine album that demonstrates the enduring relevance of Burns' words, whilst adding much to their beauty and character.
Mike Wilson
Last November I opened my review with 'fresh from Songs of Praise', the couple having just returned from appearing on the BBC's prestigious God-slot prog, but this time I could equally say 'fresh from extensive touring in Europe', adding 'with a critically acclaimed new album out and with a Scot's Singer of the Year nomination under her belt'. It would appear that during the last twelve months, Emily has been very busy indeed.
Emily is one of those song writers whose songs are hardly distinguishable from those already in the tradition. They are written in a style that takes in all the crucial elements of a good folk song, and her endeavours in song writing have not gone unnoticed nor unrewarded at home or further afield. Picking up the BBC Radio Scotland Young Scottish Traditional Musician of the Year Award in 2002 at the Celtic Connections Festival, it's hardly surprising that she can also play her instruments well (Accordion and Piano). The Dumfriesshire born singer went on to win the folk song category award in the USA Song Writing Competition in 2005 with "Edward of Morton", and to top it all, she is a gifted singer with a clear and vibrant vocal style.
Tonight Emily intended playing all of the songs bar one from her latest release 'Too Long Away', but a request for the one song she didn't intend on singing, "Old Mortality", kiboshed this plan, and Emily ended up playing the lot! Emily's "Sunset Hymn" shows an astonishing command over arrangement, with the interplay between Jamie's fiddle and Russ and Kevin's mature rhythm section, all topped by Emily's beautiful delivery. The same can be said for the band's treatment of traditional material such as the engaging "May Colven", which resounded around the stone walls of the NCEM tonight.
It's with the sensitive ballads that Emily excels. "Robert Tannahill's "Fly Me To Some Desert Isle" held the audience spellbound; little wonder Emily's nomination for Scot's Singer of the Year came in such a hurry. The one notable contemporary song not from her own pen was Iris Dement's "Sweet Is The Melody", which fitted in with the plausible Celtic/country crossover, which Emily is more than capable of pulling off. I have no doubt that Emily won new friends in York tonight. A treasure.
Supporting Emily Smith tonight was the Scottish/American singer songwriter David Ferrard, a musician who spent much of his early life straddling the Atlantic between Edinburgh and Western Pennsylvania drawing upon two distinct cultures to provide a hybrid of gentle ballads and meaningful songs. I first saw David in Sheffield at Roy Bailey's 50th anniversary concert a few weeks ago, where he was invited along to contribute a couple of songs to the proceedings. Introducing him with the words 'his father gave him his home, his mother gave him his accent', Roy brought to the capacity City Hall audience a taster of what David Ferrard is capable of and tonight at the NCEM, we got a little more.
Performing songs from his debut album 'Broken Sky', David managed to coax some chorus singing out of the audience with songs such as "Take Me Out Waltzing Tonight" and "Childhood Days", before turning to the more serious stuff including Robert Burns' "The Slaves Lament" and his own anti-war song "Hills Of Virginia". With a seemingly good natured attitude towards life in general and a warm approachable personality, David demonstrated an ability to deliver songs in a clear, strong, yet sometimes fragile vibrato, which left you in no doubt that he meant every word of it.
Allan Wilkinson
Emily is one of those song writers whose songs are hardly distinguishable from those already in the tradition. They are written in a style that takes in all the crucial elements of a good folk song, and her endeavours in song writing have not gone unnoticed nor unrewarded at home or further afield. Picking up the BBC Radio Scotland Young Scottish Traditional Musician of the Year Award in 2002 at the Celtic Connections Festival, it's hardly surprising that she can also play her instruments well (Accordion and Piano). The Dumfriesshire born singer went on to win the folk song category award in the USA Song Writing Competition in 2005 with "Edward of Morton", one of the songs she performed tonight, and to top it all, she is a gifted singer with a clear and vibrant vocal style.
Joined by her New Zealand born husband Jamie McClennan on guitar, fiddle and whistle, the duo played some fine jigs and reels as well as songs both new and old. Jamie claims to be Emily's agent, PA, chef and bin-man, but he's also her entire rhythm section rolled into one. He's a busy lad.
Emily announced at the beginning of the show that much of the set would be centred around her latest album 'A Different Life', but apart from "Always A Smile, "Edward Of Morton" and the jaunty "Go To Town", much of the material was from elsewhere, proving that Emily has a broad scope to choose from. The one notable contemporary song not from her own pen was Iris Dement's "Sweet Is The Melody", which fitted in with the plausible Celtic/country crossover, which Emily is more than capable of pulling off. If I was to compare Emily's overall sound to anyone it would be that of the Rankin Family, who are a proven force in this area.
Allan Wilkinson
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
There’s no holding back Blazin’ Fiddles as they immediately tear into a high octane “Blacksmith’s Reel” that will leave the listener gasping for air. Plenty of double-stopped chords topped by dynamic lead lines and what a joy it is to hear everybody - musicians and audience alike - having a ball. The five main protagonists joined by guitar and piano cut one of the most in your face recordings I’ve had the pleasure of listening to in quite a while. Even on the slower paced numbers such as “Fishponds” and Johnny Cunningham’s “Murdo” the sound is full-blooded and vibrant. Finally, starting like a train heading for a collision the track “Mouseskin” (don’t ask me) featuring plenty of syncopation cranks up the excitement to fever pitch for what I’m sure was a standing ovation! Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Kicking off with a couple of songs from the classic 'Dust Bowl Children' album, the title song first with it's high lonesome yodelling, swiftly followed by the haunting "Tumbleweed", the room soon filled with the sound of one of the most recognisable voices in the world of bluegrass music. In terms of hero status, I place Peter Rowan right up there with Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, although whereas these two artists forged a landscape of imagery through poetic words and music over the last four decades, Rowan is the 'voice' that very much belongs to that landscape and which has captivated audiences of Bluegrass music for the past three or four decades.
After two of his repertoire classics to whet the Rock's appetite, he chose to entice the audience out of their shells with "Panama Red" throughout which I swear I saw through the corner of my eye one solitary foot tapping to the beat. I put it down to the cold. When all chorus-rousing attempts fail and the communal euphoria remains decidedly front parlour calm, then there's only one thing to do, switch to laid back mode.
Rowan did this admirably with "Walls of Time", which brought the essence of what we know as Bluegrass music to the Maltby audience, and not surprisingly, as it was after all co-written by Rowan and Bill Monroe, the creator of the genre. Having settled into a relaxed mood onstage, Rowan introduced a handful of new songs which left me puzzling over whether they were astonishingly good or strangely eccentric. The Jury is definitely out on this one at the moment. "Skyscraper", "My Cage" and "Chopping Down Trees For Jesus" were at best full of ironic humour or at worst 'worryingly quirky' but enjoyable nevertheless. Of the newer songs, "She Knows" stood out as a potential classic Rowan song and one which I have been scouring for online since but alas to no avail.
I always place a lot of importance on the covers a song writer chooses for his set, not least to provide an insight as to what or whom the artist is listening to. Townes Van Zandt's "To Live is to Fly", the Carter Family's "Jimmy Brown the Newsboy" and Woody Guthrie's "Philadelphia Lawyer" show precisely where his allegiances lie, with that of first rate American folk giants.
For someone who has been around for so long, Peter Rowan has maintained a unique vocal delivery as well as a competent guitar picking style, and none of that has suffered as a result of the ensuing years on the road. "Land of the Navajo" has always been an audience favourite and features some of Rowan's Native American vocal pyrotechnics, and tonight he didn't disappoint. It's also always nice to hear the re-telling of the "Free Mexican Airforce" preamble, but I couldn't help feeling it was all pretty much delivered in a 'going through the motions' manner, which I can't really blame him for. I wouldn't like to have to go through that night after night either. It's almost as bad as Arlo Guthrie having to yawn through "Alices Restaurant Massacree" every night, year in year out.
After closing with "Midnite Moonlite" Rowan took a bow to some healthy applause. I'm certain that the audience were appreciative and attentive and I dare say most of them thoroughly enjoyed the performance, but the gig simply lacked atmosphere. Perhaps I expect too much.
Allan Wilkinson
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
This is a lovely recording and one that should be required listening if you want to brighten your day. Boldwood consist of Becky Price (Piano Accordion), Tim Perkins (Bouzouki/Guitar), Kate Moran, Richard Heacock and Daniel Wolverson who each utilise Fiddle and Viola. The string section provides a real sense of rhythm fronted by the accordion and I can guarantee that through the exuberance in the band’s performance this CD will bring a smile to the sternest critic…even Victor Meldrew. The minor key melodies such as “Lucas Forever/The Princess” prove ideal for the more dramatic flourishes whilst all of the tunes featured are extremely danceable. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something a little more melancholy then check out the final track “Hunsdon House” which had me wishing it would never end – simply beautiful! Due to the diligent research by Becky (without whom many of these magnificent melodies would not have been given an airing) the English folk scene owes a debt of gratitude which I hope will see the band justifiably rewarded. Pete Fyfe
myspace.com/annaeliasandtheforlornhope
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
With the standard of skill and musicianship found in young professionals in the folk and acoustic clubs nowadays, it is not uncommon to experience moments of complete bliss every now and then, moments when you not only shut up and pay attention, but almost hold your breath to fully benefit from what you are hearing from the stage. Tonight I was holding my breath so long that I almost required paramedics to administer shock treatment. Rosie Doonan is indeed this good, no question. Edge of the seat stuff.
I recently caught Rosie at a gig in Wakefield with her full band that consisted of drums, bass and guitar as well as trumpet and tenor sax and having heard the new album, I anticipated one or two frills that might be noticeably missing in tonight's solo performance. I have no doubt whatsoever that Rosie can pull off a solo gig, but the new album is so full of sound that I was having difficulty imagining what "That Boy" or "Moving On" would sound like without the full band treatment. Of course Rosie second guessed this and avoided those songs, choosing to concentrate on the sensitive stuff instead.
"Time" is without question the best original song I have heard this year, in fact if it hadn't been for Becky Unthank getting her tonsils around Robert Wyatt's "Sea Song" this summer, I would have no difficulty in promoting it to best recording of anything this year. Both songs are performed equally well live or on record and both most definitely bring out the goose bumps.
Rosie tried out a new and as yet untitled song as well as a couple of covers from two diverse sources, Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock" and Ashley Hutchings' "Brief Encounters". It's always nice to hear something recognisable in a live performance, whoever the singer might be, but in Rosie's case, her own songs stand up on their own merit.
In a fair world Rosie Doonan would be reaping the same rewards as Kate Rusby on the folk scene or at the very least the likes of KT's Melua or Tunstall with songs as accessible as "Only One" or as moving as "Hold On" but we all know this is not a fair world. Rosie was the girl who needed time; I think her time has come, and about time too.
For Bob's 100th presentation since starting this club in September 2004, it is entirely fitting that, for this reviewer's money, it was the best 45 minutes so far and by far. Stunning.
Allan Wilkinson
Revisiting "Need You Around" originally on the 'Mill Lane' album, Rosie manages to update the arrangement in order to feature a brass section that includes a fine mariachi style trumpet solo, courtesy of Tony 'Trumpet' Swain. It was an inspired decision to include brass on this album, which clearly compliments Rosie's songs and her tasteful arrangements. To kick the album off with an older song is perhaps Rosie's way of saying 'that was then, this is now' and I'm fine with it if you are.
Whereas "Time", a song of astonishing beauty that conjures up the essence of mid-period Carole King, demonstrates the course Rosie has been taking since going solo, the title track "Moving On" takes an unexpected turn, and moves into another territory altogether. We no longer associate this with Rosie's established folk roots or indeed early-Seventies Tapestry-esque bed-sit pop, but more like the Material Girl herself. For those of us who would show no compunction to dancing to Ray of Light, stay on the dance floor, we now have something home grown to let our hair down to. As the voice announces 'let's go for it', the band steadily builds in layers to a groove that challenges anyone who feels uninspired to get up out of their seat.
Just as we set our feet to dancing another chorus, Rosie whispers her own cathartic confessional in what could possibly be recognised as "Moving On - Part Two". "Hold On" is heartbreakingly personal stuff, which puts the brakes on the euphoria of getting on with life and asks us to reflect upon things, just for a moment.
"We don't have to talk, we have to move on
Such is the fluidity of the recurring theme of moving onward towards pastures new, which dominates this album, that Rosie convinces even the most stagnant amongst us, that standing still is utterly pointless. "The Journey" once again shows a yearning to leave the cocoon, to escape, to once again move on.
There are lighter moments on this album which contain great sing-along dance-along opportunities. "The Girl I Used to be" is instantly accessible and provides a glimpse into Rosie's playfulness. Multi tracked harmony vocals and flirtatious harmonica, courtesy of Bob Thomas, help this mandolin-driven song take precedence in one's internal ipod. It's the sort of song you can't shift out of your head, even if you wanted to.
Likewise in "Little Boat" Rosie demonstrates her own disdain for the mad politics that reduced her neck of the woods to a ghost town during Thatcherism by cleverly hiding those messages within the confines of a whimsical pop song. This is the best way of getting your point across without appearing too overtly political. Incidentally, the 'lazy bones' theme within this song was originally intended for the title of this album during earlier stages of preparation, and I can see why; it has single written all over it.
Love songs have a way of muscling in on most singer songwriter repertoires and in the wrong hands they can come over twee and pointless. Rosie manages to keep the listeners' attention by entwining lyrical flights of fancy with engaging melodies to great effect. "Only One" and "This Love" have a simplistic approach to song writing, utilising familiar rhythms but at the same time sounding refreshingly new.
Rosie, along with co-Producer Joss Clapp, have nailed the right sound for these songs on 'Moving On', keeping Rosie's inimitable voice at the top of the mix and, it must be said, at the top of her game.
Allan Wilkinson Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Pete Fyfe
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Stu Hanna and Debbie Palmer took their Northern roots and temporarily re-planted them a little further south to establish a base in London where their reputation was given time to flourish. A few years and a couple of highly recommended albums later, that move has proved to be highly successful and their fan base grows stronger daily. Tonight at Bob's Monday Music Club, Megson came along to perform songs exclusively from their two albums 'On the Side' and 'Smoke of Home' and in doing so, picked up a few more friends from the Doncaster area.
If your thing is anthemic power ballads and thrashing guitars then you would have come to the wrong place tonight as Megson deal almost exclusively in gentle understatement. A Megson song normally begins with an almost inaudible brush of strings, on either guitar or mandola, which Stu alternates between throughout the set and steadily builds to a favourable climax once their two voices are added, and maybe the addition of a penny whistle every now and again. They each share singing duties, which is perfectly fine, but it's when those two voices meet that the fireworks start, and believe me those fireworks were far more entertaining than those fizzling and splurting outside tonight.
Harmonies as good as this are normally reserved for siblings but of course Debbie is shortly to become Mrs Hanna, so unless that sort of thing has started to happen in Teesside, we can take it as read that such harmonies can be found outside the family unit as well as in it. Megson kind of remind me of a younger version of Gregson and Collister, during the days when Richard Thompson advised the duo to 'do the folk clubs' during a break from the band. They have the same sort of freshness and tightness that Clive and Christine once possessed.
Megson excel in the specific area where many tend to fail, in the gentle tip-toeing songs that require the audience's complete attention. They would probably struggle with songs like "Follow It On" or "Just Stay" in a noisy pub. They have the ability to bring the volume of their voices down to absolute minimum where you could literally hear a pin drop. Should the future Mr and Mrs Hanna become mum and dad, they would find no difficulty in providing feasible lullabies for the little Megsons. Take the coda for "Every Night When the Sun Goes In" for example. Could harmony humming ever be more beautiful?
It's not all emotive gentleness with Megson though, and occasionally the up-tempo foot-tappers break through spectacularly well. "Smoke of Home" is an exuberant celebration of 'upping sticks' and leaving home, to which you can't help but shuffle in your seat. Likewise "Freefall", another Hanna led song, makes good use of the percussive qualities of both guitar and mandola in the hands of one who knows his instrument well.
The traditional songs sit well beside the self-penned material, so much so that the difference between the two is difficult to distinguish. There is a unity of style that seems to make everything Megson touch flow evenly throughout the set, whether it be the traditional themes of "Butternut Hill" or "Lambkin", the blues-inflected "Flood Water", the jaunty confessional of "I Lied" or just great story telling such as "Grace Darling", the overall performance consistently maintains a unified sound.
Megson finished the night with the only song that doesn't appear on either of their albums, the traditional "The Sheffield Grinder", which invited the normally reserved Regent crowd to sing their little hearts out. I think this was simply down to the fact that tonight the audience was universally pleased with themselves for having the good sense to come to this gig. Allan Wilkinson
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Pete Fyfe
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Pete Fyfe
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Pete Fyfe
Caper VERB-dance, trip, spring, jump, bound, leap, bounce, hop, skip, romp, frolic, cavort
The Fruitmarket, its roof illuminated in all shades of amber, ochre and terracotta, its cobbled floors thronged with crowds, was a fitting setting for Capercaillie to launch their new album- which was unfortunately caught up in Germany somewhere.
Joined on stage by Anna Massie, most of the set list was from the new Roses and Tears- starting with the Barra Clapping Song, and including the fast and furious Rose Cottage Reels-with Donald at the helm on his accordion. The last tune of this set is possible to sit/stand still to; its lively infectious rhythm begs to be danced to. A' Ràcan A Bh' Againne, with Michael McGoldrick on whistles, and Karen sing puirt a beul was a spinning, pirouetting whirl of a song, and Him Bo, a catchy learn-to-sing-Gaelic-with-Karen song, the boys in the band joining in on the chorus.
The band seemed tired this evening; going on stage at 10.30pm on the last weekend of the Celtic Connections festival was probably not ideal, but towards the end of their set seemed they seemed to overcome this- no doubt helped by the warm welcome from the fans that seemed to have travelled miles to see what may be one of Capercaillie’s last gigs.
All the members of the band are so busy with other individual commitments that it seems astonishing they’ve stayed together as long as they have; the announcement that Capercaillie are to wind things down can surely come as no surprise as they’ve been fairly quiet the last few years.
Coming back on for the encore seemed to fill the band with energy anew -playing Rob Roy Reels at a blistering pace; Mike making the pipes come alive and fly during Kiss the Maid, and the whole band increasing the impossibly fast tempo in the last reel. The crowd joined in with Coisich a Ruin and The Tree, whooping, whistling, singing and swaying.
Capers are made for dancing; not sitting coldly in large auditoriums, so the Fruitmarket was an ideal venue. Yet I was surprised to see that despite this the average age of their fans is so much older than that of other gigs at this festival. Perhaps Capercaillie are perceived as being ‘old’? Who knows?
But this gig proved there are still lots of reason to get up and dance.
This was a great place to spend a Friday night after trudging through the wet and windy streets of wintry London, doing battle with the Christmas shoppers, the tube, and commuters trying to get home after a busy week.
Cadogan Hall is set back just off the light festooned trees of Sloane Square. I've no idea as to its original function, but it appears to have been recently and tastefully refurbished, and usually holds classical concerts. The concert hall itself was seated, though in a warmer and friendlier environment to the Town Hall, Birmingham , the last place I'd seen Capercaillie, a couple of weeks previously. Cadogan Hall was wasn't sold out, but fairly full, generally with smart middle aged professional looking types… no forgetting the Hall's location then.
Lau were billed as support, but were in fact preceded by a pretty decent singer from Scotland called Brendan Campbell. Sounding a bit like Jose Gonzalez and Scott Matthews, it comes as no surprise to me to find him appearing at Celtic Connections this year, or signed by Keane's record company. He said he was unused to playing in such large venues, but managed very capably. Clear, focussed and completely with pretensions, and some lovely guitar work too.
Lau came on immediately. Martin Green, nominated [quite rightly] for Radio 2's Folk Musician of the year, looked tired but was in good spirits, remarking that this London date fitted in nicely in between two in Scotland. All three dressed in black shirts, they got straight down to playing tracks from Lightweights and Gentlemen; Kris singing Unquiet Grave, and some demonically fast playing from Aidan and Martin.
Souter Creek was as good as it always is, changing in tempo, before slowing down for an exquisitely beautifully tune by Aidan; Kris and Martin frozen in place on stage, the audience holding its collective breath as he rocked forwards and back, eyes closed, gathering in intensity, seemingly possessed as the speed increases until all three are playing like fury, an experimental kind of thrash folk. Like watching three puppets all controlled by the same puppeteer, jerking, twitching, swaying until the tune ends and they all stop instantly, their strings cut, the music gone.
But tonight everything seemed to be well. Everyone was there, everyone was smiling, and the ever efficient Cammy was doing his usual fantastic job on sound. There were five new songs scattered through the set, the first with Karen singing puirt a beul, dressed in a black sparkly top with the boys 'dad dancing' in time behind her! 'The Old Crone was very dancey, a great bass and Mr McGoldrick off on 'Planet Flute' somewhere.
Then there was Calum's Road [or Callum Ross?] with Donald accompanying Charlie on accordion, before another new song, taken from the works of Annie MacDonald. Karen sounded slightly hesitant in the great vast heights of the Hall, singing the first slow song of the evening, but all trace of this was gone by 'Himba', another new piece of puirt a beul - Ewen, Charlie, Mike, Donald and Manus all arranged around her in a semi circle to sing the chorus.
After a couple of fast reels which were much appreciated by the audience, there was the fourth new song, a John Martyn track about war, which Ewen sang backing vocals on.
Highlights for me were Kepplehall/Osmosis Reel – the bass was fantastic, just thumping, the kind of rhythm at home on a club dance floor. Just great work from Ewen, Che and Chimp, setting the way for Mike to take off with some amazing experimental jazz style flute. All of these contrasting styles should have jarred, but in Capercaillie's hand became an unmissable energy, a beat driven dancing tune.
Ailean Duinn was the cue for the boys to leave the stage for their customary cigarette break, leaving Karen with Donald's sympathetic accompaniment as she sang. Her voice was clear and true, almost holy in the church-like atmosphere of the hall, spotlights set high in the ceiling picking out beams of light through the dry ice as it rose upwards.
One last McGoldrick influenced new tune, led by whistle and fiddle with Karen's voice another rhythm within it, rather than leading the melody. This was followed swiftly by Rob Roy Reels, thumping driving dance music which made the first members of the audience get up and dance.
The band came back for an encore after 'The Tree', starting with the lovely 'Fear A Bhata', again accompanied by all the boys singing the chorus with Karen. A real smile moment to see them , lined up like a supporting choir. One mad and wild reel later and the gig was over, although I feel the band is far from it.
I can't wait for the next standing venue, or small gig, as I need to dance and this band were born to make music for dancing.
Four gigs in four nights
Second gig was Capercaillie in Smarden, a little village near Ashford in Kent. Just 50 miles from London, you drive through Headcorn and seem to enter a twilight zone with mile after mile of dark country lanes that twist and turn, houses and farms few and far between. Mobile phones stop working, people stop talking when you walk into the pub. Do places like this attract folkies? Or do you become folkie after moving in? Is it in the rules, I wonder?
Smarden has a newly built impressive village hall, with standing room for about 400 people, and parking outside for 20! Probably not a problem for locals, and certainly meant the gig was well attended.
I've not seen Capercaillie since Cambridge last year, and the set list seems fairly similar, with a few new tunes tried out from the forthcoming new album. Karen said that everyone in the band were fighting colds, but for the most part it wasn't apparent to the audience. It was great to be able to dance, and the band seemed to thrive on this particularly in the faster sets of tunes when Karen wasn't singing.
Karen's strength tonight was Crucan Na Bpaiste
I read somewhere that the lights at this venue were great. They weren't. Really they weren't. Watch the video clip on my page and you'll seem what I mean. Sound was great though!
Four gigs in four nights
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Who Rab has worked alongside, either as a contemporary musician, a fellow band mate or a record producer, becomes secondary to the real value of having someone like Rab Noakes around, that of a wonderful and inspiring song writer. Highly prolific and of a consistently good standard, Rab Noakes writes melodic songs that seem to have that special quality of being perceived on at least two levels; the self absorbed singer songwriter material that typifies most aspiring songsmiths who started out in the early Seventies, but at the same time great and memorable pop songs.
Tonight Rab Noakes brought some of those songs to Doncaster and shared them with a decent sized audience at Bob Chiswick's Monday Music Club at the Regent. Much of the set was centred around Rab's new album 'Unlimited Mileage' which he recorded with his band The Varaflames. Once again, songs such as "When You're Not Here" become instantly memorable as in the case of most good pop songs. When I talk about good pop songs I am of course using as a yard stick the likes of David's Byrne or Bowie, not "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" you understand. "What Are You Doing Here" could easily have been a David Byrne song; the sense of melody and structure is identical but yet it has a freshness that is pure Rab Noakes. Sonically "Light In My Heart" could not escape the notice of someone who has for years lived and breathed all that Rafferty/Humblebakerwheel stuff, but lyrically, the song becomes distinctly Rab's own:
"There's a record I'd like to hear,
I was going to say they don't write 'em like that anymore, but they obviously do, thank God.
Understandably disdainful of the term 'covers' to describe songs by other writers in his set (homage's might be a better term), Rab played homage to some of his fellow writers but rather than presenting his 'personalised' take on some familiar songs, Rab gets down to the essentials and strips away all the fuss. On the new album we find a pretty faithful adaptation of Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me to the End of Love", which invites even the most afflicted two-left-footed amongst us to grab a partner immediately. At the Regent tonight, there was at least a fair amount of shuffling rhythmically in seats. Rab doesn't live in the past. He treats Cohen or Talking Heads or Radiohead with equal respect. "High and Dry" is a wonderfully constructed song that lends itself remarkably well to any genre of music, whether it is performed by a popular indie band, jazzed up by the likes of Jamie Cullum, or just sung at full throttle with an acoustic guitar, it remains a damn good song.
Leaping back into the depths of his highly respectable back catalogue, Rab could have plucked any number of familiar songs from the days of knocking around with the likes of Lindisfarne, we've sat on benches and 'turned again' lots of times to dozens of floor singers over the years, but tonight Rab chose instead to select wisely from the best of his dozen or so albums. "Kill or Cure" from 'Lights Back On', "Lonely Boy Tonight" from 'Restless' and a few from the recently re-released classic 'Standing Up' "I've Hardly Started Yet", "Gently Does It" and "Open All Night", all showed a marked versatility in the craft of song writing.
Rab finished the night off with a song that appeared on the album he made with harmonica player Fraser Speirs, 'Lights Back On' back in 2000. The Leiber/Stoller/Spector classic "Spanish Harlem", like the Leonard Cohen and Radiohead songs before it, become not merely hit 'covers', but 'songs' once again. Hearing "Spanish Harlem" without the big production number treatment or even Aretha Franklin's gorgeous warbling, makes you instantly re-evaluate the song as something we should have all been singing in clubs for years. I'm just happy to let Rab do that for us.
Rab's albums from the early Seventies are reminiscent of Steve Tilston's. Two young songwriters with youthful voices and things to say, each with one ear on Bert Jansch and the other on pop radio, and both now fully developed songwriters and national treasures to those of us who appreciate a good song. Will either of them ever be a household name? Well in mine, they already are.
Allan Wilkinson
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Sheelanagig are a West Country based five piece who burst onto the scene with a fast sprint in 2005 and a short year later released their highly regarded debut release 'Uncle Lung', another year later is their equally regardable follow up 'Baba Yaga's Ball' with a slightly more diverse range of influences bought to bear than its predecessor.
The album consists of ten tracks, a mixture of composed material sitting alongside a sprinkling of traditional material, all of which binds together perfectly to form a remarkably wholesome mixture.
As well as violin, mandolin, flute, whistle, percussin, guitar, and bass being provided by the quintet Leon Hunt provides Banjo on two of the tracks, again this should almost be enough of a recommendation in and of itself but the no further recommendation is needed other than the quality of musicianship, the vibrancy and sheer joy provided. For further information see www.sheelanagig.co.uk or myspace.com/sheelanagiguk.
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
The Dixie Bee-Liners are musical raconteurs skilled at telling stories with their all-original songs. Promoting themselves as "bluegrass … with a buzz," Brandi Hart and Buddy Woodward functioned as a duo – both distinctive vocalists and multi-instrumentalists who have discovered their personalized stylistic footing by casting aside restraints imposed by dogmatic traditionalism. This self-released 2005 debut project for the Dixie Bee-Liners also features Danny Weiss (guitar), Alan Grubner (fiddle), Terry McGill (banjo), Mike Levine (Dobro, pedal steel), Andy Cotton (bass), Bob Mastro (fiddle), and Harley Fine (sound effects, tambourine).
Taking note of this hard-working and talented band’s debut effort, Pinecastle Records label has now signed them to their impressive artist roster. What’s all the fuss about? First, their songs have both spiritual and epic qualities. Second, their contemporary leanings exude great potential to attract younger listeners to the genre. Third, I liked the way they provide textures to their music. Pinecastle professional production assistance might not have left the mandolin, banjo or supporting vocals so far back in the mix at times on this debut. Well, guess what? The band’s breakout debut album for Pinecastle will be produced and engineered by the legendary Bil VornDick. I can also imagine the band adding members so there’s a third vocalist in the lineup. That might ease some of the instrumental duties for Woodward who provides mandolin, guitar, banjo, bass, drums and percussion on this disc. Well, hey again! Personnel shifts have occurred as a result of their record deal and relocation. I’m told that the band is now a sextet with Brandi Hart (vocals, guitar), Buddy Woodward (vocals, mandolin, lead guitar), Claiborne Woodall (lead guitar), Rachel Renee Johnson (fiddle), Sam Morrow (banjo) and Jeremy Darrow (upright bass). Because this one’s so short at under half hour, I can hardly wait to hear what comes next from this charming and fascinating group.
On this shorter disc, songs like "Davy," "Lost in the Silence," Yellow-haired Girl," and "Lord, Lay Down My Ball & Chain" have the ability to balance pathos with joy. Thus, we listeners experience elation and delight from the harmonizing of contrasting emotions. Without getting into specifics, their repertoire moves a listener because it also draws upon the best elements from both contemporary folk and bluegrass. Musically comfortable together, they have the innate ability to project a consciousness that they are truly going somewhere with their tuneful and captivating approach. That, in a nutshell, is what all the promotion and subsequent commotion are about. Joe Ross
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Choosing bluegrass as his genre of choice to document his written record of experiences and thoughts, Grammy award-winner Jim Lauderdale continues to shake things up. It's not the first time Jim's made strong bluegrass statements. While the diverse Nashville-based musician is equally comfortable with country and other kinds of singer/songwriter material, he's a guy who clearly has bluegrass in his blood. Arriving in Nashville in the late-1970s, Jim had hoped to pursue a bluegrass career but he was just "Looking for a Good Place to Land." He moved into mainstream country and has appeared on the Grand Ol' Opry. The prolific songwriter has penned hits for artists like Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, Mark Chesnutt, Kathy Mattea, and George Strait. Jim's major nod to bluegrass came in 1997 when he featured Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys on his album, "Whisper." Lauderdale then was a guest on Stanley's "Clinch Mountain Country" project, and he is now an honorary Clinch Mountain Boy. Building on the chemistry between Jim and Ralph, they collaborated on an album of their own, the Grammy-nominated and highly recommended "I Feel Like Singing Today." In 2002, his Grammy-winning "Lost in the Lonesome Pines" release featured both himself and Ralph Stanley singing his own self-penned songs. Those projects had the backing of the Rebel and Dualtone record labels. In 2006, his "Bluegrass" debut on YepRoc Records showed us that his fresh, new bluegrass reflected the power, sentiments and emotions of traditional music. Produced by resophonic guitarist Randy Kohrs, "The Bluegrass Diaries" sticks with the winning recipe for beefy original material, forceful vocals, and lively instrumental accompaniment.
"The Bluegrass Diairies" features eleven originals, three of which were solely penned by Jim. His other eight songs include some heavy hitting songwriting collaborators (Melba Montgomery, Odie Blackmon, Shawn Camp, Paul Craft, J.D. Souther, Candace Randolph). Jim's songs have an affinity for love-related themes, but a driving song like "One Blue Mule" has the kind of humorous bluegrass hook that will give you a chuckle. Randy Kohrs' soaring harmony vocals are ever present. If you like recalling a time when the Louvin Brothers were in their prime, a new song like "Are You Having Second Thoughts" (sung with Ashley Brown) is a real treasure. Dave Evans, a rootsy lead vocalist in his own right, is an interesting, unique choice for harmony vocalist on two numbers "Can We Find Forgiveness" and "It's Such A Long Journey Home." Cia Cherryholmes makes a silky appearance in "I Wanted to Believe." The instrumental icing on the cake comes from Randy Kohrs (Dobro), Jesse Cobb (mandolin), Richard Bailey (banjo), Aaron Till (fiddle), Jay Weaver (bass), and Cody Kilby, Clay Hess or Shawn Camp (guitar).
The North Carolina native and son of a minister/choir director is very proud of his bluegrass roots, and his diaries have plenty of deliberations that convey the bluegrass propulsion and drive. He tips his hat to his bluegrass buds when the disc ends with an instrumental reprise to the closing number after Jim asks, "Y'all wanna run some more? Alright …." Thanks Jim for making public the great musical reflections of your bluegrass diaries. Joe Ross
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Secret Green heralds the welcome return of the Francis Lickerish, one of the two guitarists that gave The Enid their characteristic sound on their classic early recordings. Lickerish, who as well as writing the majority of the music and lyrics, plays guitars, lute, bass and keyboards is joined by Hilary Palmer (vocals and flute), Jon Beedle (guitars and balalaika), fellow ex-Enid member William Gilmour (keyboards) and Matt Hodge (drums).
The associations with Lickerish's old band don't end with Gilmour as the album was recorded at The Enid's Lodge studios, was co-produced by Enid member Max Read, features Enid drummer Dave Storey on one song and the inimitable Robert John Godfrey on another and, more importantly, continues and expands on The Enid tradition of grandiose, orchestral music, albeit with a healthy dose of English folk blended in. Based on the tales of King Arthur and Merlin (think more Malory's Morte D'Arthur than Disney's Sword in the Stone!) the title refers to the legend that King Arthur will awake and rise again when Sacred Avalon is at the time of greatest peril...
The striking thing about Prelude is its incredibly long build time, taken from sub-auditory levels and very gradually building taking well over three minutes until the crescendo. The effect of this extended introduction is anticipatory and I have to admit that when the very characteristic sound of Lickerish's guitar enters a smile crossed my face, just like The Enid in their heyday. Although Godfrey may have been the principal writer, it is obvious that Lickerish was a major component of the sound. Indeed, listen carefully and you may hear a familiar refrain before the trumpet fanfare, played by Raul D'Oliveira, awakens the birds and the church bells that lead into Ecchoing Green. [Not a typographical error, but reference to the poem of the same name by William Blake, which also explains the sound effects: The sky-lark and thrush, The birds of the bush, Sing louder around, To the bells chearful sound, While our sports shall be seen On the Ecchoing Green.] A jolly number and the first we get to hear from vocalist Palmer. Multi-tracked to provide her own harmonies, she sings in a folk style without overstepping the mark.
The music incorporates a section of Sanctus from Six Pieces the last album by the Enid to feature the classic line up, including of course both Lickerish and Gilmour, but heads off in a variety of directions, at times almost sounding like it is going to break into the theme tune from BBC TV's The Antiques Roadshow! Very uplifting and nice that Dave Story gets to join in on drums.
On Merlin's Ground starts more sedately and lets Palmer strike out hitting the high notes with perfect clarity. Some people may have problems adjusting to the vocal style but I think it is best not to overanalyze such things. Her singing does complement the music, and given the extended running time of album there are plenty of musical passages. Like the middle section of the song which is fantastically orchestrated and, once more, has an Enid tease, this time the slightest hint of In The Region Of The Summer Stars. Tom O'Bedlam takes on a more Celtic air in the first half and is, for me the least memorable bit of the album.
However, a brief Baroque-like section leads into a tumultuous ending with Lickerish proving that he has lost none of his flare on the guitar. The Guinevere Suite, comprising the Five Courtly Dances, starts off with the slow processional Pavan with a majestic melody, the guitars and keyboards combining wonderfully. Galliard is a more athletic number with twin guitars kicking off the number, another fine and memorable melody and an ending that is completely over the top in the finest of traditions!
Continuing with Louré is again a slower number but the glorious sound of the keyboards, what used to be racks of analogue synths in the Enid requiring up to three musicians, gives it a real rise. The instrumental Allemande, is, as the subtitle may suggest, a guitar piece played by Jon Beedle. The set of Baroque dances ends with Bransle, which, apparently, is thought to have been more of a dance favoured by the commoner. But no class distinctions here, as the music is sheer quality.
Camlann, probably named for the Camlann Medieval Village, a living history type of museum, starts with another Baroque fanfare which is followed by an intense stretch of subdued musicality, setting the scene and not following conventions as such, but being as it is, for what it is. Things ramp up with revisitations of themes from previous pieces, albeit played on different instruments and in a different setting. It is almost 12 minutes before the vocals start, sung in Gaelic (?) and sounding very spiritual in nature, a flavour of mediaeval religious music. The end flows continuously into the last track of the album, Nimuë. For those not converse with Arthurian legend, Nimuë was a lady of the lake, who stole Merlin's heart and was ultimately the cause of his demise - even though he had foretold his own death at the hands of Nimuë, so smitten by her was he that he was unable to defend himself against her charms. With Robert John Godfrey on church organ the instrumental sections of this piece are as grandiose, epic, stimulating, invigorating and exciting as anything The Enid did in their prime. A stunning end to a marvellous album.
At the recent Enid re-launch concert in London, Godfrey expressed a desire to put on a full Enid show with multiple guitarists and keyboard players, just like in the old days. With Lickerish performing again and obviously back in touch with Godfrey (he and an acoustic version of Secret Green were support at the gig) one can but hope that he would be a part of such a venture, particularly as he still holds a lot of the musical ideas of his old band close to his heart. Until the new Enid album is released (and the new track on the recent 'rehearsal' CD suggests it could be worth the wait), fans of this type of classical, orchestrated prog will do well to fill the time by listening to Secret Green, and whilst at it take a listen to Lickerish's expert lute performances available on his MySpace page.
The album is available to purchase using PayPal from their record label, Holyground Records. www.ontheholygroundlabel.co.uk
Richard Jalfrezi
Being a hard working folk music journalist can prove a solitary experience but nonetheless, at times a rewarding one. Around 1979 I remember being entranced by Vladimir Cosma’s “David Balfour” soundtrack and some years later James Last’s orchestral take on traditional melodies. This has since been superseded by the beautiful recordings of the duo Rolf Lovland and Fionnuala Sherry otherwise known as Secret Garden. Who would have thought that in 1995 winning the Eurovision Song Contest with their blend of neo-classical music they would still be going strong in 2007. They have created an enviable niche by appealing to a mass audience far outreaching the confines of folk whilst drawing from rich Celtic sources and Classical landscapes for a majority of their repertoire. Utilising the services of amongst others Manus Lunny, Steve Cooney, Mairead Nesbitt and Michael McGoldrick this album proves a celebration of cross-cultures whilst maintaining a high regard for their musical roots. Some may wave an accusing finger at what they view as ethereal or new-age music but it goes without saying that this album comes highly recommend. Go on, indulge yourselves with some real easy listening.
Pete Fyfe
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
In addition to Simon Emmerson’s cittern and production credits the personnel now includes Andy Gangadeen (drums), Johnny Kalsi (percussion), Ali Friend (bass), Barney Morse Brown (cello) and Simon Richmond’s inventive use of keyboards. Now a more cohesive unit having as it were, organically grown shaken free of the confines from which they were originally formed the ten artists including amongst them the aforementioned Martin Carthy, Chris Wood and Eliza Carthy there is a certain energy that wasn’t perhaps as obvious before.
Of course the texture of instrumentation helps as your senses are thrown here, there and everywhere but in a pleasing way and after a while feels more natural than you would have imagined. I’m not sure what Ewan MacColl would have made of the band’s interpretation of his song “Space Girl” but I hope that he would be looking down from on high with a wry grin as indeed I am finding the arrangements both challenging yet stimulating. For those of us of a certain age be prepared to cast off any preconceptions of what you thought this album might sound like and embrace a new age of originality.
By the way, have I mentioned “Cum On Feel The Noize”?
More information from www.theimaginedvillage.com
Pete Fyfe
At time of going to press there was only a promo copy of this CD available. A shame really as I always like to give credit where credit’s due. Having said that, you’ve only got to scan the list of artists to realise that this should be an album worth more than a cursory listen. Helming the project is Simon Emmerson stamping his trademark Afro-Celt (with a British spin) sound and an array of English folk music greats such as The Copper Family, Martin Carthy, Chris Wood joined by an interesting array of ‘major’ artists including Sheila Chandra, Billy Bragg and Paul Weller. The opening track “’ouses, ‘ouses, ‘ouses” with spoken introduction by John Copper is reminiscent of past glories such as Hutchings “Complete Dancing Master” coupled with a soundscape that sounds as if its been purloined straight from the 2003 track “Welcome To The New Century” by Breton band Skilda. That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with plagiarism (if indeed it is) it’s just a case of haven’t I hear this all somewhere before? Still, far be it from me to sound churlish as this really is a recording worth obtaining and the outstanding Benjamin Zephariah and Eliza Carthy’s retelling of “Tam Lyn” is simply stunning! There isn’t a duff track on the entire album as far as I’m concerned and the inclusion of many standards including “John Barleycorn”, “Hard Times Of Old England” and “Cold Haily Rainy Night” prove just why they are so enduringly indestructible. For all my reservations…call me an old cynic if you like…this is a great album and more than worthy of your attention. Pete Fyfe
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
For this part of the Rotherham Open Arts Festival, Martin Simpson was asked to come up with an exciting programme entitled 'Local Heroes' requesting the pleasure of the company of some of his favourite local singers and musicians on the current folk scene. The programme consists of two nights of folk music and tonight Simpson has chosen wisely methinks. Bringing together one of the countries finest singers in John Tams, together with Barry Coope, Jim Boyes and Lester Simpson, who clearly have three of the most compatible voices on the planet, specifically to share the stage with one of the most extraordinary virtuoso guitarists in the country, left me wondering why it took so long to happen.
Upon entering the Spiegeltent, you feel a very distinct otherworldly ambience. Ornate cherubs play seriously disconcerting games upon the constructions' main supports, whilst plush upholstered seating in decadent crimson and gold give the impression of a turn of the century Parisian boudoir that Louis XVI would've been proud of. If Nicole Kidman was to swing above your head whilst Ewan Macgregor warbled 'Your Song' you wouldn't even bat an eyelid.
The evening concert consisted of two sets featuring Martin Simpson (solo), John Tams and Barry Coope (duo), Coope, Boyes and Simpson (trio) and finally a quintet that must've been made, if not smack bang in the middle of, then surely not far from Heaven. Martin opened the show with a couple of guitar pieces entitled "She Slips Away" and "Mother Love" before segueing into "Little Musgrave" from his new and much talked about album 'Prodigal Son.' Twenty albums on from the time when the young son of Scunthorpe used to travel up and down the country, green guitar in hand and cheeky grin on his face, dazzling folks from all around with his unique and highly polished guitar style, I can confirm that after witnessing his new album launch at this years' Cambridge Folk Festival, sharing the stage with Danny Thompson, Kate Rusby, Kellie While and Andy Cutting, he is still very much 'The Man.'
Martin is also a generous musician who can stand back from the spotlight in order to allow others to take centre stage. This is all about respect. In the case of tonight, he let John Tams, one of our most enigmatic performers, take over the stage. With Barry Coope at his side, John delighted the Rotherham audience with songs new and old including "Lay Me Low", "Amelia" and "Will I See Thee More." There is a warmth to John Tams that cannot be contrived. He is a passionate performer with a very English, very northern sense of dignity. You simply cannot leave his presence without being touched by it. He also has a unique way of making you giggle without any seemingly planned stage patter. His observations on life just come naturally.
Coope, Boyes and Simpson came on next to raise the roof with, curiously enough, "Raising the Rafters", which tested the audiences communal singing credentials. Barry Coope in all fairness was suffering from the sniffles and I suspect he probably felt he wasn't on top form, but we the audience couldn't tell. He probably just worked harder than anyone tonight to cover it up. The trio finished the first part of the concert with "Horkstow Grange", the song that features a character called 'Steeleye Span' from which a very well known folk rock outfit took their name.
The second part of the evening was a fine collaborative effort for all concerned when all five musicians came together to form, for the sake of argument, Coope, Boyes, Simpsons and Tams. Songs from both sides of the Atlantic were chosen to represent this second half, with Hedy West's "Pans Of Biscuits", one of the most common choices of funeral songs "Didn't He Ramble", Richard Thompson's "Down Where the Drunkards Roll" and a couple from John Tams' current repertoire "Remembrance Day" and "Harry Stone". Martin Simpson led with a Cyril Tawny song from his 'Bramble Briar' album "Sammy's Bar" before allowing John Tams to finish the set with a rousing airing of "Vulcan and Lucifer" and "Steelos" from the Radio Ballads series, and incidentally, from the Radio Ballad that is closest to our hearts, particularly in this neck of the woods, 'The Song of Steel.'
The first of these two 'Local Heroes' concerts was brought to a close with the help of the enthusiastic audience. As the sleepy All Saints Square pigeons nestled into the nooks and niches of Rotherham Minster, peering in through the green and blue tinted skylights of the Spiegeltent, the final chorus of "Rolling Home" could be heard down the streets of Rotherham on what turned out to be a fine warm summers' evening. Allan Wilkinson
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
You can take nothing for grunted in this game. Well, let’s face it when you have a name like Pig’s Ear for the title of your band the puns are obviously just going to come thick and fast. And I’m sure the Rule family, that’s Sue, Grant, Keith and Lyndsey would be the first to agree with me as they liberally use plenty in the titles of their albums. Apart from the humour, there’s a feel good factor that comes from a time (about thirty years ago if memory serves me right) when bands such as The Spinners used to reign supreme and it’s from this era that the Rule’s have taken a majority of their inspiration. There are lots of familiar traditional songs including “Arthur McBride”, “Turpin Hero”, “Rout Of The Blues” and standards such as Steve Tilston’s “Slip Jigs And Reels” and Cyril Tawney’s “Sally Free And Easy” also, if you’re looking for new compositions in much the same vein as Hughie Jones (of The Spinners) both Keith and Sue have produced many fine new ‘folk songs’ with very singable choruses! Armed with an artillery of instruments; guitar, fiddle, oboe, concertina and Appalachian dulcimer etc plus the all important ‘wall of sound’ that has become synonymous at a Pig’s Ear performance this happy band of musicians and singers just go to prove the old adage that if it ain’t wrong don’t fix it. Long may they continue and, by the way they’ve got a new CD “Pig’s Year” being released on October 27th.
Pete Fyfe
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Tonight at The Rock, armed with a couple of fiddles and an eight string Stefan Sobell guitar shaped bouzouki, the duo performed several of their finely arranged songs and tunes to a delighted audience in Maltby, near Rotherham. Playing two sets to a healthy sized audience, Nancy and James performed several songs, some traditional, some contemporary, some old, some new, some borrowed and some blue; and so ends any further reference to marriage from this point on.
Nancy and James appear to live and breathe their craft. They talk fluently about all aspects of traditional folk music and seem to absorb sponge-like all the influences made available to them. This is in no small part due to their celebrated lineage; Nancy's parents being the much loved singer Sandra Kerr and Northumbrian piper Ron Elliott and James hailing from the popular Australian family folk band that is 'The Fagans'.
In the past twelve years, the couple have absorbed each others culture and traditions and in particular, the indigenous songs and ballads from both sides of the planet. Somewhere along the way, Nancy has developed an antipodean vernacular in much the same way Cath Mundy 'rubbed off' on Jay Turner. This isn't a bad thing, this is evolution.
The songs that evolve from such partnerships are an important part of traditional music, and I suppose in some small way, part of the make up of World Music in general. Taking parts of old English ballads and transforming them into something new, with a more Anglo/Australian emphasis, can only be a good thing.
There is something of the gypsy about Nancy Kerr, both in her appearance and in her fluid fiddle playing. Opening tonight with a gypsy-style fiddle tune, together with one of the many traditional songs on the theme of the "American Stranger", Nancy plucked and scraped in such a fashion as would have you swear there were two fiddles involved. Having cleverly detected that her second fiddle was still in its case and that James was standing stage-right with nothing but a bouzouki in his hands, I could only assume she was doing it all by herself.
Adding to the delightfully enigmatic background that Nancy and James come from, it is without any surprise that the couple have been known to allow a film crew into their home - a narrow boat on the Kennet and Avon canal near Bath no less - to talk about anything from the evolution of fiddles and bouzoukis in traditional music, to the DNA of folk songs. It is with such a passion for this music that the couple live their lives, that it is impossible not to be informed by it, or equally touched by it at the same time.
In "Barbara Allen", one of the most popular of all ballads, Nancy adds her own composition "April Friend" not just as a song tagged onto the end, but interwoven, like inextricably clasped hands, and in doing so, breathes new life into an old song. The same was attempted with Iris Dement's "Let the Mystery Be " and Joe Hill's "Pie in the Sky" but possibly not with such a great impact as the first coupling.
When you hear artists of the calibre of Nancy and James perform songs by Alistair Hulett and Jez Lowe, you are reminded once again of the remarkable contribution that these two writers have given to folk music. Their songs are obviously contemporary but have a quality that is timeless. Hulett's "The Sons of Liberty" from Nancy and James' latest cd 'Strands of Gold' and Jez Lowe's "The Bergen" are typical of this style of song writing and give the impression both in lyric and in melody, of being much older than they actually are, yet still remain fresh and accessible.
The epic "Jack Orion" has lost nothing of its raw power since its first appearance on the couple's 1998 cd 'Starry Gazy Pie.' With a nod to those whose efforts of keeping this song alive, most notably Bert Jansch, the couple launched into an exciting, table thumping, foot stomping version of the old Child ballad like there was no tomorrow.
Level pegging on the string count thus far, Nancy strove ahead of the race by producing an autoharp (presumably Australian, due to the sound hole being in the shape of that country) for their arrangement of "Allan Tyne of Harrow." There is something endearing about a musical instrument that has to be cuddled whilst being played and which lends itself to sensitive arrangements of beautiful songs. How ever hard you try, you just can't imagine "Pretty Vacant" being played on one.
With two songs from both sides of the world completing the set, a Gerry Hallom arrangement of a poem by the Australian poet Henry Lawson in "The Outside Track" and finally a well known song from Nancy's neck of the woods "Dance to Your Daddy", with probably more fishy references than is really necessary in a song, the duo rounded off a really great night, being coaxed back onstage for a final set of tunes in the form of "Meggy's Foot/Coates Hall."
Allan Wilkinson
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
For the first of the larger scale Black Swan concerts of the year, as opposed to the smaller club gigs that started in January with an appearance by Grace Notes, the National Centre for Early Music provided the ideal platform for another visit by two of the most enduring singers on the British folk scene. Norma and Martin were joined by Chris Parkinson on accordions (both piano and button) for a couple of sets of songs and tunes culled from one of the largest repertoires in British folk music.
Starting with "Bright Shiny Morning", one of the oldest story tales the couple have, about 'the ever popular venereal disease', which inadvertently caused more than a ripple of giggles throughout the audience tonight, especially when Norma explained that 'she had no idea why it was so popular all over the world ... the song of course, not the disease!' When Norma giggles, there's an infectious ripple that reverberates around the room, not unlike the proverbial Mexican wave. I don't know about you, but whenever I've seen Norma Waterson, either with her husband or with the larger family band Waterson:Carthy, or in the days of the yet even larger family band The Watersons, I still see that young feisty gypsy lass in the old black and white film Travelling For A Living, who captivated my attention back then with the sort of adrenalin I wish I could bottle and save for rainy days.
The variety of songs showcased tonight were diverse in both style and mood. From "Bay of Biscay", which recalls a pre-mobile phone era, when if your man went out to sea, you'd ideally like him back in one piece, rather than seven years later as a ghost, to the jaunty "My Flower, My Companion and Me", which showed a more animated Norma, whose outstretched arms almost pleaded with us all to join in, which we were only too pleased to do.
Martin was given the opportunity to sing some of his own repertoire with the pleading "Georgie", the hilarious "Six Jovial Welshmen", which apparently receives a jovial audience response wherever he sings it, and the sprawling "Clydes Water" a song more familiar to some as "The Drowned Lovers" in the hands of Nic Jones or Kate Rusby depending on your age. I can't recall a Carthy performance since the early Eighties that doesn't include "The Devil and the Feathery Wife" which to this day still brings out the giggles and I never tire of hearing it.
The second set got off to a rousing start with the old music hall song "Don't Go In The Lion's Cage Tonight", which must be the only song in this couple's repertoire that has been recorded by both Julie Andrews and Nic Cave. It don't get more diverse than that.
The poignant "Coal Not Dole" from the pen of Kay Sutcliffe, was presented as the first in a suite of three songs to mark the 25th anniversary of the miners strike, when our communities were divided into two distinct sides of the fence, signified by two helmets, one with a light attached and one of darkest blue, which ultimately led to the destruction of those communities. The two other songs making a respectful nod to those days were Jed Foley's "Pit Stands Idle", courtesy of Chris Parkinson and "Trimdon Grange" from Carthy's classic Sweet Wivelsfield period.
By contrast, Jerry Garcia's "Black Muddy River" and Fred Fisher's "There Ain't No Sweet Man Worth The Salt Of My Tears", show a more contemporary feel to Norma's singing, despite the latter hailing from the Twenties, both of which appeared on Norma's Mercury nominated eponimously titled album of 1996.
Chris Parkinson is much more than an accompanist and provided some excellent songs and tunes in his own right. Mr Isaac's Maggot, which incidentally has nothing to do with fishing, was coupled with a tune I always knew as "Bridge Over the River Ash", but was introduced as something completely different. Such is the confusing world of folk tunes.
With a final encore of "Bold Doherty", the trio completed a well rounded and highly entertaining night, providing a good enough yardstick for others to follow at the NCEM in the months to come.
Allan Wilkinson
It's a measure of these artists that they give the same quality of performance to 150 people at an all-acoustic gig as they do to thousands at the Royal Albert Hall. And hats off to the church authorities, too, for permitting this use of the space. This beautifully galleried church, set among leaning tombstones and overlooking the spectacular bay, was full to the rafters for the long-awaited reprise of last December's hometown gig. Alas, yet again we were denied Norma Waterson's stunning voice on account of continuing illness; the compensation was that brother Mike stood in - an occurrence that brings the phrase "hen's teeth" to mind.
With no stage available, support artiste Celia Briar brought her Celtic harp centre-aisle to play. Her delicate performance of self-penned and traditional tunes transported a hushed audience out of their hard box-pews into a musical meditation.
Martin and Parky played a two-set concert, the light-hearted introductions characterising the sort of easy rapport that long friendship and great musicianship affords. Melodeon, guitar and voice sounded sometimes in unison, sometimes in counterpoint, always supporting each other seamlessly. Light relief was provided for the rapt and appreciative audience by Mike's interspersed humorous songs. If the unmistakeable voice has slightly less accuracy than in the past, his delivery and timing are as entertaining as ever, and the whoop with which he ends a song leave no doubt of his enjoyment of the material. "Three-Day Millionaire" was as fresh as the day he penned it, and his hymn of hate to tourists - aptly named "Genghis Khan" and backed by his accomplished guitar-playing - went down a treat with the local audience.
Highlights of the evening were too numerous to list. Amongst the best were the superb duetting of instruments in the "March of the Siamese Children" (from The King and I) and in the Irish slip-jig "The Choice Wife". Parky's solo "Shallow Brown" showcased the subtlety of both his playing and his singing. The occasional odd stress given to the lyrics of "The Wife of Usher's Well" by its Basque tune added to Martin's high, tense delivery to provide a spine-tingling experience. In the completely acoustic setting, quietly sung, and with the gloom of twilight filling the church nave, it was as good as it gets.
Ian R K Davies
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
It would probably be impolite to describe here just how scared Crosby Stills and Nash were when they took to the Woodstock stage way back in '69 for their supposed second gig ever, but last night for their third gig ever, Becky Mills and Patsy Matheson seemed relatively relaxed when they appeared at Bob Chiswick's Monday Music Club at the Regent as a duo. This could possibly have something to do with the slight difference in numbers, granted, but in both cases, cutting your teeth in high profile bands appears to bring out an assured confidence in an artist or in this case, two artists. On this occasion, Becky and Patsy have temporarily strayed from fellow bandmates Rachel Goodwin and Jools Parker to bring to this small Doncaster audience the essence of Waking The Witch in a stripped down version.
What Waking The Witch do share with the aformentioned Sixties 'supergroup' is a flare for vocal dexterity that is best captured live. Fortunately, very little is lost in the singing of Becky and Patsy, both of whom possess distinctly different voices that somehow work together incredibly well. From the outset, I wondered whether the 'missing' voices would be so noticable as to signify a gaping hole, but pleasantly surprised was I.
Taking selections from each of the bands' three albums, the duo managed to deliver each song without losing any of the power of the four piece on songs such as "Only Human" with some sweet slide guitar, the outstanding "Jenny Thornton & The Boys from the Abattoir" with it's cute whistled coda filling in for the brass section used on the recorded version, "There For Me" the usual Waking The Witch opener and "Spring Song" with its creative use of a South American rainstick. And then, as if this wasn't enough, along comes the touching "Man Of Moon", Becky Mills' achingly personal song which invites us all to witness first hand emotional turmoil in song. The haunting coda of 'rewind, pause, play' seems to stay with you. Once heard, never forgotten.
The three cover versions of the night could not have been culled from more diverse sources; "Gold Watch Blues", a Donovan cover written by Mick Softley with its interesting jews harp accompaniament, tells the all too familiar tale of signing away ones being to a life of work; the traditional power ballad that is and always will be "Matty Groves" with all the 'umph' of, let's say your common or garden British folk rock outfit; and of all things, Gary Numan's "Cars". I guess you really had to be there to witness it, but if this isn't too much of a stretch, imagine "Cars" as appearing on Joni Mitchell's first album and fitting seamlessly between "Night In The City" and "Marcie" - I know, difficult to imagine but true.
Musical trinkets such as the Bolivian rainstick, an assortment of shakers and rattlers, the odd jews harp, a couple of nice guitars and a mandolin are all delightfully utilised in this duos' set, but when it comes down to it, it's those voices that matter, that's what it's all about. Becky Mills and Patsy Matheson make it all seem as easy as breathing and I suspect to them, this is precisely what it is.
Allan Wilkinson
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Great…an album that doesn’t pull any punches! Pete Fyfe
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Website: http://www.steve-tilston.co.uk
Allan Wilkinson
Allan Wilkinson Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Besides being their fifth album, “Stories” is also a tenth anniversary
musical celebration for Oregon-based Misty River, a quartet of women whose
marketing catchphrase accurately promotes their “compelling voices of
acoustic Americana.” Meeting at bluegrass jams and open mics back in 1997,
the still unsigned band began performing full-time and touring cross-country
about 2000 in their motor home named Annabelle. It’s just a matter of time
before a national label like Rounder Records or Sugar Hill takes note of
their potential and musicianship of Dana Abel (accordion), Carol Harley
(guitar, banjo), Chris Kokesh (fiddle), and Laura Quigley (bass). Produced
by Todd Phillips, he mixes in some percussion on five tracks.
Besides their four well-blended vocals, Misty River has a number of other
strengths – impressive songwriting, unique covers, poignant arrangements,
and enticing understated instrumentation that all lend immediacy to their
story songs. The emotional depth on “Stories” is drawn out of ballads about
people, places, memories, and just plain ol’ life in general in a song like
Carol Harley’s “Life is Good.” Or take Dana Abel’s lively “Slice of Life,”
for instance. The characters encountered on Portland city bus #36 include
“tired folks, wired folks and those in between.” Dana also wrote music for
“Louisa” based on a poem by Alice Anne Martineau. While there are many
versions of the traditional “Barbara Ellen,” Misty River’s melancholic
rendition has a hard-hearted edge brought home by the fiddle after the rose
and briar tie their post-mortem true love’s knot. Each beautiful song offers
its own observations about human experiences, attitudes, or beliefs.
Popular for the last few decades in China, a dreamy “Gan Lan Shu (The Olive
Tree)” has Chris and Dana singing nostalgically in Chinese about a hometown
far away. The leanest singer/songwriter fare is Chris Kokesh’s solo
self-penned “Time Goes By,” accompanied only by her guitar. “I cut the
pieces from my memory / All tired out and worn I have held them so many
times But now they're heavy in my arms.” Perhaps a little harmony on the
chorus would’ve embellished the arrangement. Drawing upon material from
another brilliant songwriter, Steve Young’s “Old Memories (Man Nothing To
Me)” has a similar theme of time passing and flying by. I wonder if the
girls learned the song from Del McCoury’s 1992 cover of it. Or if they
picked up Daniel Lanois’ “Black Hawk” from Emmy Lou’s Wrecking Ball album
that he produced. Regardless of how Misty River finds their material, their
radiant “Stories” album shows that they are graceful interpreters who can be
pleasantly nostalgic, blissfully romantic, or thoughtfully sensual. The
soothing melody-driven result is Misty River’s charming je ne sais quoi.
Full of imagination and imagery, the album takes us on journey. Even though
the road is long and slow, these four women keep right on rolling and always
remembering and calling for a watchful eye over their friends and fans along
the way.Joe Ross
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
He writes in a language we can all understand, with a carefully crafted economy of expression that’s tellingly informed by local references and self-evident personal experience. The title track is a wistful and poignant reminder of the universal power of music (“songs like Fields Of Gold and Penny Lane make a life worth living for”), from the busker’s perspective. And yes, there are unavoidable (intentional?) traces of the early-Donovan-Dylan-style troubadour-folk template here and there (White Roses are almost audibly blowin’ in the wind of a Huddersfield street corner, for instance), but Roger always makes capital out of such influences and his songs are always recognisably his own creations. (I Think I Hear) Destiny Calling succinctly and memorably portrays Roger’s attitude to his own metier; it’s a kind of sequel to Old Fashioned Man from his earlier album Northern Trash. David Kidman
Roger Davies is a West Yorkshire song smith with a delicate touch. You are more than likely to be instantly taken by his cool delivery and easy going relaxed stage presence. This is because there's a certain unpatronising warmth about a performer who refers to his audience as his 'gang', and consequently, you seem to enfold yourself within his circle, not kicking, not screaming.
Harvey Andrews apparently said of Davies "The best thing I've seen in 20 years. That lad has everything" pretty much my opinion really it has to be said. Pity he had to spoil it all by adding "I can't teach him anything. If I had a torch I'd throw it to him..." proving once again that there is no limit to this mans arrogance. Of course there are similarities in the singing of these two song writers; both have a clear delivery and a sweetness of style and an ability to tell a good story. But I don't particularly see Roger Davies as the new Harvey Andrews, he's clearly his own man.
Allan Wilkinson
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
The ‘dogs’ have been going for 15 years now in which time they have never failed to deliver the goods. From McColl’s “Terror Time” to the energetic “Harris Dance” the infectious rhythms fleshed out by Fraser Stone (percussion) and Aaaron Jones (bouzouki/guitar), joined by the lead lines of Rory Campbell (pipes) and founder member Jonny Hardie’s fiddle forge ahead with a fine sense of dynamics. For instance, the use of multi-layered strings on the “Star O’ The Bar” lends as much to lush orchestral arrangements as anything ‘folky’. A band that doesn’t mind utilising a recording studio for full effect will always get a ‘thumbs up’ as far as I’m concerned. On “Bedlam Boys” the integration of the classic “Rights Of Man” hornpipe (played here as a reel) is a clever use of titles and the downright funky delivery will doubtless be a crowd pleaser. Perhaps it would have been nice to credit the melody of Bedlam to Nic Jones though as he composed it – still a minor quibble for what is otherwise another cracking album.
Pete Fyfe
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Rachel Unthank's producer husband was forced to come out from behind his desk on this occasion due to the departure of Stef Connor, who has been nothing but a Godsend to the band after the sudden departure of Belinda O'Hooley eighteen months ago. After giving a considerable amount of time and energy to the band over the ensuing months, Stef has returned to her PhD studies, which she knew she would have to pick up at some point in the future. The young pianist/composer enabled the band to tour the celebrated Mercury prize nominated album, which was of course an important thing to do after such a successful release, by painstakingly learning all the songs together with their complex arrangements, as well as putting something of herself into the mix. I was fortunate to have been at Stef's debut live appearance with the Winterset in Newcastle on a cold January evening back in 2008 after which she said to me "I hope I haven't ruined your band". On the contrary, Stef Connor saved the day.
The album's only original song, written by Adrian McNally, provides a completely new departure for the band. Set to a heavy handed piano riff and strings accompaniment, we are introduced to a new folk hero in "Lucky Gilchrist" a close friend of Rachel's who she sadly lost last year. With a minimalist approach, Adrian McNally's piano motif alternates between shades of Sufjan Stevens and John Carpenter horror score atmospherics. No greater eulogy in song could be paid to the dear departed than in the lyric 'you live on in all of us'.
If the opening song tips its hat to Brian Wilson then the arrangement to the Frank Higgins song "The Testimony of Patience Kershaw" surely owes a debt to Eleanor Rigby. With a delightful string quartet arrangement, the Unthanks deliver probably the most joyous sound on the album, yet ironically to a heartbreaking historic 1842 testimony by an illiterate 17 year-old female miner, whose story was told to a British government commission, formed to examine the conditions of women and children working in the coal mines. Rachel's reading of this ballad is both emotionally moving and utterly believable.
Returning to Sheila Stewart after the success of "Blue Bleezing Blind Drunk", Becky delivers a jaunty sing-a-long coda with "Betsy Bell", which probably owes more to the Northern music hall tradition than to folk song. Like "Where've Yer Bin Dick", which some of us had the privilege of being taught by Rachel first hand in her singing workshop at the Cambridge Folk Festival this year, the song offers some light relief to augment some of the more gloom-ridden songs on the album. Ultimately, I have to agree with Rachel though, that all in all, 'Here's the Tender Coming' does seem to be a 'warmer, calmer shade of sad than The Bairns'.
And so to the title song itself. In the 1970s I heard the local singer Dave Burland sing "Here's the Tender Coming", which effectively changed my mind about music. Here was a Yorkshireman singing a Geordie song, in a Geordie manner and getting away with it. I had an instant affinity with that song back then, probably because I am myself of Yorkshire/Geordie parentage and I've always been familiar with the canny lingo. Now in the hands of Rachel Unthank, the song has come round full circle and returns home to where it belongs, right there in the Geordie tradition. Having said that, it never really left, did it?
Allan Wilkinson
You would have thought such winter warmery would have sufficiently disguised me, even from my own mother, but my anonymity was soon foiled by three familiar faces peering in through one of the large windows, silhouetted by the amber street lights outside. They began waving manically in order to get my attention. Rachel Unthank, her little sister Becky and Niopha Keegan, were just passing by, no doubt killing time before their gig and obviously recognised my receding hairline, forehead shining bright pink from the centre of the pub, a beacon to behold from the darkened Sheffield streets outside, wet with the continual overspill from nearby decorative fountains, which quickly turned to ice. I waved back in a similarly excited fashion.
A few moments later, the three of them were sitting next to me in the pub, Rachel munching on a chocolate bar, the apparent Holy Grail of their quest which led them to leave the relative comfort and warmth of the Memorial Hall in the first place. They declined to join me in a Guinness, saying 'we have to run and get our frocks on.' It was only a polite half-hearted offer on my part as I was familiar with their strict rules concerning drinking before a performance. We did however have a few moments to catch up on things such as the bands' current tour and in particular, their recent concert appearances supporting Ben Folds, together with their telly debut on Inside Out, a local North East magazine programme, which shows the Unthank siblings at home, around the kitchen table discussing song sources, the 'whole name thing' and what it's like to be 'thrust into the world of celebrity.' 'It took about nine days of filming to come up with that little piece' Rachel said, taking another bite from her chocolate bar 'but it was so nice to have mum in it with us' she added.
Becky apologised to me. 'You're going to hear all the same songs again tonight' she said, as if it bothered me in the least, quickly followed by 'we're working so hard on new material, I promise.' This new material, presumably destined for the eagerly awaited third Rachel Unthank and the Winterset album, seems to be coming together and will no doubt make its appearance sometime in the New Year. For now though, songs like "Felton Lonnin", "Blue Bleezin Blind Drunk" and "Fareweel Regality" continue to be an integral part of their set, and I have to say, I never tire of hearing them.
Delighted to be back in Sheffield once again, a city that holds particularly fond memories for Becky Unthank, who was accidentally punched in the face one night at The Leadmill, by a fist obviously destined for another, presumably more deserving face. Each of the band members mingled with the audience in their usual approachable manner; there's never the slightest hint that these girls have been touched by the red carpet nonsense at award ceremonies, or of hiding away in darkened green rooms backstage; they always seem to relish in the company of others.
Rachel told me they were going to play exceptionally well tonight as they felt they owed it to their audience, who may have been let down by some unfortunate tour date re-shuffling, due to the unexpected opportunity to tour with Ben Folds, an opportunity not to be missed. The rescheduled date at the Memorial Hall tonight suffered very little from the changes as just about every seat in the house was taken. At this stage in the band's career, invitations to play with higher profile artists at some of the bigger and more established venues is not only good for each of the individual members of the band, who get to rub shoulders with their heroes, but also good for the bands' reputation on the general music scene. The invitation to support fellow Mercury Prize nominee Adele at her Roundhouse concert later this month, is of particular interest. It makes perfect sense to me that a brilliant singer such as Adele, whose influences are equally shared between Etta James and The Spice Girls, would also love Rachel Unthank and the Winterset.
After a set from fellow North East based duo Jonny Kearney and Lucy Farrell, who were invited by the band to join them on some of their current tour dates, the Winterset took their now familiar places on stage; Steph Connor seated to the left before her grand piano, Niopha Keegan dominating the right side of the stage with fiddle and accordion in tow, and the Unthank siblings centre stage for what felt like a potentially exciting performance before even a single note was struck, plucked or bowed.
The first note was eventually struck by Steph for the intriguing opening of Cyril Tawney's "On A Monday Morning", which features the voices of the three women who earlier in the evening were waving at me from outside a pub, each providing a verse and introducing three distinctly different voices. There's nothing rushed about the songs, in fact I would go as far to say they are deliberately paced at a slower tempo than you would expect. This more recent development, especially in some of Becky's delivery, adds that all important space to the songs, which in turn gives them depth.
"Blue's Gaen Oot O'the Fashion" remains an audience favourite as it incorporates an infectious refrain that is easy to sing along to, as well as showcasing Rachel and Becky's clog dancing credentials. Niopha is the only member of the band who has yet to introduce dance steps to the mix, since newest member Steph Connor demonstrated her 'crab dance', which should be available on YouTube before too long. And everyone thought she was a quiet girl.
Other highlights in the crescent-shaped Memorial Hall tonight included "My Donald", which is one of the band's most accomplished pieces in terms of arrangement, verging on classical composition, punctuated by Becky Unthank's atmospheric retelling of Owen Hand's classic song; the spooky "I Wish I Wish/Lull I", which wouldn't be out of place on a M. Night Shyamalan soundtrack and of course Robert Wyatt's much discussed and widely loved "Sea Song", respectfully performed by a band whose intuitive playing allows you to momentarily forget you are hearing just one piano, an accordion and metronomic high heels... and of course, a stunningly original voice.
With an encore of the beautiful "Unst Boat Song", which like the opening song of the evening, incorporates shared responsibility in singing duties for the verses, we see the four members of the Winterset united in some harmony singing that could not be bettered.
Allan Wilkinson
Not so. Firstly Niopha Keegan arrived on the scene, fresh from Newcastle's prestigious folk music degree course, which seems to be turfing out talent quicker than Simon Cowell turfs out dross, and who to my knowledge has never attempted to replace Jackie, but rather add another dimension to the group, which she has done supremely well. Just as we were getting up from the blow of losing Jackie, we long-term fans of the band watched from the wings as Belinda departed, with outstretched arms and a communal pleading for her not to go. Once again, the band has proved to be bigger than its component parts and from out of nowhere, along came the amazing Steph Connor, who has once again turned the sound of the band on its head, introducing the Haynes manual of how to play piano without touching a single key. Pretty exciting for those of us who don't mind a bit of musical exploration.
Kicking off tonight with "Blue Bleezing Blind Drunk" followed by "Felton Lonnin", two songs from the outstanding album 'The Bairns', the band soon got into their familiar stride at this sell out concert, and held the attention of the audience for the next hour or so. These two songs have been seen on TV or heard on the wireless recently as the two musical contributions to both the BBC Folk Awards, where the band picked up the Horizon Award, and also the song they performed at the Mercury Prize Awards Ceremony.
The highlight for me tonight came next, when the band performed their newly re-vamped, re-shaped and re-modified "I Wish/Lull I" couplet, which would presumably have Steve Lawrence scratching his head thinking 'is that the one I gave 'em?' With some ingeniously discordant sounds emitting from beneath the grand piano lid, which almost saw Steph actually climbing into the piano, not unlike you imagine Tori Amos would, after accidentally swallowing the Philip Glass songbook, the song cycle took on a different identity altogether, and highlighted Steph's adventurous spirit clearly. If all this sounds weird or ridiculous, then my advice would be to close your eyes and just listen to the results, which appears to have transformed the two songs into a tonal poem of pure beauty.
I was pleased to hear Niopha Keegan sing unaccompanied tonight. In "I'm Weary from Lying Alone" we bear witness to the fact that Niopha has a wonderful voice, a voice that appears to have no problem in holding the listeners' attention throughout. Sung in both Gaelic and English, Niopha showcases another side to her considerable talents and once again confirms that she is very much an integral part of the Winterset collective.
The constant whining of the folk police on the ever tedious and completely redundant notion of what is and what is not folk music, in all probability affects these women like H2o affects a duck's back. With this group, it will always be about exploring the boundaries of either traditional or contemporary song, both of which all four of these musicians and singers treat with equal respect, as well as exploring their musicianship and their tireless search for new sounds. Strange things sometimes happen in music. Whenever I think of "With A Little Help From My Friends" I can only think in terms of Joe Cocker, not the Fabs. Same thing happens these days with Robert Wyatt's timeless "Sea Song", which Becky Unthank has claimed as her own, without actually knowing it. So good is this version that I doubt Mr Wyatt would have any compunction in handing it over forthwith.
If anyone is still in any doubt as to the musical cohesion of this quartet, look no further than to their outstanding arrangement of Owen Hands' "My Donald", which is to all intents and purposes a contemporary whaling song incorporating a Classical arrangement. It certainly served as one of the outstanding performances in tonight's show.
Concluding with their regular finisher "Fareweel Regality", Rachel, Becky, Niopha and Steph once again raised the roof with a finisher that still sends a shiver. It would be nice to hear another song enter their repertoire with an equally uplifting theme, but in all honesty, this song is a very hard act to follow.
Tonight Jonny opened for Rachel Unthank and the Winterset for the second time in succession (the previous night being in Durham) and was joined by fellow Newcastle Uni Folk Degree student Lucy Farrell on fiddle and musical saw and Dan Rogers on double bass who has just recently left Leeds College of Music.
With a repertoire comprising all his own songs, Jonny faced a more formal gathering at the NCEM than he is probably used to and performed a handful of songs starting with "Dixon Street", a song about a street in Gateshead with alleged 'dogs the size of ponies' and 'paranoid people'.
On "Bad Man", Jonny is joined by Lucy Farrell on the saw, an instrument that is beginning to make its return as a perfectly cool accompanying instrument, with interesting results. Based on a true story, "Ticket Man" considers the wishful fate of one of our beloved traffic wardens, who gets his just desserts in the end. Having landed myself on the wrong side of a ticket in recent months, the song brought out in me a vengeful side I didn't know I was capable of.
Concluding with what Jonny likes to refer to as a 'little ditty' called "Stand Up Show", Jonny and Lucy sparred vocally whilst Dan provided a driving bass line throughout. Proof that Newcastle continues to produce new and exciting singers and musicians, all of whom seem to be getting that much younger.
Allan Wilkinson
The material they choose has a lot to do with it for sure, but there's more to it than that. Belinda O'Hooley's piano arrangements provide a rich canvas to set the scene, complete with intricate sketches which serve as an outline to guide the vivid colours that are to follow. Setting up such a basis for a work in progress is no mean feat by any standards and Belinda is triumphant in her endeavours here. In those irritating 'meme' surveys that question the things we should like to do before we die, that are frequently topped with 'swim with dolphins' incidentally, provides me with an opportunity to confess that 'arrange a tune like Belinda O'Hooley' is a much more preferred goal. But since this ain't going to happen, pass me my snorkel and flippers and let's get on down to Florida Keys.
If it's with Belinda that we entrust the canvas, it is with the Unthank siblings that we entrust the palette. The polish that normally marks a good voice is thankfully absent in the singing of Rachel and Becky. Polish is effortlessly replaced by sheer human emotion. My fear in life is that these two women will wake up one morning and have the ability to sing in perfect pitch, delivering arias and airs of exquisite clarity, which would at that precise moment, erase all the magic for me and my world would be dull once again. The occasional wobbles and quavers are what is essential about these beautiful voices, and are the single reason I keep returning for more. Those voices remind me that great music is a very human endeavour, and human frailty is for me what separates the dull from the exciting.
The grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall in Cambridge was as good a place as any to launch the new collection of songs, although I'd been prepared for some of the songs by attending one or two gigs leading up to the launch. The very presence of the Winterset on any stage lends itself to this 'otherworldly' quality I speak of. There's more than a slight bit of the Cottingley Fairies about these two sisters that is difficult to shake off. Perhaps dipping ones toes tentatively within the parameters of their enchanting circle might have given me clues to who exactly these darlings are, but the enigma is still there, even after several encounters. I've decided that I quite like this enigma and therefore further sycophantic grovelling may no longer be on the cards, lest I find out that it really isn't magic, but cunning slight of hand.
Once your eyes become accustomed to the youthful presence on stage, you tend to let your ears take it from there. Much of the performance relies heavily on cleverly unifying the overall sound, and may I add, with not a guitar in sight. The unique sound of the Winterset is most definitely piano driven, embellished with a violin that sounds like a violin (joy!), an occasional cello courtesy of Unthank R, a bit of percussive high-heeled footwork, courtesy of Unthank's R & B and most importantly four sublime voices. On stage, the Winterset are a proven entity, no question about it. On record, the Winterset have a fifth member, producer Adrian McNally.
The moment you hit the play button for the start of The Bairns, you are reminded of who you are listening to, by the familiar piano motif that kicks off their debut album. In this case Cyril Tawney's On A Monday Morning is replaced by Felton Lonnin, an atmospheric reading of an old traditional Northumberland folk song. Rachel's rich vernacular is ever present in all the songs she sings, which is one of the delights of any of the recorded or live songs I have heard her sing. If you put Rachel Unthank under a black sheet and line her up against a million other hobbits, and ask each of them to say 'beguiled', I'd pick her out immediately.
We are reminded so often in musical families of sibling harmonies, that is, voices so similar through genetic connection that harmony singing is as easy as making toast. The delightful thing about Rachel and Becky is that their voices are light years apart, polarised in almost every way, but have this extraordinary connection that makes them inseparable. If Rachel's is a voice of the daytime, then Becky's is a voice of the night.
On the debut album Becky chose a Nick Drake song to breath new life into, a choice that quite possibly is the reason I became a convert to the world of Rachel Unthank and the Winterset in the first place. It could have all gone horribly wrong had the arrangement been a direct attempt at copying Nick Drake's Riverman, but of course it was anything but. It was re-assessed, re-addressed and re-worked to enable it to rise phoenix-like from the ashes of early Seventies bed-sit folk pop and be transformed into something quite astonishingly new. Once again on The Bairns, Becky chooses wisely and her rendering of Robert Wyatt's Sea Song is simply magnificent, the high point of both album and album launch. Belinda plays sensitively yet with an assurance unequalled in my opinion on any previous song. Robert Wyatt's strange lyrics are delivered by a voice that was probably destined to sing it, and if the recording reaches the great bearded one, I'm sure he would approve whole heartedly, but who knows? Becky might even consider an entire albums-worth of Wyatt covers; God's Song perhaps? Gharbzadigi maybe? Alifib? oh I can hear it now... 'not nit not nit no not, nit nit folly bololy, burlybunch, the water mole, hellyplop and fingerhole, not a wossit bundy, see for jangle and bojangle, trip trip, pip pippy pippy pip pip landerim, Alifi my larder...' oh Becky, bring it on!
Niopha Keegan provides delightfully underplayed accordion accompaniment, which is both an inspired piece of judgement and arrangement. The opus of triads that bring the performance to a close may quite possibly become known as the Winterset's defining moment.
Whitethorn is a heartbreaking song of loss. Songs of such raw emotive power would normally come with obligatory shrink-wrapped razor blade attached to the CD sleeve, but in the case of Belinda's passionate writing, Rachel's expressive conveyance of emotion and Niopha's weeping violin, we become not revellers at the wake, nor solemn mourners at the funeral, but bystanders witnessing the grief.
Closing the Cambridge main stage set and almost concluding a beautiful second album, Farewell Regality serves as a well chosen anthem to send us on our way. As the closing song to the bands' third and final appearance at this year's Cambridge Festival, it was enough to make me retire to the bar afterwards. Unfortunately, even Nanci Griffith provided nothing that could improve on what I had witnessed mid evening on the Radio 2 stage. The song, according to Rachel, 'makes us tingle'. Well it makes me, and no doubt anyone who comes into contact with it, tingle too.
Allan Wilkinson Return to the Reviews Contents Page
The band are currently on their first tour of major UK venues and tonight saw their first visit to Lincoln, where they played to an almost full house at the Drill Hall in the city. After their nail-biting album launch at this Summers Cambridge Folk Festival and the subsequent handful of dates since they embarked on this current tour, kicking off in Edinburgh, Rachel Unthank, her younger sister Becky, fiddler Niopha Keegan and supremo pianist Belinda O'Hooley have settled into performing their new album in front of live audiences with relative ease.
Tonight, most of the songs were from 'The Bairns' with the exception of "On A Monday Morning" and "Fair Rosamund" from the first album 'Cruel Sister', together with a staggeringly beautiful rendition of Antony and the Johnson's sublime "For Today I Am A Boy" and one of Belinda's songs "Cold n Stiff", a popular live favourite from her new EP 'Chinese Whispers.'
The rest of the concert was a feast for those of us who love The Bairns. In the first set Rachel and Becky shared vocal duties on "Blue Bleezing Blind Drunk", a roaring arrangement of a song about domestic abuse, which is possessed of bleezing blind fury, both from Rachel's venomous vocal delivery and Belinda's burlesque and bluesy piano accompaniment.
Rachel's almost reluctant performance of Belinda O'Hooley's heartbreaking "Whitethorn" remains as tense in live performance as it does on record. This has all the melancholy of a Thomas Hardy novel rolled into one song. Rachel needs our sympathy for the agony of going through the process of revealing this story, but my sympathy goes out to Belinda too, who had to write it. Niopha's weeping violin accompaniment could not have been better played.
Bridging the gap between the funereal atmosphere of "Whitethorn" and the 'spring in your step' joyous affair that is "Blackbird", Rachel delivers the pulsating "Lull I", whilst her band mates harmoniously hum in the background (if you know what I mean!) By the end of the first set, closing with Becky and Belinda's vocal 'duel at dawn' that is "For Today I Am A Boy", the audience needs a break from the turbulent emotional roller coaster ride, yet fully aware of and prepared for more to come.
"Felton Lonnin" opens the second half with the identical piano motif that opened the first one. If Belinda puts the band on their marks with the aid of a Steinway Grand, then Becky sets the pace with her extraordinary heels, tapping out the heartbeat that runs throughout the song. Songs from Northumberland that utilise Rachel's inimitable rich vernacular are fast becoming her trademark, and none so clear and concise as this Johnny Handle arrangement of a traditional song from the North East.
When I first saw the band perform "Blue's Gaen Out O'the Fashion", with it's intricate arrangement and sudden tempo changes, I likened it to an erratic set of jigs and reels but with voices and clogs. My mind has not changed on this, but after a number of subsequent re-visits, it all sounds so much more polished now and invites an irresistible audience response with the chorus of 'when the tide comes in.'
When I saw the band in York last year, it was encouraging to see Nic Jones in the audience. Having artists of that stature taking an interest must be enormously encouraging for the band. I cannot imagine how Rachel Unthank and the Winterset must have felt tonight, once the whisper went around the room that Robert Wyatt, composer of "Sea Song", which appears on the new album, was in the audience. I would have turned to jelly, it goes without saying. Becky was as cool as a cucumber though and sang her little heart out. Hearing that song once again but with the knowledge that its author was in the room, sent goose bumps to where goose bumps ain't been before.
Although it is easy to single out each individual member of the band for their own unique contribution to the band's current repertoire, such as the delightful "Lull IV: Can't Stop It Raining" featuring Rachel on ukulele (apparently, all the Unthank family got one each for Christmas), or Becky's reading of "My Donald", it is in the unity of the group where the richness comes flooding out either vocally on "Ma Bonny Lad" or instrumentally, once again on "My Donald", where classical influences would be impossible to ignore.
A better finisher than "Fareweel Regality" doesn't exist. The band has claimed this as their own anthem, which is impossible to shake off long after the show finishes. I personally don't think there is a better example of Rachel Unthank and the Winterset as a completely unified band as when they perform this song. The perfect finisher.
I had a few words with Robert Wyatt after the show and I asked him one predictable question, although I could probably have asked him several hundred, and that was what he thought of the band's treatment of his song, to which he replied 'I never came here to see them do my song, I came here because they're wonderful. They are like the morning dew that hasn't steamed off yet, they are new and fresh and I really don't think they know how good they are."
I tend not to argue with a genius.
Allan Wilkinson
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Pete Fyfe
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Having seen the full all singing [and Dezi dancing!] band at Cambridge, listened to the cd, and thought about buying the t shirt, the opportunity to see Renegade again was not one to be missed, even though it meant a three hour, eighty mile journey involving my least favourite road.
Renegade, stripped back to the main four collaborators, are Sharon Shannon, Jim Murray, Michael McGoldrick and Dezi Donnelly and on Friday night they were playing at The Stables; an obscure venue that appears unexpectedly at the end of a small village just outside Milton Keynes. Obscure because it’s the kind of place you expect to find in the centre of London, or Manchester, not tucked down a quiet lane outside Wolvenden Unexpected because it’s new and well run, an arts complex with a theatre, bar, shop formal stewards, and car park attendants with hi-vis jackets and torches to help you on your way.
The band played two sets, with a short break in-between. Most of the tunes came from the new album Renegade, with the rest made up of individual input from all four members.
Neckbelly was a great dance tune and it seemed that it wasn’t just me that found it hard to sit still. Dezi and Mike were moving, squirming and twisting as they played, trying hard to remain seated. Confine a musician to a chair and it seems all movement becomes exaggerated; feet, shoulders, heads and even eyebrows rising, falling and swaying to the beat.
Freemount Bypass, written by Jim Murray, was a multi faceted gem of a tune, each instrument swooping and swirling around it’s neighbours, busy but glorious, and fading out to flute. Hip Agus Hop, a Donald Shaw tune that appears on McGoldrick’s Fused album started with a sublime duet between flute and fiddle before Jim joined in on guitar, and by the time they’d finished with the Roaring Barmaid everyone was playing fast and furiously.
After the break there was lovely tune [which may be called Annika’s Waltz] which Dezi started in a very classical style, before being joined by Sharon, and then Jim which gave it a more folky feel.
The Girl with the Brown Hair is always mesmerising and tonight was no exception. Michael played this alone, the whistle sounding pure crisp and clean with orchestral tones. Three hundred people sat motionless in awed silence, almost hypnotized by the beauty of this sound. Stunned too, that this beautiful beautiful moving air was being played not in a packet concert hall to thousands of people by a world famous maestro in a dinner jacket, but by a bloke from Manchester in jeans and a t shirt. And that three minutes later this same air had become a fast sweaty dance tune that everyone joined in with. Just heavenly.
I loved Renegade as a full band, but I love them as a four piece too. I love their obvious enjoyment at being with each other, the laughs and smiles, the banter. The way each musician is given the opportunity to lead, but also to support, and how generous they are with each others performances; no spotlight seekers here. The evening was billed as being Sharon Shannon, but tonight everyone was equal. I love the way each person brought their own individual twist to tunes that you thought could only be played one way to sound right. And I love the fact I’m seeing them tomorrow too!
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
I’m really not sure about the title of the band – a shame really as this is the kind of music I really enjoy. Soft-Rock akin to that of Lindisfarne mixed with a bit of America for good measure. Featuring three excellent singer-songwriters Kev Byrne, Joe Topping and Richard Woods prove no slouches in instrumental manipulation either utilising keyboards, guitars, mandolins and bouzouki they are complemented by the percussion of Colin Burgess and Chris Chesters on bass guitar. Boyband would be an unkind accusation to level at anyone in the ‘acoustic’ world (more than likely due to the spot-on harmonies) but if I’m honest these lads put me in that frame of thinking and again, perhaps wrongly these views however well intentioned are in the vain hope that some major label might pick them up – they certainly deserve it. With a wealth of songs that are good enough to fill an entire Radio 2 programme on their own this quintet will hopefully achieve success far wider reaching than the confines of ‘folk’. Pete Fyfe
Return to the Reviews Contents Page
Earlier in the evening, Paul casually introduced himself as Devon's 'Roommate' before kicking off the night with a handful of songs, accompanying himself on his faithful Martin guitar, presumably the 'old Martin' that he apparently loves so much, as chronicled in Devon's "Don't Hurry For Heaven". He went on to inform the audience, for those as yet unfamiliar with Americana's own version of Romeo and Juliet, that they 'split all the utilities' and that Devon is 'also my wife'. They actually remind me more of the living-breathing embodiment of the main protagonists in David Bowie's "Kooks", and that is part of their appeal.
Paul Curreri is a highly competent guitar player and storyteller with a voice and song writing ability to match. If forced to make a comparison, I would think in terms of Ryan Adams, but thankfully with his finger nowhere near as close to the self-destruct button. When in playful mood, Paul Curreri has the ability to keep his audience transfixed with his stories. In "Long Gone John From Tennessee" for instance, we are treated to a hilarious ramble on Paul's admiration for John's shoes, you know, the cool ones with two stripes rather than the standard three.
You sense that the couple probably tossed a coin to determine who would get up first tonight, for their appeal could quite easily be split equally. Paul in fact joked about a conversation the couple once had when things began to happen for them, where he asked his wife if she was prepared for his career to move faster than hers (and visa versa) only to reveal tonight that Devon is soon to record a session for the prestigious Jools Holland programme. He confesses that he's doing fine 'thank you for asking'.
Paul Curreri's songs are well constructed and maturely presented, covering the entire range of his recorded output from his 2002 debut 'From Long Gones to Hawkmoth' to last year's 'The Velvet Rut'. "California", "Letting Us Be" and "The Wasp" are all instantly accessible with a fluent fingerpicked guitar style and relaxed laid back vocal. The jazz tinged "Azalea" tips a hat to the swing era and brings Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington right up to date.
Speaking of jazz, Devon Sproule has been compared to Norah Jones I've heard it said, although I completely missed this comparison upon my first encounter with her last year. In Devon we have the absence of polish that appears to dull the senses with much of the Grammy award winning jazz newbies on offer today. Perhaps it's because I came to Devon via the stage rather than the back catalogue. I see her Western Swing and Country Folk sensibilities and strong narrative songs as an antidote to the clinically pristine and tightly marketed crooners we are served up on a daily basis via TV ads between Soaps.
Choosing a selection of songs from 'Upstate Songs' including Nina Simone's "My Baby Just Cares For Me" and Devon's own "Come Comet or Dove", and a couple from her recent 'Keep Your Silver Shined' album, "1340 Chesapeake Street" and the excellent "Old Virginia Block" as well as the superb title track, Devon went on to perform a couple of new as yet unreleased songs "A Picture of us in the Garden" and "Date Drive to Food Lion", during her set, proving that her fluency in offbeat themes and song structures is almost limitless.
Devon appears completely at ease with her surroundings and stands bolt upright behind her vintage 1954 ES125 Gibson - 'as old as my dad' she quips - as she conveys her emotive songs to this Sheffield audience. There's a moment towards the end of "A Picture of us in the Garden" where Devon stares into the spotlights above, completely immersed in song, humming the final coda, where she is completely in that place, totally unaware of her current environment. Devon's relaxed approach to singing, which comes over as uncomplicated, unpretentious and completely natural, makes you the audience equally relaxed.
The 'duet' set that concluded tonight's Boardwalk appearance included Megan Huddleston's uncompromising "The Things You Do", Jeff Romano's "Lucinda" and a pretty impressive instrumental guitar duet celebrating the couple's visit to Liverpool earlier in the day with The Beatles' "The Night Before" as well as a couple of Paul and Devon's celebrated and timely Valentine Duets, Dave van Ronk's arrangement of "Green Rocky Road" and the Hank Williams classic "Honky Tonkin", available for all as free downloads on their websites, crucial listening for those who have yet to discover Devon and Paul.
All in all, spectacularly good.
Allan Wilkinson
Playing a solo support spot to Rachel Unthank and the Winterset at the Drill Hall in Lincoln, Devon captivated the audience with a handful of memorable songs, delivered in her offbeat and delightful quirky fashion. I am reminded of a pre-MacColl Peggy Seeger, the way Ewan MacColl once described her, as a young American college girl on foreign shores with worn out plimsolls and filthy neck that hasn't been washed in weeks. The waif-like Sproule is neither American nor does she possess a filthy neck, but she certainly has that youthful charisma and a stage presence that immediately captivates you, as Seeger must have had in the Fifties.
Almost totally obscured by her guitar, Devon sang a handful of what I like to refer to as 'story songs', songs that have a tale to tell. Like Gillian Welch before her, Devon comes across as something of a throw back to simpler times. Her Virginia roots come over much clearer than her actual Canadian roots, where she was born.
Opening with "Plea For A Good Night's Rest" from her 'Upstate Songs' album, lightly brushing her fingers against the strings of her vintage guitar, the 'love of her life after her husband' she tells us, the audience is hushed to complete silence. It has been a long time since I have been instantly drawn in, usually it takes three of four songs, but tonight it was instant. Where's the T Shirt stand?
"Julie", a song from the Found Magazine project, could quite easily have been written by Nanci Griffith and wouldn't have been out of place on the 'Last of the True Believers' album. It is that sort of story telling that we were presented with in the wake of the 'New Country' giants of the late Eighties, but with an updated 'Kooky' edge. ('Kooky' is Becky Unthank's description I hasten to add.)
With a nod to fellow Canadian Neil Young (to include a tribute to either Mitchell, Cohen, Young or a McGarrigle or two appears to be practically a national duty according to Sproule) "Don't Let It Bring You Down" is given the inimitable Sproule treatment.
Finishing with "Old Virginia Block", from her second and much praised album 'Keep Your Silver Shined', the song should probably have fallen flat on it's face without the support of the full band, and in particular the double bass slapping of Randall Pharr and the flirty fiddling of Morwenna Lasko, but it once again comes down to the jewel that is the stripped down basic song. In the hands of such an inspiring performer as Devon Sproule, it works equally as well without all the trimmings.
The fact that Devon will be back stateside this weekend is particularly frustrating as I would have been keen to catch her once again. Ah well, maybe next year. Are you awake Cambridge?
Allan Wilkinson
Jackie Leven at the Rock, Maltby - February 29th 2008
Jackie Leven abandoned the conventional approach to showbiz by refusing to go through the 'ridiculous' process of doing an encore at The Rock in Maltby tonight, announcing instead that this was going to be his last song, pointing out that we had all 'done a good job' and then thanked the audience for their part in what was essentially a 'good ritual'. 'Sure it's about entertainment' he added, 'but it's also a good ritual'. I know what he means. As an audience member, my personal opinion is that if we have to go through the tiresome encore ritual, then we should only demand one if it is truly deserved. Judging by tonight's performance, we should really be demanding encores from Jackie Leven until a week next Thursday at least.
Cerys Matthews - Live at The Blake Theatre, Monmouth 22/02/08
Looking like the front cover of a sixties Vogue magazine, Cerys Matthews strode confidently onto the Monmouth stage last night, dressed in a white frock coat with big collars and buttons, a black polo neck, white trousers and black knee high boots.
Peatbog Faeries - Live at Dingwalls, Camden - Thursday 30th April
The Peatbog Faeries - Live at The ABC 26/01/08
Various Artists – An American Tradition
Cool Mandolin Company, No Number
www.coolmandolin.com
Playing Time – 57:28
Celtic Fiddle Festival - Equinoxe (Loftus Music LM003)
www.loftusmusic.com
Skilda – Live At Knockengorroch (Loz60)
At first I wasn’t sure whether to review this album due to the fact that it was (what appeared to be) a demo recording. But then, once I put it on, I couldn’t put it down. Opening with a rip roaring high-hat and raunchy guitar riff joined by highland pipes “Glenan Blue” it then drifts into something you might expect from a recording by Bjork. It’s a crude but attention-grabbing use of audio experimentation that leaves the listener in no doubt that this is a band that means business.
Skilda – Spas (L’oz Productions LOZ 52)
Skilda certainly know how to catch your attention right from the outset. Although I’m not entirely sure about the spoken introduction to the recording the first track “An nighean dubh” sounds like a mix between Jean Michael Jarre, Capercaillie and even, dare I say it…Buggles (!) Still, after you get over the initial shock be prepared for a ride that proves exhilarating and confusing in equal measures. At least Skilda couldn’t be accused of resting on their laurels utilising as they do soundscapes as a background accompaniment to their intentionally Celtic themes. I gave up on trying to decipher any lyrics (an instant aversion I’m afraid to the Gaelic language – OK, so call me a Philistine) but must admit to thoroughly enjoying the energy in much the way I used to look forward to buying all of Enigma’s albums. The keyboard rich sound combined with fiddle and Highland Pipes propels a sense of syncopated urgency on the track “Clach Mhic Leoid” that would have a whole tent of ‘Moshers’ bopping away at Glastonbury Festival…and rightly so. So, put on your dancing shoes, scatter a ton of Lager cans (preferably ones that you’ve drunk from first) on your living room floor and boogie on down like a dancing dervish.
www.skilda.com
Michael McGoldrick - Aurora
Aurora - the eagerly anticipated fourth album from Michael McGoldrick was launched last week at Celtic Connections. Aptly named, for like the northern lights this album has been a long time in the making. Produced once more by Donald Shaw, it seems to be a natural successor to Wired, following on in that world/jazz/celtic/fusion genre that McGoldrick has made his own.
Michael McGoldrick Trio - Live at The Irish Cultural Centre 9/02/08
Michael McGoldrick Big Band at The Old Fruitmarket 25/01/08
Kris Drever - 'Mark The Hard Earth'
Kris Drever- Classic Album at the Old Fruitmarket 25/01/08
Artist: Ruth Notman
Venue: Drill Hall
Town: Lincoln
Date: 23/10/08
Website: www.myspace.com/ruthnotman1
I arrived at the Drill Hall in Lincoln earlier than expected, having negotiated a traffic-free A57, just about all the way. Sitting in the Armoury Cafe Bar, waiting to grab a coffee, still seething after having to pay twice in the 24 hour car park next door due to a mixture of bad eyesight and poor lighting (note to self: press the yellow button first for night parking you fool), I was privileged to hear some sweet piano tunes filtering through from the main hall. Ah, I thought, that would be young Ruth Notman in there, giving the soundman an easy job tonight no doubt.
Ruth Notman - Live at the Regent, Doncaster 11th February 2008
At just nineteen, Ruth Notman brings something to the stage that probably ninety-nine-point-nine per cent of folk singers would love to bring to their stage; that is, fresh faced youth. She speaks of A levels and examinations with youthful candour, not as if it were just yesterday, but as if she was still in the middle of them. Ruth's scatterbrain affectations could come across as giddiness, were it not for her bright and breezy personality. It actually comes across as unbridled charm. You would have to be made of ice not to love this Nottingham lass.
www.ruth-notman.com
Martin Carthy - Live at the Regent, Doncaster, South Yorkshire January 28th 2008
The one sure way of filling a back pub room, or in this case a hotel function room, where local enthusiasts work hard to stage music nights, sometimes at their own expense, is to every now and then invite someone of the stature of Martin Carthy to help put bums on seats. This wasn't the best night at this club by any stretch of the imagination, but it was the fullest it's ever been for Bob Chiswick's Monday Music Club, and that in itself is a good thing.
Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill – Welcome Here Again (Green Linnet Records 1233)
Now I know that there are as many fiddle players who are for but also as many who are against the performances of Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill. Those who are against the duo’s almost clinical, stately approach feel the music is taken at too slow a pace to enjoy and although I’d usually agree with that statement it is the obvious attention to detail and sheer musicality that makes this recording a joy to listen to. It’s an exquisite album full of delicate nuances and for those musicians who want to ‘play along’ I couldn’t recommend it more highly. From the general publics perspective if you have the slightest interest in ‘art for art’s sake’ this would be the equivalent of witnessing say…OK, I know it’s a cliché…a Picasso for the first time…it may take more than a casual glance but the beauty starts to show through on the second or even third rendering. This soulful and ultimately, involving recording should be required listening and filed under ‘artistic’ folk.
www.martinhayes.com
Jarlath Henderson & Ross Ainslie - "Partners In Crime" (Vertical Records VERTCD085)
The co-joining of Uilleann piper Jarlath Henderson and Scottish piper Ross Ainslie provides the listener with one of those rare moments that requires a good malt to sit and relax with. None more so than on the tracks “Jenna Drever Of Kirkwall” segueing into “Absynthe Makes The Heart Grow Fonder”. Both of these melodies utilise low whistles and the melancholy feel generated by the neat key changes alternating from major to minor will, I’m sure, be heard at many a good session. As expected, the duo are also capable of cranking the speeds up with some flashy displays of harmonic sparring including the grand opening track “Old Bush/Jolly Tinker/Richard Dwyer’s”.
With youth very much on their side Ross and Jarlath have plenty of time to establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with.
Ross Ainslie and Jarlath Henderson - Partners in Crime
The Queensberry Rules – Landlocked (Fellside Recordings FECD210)
Let’s get the clichés out of the way by saying that this band really know how to belt out a song! Starting with the rallying call “I Still Believe In England” in much the same way the Oyster Band stir your patriotic juices The Queensberry Rules (Gary & Duncan Wilcox and Phil Hulse) prove a vocally strident outfit and I can just imagine the audience at somewhere like Sidmouth Festival all punching the air joining in the chorus. In fact, anthemic themes appear to run throughout the trio’s repertoire including their tribute “The Minnie Pit Disaster” which is very much in the mould of the miner’s songwriter Tommy Armstrong. Although I know how infuriating it can be, I’d tend to agree with the accompanying press release that the band are very much following in the footsteps of Lindisfarne, The Waterboys and may I suggest even The Sawdoctors at times. Including a couple of traditional tracks “Dol-li-a” and “High Germany” the lads are sure to appeal to the mainly ‘roots’ based audience they are aiming at and to be perfectly honest – I’m pleased as punch for them.
Teddy Taylor - Live at The Fibbers, York 22/01/08
It seems to have come round full circle now for Teddy Thompson, having returned
to his original passion, Country Music. It's hard to imagine a young English kid
of famed parentage living in a Sufi commune listening to George Jones, but that
is apparently what happened. Teddy actually says he hadn't heard anything
recorded after 1959 until he was 16, and I am struggling to imagine that. If
only I hadn't been exposed to The Monkees when I was ten, things could've been
so much better now.
Moving Hearts – Live In Dublin CD & DVD (Rubyworks RWXCD60/RWXDVD60)
Well, you didn’t expect me to write a bad review of this recording did you? For those of us lucky enough to have seen Moving Hearts first time round can count ourselves privileged that we were witness to one of the most ground breaking musical experiences of our lives. This melting pot of jazz crossed with traditional melodies provides an adrenalin rush of super-charged ‘folk’ that could make a dead man dance. Even on the slower paced numbers such as “The Titanic” and the evocative “Finore” your senses will feel refreshed like having just walked out of an exhilarating shower. The mellow tones of the sax on “Tribute To Peadar O’Donnell” segue beautifully into the upbeat mood of “Category” featuring Davy Spillane’s searing Uillean Pipes…sheer class! There’s something almost classical in the Hearts approach to their arrangements as you’ll pick up on from the accompanying DVD with not a note out of place or inappropriately positioned tone texture and the power with which they propel themselves at their audience is nothing if not astonishing.
Musicians who can stir other musicians own creative juices this keenly are few and far between but if you’re looking to broaden your horizons you’ve come to the right place. A musical tour de force that everyone can enjoy…even if you say you don’t like folk!
www.movinghearts.ie
Ivor & Kevan Bundell - Stood on the Shore 2007 
Singer–songwriter duo Ivor and Kevan Bundell describe their music as ‘Contemporary, original and English Folk/Roots’, and their second album, “Stood on the Shore” is indeed steeped in Englishness. It explores the roots of English identity and values, through history both local and national and with rich reference to literature and to personal experience. However, their music invokes a green and a people’s England that is quite distinct from what has been called “Red-White-and-Blue Britain”.
December 2007
Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain - Precious Little (Own Label CD25A)/Anarchy In The Ukulele (Own Label DVD)
In the tradition of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and Bob Kerr’s Whoopee Band the Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain’s surreal approach to their music gives them a licence to thrill (and amuse). Let’s face it…who in their right mind would produce an album with tracks as diverse as “Finlandia”, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, “Tiptoe Through The Tulips” and the “Theme From Shaft”? Suppend your disbelief a little further when I say that each of the members of the eight-piece orchestra are as talented live as they are on record. The DVD provides the visual delights of a highly enjoyable concert at no less than the Barbican Theatre in London. Starting with “The Devil’s Gallop” (think Keystone Cops!) and a unique Russian spin on “Leaning On A Lampost” and you get some idea of where the group are coming from. If I’ve caught your imagination with the mere mention of some of these gems then I’ve done my job and you’ll rush out and buy the CD and DVD.
Happy Christmas one and all.
www.ukuleleorchestra.com
Catriona MacDonald - Over The Moon (Peerie Angel PAP002CD)
Five years on from her debut solo recording and Catriona MacDonald has emerged as a fiddle player of great beauty and integrity. In company with David Milligan (piano), Conrad Ivitsky (double bass) and James Mackintosh (percussion) the traditional leanings of her Shetland upbringing and own tune writing merge seamlessly with the jazz accompaniment which is exhilarating. Somewhere, way back when I was in junior school (I’m 50 now so you figure it out) I fondly remember listening to Scottish fiddle music accompanied by strident piano jazz chords so in many ways things haven’t moved that much further it’s just they’ve become more contemporary (listener friendly) and in the hands of these four musicians they’ve re-awakened my desire to concentrate on my own performance. Favourite tracks?...There’s not one as they’re all as good as each other. Anything that can revitalize my somewhat jaded ears can only be seen as a positive thing and you’ll find this is one of the recordings that you’ll sit down, soak up the sounds and wake up with a broad grin on your face.
www.catrionamacdonald.com
Emily Smith & Jamie McClennan - 'Adoon Winding Nith' 
Released to coincide with the celebrations in 2009 of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Scotland's national bard, Robert Burns, Emily and Jamie offer a collection of songs that shine with utmost clarity. At the root of this is almost certainly Emily's flawlessly beautiful voice, and coupled with the animated and uncluttered arrangements fashioned by the duo, Adoon Winding Nith makes for an enjoyable and engaging recording. A steady depth is provided by the double bass of Duncan Lyall, but all the other instruments are played by Emily and Jamie themselves. Predominantly, this involves the punchy rhythms of Jamie's guitar and the unconstrained fervour of his fiddle, whilst Emily plays the accordion with her customary seamless ease.
Venue: NCEM
Town: York
Date: 25/11/08
Website: http://www.emilysmith.org
It's exactly one year since I first encountered Emily Smith in a small music club in Doncaster, where she played a couple of sets with her husband Jamie McClennan, providing us with what I always thought to be a complete unit, with guitar, accordion, fiddle and piano, as well as one astonishingly good voice and a perfectly complimentary harmony voice to go with it. Tonight at the NCEM, Emily and Jamie expanded upon that complete unit with the inclusion of Kevin McGuire on double bass and Russ Milligan on guitar and banjo and now I'm convinced we have a perfectly rounded, new and improved, complete unit.
Emily Smith at the Regent, Doncaster, Monday 26th November
It's not often I get to start a review with the sentence 'fresh from Songs of Praise', but Emily Smith and Jamie McLennan's last public appearance before setting out for Walthamstowe Folk Club last night, was indeed on the long running Sunday evening God-slot prog, singing "Jesus Draw Me" in a church, with full band, especially for St Andrew's Day. Tonight, the duo came to Doncaster on a cold November evening to play a couple of delightful sets at the equally celestial Bob's Monday Music Club at The Regent.
www.emilysmith.org
BLAZIN’ FIDDLES – Live (BRCD2007)
Where’s the DVD?
Pete Fyfe
Peter Rowan at the Rock, Maltby - November 23rd
If Peter Rowan seemed a little subdued at the Rock tonight, the blame could be directed towards one or either of the following; it had something to do with him being in the middle of a UK tour during the current British November chill, or more likely, it quite possibly had something to do with the almost comatose audience. Normally a Peter Rowan gig throws the entire room into a frenzy of rowdy choruses of "Panama Red" or "Free Mexican Airforce", but tonight, it wasn't to be, even though it was a full house.
Boldwood – Feet, Don’t Fail Me Now (Hobgoblin Records HOBCD 1006)
www.boldwood.co.uk
Anna Elias & the Forlorn Hope
When You're Gone EP 
After the break up of Leeds-based indie-acoustic band Bodixa, singer Anna Elias has put together a new outfit who are currently preparing to make 2008 their year. Being no stranger to recording or playing before large audiences, most notably Glastonbury Festival in 2005, the future looks exciting rather than daunting for Anna and her band. With a new album due for release next summer, together with some live gigs and festivals culminating in a headlining tour, the band has released this EP as a taster for what is to follow. Each of the three songs included on this release are delicate reflections on themes of love, loneliness and hope (but hopefully not too forlorn). There's something dreamy about the arrangements, but with the magical combination of guitars (Harvey Elias and Nic Vocaturo), cello (Colin Dunkley) and double bass (Jeremy Vocaturo), together with a delicately breathy voice, it's hardly surprising.
Allan Wilkinson
Rosie Doonan - Rosie Doonan at the Regent, Doncaster 3rd December 2007
What Rosie Doonan did in 45 minutes at Bob's Music Club tonight was something that many performers curiously avoid, and that is to fill the room with space. It wasn't only what she put into the performance; it was what she left out that made all the difference. There was no pointless strumming in 4/4 time, no obtrusive piano chords, and not one unnecessary syllable uttered. It was, for all intents and purposes, the perfect gig. Yes, we would have liked longer, but isn't this what makes us want to come back for more?
Isn't this why we buy the CD to take home?
These are rhetorical questions by the way.
Rosie Doonan ’Moving On’
Rosie Doonan appears to be a somewhat unsettled figure at the moment; seeking out, with no perceivable comfort zone in her sights, the ideal setting for her own songs and her own distinctive voice. Experimenting with styles is a risky business and Rosie goes at it with all guns blazing. The excellent 'Mill Lane' album of 2004 which she made with erstwhile partner Ben Murray, leaned more towards the roots that the Doonan name has always been associated with, that of good traditional material seamlessly mixed with originals and thoughtful covers. 'Moving On' showcases Rosie's song writing credentials much more clearly and defines her as an artist in her own right. With eleven self-penned songs of startling quality, she finds that she has indeed moved on.
We can't stay here too long, I'm too weak to hang on"
Noel Murphy – The Quality Of Murphy (The Murf Label MURF001)
‘Murf’ never asked if I’d contribute a write-up for his latest album but I’m going to do one anyway. OK, some of you might accuse me of nepotism as I personally performed with the affable Irishman for about ten years but many of those gigs have provided me with more anecdotes than anyone is likely to achieve in lifetime. Spanning an incredible 42 years, amongst the many musical associates featured on this recording Noel managed to entice…with bribes of liquid refreshment no doubt…Davy Johnstone (the legendary ‘Shaggis’ and ever since Elton John’s musical director!), Alun Davies (Cat Stevens guitarist) and even a trio version of The Strawbs. The album (a double-disc) features many of Noel’s most requested songs including “The Bricks”, “The Folker”, “From Clare To Here” and “Meet On The Ledge” and, like the performances themselves they always sound ragged but right. With no chronology to the track listing (order never was Noel’s strong point) I’m working my way through the entire CD finding everything increasingly nostalgic. The humorous banter and atmosphere of smoke filled back room bars will put the listener in mind of venues your mother never intended you to visit and the melodies which never sounded quite the way you originally remembered them are given that famous Murphy spin. A quote from the working class millionaire himself Richard Digance just about sums up all of the thoughts of those of us that have joined Murphy on stage at one time or another…“Noel is someone I could listen to all night - and frequently have to!” By the way…have I told you the one about Dennis Waterman & Les Dawson at The Winning Post…how much time have you got?
You can purchase copies of the CD direct from Noel Murphy, P O Box 57, Helston, Cornwall. The cost is £16.00 (inc P&P)
Cheques payable to: N Murphy.
Website: www.martin-kingsbury.co.uk/noel
Artist: Megson
Venue: The Regent
Town: Doncaster
Date: 05/11/07
Website: http://www.megsonmusic.co.uk
Bob Chiswick continues to bring both new (or should that be 'nu'?) as well as more established acoustic acts to the Regent and tonight was an especially inspired choice. Megsons' reputation has been steadily growing over the last couple of years, with help coming from the likes of Seth Lakeman, Bob Fox and Karine Polwart, for whom they have provided support on their respective tours and appearances. In all fairness though, establishing that reputation really comes down to the fact that they are so thoroughly brilliant.
Eileen Ivers – An Nollaig - An Irish Christmas (Compass Records 744672) 
Ever since I became the lead soprano in my early school days I’ve always looked forward to Christmas. Not so much for the opening of presents but more for the carols. Therefore I now look forward even more to Christmas coming early with the release of a plethora of Christmas songs and melodies by many diverse artists such as Diana Krall and Alice Cooper (OK, that’s wishful thinking on my part) or this offering from the diva of the fiddle Eileen Ivers. I was expecting great things and, indeed there are some real gems here including an ‘Irish’ take on “Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring” although, personally I could have done without the choir and sounds uncannily like something Peter Knight of Steeleye Span would have dreamt up. The reel injected “Do You Hear What I Hear” would have Bing Crosby and David Bowie wondering what all that was about – now there’s a thing and although not every track hits the mark if you enjoy your carols and Christmas songs driven along by some truly inspired fiddling then this will be the album for you.
Contact: www.eileenivers.com
VARIOUS ARTISTS – Morris On The Road/Great Grandson Of Morris On/The Mother Of All Morris (Talking Elephant TECD083/TECD062/TECD118)
In 1972 Ashley Hutchings unleashed Morris On on an unsuspecting audience whose introduction to the folk-world had generally been via Celtic influences such as folk-rock stalwarts Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention. Since then of course we have come to know and love the quirky nature of these very British dance tunes. The near legendary line-ups of the Morris On ‘band’ over the years have now comfortably settled with the trio of Hutchings on bass, Simon Care (melodeon) and Ken Nicol (guitars) with 2005 seeing the release of Morris On The Road and Great Grandson Of Morris On. These particular albums re-visit many past glories including “Shepherd’s Hey”, “Nutting Girl” and “Princess Royal” so you would imagine by now that most of the ‘good’ traditional Morris tunes had just about run their course. Not so I’m pleased to report as various Morris styles including Abbots Bromley Horn Dance and the Minehead Hobby Horse swell the ranks of the more established Bampton and Bledington traditions. According to the sleevenotes of The Mother Of All Morris this could be Ashley’s swan-song for the band and, indeed if this is the case then he has left the English ‘folk’ scene with one of the most colourful and lasting portraits of our traditional heritage. With a legacy that hopefully will continue for many years to come, accompanying tracks by artists the calibre of the Sultans Of Sqeeze, The Gloworms and Jim Moray and contemporary tune additions from Chris Leslie and Ric Sanders amongst others these recording are all must have purchases for any self-respecting follower of ‘folk’.
Contact: www.talkingelephant.com
Capercaillie - Roses and Tears (Vertical Records VERTCD084)
Opening with the gently propelled groove of “Him Bo” this album will see the band’s regular supporters (whilst hopefully gaining a new legion of fans) soaking up the unmistakeable ‘Capercaillie’ sound. Once again rightfully taking her place as Scotland’s first lady of Gaelic/English song, I beggar anyone not to be moved by Karen Matheson’s awesome interpretation of John Martyn’s powerful anti-war ballad “Don’t You Go”. The same could be said for Donald Shaw’s thought provoking “Soldier Boy” which also provides the album with it’s title. The statement in both songs is evocatively understated by the rest of this artful bunch of musicians; Michael McGoldrick, Charlie McKerron, Manus Lunny, Ewen Vernal, Che Beresford and David Robertson. With splashes of musical decoration including harmony fiddle and uilleann pipes or the attacking triplets of the accordion, the recording will entrance you from beginning to end. OK, so there’s no super turbo-charged sets of tunes though they’re well capable of cranking up the speeds, the band settle into feel-good grooves such as the “Quimper Waltz” and the more traditional set-piece “The Aphrodisiac”. There are many reasons to applaud this recording not least for the outstanding quality of the production and dare I say that this is probably my favourite Capercaillie recording to date!
www.capercaillie.co.uk
Capercaillie - Live at The Old Fruitmarket 2/02/08
Capercaillie- The Pogues with emotion!
Live at Cadogan Hall London November 30th 2007
After a short interval it was Capercaillie turn. It's been a bit of a strange disjointed tour, due to other commitments by band members, although it's probably no mean feat in itself to get all eight Capers on stage together at the best of times. Add to this illness and Karen's throat infection, and Liverpool, Manchester and Brighton dates have all fallen by the wayside.
Capercaillie- Live at Charter Hall, Smarden nr Ashford, Kent - 26th October 2007
A moving heartfelt song with quite beautiful accompaniment by Donald and Michael.
Capercaillie - Live - Birmingham Town Hall, 27th October 2007
Third gig was Capercaillie, this time at the newly refurbished Birmingham Town Hall.
Awful and brilliant are the first two words that I'd use to describe this gig, and they go hand in hand to describe the venue and the atmosphere. Birmingham Town Hall is lovely. New and shiny, lots of staff, beautiful original features preserved and new essential ones [like disabled facilities] added. The lighting was fantastically atmospheric, the sound crystal clear, each instrument easily identified [thanks to Cammy's skill] and contributing to form a united band. But the venue was almost half empty and the seats at the front were too close to the stage, leaving you with that 'too close at the cinema' feeling. As a consequence the audience seemed flat, with little enthusiasm, and even less in the way of expressive whoops and claps.
The band seemed more formal and less relaxed than the day before, though very smart in striped shirts. Karen seemed brighter [though the next day she cancelled her York appearance] but Michael seemed more jetlagged, having returned from a month in Australia with Sharon Shannon's Renegade. The set list was similar to Smarden; new songs included one by John Martyn about going to war, a puirt a beul that the lads joined in with, and a Gaelic ballad.
I feel perhaps it was a spiral of events, each one begun as a result of the one before, that lead to this being so flat. Was it the audience? Were the audience different because of the venue? Were the band different because of the audience or the venue? Someone said to me that it was the age of the audience -probably about forty; the band needs younger fans. Sadly all the time they play middle aged venues like Birmingham they're going to get middle aged fans. Such a shame, and such a contrast to the night before.
Artist: Rab Noakes
Venue: The Regent
Town: Doncaster
Date: 15/10/07
Website: http://www.rabnoakes.com/rabnoakes.htm
Rab Noakes' contribution to music over the last four decades has been remarkable to say the least. Mention of Leiber and Stoller, Terry Melcher, Ringo Starr, Lindisfarne, Stealer's Wheel, Barbara Dickson and Gerry Rafferty from the past and more recently Karine Polwart from the present, you start to picture a very colourful and interesting musical background indeed.
I'll have to flick the dust off the needle first,
But it still won't be all that clear..
This time"
Sheelanagig - Baba Yaga's Ball
There are certainly no 'fillers' on this album and nothing included would produce anything less than at least a compulsion to stomp your feet in a festival tent which you should expect to see them featured frequently over the next few years. 'Baba Yaga's Ball' takes you on a journey commencing from traditional tune 'All over the Floor' through to a composed Western Swing influenced track (Soup with a Fork), through to their more usual 'celtic' and Gypsy tunes and then to the East with the Balkan influences emerging through the innovative and energetic 'Al Fresco's Love Temple Waltz' (incidentally the names of some of the composed material would almost be enough to recommend the album!), all of which should give you an idea of the inlfuences this quintet have bought to bear on this recording, all of which they deliver with gusto and energy.
Speaking personally this fine collection of tunes will not be moving far from my personal playlist for the foreseeable future... and I look forward to seeing the live act in a field somewhere, someplace in 2008......
DIXIE BEE-LINERS – Self-Titled
www.dixiebeeliners.com
Playing Time – 28:59
Jim Lauderdale - The Bluegrass Diaries
www.yeproc.com
Playing Time - 35:51
'To Wake The King' by Secret Green
Secret Garden – Earthsongs (Universal 986 940-1)
www.secretgarden.no
The Imagined Village – Empire & Love (ECC Records ECC002)
To the opening strains of Sheema Mukerjhee’s sitar joined by Mr Carthy’s trademark guitar the Imagined Village cross fertilisation of different cultures continues apace with a clever re-interpretation of the ballad “My Son John” utilising a more chilling, modern ‘take’ on the song’s powerful anti-war stance. Building to a suitably dramatic finale of pounding rhythms and electronica the band in full flow prove a powerful force to be reckoned with. And this is only the first track of what turns out to be an innovative and exciting album.
Various Artists – The Imagined Village (EMI/Realworld)
www.imaginedvillage.com
Artists: Martin Simpson & Friends
Venue: The Spiegeltent
Town: Rotherham
Date: 16/09/07
Website: http://www.rotherhamculture.org/
There is at the moment a strange exotic Baroque construction right in the heart of Rotherham town centre, standing in the shadow of the imposing Minster. The sight of this strange pavilion has been attracting curious onlookers, both young and old alike throughout the week, and this evening there are sublime sounds coming from within. Sitting on one of the benches in All Saints Square, whilst munching away on a rather tasty Subway sandwich and inadvertently attracting a couple of local pigeons, I feel like I am the only person on earth who has the pleasure of hearing these perfectly harmonious voices, coming not from the Minster itself, as part of a Sunday evenings' service, but from within this strange temporary construction before me. 'What is it?' enquire the pigeons. Why it's the Idolize Spiegeltent I reply. 'And what's that sound?' Ah, now that would be messers Coope, Boyes and Simpson, sound checking for what could turn out to be one of the highlights of this years folk calendar.
PIG’S EAR – Salted (pig004)/A Silk Purse (pig005)/The Whole Hog (pig006)/Choice Company (pig007)/A Cracklin’ Good Christmas (pig009)
For more details contact http://homepage.mac.com/pigsear
Artist:Nancy Kerr and James Fagan
Venue:The Rock
Town: Maltby
Date:05/10/07
Website: http://www.kerrfagan.com
Believe it or not, Nancy Kerr and James Fagan have been working together as a duo on the folk scene for twelve years now and in that time they have managed to make several albums, walk away with the Horizon Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2003, tour extensively throughout the world and make plenty of friends along the way. And if that wasn't enough, they have found time to make what we all believed to be a 'marriage made in heaven' become a reality by tying the knot to become hubby and wife for real and as they say, 'jobs a good 'un'.
Artist: Norma Waterson, Martin Carthy and Chris Parkinson
Venue: NCEM
Town: York
Date: 10/03/09
Website: http://www.watersoncarthy.com
Widely considered the mum and dad of the English folk revival, Norma Waterson and Martin Carthy have recently reached that momentous and delightful right of passage, that of becoming grandparents. I spoke to Martin in the interval this evening who promptly drew a circle with his index finger over the general area of his left pec and confessed that he had 'a very special place right here' for little Florence Daisy. I don't really know Carthy personally at all, even though I did kick young Liam out of his bed one night in order to make way for a 1980s version of Martin Carthy, after a gig in Doncaster, who kept me up half the night to watch his favourite film 'Blade Runner'. Can you imagine that, Martin Carthy and Harrison Ford in the same room? I digress.
Martin Carthy, Chris Parkinson and Mike Waterson, St Stephen's Church, Robin Hood's Bay, 1st August 2007
Artist: Becky Mills & Patsy Matheson
Venue: Bob Chiswick's Monday Music Club (The Regent)
Town: Doncaster
Date: 10/09/07
Website: http://www.wakingthewitch.co.uk/
Shona Kipling & Damien O'Kane – Box On (Focal Music FMCD02)
OK so enough of the clichés already but this is a recording that seriously delivers what it says on the cover. You’re left in no doubt that Shona (piano accordion) and Damien (guitar and tenor banjo) have not only utilised their instruments full potential they have worked out how to exploit them in the context of a duo brilliantly. So, no shrinking violets here then. I haven’t been this excited by a duo since I heard Boden & Spiers and before them Fox & Luckley. Both Kipling and O’Kane have that essential powerhouse energy to make every track a winner and I can’t wait to see them live for, if they can pull off the flashy triplet triggered “Flighty Girls” dead stop into “7/8 Tune” then we’ve found the new Phil and Johnny Cunningham such is their intuitive connection with each other. From reading the sleeve notes I detect a few names that both Shona and Damien acknowledge as inspirational including Karen Tweed, Martin Matthews (ex Champion String Band) and Alistair Anderson among them well, I’d go so far in saying that I feel that this dynamic duo will soon be as inspirational to a new wave of youngsters themselves. Without sounding in the least bit jealous I’d like to point out that Damien plays a Phil Davidson tenor banjo (surely the finest maker of these fine instruments on the planet) and the use of photographer and designer David Angel in bringing out ‘the attitude’ is a visual tour de force. Ten out of ten…on second thoughts let’s make it a resounding 11 (!) according to the mighty Spinal Tap.
Artist: Steve Tilston (and Liz Ryder)
Venue: The Regent
Town: Doncaster
Date: 29/10/07
Although it was essentially a Steve Tilston gig at Bob Chiswick's Monday Music Club tonight, I couldn't help feeling like I had attended a double bill. Even with just a five song contribution as tonight's support, Liz Ryder captivated the audience, the organisers, this reviewer, and I dare say Steve himself with her gentle and delicate songs.
Opening with "Skyline", a song familiar to those who have either visited her MySpace page or picked up the EP of the same name, Liz went on to play a short set of songs designed to allow us that brief glimpse into her life. Songs like "44th Street" from Liz's second album 'On the Neon Highway' show a maturity of style for someone so young. You almost struggle to connect what you hear with what you see.
Born in Los Angeles in 1981, Liz grew up here in the UK and began writing and performing from an early age. Although she is a multi-instrumentalist, she accompanied herself tonight on just guitar and showed an accomplished flair with both open and standard tunings. Note to self: why do female guitar players who use open tunings never sound flash? Perhaps they don't show off like their male contemporaries!
I was interested to find out what Liz might have heard around the house whilst in either LA or Kidderminster; what her folks had on the Dansette, hoping to reveal an insatiable appetite for Joan Baez, whose voice Liz immediately brings to mind. I was pleasantly surprised when she told me it was more like Cat Stevens and The Beach Boys. Sounds like our house.
Steve Tilston is no stranger to these parts and should, in a perfect world, fill large concert halls. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you see the current acoustic music scene), Steve remains slightly cultish amongst those of us who love songs. There is no better song writer in the UK in my opinion; he just rubs shoulders with a bunch of equals.
This year Steve has been added to the prestigious list of artists to have a Free Reed box set released, joining Sandy Denny, Richard Thompson, Martin Carthy and Swarb (amongst others) to have their career encased in one of those familiar oblong boxes. This has not only been a good move in terms of bringing out previously unreleased material, but also in making Steve return to some of those songs for live performance.
Tonight Steve abandoned some of the songs that have been consistently in his set for years, such as "Here Comes the Night", "Here's to Tom Paine" and even "Slip Jigs and Reels" to make way for some older material such as "In the Light Tonight", more recent songs like "Tottedown" and "Rare Thing" and brand new off the page songs like "Goodbye Madame Muse".
Steve Tilston, like Bert Jansch and Wizz Jones, comes from that very British tradition of folk singer whose beginnings are definitely rooted in the blues. Tonight Steve once again demonstrated those influences in "I Need a Cup of Coffee" and "Big Bill's Been Here and Gone", with more than just a nod towards one of his musical heroes Big Bill Broonzy.
Some of the usual Tilston fare came out once again tonight, although slightly altered since our last exposure to it, "And So It Goes" for instance, with its tongue-in-cheek swipe at our American allies, and casually slipping in Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies" in the middle of "Tsetse Fly Shuffle. Who'da thought? Up to now, one of Erik Satie's three "Gymnopedie" pieces was always a prelude to "Here Comes the Night", but tonight Steve decided just to play the piece in it's entirety, proving once again that if Satie was a 'phonometrician', one who measures and writes down sounds, the Steve is a musician; he just gets on and plays it, however complex.
The song that particularly pricked up my ears tonight was "Over the Next Hill", familiar to Fairport Convention fans as the title song from their 2004 album release. It's always a treat when you hear a familiar song, performed by its author, even if it's sometimes not quite as good as the cover versions you hear. Townes Van Zandt springs to mind. In Steve Tilston's case though, the author version is always infinitely more superior.
Steve Tilson - Live at the Rock
Fresh from his three week tour of American festivals, Steve Tilston was playing at The Rock tonight, so I popped over to catch his set. Free Reed have finally got around to compiling Steve's box set, in the manner of the Carthy Chronicles (Martin Carthy), Swarb (Dave Swarbrick), RT (Richard Thompson) and A Boxful of Treasures (Sandy). Steve's collection is called Reaching Back and as the title suggests, we have, packed away in an attractive rectangular box, no less than five cds, containing an overview of his long career, reaching back to the early Seventies, following one of this countries' master song writers. If there was a blueprint of the songwriter I aspire to be, then Tilston's yer man.
Bearing this in mind, I went along to see if he was going to plunder the depths of his repertoire and resurrect some old songs featured in the box set. Steve showed me the box and I was pleased to discover I only have 38 of the 85 recordings on there, quite a few of the songs have been either re-recorded, or the compiler has chosen live recordings, demos or alternative takes as well as a few of Steve's songs performed by others, such as Robin Williamson, Ralph McTell and Wizz Jones.
Tonight Steve was in a playful mood and swapped and changed a few of his arrangements around, even coming up with new lyrics for And So It Goes, replacing 'You could be a General sat upon your horse' for 'you could be a President in you White House.' Perhaps three weeks in the States has served to feed Steve's political consciousness, and who could blame him? As well as the familiar Tilston fare, Here Comes The Night, Slip Jigs and Reels and Living With The Blues, Steve threw in a couple of standards such as Irvin Berlin's Blue Skies, cleverly segueing into Tsetse Fly Shuffle and as an encore Smoke Gets In Your Eyes of all things. I like it when a performer introduces something as 'one of the best love songs ever written' followed by a standard such as this; it makes you re-evaluate the song as a song and not as a classic Fifties pop tune.
One or two new songs emerged tonight such as the delightful Goodbye Madame Muse, a song about the painful difficulties of writer's block or maybe just the simple lack of inspiration, it happens to the best of us. Sadly, I didn't have the forty quid for the box set tonight, but I'll be dropping hints around the house nearer to Christmas.
MISTY RIVER – Stories
http://www.mistyriverband.com
Email: carol@mistyriverband.com OR info@mistyriverband.com
Playing Time – 48:53
Roger Davies – The Busker (Own Label, no catalogue number)
This latest (and long-awaited third) full-length CD from Brighouse’s finest is arguably his own finest too. As is often the case with the best art, Roger’s is itself something of a paradox, in that the easy charm of his personality, his innate unpretentiousness and the deceptively simple nature of both his songwriting and his own guitar accompaniment should not by rights make such a deep impression as they do. But his is an unmistakable voice within the world of singer-songwriterdom, a true individual with his own sincerely affectionate take on life, allied to an entirely natural talent for communicating this and making you believe there are good things in this world after all – particularly in his own native Yorkshire! Regional pride is not a new thing in art, but rarely has it been so genuinely and persuasively conveyed as in Roger’s heartfelt songs – and, entirely refreshingly, without a trace of tweeness or sentimentality (although, it must be said, the very presence of the famous Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band resplendent with proud warmth on the disc’s opening song, a loving paean to Brighouse On A Saturday Night, which surely hath the power to mist over the eyes of even the most hardened listener). True to the busker ethos, Roger keeps things welcomely unadorned, and (from track two onwards) he’s right there in front of you (a captive audience, if you like) with just his guitar and harmonica, playing only for you, directly and with no distractions.
And while on the subject of craft, just take on board the apparently effortlessness of the unbelievably catchy Into The Sun, which has already been adopted by children at an Elland Primary School who’ve readily embraced its positive message. And hey, I’ve still not singled out the disc’s standout song (amongst many pearls): Peter Brook’s Paintings – Roger’s touching personal tribute to this Pennine landscape painter, a fellow Brighouse resident and personal friend of Roger’s who passed away last November aged 81; sheer magic, deeply inspired and supremely affectionate. Other notable songs here include Joe Dawson, a thoughtful folk-ballad-style creation, and the tender vignette Sunbridge Road. For commendably, Roger’s songs encompass a healthy palette of emotional responses, and the many sidelong glimpses of gentle humour are complemented by the more painfully earthy Ballad Of Knockin’ Nelly (ouch!). The only song on this 11-tracker which I thought a touch superfluous was Beer Belly Blues part 2, a further tongue-twisting litany of local pub names that literally carries on where part 1 left off (having outstayed its welcome at that point – it’s one of those “fine if you hear it a couple of times live, but…” pieces IMHO). But taken as a whole, The Busker sees Roger effortlessly consolidating his deserved reputation as one of God’s Own County’s top songwriters… and if there’s any justice it won’t be long before he gets recognised as a national treasure too!
Roger Davies - Northern Trash
Roger takes his birthright seriously, and there is an abundance of affectionate songs centred around his hometown of Brighouse and surrounding area. Roger's namesake Ray Davies proved once and for all that you can write a song about places with British names and make them just as cool as the Americans; Waterloo Sunset being the definitive example.
Roger's "Huddersfield Town" captures this essence in the same manner but manages to avoid it being just a pastiche of that particular style of writing. "Northern Trash" despite its confrontational title (to a Donny lad that is), still maintains the 'affectionate' aspect of his writing about home. "Raynor Road", "Bradford Girl" and "Little Town" all fit neatly into the canon that is Roger's tribute to his Northern roots.
There's nothing long and drawn out or with any excessive multi chorus's in Roger Davies' songs, they're all pretty short and sweet and to the point. During his two club length sets at Bob Chiswick's Monday Music Club at The Regent, he managed to pack in a total of twenty-three songs of which there were only two covers, Bernard Wrigley's tribute to Dame Nellie Melba (no, not Kate Rusby Mr Harding) in "Knocking Nellie" and a Hugh Moffat song made popular by the late Johnny Cash, "Rose of My Heart". The rest were all his.
I suspect Roger has a wry sense of humour, evident in songs such as "Beer Belly Blues" where he name checks literally dozens of pubs, possibly a Guinness Book of World Records amount of pubs, and all in one song, as he tells of how he gained his beer belly, even though he is a tall slender slip of a lad with hardly 'owt on him.
I went along to see Roger after catching part of a support spot some weeks previous at the same venue and hoped he would sing a couple from his "Northern Trash" cd. He actually sang every song from that album and pretty much everything from his earlier offering "Little Town" as well.
You can't come away disliking Roger Davies. He has a conversational approach to his between song patter which gives a distinct 'boy next door' feel. I wonder if this transpires quite the same south of Watford Gap? I would hope so.
Old Blind Dogs – Four On The Floor (Vertical Records VRTCD083)
The Unthanks - Here's The Tender Coming 
There exists at least one copy of The Bairns that includes all five autographs rather than the customary four. After some arm twisting at the Cambridge Folk Festival in 2008, where the celebrated album was launched, I cockily insisted that the fifth member of the Winterset, Adrian McNally, put his mark right there on the sleeve, which had just been through the hands of Rachel Unthank, Becky Unthank, Niopha Keegan and Belinda O'Hooley respectively. Credit where credit's due. I don’t suppose anyone bothered to get George Martin's signature on Rubber Soul or Revolver, as he was probably seen as just another one of the many 'fifth' Beatles to come pouring out of the woodwork; whether it be to collaborate, promote or play with the Fab Four during their most creative period. I guess it really would have been slightly uncool for Martin to join the rest of the lads as a visible member of the band; what with his carefully groomed side parting and Bromley Grammar School tie, but that’s got more to do with generational aesthetics than music. Adrian McNally on the other hand, actually fits in rather well alongside his wife, his sister-in-law, his good friend Niopha Keegan and his childhood mate Chris Price, who now collectively make up The Unthanks. Testament to this notion is the promo photo that has just been released alongside the new album, which shows an entirely pleasing physically cohesive package.
So now, after an eventful eighteen months, it's onwards and upwards with a new line up, a new sound and a new fresh approach. It's difficult not to think in these terms; that everything achieved so far by the band can be bundled and filed as, for want of a better term, Phase One. The departure of Jackie Oates and Belinda O'Hooley, and the emergence of Niopha Keegan and Stef Connor, was to all intents and purposes part of that same creative time period, resulting in two fine albums, dozens of great gigs and a steadily built reputation as a folk group of sorts, but one doing something slightly left field. Therefore with the departure of Stef, The Unthanks appear to have been forced to have a good hard look at themselves and confront some creative decision making head on. Their first potential problem was how exactly to come up with something that could feasibly follow The Bairns, with a vital ingredient missing.
Rachel, Becky, Adrian, Chris and Niopha
Changes are nothing new to this band and it goes without saying that with change comes a good deal of risk. Whether it was the right time to add two male figures to the once all-female line up remains to be seen, but judging by the musical contribution of the lads, including piano, guitar, bass, ukulele and dulcitone together with various tuned percussion, the evidence on first hearing suggests the decision was spot on.
Dropping the piano motif that opens both previous albums, the band’s third offering 'Here’s the Tender Coming' opens with the distinctive voice of an unaccompanied Becky Unthank, breathing life into an old song, "Because He Was a Bonny Lad", which then morphs seamlessly, with a little help from Rachel and Niopha's intuitive vocal syncopation, into a celestial chorus of vocal pyrotechnics; like a cross between the Beach Boys and the Flying Pickets, as sung by the resident choir of Durham Cathedral. Despite having a reputation for providing the world with some of the bleakest songs since the folk revival began, this opening song is probably one of the most uplifting sounds in the bands' recorded output to date.
No rest for the wickedly melancholic though as 'bleak' comes back almost on cue with "Sad February", together with high heel metronome as previously heard on "Felton Lonnin" and "Sea Song". It's more Thomas Hardy than Leonard Cohen though, all set against a Teeside landscape, perfectly melancholic for the lachrymose subject matter, that of drowned sailors and their grieving widows. Bass and drums were previously experimented with on the Winterset's version of the Beatles song "Sexy Sadie", especially recorded for Mojo Magazine's homage to the White Album and now make a return throughout this album, effectively giving the girls' feet a break.
It's difficult to describe Becky Unthank's distinctive voice, but it’s certainly unlike anything else you might stumble across in your record collection. During her time with this band, Becky has brought some corkers to the band’s repertoire, each with its own individual personality and character. As a song writer, the name Lal Waterson has become just about as sacrosanct as Sandy Denny's a couple or three decades earlier and one tends to tread carefully when tackling that particular body of work. The younger Unthank sibling is fearless though, approaching Lal Waterson in exactly the same manner as she approaches Nick Drake or Robert Wyatt. She makes these songs her own and stamps an indelible mark right on the box. With a powerful string arrangement, Becky confidently strides through "At First She Starts" with her trademark breathy performance, likewise on such a mammoth ballad as "Annachie Gordon", taking the Nic Jones version rather than Mary Black's, and weaving through the arrangement like a bird in flight. All this is helped along by some steadily building and pulsating rhythms and like a ticking clock, life abandons our protagonists with a deafening silence.
Artist: Rachel Unthank and the Winterset
Venue: Memorial Hall
Town: Sheffield
Date: 07/12/08
Website: www.rachelunthank.com
Sitting in a bar directly opposite the steps leading up to the imposing City Hall in Sheffield, on a particularly cold December evening, half listening to goodness-knows-what over the in-house sound system and sipping a cold Guinness, I idled away half an hour, having arrived in the city earlier than expected. I could quite easily have passed for a down-and-out vagabond, with a scarf twisted around his neck and the collar on his great coat standing upright against his ears. Settling deeper into my cosy seat, I took out a notebook and began to scribble.
Artist: Rachel Unthank and the Winterset
Venue: NCEM
Town: York
Date: 20/10/08
Website: www.rachelunthank.com
Rachel Unthank and the Winterset have been doing a bit of global trotting in recent months; earlier in the year they toured Australia and more recently the United States, with a handful of shows in Europe as well. Seeing them back in Yorkshire is always a pleasure. The last time we saw the band here at the National Centre for Early Music in York, the band was very different indeed. Since then we've seen the departure of two remarkable musicians Jackie Oates and Belinda O'Hooley, and some thought that this just might see our Unthank siblings back as a family duo once again.
Jonny Kearney is a young singer-songwriter from Hexham in Northumberland who was recently awarded a bursary after winning the inaugural Alan Hull singer-songwriter award. Upon winning this award, whose panel of judges included the likes of Kathryn Tickell, Ray Jackson and Alan's widow Pat, Jonny has had the good sense to set out and do as many gigs as possible before recording any material. In a world of instant success and self-produced records, it's encouraging to see a musician doing what is most important in the development of a creative mind, that of playing live as much as possible in order to truly discover his own personal direction and style.
Rachel Unthank & the Winterset - The Bairns Launch 
There is something otherworldly about Rachel Unthank and the Winterset, something I just can't seem to put my finger on. I don't know exactly why I get this all too familiar shiver skidaddling purposefully down my spine each time I hear those delicious voices, but I'll attempt some feeble analysis on this ponderous question right now, whilst I reflect on the band's second album, and their prestigious launch at the 2007 Cambridge Folk Festival.
Just because we identify a potential classic on the bands' second recorded outing, we must not overlook some of the other goodies on the album at any cost. Blue Bleezing Blind Drunk is a belter of a song, which brings out the raucousness of the feisty siblings. You can't help but wonder whether the demon alcohol wasn't entirely banished from the studio during the session. Belinda O'Hooley's Blackbird is the song on the album that resonates around my head more than any other, a melody that any self respecting tunesmith would be proud of, and with what is fast becoming a trademark Becky vocal performance.
www.rachelunthank.com
Artist: Rachel Unthank and the Winterset
Venue: Drill Hall
Town: Lincoln
Date: 26/09/07
Website: http://www.rachelunthank.com
Rachel Unthank and the Winterset are currently enjoying widespread approval from music fans young and old and not just from the world of folk music. Their critically acclaimed second album 'The Bairns' has received a resounding thumbs up from most who have heard it and their appearances on both local and national radio have forced people to take note.
Maire Ni Chathasaigh & Chris Newman – Firewire (Old Bridge Music OBMCD17) 
Secure in the knowledge that I will never attain the lofty heights of musicianship achieved by artists such as Chathasaigh & Newman…down to the fact that I’m far too lazy…I’m quite happy to sit back and listen in awe as these two artists strut their stuff. On this, the duo’s sixth album together, they once again display the flair with which we in the ‘folk’ world have perhaps selfishly come to expect. There’s a kind of Mardi Gras enthusiasm about the opening track “Pheasant Feathers” that would leave Carmen Miranda in a state of ecstasy whilst the second track J Scott Skinner’s “The Triplet Hornpipe” with it’s harmony mandolins brings to mind the glory days of Fairport’s “Flatback Capers”. Joined by Cathy Fink’s frailed banjo and Roy Whyke’s drums on the old timey “Big Scotia” the tune is a whirlwind tour de force led by Chris’s astonishing guitar and mandolin lead work topped by Maire’s exquisite harp. Technically skilled yet always soulful, the duo brilliantly let their folk roots shine whilst letting other influences tag along for the ride. This is a recording that is a pleasure to listen to from beginning to end and I hope it won’t be another six years before the next one.
www.oldbridgemusic.com
Renegade - Live at The Stables, Milton Keynes.
ELBOW JANE – England Stone (Own Label EJCD02)
www.elbowjane.com
Devon Sproule and Paul Curreri at The Boardwalk, Sheffield - February 13th 2008
There was a brief moment during Devon Sproule and Paul Curreri's appearance at the Boardwalk in Sheffield tonight, just after Paul was asked to rejoin his wife on stage at the end of her set, when the couple settled themselves adjacent to one another in their respective chairs and just for a moment, began a conversation made up entirely of giggles. It's almost as if the realisation had suddenly and quite unexpectedly hit them, that they had found themselves in an alien environment, thousands of miles from home, sharing a stage and a spotlight yet finding themselves doing something that just comes so naturally to them, and doing it so well I might add. Their 'duets' have that sort of down-home quality and we the audience are privileged to bear witness. Then, just to throw us, they quite unexpectedly burst into the most sublime version of Black Uhuru's "Sponji Reggae" imaginable. 
Although Paul and Devon's respective solo sets were delivered with assurance, with not a single throw-away song in either set, it was as a duo that they excelled on stage. It's not just in the songs, the harmonies and the musical connection they both convey on stage that makes this couple so appealing, but the closeness they have in heaps that engages the audience. They are quite openly in love with one another and they don't mind you knowing about it. For every one of those who may be irritated with this notion of wearing your heart on your sleeve, there's plenty of us who find this a thoroughly endearing quality. Quite fitting for the eve of St. Valentine's Day.
Artist: Devon Sproule
Venue: Drill Hall
Town: Lincoln
Date: 26/09/07
Website: http://www.devonsproule.com/home.html
With so many great singer songwriters about these days, especially in light of the fact that MySpace creates one per minute, it's becoming rare for me to want to dwell on just the one for more than is absolutely necessary. Tonight however, as soon as Devon Sproule played the last note on her prized ES125 1954 Gibson, I wanted to rewind and start over again, and I dare say once again even after that.