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 
Kila; Leath Ina Dhiaidh A Hocht (20th July 2009)
Fancy-free winding Gaelic folk sung in that language, could even get the most erstwhile mosher attempting Morris dancing. Kila are celebrating close to twenty years of ranging consistency that has seen them dabble in a range of styles from R & B to jazz and pure pop. They mark their longevity by returning to what they do best in ‘Leath Ina Dhiaidh A Hocht’, taken from the roving and meaningful album, ‘Gambler’s Ballet’.
Stirring strings and life weary vocals that spring to life unexpectedly, giving this tale describing the state of a kitchen table after one hell of a party, depth and abandon. It’s told with a similar prosaic push and attention to detail, as Thomas Hardy describing the Wessex countryside.
Kila, now veterans of musical honesty and sincerity aren’t going to suddenly leap to universal acclaim, but their carefree touch will continue to keep them a secret haven. Particular to those who like to be able to float dreamily away to their music.
Dave Adair
Lofoten Calling is the brainchild of The Kittiwakes' lead vocalist and violin player, Kate Denny, inspired by the landscapes, wildlife and traditions of the Lofoten Islands, an archipelago in the county of Nordland, Norway, that lies within the Arctic Circle. Lofoten Calling sets these inspirations in a melodious landscape that draws heavily on the traditional music of both Britain and Norway, though the music and lyrics are all original. There is something enticingly eccentric about the music and performance here, that is sure to set this recording apart from anything else you will hear. The arrangements are refreshingly honest and unfussy, remaining true to the actual sound of the instruments, resulting in a delightfully uncluttered listening experience.
The sounds of maritime traditions chime proudly throughout Lofoten Calling, largely thanks to the fluid and illuminating accordion of Chris Harrison, adding much depth with its bass notes, whilst accommodating the more nimble melodies with great aplomb. The vocal arrangements are nothing short of inspired, with robust and alluring harmonies. Kate Denny's precise and penetrating vocals are delightfully animated, flooding her stories with whimsical character, whilst the more resonant tones of Jill Cumberbatch provide the perfect foil, and more than the occasional nod towards the illustrious Maddy Prior. Various string instruments are plucked and bowed with great elegance and purpose, and an occasional piano brings a refined touch.
By bringing together the folklore and natural history with the personal lives of the Lofotens' past and present, Kate Denny has crafted a collection of lyrics that offers a bewitching insight into this unique landscape. The islands' maritime and fishing industries feature heavily, where songs pay tribute to the work ethic and the inevitable love and loss that accompanies such enterprise. The unique natural characteristics of the area are represented by songs about the maelstrom, the long days of midsummer, and the long nights of midwinter, whilst "Lynx" offers a fanciful folkloric take on how nature conspired to create the Lofoten Islands.
Lofoten Calling is a unique endeavour that rewards with both fine musicality and the rich imagery that is woven by Kate Denny's inspired lyrics, that should rightfully win a place amongst the best folk releases of 2009.
The Kittiwakes - CD Launch 22nd June 2009
The Kittiwakes are an Essex based trio, composed of Kate Denny (fiddle, vocals), Chris Harrison (accordion, guitar, vocals), and Jill Cumberbatch (anything with strings, vocals) and the trio perform self composed tunes and songs influenced by the traditional music of the British Isles and Norway. I first had the good fortune to become of their existance a few short years ago when someone pointed me in the direction of their free downloads that were briefly available from ill-fated folk download site Woven Wheat Whispers, since then I've made the effort to catch them live when possible, the first occasion being their set at the 2008 Leigh Folk Festival, when they played the open air stage when they had to contend with a rail track immediately to their rear and the wind to their fore, all of which added a little atmosphere to their tunes and songs based on the landscape and folklore of the Lofoten Islands (more of this below), that said it was a bit of a relief when they were allocated a slot in the considerably more tranquil Clarendon Scouts Hut for the 2009 Festival, barely a train to be heard.
However to the point the trio launched their first release on June 22nd 2009 and made the good choice of venue in the Electroacoustic club in Clerkenwell, London more a large baseroom living room with friendly atmosphere combined with good acoustics and respectful audience, than your usual pub venue. The evening commenced with an impressive choice of support artist, new to folk and roots, Lucy Farrell (myspace.com/lucyfarrell), Farrell is one of the latest graduates of the Newcastle Folk Music degree, and for this evening she was accompanied by brother Jake on electric guitar and herself on fiddle (usually plucked). Farrell delivered one of the most impressive support slots I've experienced for a long time, covering songs including Lal Waterson's 'The Birds' and Anne Brigg's version of the 'The Cuckoo'.
After a short break, The Kittiwakes took to the Stage at shortly after nine opening with covering all eleven songs and instrumentals featured on the album, one of many benefits of seeing The Kittiwakes live is that Denny, the composer/songwriter who gained her inspiration from the Lofoten Islands, Northern Norway explains the inspiration of the compositions creating a context for the song that follows, not to say the music doesnt stand alone in its own right, but the context helps to understand both the songs and the mood, tempo of the tunes..
As the trio started the evening they took the audience on a hours journey through the stories and folklore of the Lofotens, this theme started early in the sets proceedings with 'Maelstrom' a song inspired by the tidal currents around the Lofotens, followed by a change of mood with the Hurtigruten, an upbeat tune that featured for the first time during the set Denny's and Cumberbatch's duel on fiddles, 'Hurtigruten' being dedicated to the actual Hurtigruten line, the Norwegian passenger liners serving the islands - hence the vocal harmony refrain. This being followed by a change of mood with 'The Sailor Song', sang from the perspective of the woman whose partner has left her for a life on the seas. 'The Lynx' then returned us to the local folklore, concerning the shape of the island according to which was formed by a imprint of a Lynx paw, from here again the mood changed with the song 'The Weavers', telling the tales of the Women who made the sails for their menfolk of old (i.e the Vikings) as they departed their villages for the waves.
As the set edged towards the finale we were treated the gentler 'Midsummer, Midwinter', a song capturing the magic of the Arctic in MidSummer when there are 24 hours of Light, with sensitive harmonies from Denny and Cumberbatch, followed by 'The Arethusa' (A Naval vessel that served in the North Sea during WWII) which Denny dedicated to her Grandfather and those others who served bringing to life the daily experience of those on board...
For the compulsory and extremely welcome encore the trio returned with the title track of the release namely 'Lufoten Calling', with the trio singing acapella mixing harmonies and the Cumberland and Denny switching lead parts, needless to say 'Lofoten Calling' paints a picture of the scenery during a journey to the Islands themselves. The Kittiwakes provided the audience with both an outstanding set of songs and tunes, whilst at the same evocative, with a special mention of Denny's song writing skills, the characters and scenery she describes are given life in a sensitive and descriptive manner where required, with wonderful contrast between harmonising (on both fiddle and vocal, tunes and stories, a Kittiwakes concert is almost an mini-education in itself (I was certainly tempted to go home and spend some time with google to discover more of the background to the stories Denny provides so well).
F & R took our camera along for the evening, so for a few short clips of both Farrell's support slot and a number of clips from The Kittiwakes go visit our youtube page, otherwise go and visit www.myspace.com/kittiwakes, see where the Kittiwakes are playing next, listen and order a copy of the new CD, it will certainly be very close to the top of my playlist for the foreseeable future...
Stockholm Lisboa Project - 'Diagonal'
Stockhom Lisboa Project bring together a heady concoction of sounds that blends traditional music from Portugal, Sweden, and beyond. The utterly captivating voice of Liana colours the recording with a sultry Mediterranean heat, whilst the Nordic influences lend a cool precision to proceedings.
The traditional "Corridinho do Ti António" paints a picture of people eager for dance and party, and the mischievous rhythms cooked up by the band capture the party atmosphere perfectly, whilst "Saudade, vai-te embora" marries the essence of lament and longing from Portugese fado with some rather playful, flirtatious sounding interludes. There is true cultural cross-breeding on "Näverbiten / Corpo Aceso," where Portugese lyrics are set to a Swedish waltz, that the album notes inform you are about the common subject of seductive love -- and there is quite possibly nothing more seductive than Liana's alluring voice on songs such as this. The sheer drama that Liana wrings out of "Meu Amor de Ontem" as her voice ascends to a quivering climax, is nothing short of breathtaking.
There is a compelling fusion of instruments throughout Diagonal, and the diverse rhythms and flavours make for a memorable encounter. The undulating tones of Simon Stålspets' Nordic mandola provide a rhythmic underpinning and a tonal range that offers intensity and intricate agility. New member, Filip Jers, brings a striking vibrancy and depth with his collection of harmonicas, with the bass harmonica lending a particularly brooding atmosphere, whilst the violin of Sérgio Crisóstomo provides some of the more exhilarating melodies.
This is music that makes you want to pack a suitcase and explore the rhythms and musical emotions of mainland Europe. Perfectly and passionately articulated, music rarely comes better this, and I fully anticipate this album being amongst my favourite albums of 2009.
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All Things Considered - Scarecrow (ARCD001)
This is the debut album from Berkshire based folk band All Things Considered, and the first thing that strikes you as you listen is that these guys (and girl) have obviously been playing together for ages. The tightness of the tracks and the use of dynamics to enhance the overall feel of the album would be commendable to a band many years further along in their musical careers.
ATC are labelled as folk, but this is very much in the broadest sense of the word. As the sombre violin playing of Gethin Webster leads in to the first proper track Selfpity, you'd be forgiven for thinking this is going to be a very traditional recording. However, although traditionally inspired in both the instruments used and also the vocal style of singer Emma Johnson, the lyrical content hits a much more original, almost pop vibe, giving the band an immediately interesting concept of which they can go a number of ways musically.
Johnson's easy on the ear, calming vocal style gives the songs, whether downbeat or up-tempo an instantly chilled out feeling. On the song Remember Me, this is mixed with Webster's backing vocals to create some lush harmonies that bring the song to life.
Really confident, almost otherworldly guitar licks and hooks from Adrian Holden are a huge highlight. If you can find a better guitar hook that matches that in the middle 8 of the track Live Life, I need to hear it. The guitar is the cement in this entire album that fuses both the bold ethnic based percussion and acoustic bass of the rhythm section with the melodic vocals and violin. Whether picked or strummed, everything played by Holden just sits perfectly.
Highlights for me other than those mentioned would be the track Manipulative Perspectives. Probably the most commercial of all the tracks on the album, the term radio friendly could be applied to this one. Also, the second to last track The Neverending boasts one of the funkiest grooves you will ever hear played on an African drum (I think in this case a Djembe) which just powers the song through with Johnson's syncopated vocal rattling off words that suggest you need to live your life now, don't hold back as it could be gone in an instant.
And, unfortunately other than the brilliantly subtle two minute final track Numb, the album is gone in an instant. Although the running time is 40+ minutes at 10 tracks it does feel that tad too short. Whether this was a ploy by the band to keep the audience wanting more I'm not sure, but I certainly wanted more!
The other slightly negative point as this is a review is the song The Finer Details, which at just over 3 minutes is one of the shorter songs on the album. This is the only track that doesn't have any percussion and I feel it suffers for it.
Don't take these minor points as too much of a negative view though, as 95% of the album truly is something very special indeed, and for a debut album is a fine piece of work. This band appear to play more around London than anywhere, but are making a few trips both further north and further south. It would be well worth you checking them out. If they are as good live as they are recorded, it won't be long before this band are making people on the folk scene talk.
www.allthingsconsidered.org.uk
Steve Gibbons
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Red Shoes – RING AROUND THE LAND (Cedarwood CEDAR. 13)
This release has a bit of a convoluted pre-history I guess. Well, perhaps not this release itself, but the Red Shoes brand name, which started out in the mid-1980s when Birmingham folk-singer Carolyn Cook and guitarist Mark Evans got together and wrote some songs, then (along with a bassist and drummer) recorded some demos and then a single which rapidly gained airplay, label interest and higher-profile gigs – all of which momentum inexplicably ground to a halt in the fickle climate of the early 90s. That circumstance, along with their then-recent marriage and the inevitable family-rearing commitments, led to Red Shoes effectively taking a decade or so off. But they kept up with the songwriting and home-rehearsing, and a couple of years ago, with the advent of MySpace and largely due to the initiative of their daughter Megan, things started happening for the core duo of Red Shoes again, a process which culminated last year in Dave Pegg undertaking to produce an album for them.
Hence Ring Around The Land, which brings together a collection of Red Shoes material old and new, freshly and cleanly recorded, on which Carolyn and Mark are generously (and brilliantly unobtrusively) backed by Dave Pegg, Chris Leslie and P.J. Wright in various permutations. It’s a lovely disc, presenting close on a dozen original songs from Carolyn and Mark themselves – I say “close on” because one’s an ingenious reworking of the traditional ballad Twa Sisters – together with a totally enchanting cover of White Dress (the closest I’ve ever heard to Sandy Denny’s sublime original) and a brief runthrough of Shepherd’s Hey on the disc fadeout. The original compositions, which are more or less shared out equally between the couple (four by Carolyn, five by Mark and three joint), reside firmly in the melodic, accessible and universally appealing, well-crafted contemporary-folk style that runs, say, from Fairport through to While & Matthews via Judy Dinning and Acoustica (you get the drift I’m sure). You might term it old-fashioned rather than avant-garde, but it’s entirely satisfying on those terms. Note particularly that Carolyn’s blessed with an extraordinarily fine singing voice (clearly much inspired by Sandy Denny but not in any sense cloned from her), while Mark’s deft acoustic guitar accompaniments are classic and thoroughly masterly. With equal facility, the chosen subject matter spans romance, loss and euphoria; war, peace and hope; the personal and the universal. In a disc of uncommonly consistent quality, high points come with the poignant My Father’s Green Beret (concerning Carolyn’s war-hero father’s death from MRSA), the opening Celtic Moon (a bittersweet evocation of a lost romance), the ruefully reflective Woman In Love and the gentle observation of Diamonds She Once Wore. And the stirring, upbeat anthemic title track provides a suitably rousing conclusion to the disc (and incidentally betrays Carolyn’s long-time, deep-seated passion for all things Fairport – not least in its bearing a partial uncanny resemblance to Rising For The Moon!).
The accompanying booklet is both artistically satisfying and well-designed (its only omission being the song lyrics), and on all counts this is a most attractive release.
David Kidman
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The sound, vibe and general influence of the likes of Feist, Tori Amos, Katie-Jane Garside, Cara Dillon, Regina Spektor, Nick Drake and the instrumental carefree and tingling touch of The Coral. These flavours are indiscriminately and, at times, delectably scattered around this ten track debut from the skipping and roving New York resident, Christina Courtin. Occasionally, the above sounds are blurred together to give off calmness, soul-searching and a hint of desperation shrouded around mid-tempo tingling melodies.
‘Bundah’, gives an early pedestrian and searching vibe that unravels from a spindling string led instrumental, with Courtin’s low-key skipping vocals acting like a warm hug to a loved one. Before a modicum of intensity and urgency takes grip, as the bass element fattens out this forag0ing effort. However, this is no Laura Marling impersonation and the tone and mood soon switches, with the hollow percussion pushed folk flirting skip of ‘Foreign County’. It is the delving lyrical snap and the Feist veined stammering delivery of it that starts to make your ears pick up like a pointer’s:
If I was woooo oohh if I was a foreign county would you vacation?”
If it’s mild adventure, expressively ranging delivery and deft, often string led decoration (by the artist themselves) that you feel is the perfect accompaniment to a balmy summer’s evening? Then this thoughtful and occasionally flighty, Buffalo songstress certainly fits the bill.
Rating: 4/5
Dave Adair
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The Lipstick and Guitars tour, originally advertised as featuring four exceptionally gifted female singer songwriters, those being specifically Nell Bryden, Kat Flint, Lana and Lizzyspit, arrived in Nottingham tonight with one of those main ingredients missing. Lizzyspit was replaced at short notice by Gabby Young, who immediately won the hearts of those present with her infectious personality and a hell of an amazing voice to match. Appearing at The Maze, the small cavernous music venue located to the rear of the Forest Tavern along Mansfield Road near Nottingham city centre, the red headed songstress provided an excellent opening spot accompanied by her regular guitar player Stephen Ellis who she had brought along from her regular eight-piece band Other Animals.
Appearing on the same bill as three flamboyant performers, each with their own autonomous character, whether it be the Amy Winehouse style theatrics of Lana, the ethereal flame headed beauty of Gabby Young or the uncompromising confidence of Nell Bryden, who incidentally referred to me as 'dear' when dedicating (quite unexpectedly) "Helen's Requiem" to me from the stage, Kat Flint came over even more shyly-spoken and studious than ever before. Kat is imbued with an unassuming presence and a calm demeanor on and off stage, which is both comforting and rewarding at the same time. Should a fire have suddenly broken out during the evening, I would probably have gone directly to her for instructions of what to do.
During "Go Faster Stripes" Kat utilised a kazoo for the instrumental break, which had been concealed somewhere about her person for easy access. After the instrumental break, the kazoo was discarded with one blow, the insipid little metal object hitting the stage with a resounding clunk. 'It took me a while to figure out an elegant way of producing the kazoo' Kat explained, 'I've yet to work out an elegant way of disposing of it'.
With an impressive musical background that includes spells with the Bluefoot Project, Doctor Octopus, Kabin Fever, the drum and bass outfit Virtigo and jazz/hip hop collective Thelonious, to name but a few, Lana was the only singer who appeared tonight with a band. With the addition of double bass and drums, together with her own semi-acoustic guitar, Lana's uptempo set successfully bridged the gap between Kat Flint's cool, calm and collected set of acoustic songs and what was to be the climax of the night, Nell Bryden's headlining set.
Playing gigs mainly in London, but also spreading herself around the globe, taking in some of the abundance of Summer festivals, Lana joined the Lipstick and Guitars tour, and in doing so, brought with her some of the originality of her charismatic stage presence together with a bunch of infectious songs including "Don't Call Me Baby" and "Trippy Kind of Love".
On "Not Like Loving You", which is every bit as good as any of the Otis Redding or Aretha Franklin classics you might have on your jukebox, Nell Bryden used her entire body to convey the message, whilst pounding her vintage semi-acoustic guitar to within an inch of its life. The song provides the basis for optimal soulful outpouring, which Nell handles with expert confidence and once again you find that you have to remind yourself that this is a Nell Bryden original and not a Stax classic.
Based in New York, Nell is currently touring the UK and Ireland and tonight saw her headlining the Lipstick and Guitar show in Nottingham. During the other sets of the evening, Nell stayed pretty much front of stage all night, offering support to her fellow songwriters as they performed and then mingled freely with the Nottingham audience. After some well intentioned heckling by a young male member of the audience, Nell simply responded with 'I think you're very cute, but I can't understand a word'.
Nell currently has her feet in several camps and tackles each genre with the justice it deserves, whether pouring her soul out on the aforementioned "Not Like Loving You" and "Helen's Requiem" or going for the more country-tinged ballads such as "Only Life I Know" or even venturing into the uptempo rockabilly of "That's Alright Mama" and "Second Time Around", With the distinctly vintage design of the new album sleeve, Nell Bryden could almost be seen as a throwback to the 1950s, which she encapsulates with remarkable ease both on record and in live performance.
Allan Wilkinson
http://nellbryden.com/
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Christina Courtin: Christina Courtin (22/06/2009, Nonesuch)
Artist: Lipstick and Guitars (Nell Bryden, Kat Flint, LKans and Gabby Young)
Venue: The Maze
Town: Nottingham
Date: 27/05/09
Classically trained, but picking up a broad musical taste along the way, that includes rock, pop, folk, jazz, funk and experimental music, the seated Gabby refrained from sharing with the audience the details of her unfortunate knocks over the years, most notably the fact that she beat thyroid cancer at the age of 22, but instead cheerfully delivered a spellbinding opening set, which attracted a respectful silence from the audience throughout, interspersed with enthusiastic applause in all the right places. Kicking off with "Um", Gabby presented a set of remarkable and memorable self-penned songs, each one with its own authentic sound utilising acoustic guitars and at one point the banjo, but it was Gabby's voice that caught the attention of the audience from the start. Siting Jeff Buckley as a major influence, it has to be said that Gabby's use of vocal pyrotechnics bears an astonishing resemblance to that of her late hero, whose real legacy was of an artist who used his voice to maximum effect. During "Ladies of the Lake", Gabby hit an unfeasibly high note reminiscent of the highest pitch you might squeeze out of a musical saw, which had more than one jaw on the floor tonight.
Aberdeen singer songwriter Kat Flint's debut album has been out for a little while now and I was pleased to hear some of the songs from the album performed live at last. The former Gingergreen singer, who was born in Barbados and raised in Aberdeen, has now found London to be a conducive place to write songs, some of which have materialised on this remarkable Dirty Birds CD, which she says relates to the dirty birds of many forms including 'pigeons and prostitutes, black crows and bomber jets'.
I spoke to Nell Bryden before she took to the stage tonight, about her new album 'What Does It Take' and about her recent tour of army bases in Iraq. We chatted casually and pleasantly for a few moments and later it struck me that nowhere during our conversation did I detect for a single moment, the sheer power that resided somewhere within her, that went towards delivering one of the most outstanding sets I've seen on a British stage in quite some time.
http://www.myspace.com/katflint
http://www.gabbyyoungandotheranimals.com
Artist: Holly Taymar
Album: Waking Up Is Hard To Do
Label: GenieCake
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.hollytaymar.com/
I first came across Holly Taymar in York one night doing one of the three showcase support spots for visiting Americans Rod Picott and Amanda Shires. I was knocked out by her songs then and I've continued to watch her progress with keen interest. I think this is because Holly sings the sort of songs I like. I've always been more interested in songs about everyday mundane subjects such as waking up in a morning, not being able to feel ones toes of a frosty morning or cutting down old bushes that have outstayed their welcome. The interesting thing about these songs though, is not the actual subject itself, but how Holly manages to transform such wistful thoughts into such beautiful songs.
A few of the songs here have been tried out and tested on audiences in the ensuing months since I first saw her that night in the Basement Bar, and to have them finally down on disc for posterity is a good thing indeed. Joining Holly on this collection of songs is regular guitar player Carl Hetherington who was also responsible for production, piano and 'random percussion etc.', with other contributions from Mark Mellack and Dave Hartley. On stage Holly and Carl remind me of 'Hokey Pokey' period Richard and Linda Thompson, with Carl hunched over his guitar whilst Holly delivers each song with no small measure of confidence and an abundance of self assurance.
"Toes" stands out as another one of Holly's gems, alongside "Home" from her previous album 'Before I Know', which incidentally has been generously handed out at gigs as a free supplement to the current CD, being the best bargain since Radiohead started flogging their albums for, oh you know, whatever. A beautiful song in its own right, "Toes" is given a tasteful arrangement with additional piano and glockenspiel, which adds to the gentle ambience of the song. There's no clutter on 'Waking Up Is Hard To Do' in terms of over-arrangement or over-instrumentation, it's all pleasantly balanced to bring these songs to life in the way they were intended.
With yet another nod to her home, Holly has packed her new collection of songs into a sleeve featuring a cover photograph showing a housing estate in York, with a contemplative Holly seated at the bottom of a bed, whilst her musical companion stands in the distance, resting his guitar upon his shoulder; both seemingly lost in thought. The songs on this album have the same sort of dreamy quality. An absolutely delightful album, which should be filed next to your James Taylors and Jonis.
Allan Wilkinson
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Artist: Ezio
Venue: The Duchess
Town: York
Date: 12/06/09
Website: http://www.myspace.com/eziouk
Even though Ezio cross many musical boundaries with their adrenaline infused acoustic rock, the duo still maintain they are just a 'folk music band from Cambridge'. Together since 1990, singer songwriter Ezio Lunedei and guitarist Mark 'Booga' Fowell, have steadily built up a strong fan base both as a duo or together with a larger band consisting of Lidia Cascarino on bass, 'The Reverend' Lee Russell on a variety of instruments including steel guitar and percussion and finally Alex Reeves on drums. Tonight at the Duchess, it was just the two original members who came along to play some new songs as well as the obligatory handful of crowd pleasers.
The Duchess had been prepared in advance and was well equipped to handle the potential deluge of admiring fans who were about to flood the front stage area, but on a fine warm Friday night in the city of York, who could possibly know how many would show up? Before the show, whilst Booga took care of the concessions stand, I had a few words backstage with Ezio who said 'this is the point, they haven't arrived yet so I've no idea how many will come or how many tickets have been sold, this is my panic moment, will anyone show up? However, he went on to say rather reassuringly, 'whoever is there, we will play for them'.
Ezio was relaxed backstage, slumped in a chair with his hands stretched out on the table before him. Support artist Aimie J Ryan, appeared slightly more on edge in the corner, awaiting her turn in the spotlight, which was coming shortly. I asked Ezio whether he prefers to be onstage with the full band or just with the original duo?
'it's really nice to improvise a lot. When you're working on new material it's really nice as a duo because you're freer and there's a lot less chance of it going wrong. We've worked that long together that it's second nature'
'I've known Booga a long time, twenty-odd years. I'm considerably older than he is and I remember him as a larger than life fifteen year-old with a big afro, who used to come to my gigs. I was playing in a rock band at the time, playing lead guitar and he came to watch that, he was a very precocious and talented guitar player'
Ezio have a loyal following who appear to know every lyric to every song. On songs like "Deeper", it sometimes becomes easier for Ezio to just stop singing and let the crowd take over. I asked Ezio if he felt that having such a strong, almost cult following, was rewarding or not?
'We're just not trendy enough or good looking enough to have casual fans, it's a bit of a commitment, they have to struggle a bit to see us, they're either not interested or completely rabid. When we go to another country or perhaps a town we've never been to before and they sing all the words it is rewarding, it really is'
Ezio appeared to have no set list to speak of when the duo took to the stage, relying instead on fans' suggested songs, not by shouting them out, but by texting messages using the mobile phone number blue-tacked to the pillars around the venue. Occasionally during the set, Ezio would reach for his mobile phone and check new messages. 'Steal Away? ... could do; Cinderella please? ... maybe; Deeper? ...'
I asked Ezio whether he felt it was more difficult to introduce new songs into the live repertoire, and how different the reaction is compared with the more familiar material?
'You don't get the same reaction, but it's important to keep doing it, otherwise you start turning into your own tribute band, just trotting out the same thing as we're all getting older. I think it's important and vital to try and present new things. It's what I'm trying to do now, I'm trying to ease things into the set and because it's not as slick and not as played-in and perhaps a bit more clumsy in some ways, it doesn't get that euphoric thing, but sometimes you mean it so much that they end up being the best ever versions'
There's a remarkable synergy that goes on between these two musicians, with each knowing instinctively his part in the musical relationship. The two guitarists cooperate advantageously, with neither stealing the limelight for one single second. Booga's extraordinary dexterity on both electric and acoustic guitars provides the colour to Ezio's rhythmic base. Familiar songs such as "Steal Away" and "Saxon Street" provided the audience with the reward they came for, whilst some of the newer songs provided the audience with what they may be singing along to very soon.
On that subject, I finally asked Ezio when the band is likely to release a follow up to their 2006 album 'Ten Thousand Bars'.
'I need to, it's time now. I've got a back log of new material and there's a couple already recorded... I'm in good shape to now'
For the encore, Ezio gave the audience the choice of three possibilities. 'You can have a vote here, democracy at work, you can have "59 Yards", to which a female voice called out from the back of the room... 'I like that one'; "The Further We Stretch" ... or "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles" it's up to you...'
Allan Wilkinson
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Artist: Nancy Wallace
Album: Old Stories
Label: Midwich
Tracks: 9
Website: http://www.myspace.com/nancywallace
Nancy Wallace has once again managed to turn out a spellbinding performance this time in her own right. Her work with The Memory Band on their albums 'The Memory Band' and 'Apron Strings' could almost be seen as a mere apprenticeship for what was to follow and what may very well continue to develop into a promising career. Originally from Suffolk, now based in London, Nancy played her trump card by releasing an EP of folked-up disco/soul classics including "Young Hearts Run Free" and "You're The First, The Last, My Everything", which bears little resemblance to the old Barry White hit, and in doing so, reached a wider audience, but without detaching herself at all from her folk roots. Her voice on 'Old Stories' once again sounds effortless as she weaves in and out of her own compositions and traditional songs with seamless fluidity.
"Sleeping Sickness" invites us into this fine collection, and once in, there's no hurry to escape, not until the very last note of the final song, the traditional "Drowned Lover", which Nancy re-tells with conviction and maturity, augmented by some sensitive violin arrangements courtesy of Jennymay Logan, which goes perfectly well with Richard Lewis's accordion, hurdy gurdy and banjo.
The urge to escape is present in "Many Years", where Nancy anticipates an imminent journey 'where the wind won't find me' and 'where the seas lie calm'. The contrasting themes of hope and joy, waiting for love and parting, dovetail neatly together with fine arrangements and generous accompaniment. You tend to want to listen to 'Old Stories' in one sitting rather than separate the individual tracks, and the whole thing has a calming effect.
It's the purity of Nancy's voice that makes everything she touches turn to gold; a voice that sounds as if it's steeped in the tradition but speaks to more contemporary ears. 'Old Stories' could quite possibly open the gates for another generation of emerging folk lovers, eager to embrace the beautiful cohesion that lies between traditional and contemporary song. Once again, it's rewarding to be present at the start of something special.
Allan Wilkinson
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Various Artists - Shivering Sands And Scavenging Birds: Songs And Tunes From The Leigh Folk Festival 2009 (The Thames Delta Recording Co. MUD. 002CD)
Last year, I received a copy of an excellent compilation-cum-taster CD with the intriguing title of Moonshine, Murder, Mountains & Mudflats, produced by the organisers of the long-running, commendably free-and-open Leigh Folk Festival (that's Leigh-on-Sea in Essex). Unfortunately it reached me too late for timely inclusion on this site, the festival being held towards the end of June, but this year's counterpart has arrived at a more sensible time (albeit by a circuitous route!). Like last year's disc, it gathers together recordings from acts appearing (or scheduled to appear) at the relevant year's festival, its 18 tracks forming a cross-section of the 80+ acts concerned. Also in common with last year's disc, all tracks have been generously donated by the artists themselves and contain a healthy proportion of previously unreleased recordings.
This year, only eight of the eighteen tracks have been previously released in any form (and two of those only in limited-edition single or EP format); some were even specially recorded for the collection. Additionally, several of the acts are currently unsigned to any label at all (which should be taken as no negative indicator as regards quality, I hasten to add…) and just four of the acts (Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer, The Kittiwakes, Rachel Harrington and local celebs The Owl Service) are familiar from last year's disc. So much for the statistics: and no worries about the music either, for there's not an ounce of dross. Its determinedly eclectic mix embraces all manner of folk in its widest possible sense, from deeply traditional (Nancy Wallace, Jason Steel, Kiti Theobald) to creative trad-arr (Emily Portman, Faustus) and trad-inspired (Swan & Dyer, Shona Kipling & Damien O'Kane), from the distinctly left-field (Kelli Ali, Isnaj Dui), often eccentric psych-folk (Smoke Fairies, The Owl Service, The Straw Bear Band) to Americana (Rachel Harrington), while along the weird and wonderful way taking in dashes of reggae (Goldmaster All-Stars), jazz improv (a lengthy track from Peter Knight and Trevor Watts) and other world musics (the Hungaro-inspired Pálinka and the Welsh-Iranian singer Roshi). This is a fabulous and well-sequenced collection which (unlike some festival-originated promotional or souvenir discs) really does inspire a visit to the festival it's promoting - and it's well worth buying for its own sake too. Retailing for a mere fiver, it's available from the festival website, local outlets and venues at the festival itself.
www.leighfolkfestival.co.uk www.myspace.com/leighfolkfestival2009
David Kidman
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Emma Scarr - Angel Way (Own Label, no catalogue number)
Angel as in Islington… This is the debut album from Emma, an East-London-based singer/songwriter who for the past ten years has played fiddle with The Northern Celts. But rather than being a Celtic-style musical venture, Angel Way is very much an exercise in urban-folk, albeit with a strong Americana flavour that betrays Emma's influences (to my ears especially Mary Gauthier and Gillian Welch). Her songs have an unassumingly raw and direct character that derives as much from her plain-spoken writing as from the at times harsh and unforgiving local environment in which her stories and observations are set. Given that directness, however, it may seem curious that in Emma's songs, emotion is not always on display in the shop window, but harder to locate and fish out, being altogether more subtly incorporated within her musical settings and delivery. Even so, her world always finds room for affection, as portrayed in the charmingly unsentimental domesticity of Little Hand and the backporch banjo musings of My Second Love.
Emma's singing voice is spontaneously communicative, upfront and insistent in tone, on occasions slightly strident even, but also possessing a touch of almost-sweetness that can surprise. This combination actually suits the no-nonsense perceptiveness of Emma's writing, while the entirely Gauthier-like uncompromising honesty in depicting commonplace, banal happenings and feelings with keen and thoughtful insight (and a not exactly unexpected element of self-pity) surfaces most obviously on The Gap and It Ain't Good For Me (the latter complete with scratchy matchbox-percussion obligato just to ram the message home!). There's a kinda rough, early-Dylanesque aura to Devon and Mary's Going Nowhere, while Neasden To Nashville neatly draws together the two strongly place-driven elements in Emma's musical narratives. The myriad of topographical references in Going Home sure has us pondering the eternal enigma of why nobody ever gets off at Stepney Green…!
The ostensible emptiness of her characters' lives is strangely aptly mirrored in the unadorned, dusty Americana-style musical backdrops, open-toned yet quite claustrophobic, where for much of the time Emma's lone acoustic guitar is gently embellished with only Shuggie Fisher's bell-like mandolin and some overdubbed vocal harmonies; at times, Emma also contributes some sparing fiddle and banjo to the mix - and to good effect. I like this one a lot, and hope to hear more of Emma.
David Kidman
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Maclaine Colston & Saul Rose – Sand & Soil (Get Real Records GGRCD014)
Melodeon extrovert Saul Rose accompanied by the hammered dulcimer of Maclaine Colston proves an infectious combination on this, their debut album. You may well ask why it has taken this engaging duo fourteen years to produce their first album but what really matters is that they’re out there doing their thing and the ‘folk’ world is a better place for it. Evoking memories of Pete & Chris Coe the distinctive sound of strings and bellows allows plenty of space for Saul and Mac’s not inconsiderable vocal talents to extol the virtues of a song “The Lazy Farmer” that includes the words bugger, arse and sod. Nice! In a fine display of musicianship that includes several tune sets along with traditional arranged material and a slightly disconcerting (in a nice way) version of John Martyn’s “Don’t You Go” sung by Teph Kay this is an album that will grow with every repeated play.
www.myspace.com/maclainecolstonsaulrose
Pete Fyfe
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Maggie Sand & Sandragon - Susie Fair (WildGoose Studios)
Maggie, an attractive-voiced singer, has already released three solo albums in Germany (two in collaboration with fellow-musician Mark Powell), and for her fourth she brings an unusual new flavour to the illustrious WildGoose menu. Maggie's special musical gift is the creative blending of English traditional songs with the stance, gait and instrumentation of medieval and renaissance-era music. This description may lead you to expect something like Anthems In Eden, with a hint of Amazing Blondel perchance, but what you hear on this disc probably has more of a kinship with the modern-day minstrelsy of, say, Pint & Dale or Maddy Prior and her Carnival Band than the more rarefied Shirley & Dolly intensity or the experimental Gryphon edge. Maggie and her musicians (playing hurdy gurdy, recorders, crumhorns, flute, harmonium, mandola, cittern, guitar, bouzouki and percussion) together make a predictedly bright, lively and busy sound, which, in consort with its typically hi-energy dance-bedecked treatments (interposing saltarello, estampie or jig as appropriate), will by its very nature suit some songs better than others. For example, The Banks Of Sweet Mossom and Cob-A-Coaling are irresistible, as are the disc's two items of French origin (although Maggie's a bit naughty sneaking a snatch of Grieg into the nonsense song À La Porte Au Palais!), What may count as a stumbling block for some listeners (I run the risk of generalisation here, but it's not a criticism) is that Maggie's musical aesthetic tends sometimes to make her interpretations feel more setting-driven than text-driven, the words being at the service of the musical arrangement and idiom rather than the other way round. The brightness of the settings, with their sometimes stylised dance-like textures and tempos, can give a false impression of insubstantiality which belies the thoughtfulness of Maggie's interpretations, and these can seem unduly detached. Rigs Of The Time might be judged too jolly for its message. Having said that, Maggie employs a more restrained and sombre instrumental complement for Bushes And Briars, while her trouvère-ballad-style treatment of Rosebud In June is not inappropriate (although on the latter, along with If I Were A Blackbird, Maggie might appear to mildly over-indulge her ornamentation skills). In all, Maggie has produced a stylish, entertaining and fresh-sounding record that provides an interesting twist on the interpretation and performance of traditional song. The key is to acknowledge and celebrate its differences from the standard folk approaches to this material, and on those terms I found myself readily warming to the charms of Maggie and her Sandragon consort (Mark Powell, Malcolm Bennett and Anthar Kharana, with guests Will Summers and Will Hughes).
David Kidman
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Shepley Spring Festival 2009
There's a couple of young musicians who live down the lane in the self-contained village of Shepley, almost hidden amongst the rolling meadows of the Pennine fringe just to the south of Huddersfield. You imagine Jack Rutter and Lydia Noble would be delighted to have the opportunity to develop their craft each Spring without travelling much further than their own doorsteps. These two young multi-instrumentalists are but two of a handful of musicians fortunate enough to share a stage with some of the best known names on the national and international folk scene, and still be home in time for tea.
For three consecutive years now Shepley has played host to one of the most talked about festivals on the folk music calendar and its reputation grows each year as one of the friendliest, most exciting and vibrant musical events in the country. Word of mouth brought me to Shepley this year and I was pleased that those words - from very reliable mouths I might add - turned out to be true. An impressive cast had been assembled for the weekend, with one or two special events thrown in for good measure, and I was keen to see why so many people would brave the elements at this time of year to camp out in what could potentially be a hostile environment in terms of the mid-May climate. For those who are fond of the smell of rain, me included here, Shepley is a veritable boudoir of seasonal delights, and it soon became clear to me that no one seemed to care one single jot whether it rained or shined. Young Jack and Lydia are probably used to it.
The temporary festival village works in tandem with the permanent village just down the lane, whose streets are filled with colour and music throughout the weekend. Outside the Farmer's Boy pub, you are more than likely to find a bunch of Beefeaters, resplendent in their red and black tunics, stopping off for a beer or two on their way to the next pub down the lane. The Frumptarn Guggenband's brass instruments would no doubt be taking temporary shelter from a shower, whilst a strange bowler-hatted troupe - La Goulee D'Ev - march down the lane, proudly carrying their flag on high like Liberty herself in one of those Neo-Classical paintings hanging in the Louvre. A long way from Shepley methinks. Even the distant drums of the Mighty Zulu Nation, presumably coming from the Black Bull, don't seem out of place here at all.
The short walk from the festival site at the top of the hill down through the attractive village, would be accompanied by the sound of several pairs of clogs hitting the ground, a host of wooden sticks colliding in mid-air and the clattering of swords and the sight of several dance teams only distinguishable by their contrasting colourful costumes, and all accompanied by the ever present fiddle or melodeon, or both.
The festival got off to a good start on Friday evening with a performance by a young emerging singer songwriter with a familiar name. Ella Edmondson made her second appearance at the festival with her own small trio performing songs from her new album 'Hold Your Horses' including the haunting "Fold" and the potential radio hit "Hunger".
For sheer musical dexterity, Belshazzar's Feast provided their first set of the weekend, incorporating classical baroque influences with traditional folk tunes as Bellowhead's Paul Sartin alternated between fiddle and oboe, whilst at one point emptying the contents of his briefcase out on stage, whilst playmate Paul Hutchinson provided ample pyrotechnics on his accordion, all peppered with lashings of sardonic wit and banter-a-plenty.
Martin Simpson's name has become synonymous with quality and class, specifically within the realms of handful of truly great guitar players to have emerged over the last couple of decades or so. Joined by Andy Cutting and Andy Seward on melodeon and double bass respectively, the trio performed a set of well chosen and eclectic songs such as Chris Wood's "Come Down Jehovah" and Roly Salley's touching "Killing The Blues" recently revived by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss for their Mercury nominated collaboration album Raising Sand.
Whilst Welsh band Mabon performed a lively set to bring the Friday night concert to a close on the main stage, the newly reformed Edward II delighted a packed dance tent with some familiar favourites from their back catalogue. A perfect end to the opening night of the festival.
On Saturday lunchtime, Mick Ryan presented a special event in the church hall, re-named 'The Acoustic Cafe' just for the weekend, where you could pick up some good old homemade cake and sandwiches and a cup of coffee or a beer, whilst enjoying some of the fringe events in the comfort of possibly the warmest place in Shepley.
'The Navvy's Wife' chronicles the hardships and triumphs of the ordinary people who helped carve out our roads, canals and railways from the time of the industrial revolution, performed in a seamless organic flow of words and music by an impressive cast assembled by Mick Ryan himself, including singers Heather Bradford, Judy Dunlop and Jackie Oates, and musicians Paul Downes and Roger Watson. The two hour production held the audience spellbound, as the stories unfolded with both humour and heart-wrenching sadness in equal measure. When I asked Mick how long it took him to write the piece, he casually replied 'oh about four days'. I imagine the research took a good deal longer. The big surprise for me was the hidden talents of one Paul Downes. If ever he tires of his music career, he wouldn't half make a great character actor. One waits in anticipation for the next BBC Dickens adaptation.
Local singer songwriter Belinda O'Hooley together with partner Heidi Tidow had the unenviable task of finishing off the Saturday afternoon concert on the main stage only to return a couple of hours later to kick off the evening concert, which would feature one of the headlining acts of the festival, Show of Hands. Belinda is a rare figure on the current folk scene, being the only self-confessed Bonnie Tyler fan I can think of at the moment, whose songs can be heard amongst other pop tunes during her day job, that of entertaining the elderly in care homes. Whilst the achingly painful "Whitethorn" sent shivers, the contrasting medley of Abba's "Money Money Money" coupled with Tyler's "Holding Out for a Hero” was a complete hoot, a perfect start to the evening concert.
With the disbandment of one of the most exciting live acts to have emerged over the last decade or so, two former Last Night's Fun members made a welcome return to form, with a set filled with great songs and tunes, sung in crystal clear fashion by the gentle Denny Bartley, whilst being teased relentlessly by his buddy, the charismatic English concertina wizard Chris Sherburn.
Bridging the gap between two outstanding acts from this side of the pond, were the popular traditional Québécois trio Genticorum, whose energetic rhythms resounded around the main concert marquee as the seated fiddler Pascal Gemme kept an almost constant beat with his feet, whilst guitarist Yann Falquet showed us how a Jew's harp should really be played and Alexandre de Grosbois-Garand fluently lipped his flute and provided the bottom end on electric bass, all topped off with delicious French Canadian harmonies.
Consummate professionals Show of Hands, now joined by double bassist Miranda Sykes, provided precisely what was expected of them; an outstanding Saturday night set of well crafted songs from one of England's most enduring musical partnerships, Steve Knightley and Phil Beer.
On Sunday morning I felt rather privileged to have spent an hour or so in the company of Jackie Oates, one of the busiest musicians on the folk scene today. Jackie's fiddle workshop was attended by just the one fiddle player who was treated to what turned out to be essentially a free hour-long master class lesson, where the young Devon fiddler went through a few Cornish tunes in the much more tranquil surroundings of Cliffe House, a short walk from the festival site. A joy to watch.
One of the most important things on the Shepley Festival agenda is the provision of a platform to showcase young emerging performers. The Shepley Springboard provides such a platform and as the name suggests, helps launch younger artists such as the aforementioned Jack Rutter and Lydia Noble as well as the likes of Jonny Kearney and Lucy Farrell, which potentially gives each of the young performers a well deserved helping hand in their respective endeavours. Young folk quartet Jiggawatt could be seen on most of the festival stages during the weekend showcasing the outstanding talents of fiddler Sarah who appears equally at home with the traditional "Lark in the Morning" as well as the challenging cool jazz groove of Brubeck's "Take Five".
Sunday evening got underway in the main concert marquee with the young unaccompanied traditional singer Maz O'Connor, whose command over traditional song was both assured and confident as well as touching and compelling. At just 18, the Cumbria-based singer has already received accolades such as winning the Fred Jordan Memorial Singing Competition at the Bromyard Folk Festival in 2007 and being a finalist in this years BBC Young Folk Awards.
Two fine musicians from the ranks of the Demon Barbers, fiddler Bryony Griffith and melodeon player Will Hampson stormed through one of the most exciting sets of the weekend. At no other point during the three days was there a more tangible family connection, as family and friends gathered to witness the infectious personalities of Bryony and Will as they took to the Shepley main stage for the first time as a duo. Normally backed up and supported by the mighty Demon Barbers, the duo played with the same intensity and appeared to lose none of the power associated with the rightful winners of this years BBC Folk Award for best live act. Bryony's vocal prowess is reminiscent of a young Norma Waterson, you know the one we remember in black and white, together with a touch of Margaret Barry's assertive projection. Bryony is a singer whose singing means business.
Bringing a touch of class to Shepley this year was Bob Fox whose voice has become one of the best loved on the folk scene. His song choices are now as familiar to us through his interpretation as they originally were by their authors, Jez Lowe's "Taking On Men" for instance. Bob took command of the Shepley main stage and soon had the audience in the palm of his hand.
Rounding off Sunday night's main stage programme was the Michael McGoldrick Band, whose adventurous Celtic fusion served as just the thing to round off a brilliantly successful third festival. Whilst the band were busily sound checking in the main marquee, and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers were preparing to provide the rhythms for the final highland fling in the dance tent, I took a moment to reflect in the surprisingly calm spring evening air as the pink sky reflected off the imposing Emley Moor mast in the distance. I thought once more of young Jack Rutter and Lydia Noble, who would soon be bidding farewell to all their newfound buddies, before heading off down the lane to their respective homes. I have a feeling they'll all be back to reunite next Spring, and so will I.
Allan Wilkinson
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John Devine – P.L.A.Y. (Own Label)
John’s a founder member of SleepingDogz, the fun acoustic trio in which he plays with Wild Willy Barrett and Mary Holland; and something of the iconoclastic devil-may-care wackiness of that outfit inevitably spills over into this, John’s first solo album. But more than that, its professed raison-d’être is a kind of musical exploration-cum-analysis of John’s lifelong relationship with Irish music and culture (he’s a child of 1950s Irish immigrant parents). John’s given the album an apt title, for it’s genuinely PLAYful, an exercise in imagination running riot, which happens also to be entertaining and interesting to listen to. It’s also a quite heady experience for the listener though: a true cottage-industry product involving quite a lot of multitracking, several guest musicians and a fair amount of incidental messing-about. It has that feel of a talented teenager being let loose in a recording studio and being encouraged to follow his aural fantasies with no holds barred; and this combination of proven musicianship, a keen empathy with the chosen idiom and culture and a slightly crazy (crazed) outlook in the end invariably produces some brilliant music-making.
The catch is that even the more adventurous of listeners are bound to demand a certain kind or level of consistency within the confines of a disc that’s made for repeated play, and while there’s virtue in the unpredictable and unusual the sheer waywardness of parts of P.L.A.Y. is likely to hinder its wider appreciation, at least among traditionalists. But so what, I say! I’m reminded of the early adventures of Frank Zappa, which I guess did much the same in exploring and exposing American culture and its byways in a wild, anarchic fashion that frightened all the horses (the man’s genuine affection and respect for that culture, like the end-product of his music, tended to be seriously misunderstood and unappreciated). Within John’s allotted 39 minutes, there are plenty of accomplished performances of deep-traditional Irish tunes (authentic, core-repertoire reels, jigs, airs, etc), some turning the corner into jazz or experimental fusion or filmscape or else transmuting into passages of cascading, crashing rock-band dissonance, juxtaposed with snippets of session chat, samples and craic or simply interfered with (tongue maybe firmly in cheek, sometimes irritatingly so, as in the case of the song performance that leads off The Butterfly – the underlying social comment is noted, and the “shusher” is amusing first time, to be sure, but less so thereafter).
Perhaps the weirdest part of the disc is track 6, which within the space of nine minutes moves through a bewildering array of musical adventures and atmospheres. The sections of “straight“ playing throughout the disc are scintillating, and the formidable contributions of the various extra session musos (who include Clive Carroll, Alan McLeod, Sam Proctor and three other Devines - presumably part of the clan) chime in perfectly with John’s own expertise (he’s a hell of a musician, notably on the uilleann pipes). And at the disc’s still epicentre, The Parting Glass is an unaffected, intimate (and uninterrupted) rendition by singer Katherine Rogan. Summing up: John has produced an interesting and fascinating disc, one which in presenting his own unique take on Irish music and culture might almost be viewed as open aural psychoanalysis; and it’s a privilege to be able to share in this.
David Kidman
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Mick Groves – Still Spinning (Own Label)
I owe more than a debt of gratitude to the Spinners that other Fab Four from Liverpool for this is where my introduction to ‘folk’ music started. Mick Groves always had the audience rooting for him as the sensible one in the group. His delivery always led you to believe he knew what he was talking about in an ‘educated’ sort of way and his passion for the songs knew no bounds. On this album he retraces past glories including “Mary Anne”, “Flowers Of Manchester” and the tremendous “D-Day Dodgers” this time minus the orchestra as utilised on the album By Arrangement but none the less a true classic. Surrounded by guests such as Becki Driscoll on fiddle, Jim Causley (yes, that Jim Causley) on accordion, harmonica courtesy of Mick Burch and the muti-instrumental talents of producer Phil Beer this is an album full of gems. For those of us that were lucky enough to catch this first-rate entertainer the first time round prepare yourselves for a nostalgia fest - for those discovering ‘folk’ for the first time this recording couldn’t come more highly recommended.
Pete Fyfe
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Sharon Shannon Big Band [with Shane MacGowan] - Live at The Forum, Kentish Town, Saturday 18th April
For three minutes last night I was convinced it was Christmas; tinsel, glitter, mince pies and mistletoe- the works. In reality however, I was standing on the dance floor of the Forum, but that warm ‘good will to all men’ feeling was still present, and due entirely to the scene in front of me. Shane MacGowan and Camille O’ Sullivan singing ‘Fairytale of New York’, backed by Sharon Shannon’s Big Band with Mike McGoldrick on whistle- Saturday nights don’t get much more magical than that.
The evening had started in Sharon’s usual laid back style, the petite accordion player appearing to take a backseat as the band launched into Freemount Bypass, a Renegade track. It seemed everyone was welcome to take centre stage- Camille O’Sullivan singing the very wonderful Kirsty MacColl’s ‘In these shoes?’ in an evocative Chicago cabaret style. Mike McGoldrick, Tim Edey and king of the banjos Gerry O’ Connor played a reel that rolled and reverberated around the Forum’s wide walls, before quickening the pace even further as Dezi Donnelly picked up where Mike and Gerry left off, the latter leaning against the curtains in the wings, tapping their feet, and waiting for an opportunity to rejoin the party.
Gatecrashers welcome, and ‘Decky the Techie’ was encouraged front of stage to sing ‘Dancing in the moonlight’ in a deep and gravely voice. All the best parties have all the best tunes, and this one was no exception, as Shane MacGowan arrived on stage to sing all the Pogues classics that the audience loved and joined in with; Sally MacLennane, Irish Rover, Fiesta, and Dirty Old Town. For an encore the sound engineer Leon O’Neill got up to sing Galway Girl with the rest of the band and the many extras coming back to help him out.
Sharon Shannon is the perfect party hostess- in the background but always making sure everyone’s happy, She has this unerring gift at getting the best out of people, and giving people the best time too, grinning with happiness at everyone and playing with glad-hearted delight. A joy. Make sure you get to the next party!
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Artist: Nick Harper
Venue: The Duchess
Town: York
Date: 13/04/09
Website: http://www.harperspace.com
Nick Harper has a space all his own and those who attend his gigs enter that space at their peril. Harperspace is after all, despite its intergalactic connotations and new hippie sensibility, the charismatic ether surrounding a vibrant musician who simply allows music to take over his entire being. A great singer with an astonishing vocal range as well as virtuoso guitar player, who has clearly explored all possibilities, not only in between the frets but also around the headstock area as well. There's more peg activity going on up there than at a gypsy convention and there appears to be no dusty end to Harper's Lowden.
Although famed for his use of the sampling and looping box of tricks, Nick kept his toys to a minimum tonight as he trawled through his back catalogue with songs from most of his albums including "Crazy Boy" from Seed, "Blood Song" and "Imaginary Friend" from Blood Songs, a couple from Smithereens "Two Way Thing" and "In Our Time" and a whole bunch from his fifth and arguably his best album Harperspace including the frantic "Karmageddon", the autobiographical "Aeroplane", a song about how Roy would swing the lad around by the ankles in earlier days and the soulful "She Rules My World", which almost evokes the vocal range of another famous rock-sprog of the Buckley variety.
Unlike Jeff Buckley though, who clearly had contempt for the father who abandoned him, Nick Harper has maintained a close relationship with his dad and it's actually encouraging to hear him speak so reverently about him. He has a great appreciation of Roy both as a dad and as a musician, as well as the source of all his genetic weirdness it has to be said. If you listen to some of Roy's early albums then you will know it was unavoidable. Coincidentally, Buckley's "Grace" was part of a lively medley, which also included the old Led Zeppelin stomper "Four Sticks", both popping up in the middle of "Love Is Music", Harper's regular string-breaking showpiece, which once again was rewarded by frantic applause from an appreciating audience of Harperspace cadets. Of the newer material, "Blue Sky Thinking" stands out as a Harper masterpiece with its trance-like fluid guitar motif that wouldn't be out of place on any Wyndam Hill collection.
The gig seemed to run over as often is the case with Harper. Once you get into that kind of a groove it's hard to know exactly when to stop and although you always come away with well over your money's worth of entertainment and Harperspaced-out experience, there's always the slight disappointment of not having heard your particular favourites. Tonight it was "The Verse That Time Forgot" and "100 Things" that could've easily substituted ten minutes of "Love Is Music" or the awfully bawdy Zappa toon "Titties and Beer". But there's always a next time eh?
Allan Wilkinson
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Artist: John Renbourn and Robin Williamson
Venue: NCEM
Town: York
Date: 15/04/09
Website: http://www.pigswhiskermusic.co.uk
I don't know about you, but I often feel quite privileged to have lived through the last few decades knowing we've had such contemporaries as Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon and Miles Davis in our time, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Tonight at the National Centre for Early Music, we were once again in the company of two of the most revered musicians to have sprung up in the Sixties and who have continued to inspire and influence musicians to this day. To some, the Incredible String Band were a bit too weird to fully appreciate, and there was always that hesitation before popping The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter on the dansette, if your folks were in that is. Those records to this day remain an absolutely essential part of my record collection and I no longer worry who hears the songs, however 'very cellular' they are.
Once having described himself as the 'genius of this parish', our ISB founder has progressed through decades of activity, mastering a particularly unique and eccentric vocal style, creating astonishingly inventive song writing structures, developing a daring guitar playing technique, beating the unchartered paths of world music (before the term was even coined), only to then re-invent himself as some sort of mystical Celtic bard. I've always been suspicious of any musical instrument that could equally be considered a piece of furniture, but in the hands of Robin Williamson, the harp becomes much more than the incidental instrument in an orchestra, but a point of absolute focus. As an accompaniment for traditional and contemporary songs and tunes, the harp does the job particularly well and gives us a break from the much more commonly used guitar. As a backdrop to some of Robin's lengthy Celtic stories, the harp comes into its own and creates a vast landscape of possibilities.
There was no storytelling tonight though, other than the stories we find in songs. I dare say John Renbourn might nod off if he had to sit through "The Voyage of Bran, Son of Febal" night after night, so this evening at the NCEM, Robin and John delivered a bunch of carefully chosen songs and pieces that have meant something to both musicians throughout their respective careers, and more importantly, as Robin reminds us, 'things that we both happen to know'.
Starting with a nod to perhaps the definitive guitar innovator of the folk revival, Davy Graham, who we sadly lost earlier this year, the duo launched into his version of Blind Willie Johnson's "I Just Can't Keep From Crying Sometimes", indicating right from the start how beautifully aligned the Celtic harp and the guitar can be in the hands of such experienced musicians. In addition to this, Robin keeps time with the aid of a metronomic bass drum, which is at his feet throughout.
As one of the five prongs of Pentangle, John Renbourn was always a much less heavy handed guitarist than his mate Bert Jansch and often Renbourn provided the lightness of touch that underpinned Jansch's claw hammered attacks. No one bends a note quite like Renbourn, a sound that is very distinctly his own, and fortunately, we got plenty of those tonight.
The duo alternated between traditional songs and tunes such as "The Snows They Melt The Soonest", "South Wind/The Blarney Pilgrim" and "Sir Patrick Spens" and also included a couple of more contemporary songs with David Allen Coe's "I Stay Stoned on Your Love" together with a couple of Dylan covers; "Absolutely Sweet Marie" and "Buckets of Rain". Renbourn also wandered into Bahaman slack-key territory delivering a remarkable take on Joseph Spence's "Great Dreams From Heaven", previously explored by Ry Cooder during his 'Jazz' period.
Rounding off things nicely with a re-visit to the duo's collaboration album 'Wheel of Fortune', Robin and John concluded with "Lights of Sweet St Annes", which was well received by the sell-out audience in York tonight. The performance was less about the meeting of two experienced borderline rock star folkies, and more about two mates having a bit of fun, doing what they like best. Excellent.
Providing the support tonight was a new incarnation of Beneath The Oak, an established name but with a fresh line up. The trio now consists of mandolin and cuatro player Paul Wale, singer songwriter Aimie J Ryan on guitar and Mark Waters on bass. Standing huddled together on stage, carefully avoiding Robin Williamson's music shop window display, the trio played a selection of self penned material including "My Eyes Close" and "Grave of Autumn".
Allan Wilkinson
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Artist: Rachel Harrington and Zak Borden
Venue: The Wheelhouse
Town: Wombwell
Date: 11/04/09
Website: http://www.rachelharrington.net
The Barnsley Wheelhouse Concerts are as informal as it gets. The Jones family (Hedley, Lynn and Rory the King Charles Spaniel) are your hosts for the evening and at the bottom of their garden is a wooden cabin, which seats 35 comfortably. The guest artists have to be carefully considered for these occasions as the venue is purpose built for a solo performer. A duo would be more than comfortable, a trio manageable - if they don't turn up with a grand piano or a double bass that is, and it must be said, an orchestra probably goes very much against HSE guidelines, even if the instruments only consist of ukuleles.
Rachel Harrington and Zak Borden fall under the 'comfortable' category and played a superb couple of sets without the aid of either a safety net nor or PA. The Wheelhouse is one of those special venues that doesn't require any form of amplification whatsoever and we were privileged to be given the opportunity to hear these musicians in their raw form. The venue was described variously throughout the inaugural evening as a log cabin, a garden shed and a summerhouse, to specifically 'The Wheelhouse' or 'The Club House'. Zak Borden summed it up simply as 'insanely cute', which is just about right.
The Seattle based duo performed songs from both 'The Bootlegger's Daughter' and the more recent follow up album 'City of Refuge' as well as a couple from Zak's solo album 'The Remedy Sessions'. Kicking off with "Sunshine Girl" the couple soon found their natural volume and were both pleased to find they didn't have to project their voices to any significant discomfort level. Rachel's guitar and Zak's tasteful mandolin accompaniment dovetailed together perfectly well, mirroring these freshly refurbished wooden surroundings.
The duo are travelling 'light' around Europe for the next three months, with just one guitar and a mandolin, therefore Hedley's wall-mounted Gibson came in handy for a few of Zak's own songs including "Greener Side" and "Tennessee Heart" as well as his interpretation of the traditional "Saro Jane".
Rachel chose her songs wisely and included alongside her own compositions such as "Shoeless Joe", "Walk To You" and the more recent "Under The Big Top", Bobbie Gentry's "Ode To Billie Jo", Bobbie Dylan's "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go", as well as the haunting "Up The River", which is a faithful reading of the Laura Veirs song and therefore just as spellbinding. There was even a Patsy Cline song in there for good measure.
For this, the first of what promises to be a good season of house concerts, we saw two of Americana's rising stars set a remarkably good standard for those to follow. In such surroundings, those who have yet to make an appearance at the Wheelhouse, can be assured that they are half way there already. Finishing off with "Goodbye", a Steve Earle song, we were reminded once again that it was Steve's sister Stacey who was the last guest to appear in this garden back in October, and proves that the standard of musicianship is being maintained here in Wombwell.
Rachel Harrington and Zak Borden will be appearing in the area again as part of their current tour on 2nd May at the Wath Festival and then again on 23rd May at the Wombwell Mad-Fest. Details 07982 658467 (Wath) and 01226 752901 (Wombwell)
Allan Wilkinson
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Spiers & Boden, April 5th 2009, Hitchin Folk Club at the Sun Inn, Hitchin
We arrived a good half an hour or more before the support act (Gilmore/Roberts) were due on stage and were just in time to bag the worst seats in the house! This was definitely a sell-out night with as many as legally possible packed into the increasingly warm Sun Inn's ballroom.
Spiers and Boden's trick is that they are as traditional as can be but at the same time sound fresh and new. The accordion playing is strongly Morris inspired and not in the quaint summer's day on the village green way but in the burly mock-battle hardness of Morris. This gives the traditional ballads a darker threatening edge which is in keeping with the material - songs about hanging, head-splitting and rough justice can certainly stand an earthier approach. This is all balanced by the fineness of the playing.
Much of tonight's material comes from their latest album - Vagabond - a collection of outsider's tales with excellent settings of Shakespeare's The Rain It Rains, and jaunty songs such as Tom Padget, The Birth of Robin Hood and Captain Ward. Blended in are a number of tune sets, some a hundred, some several hundred years old, and some new. One set are tunes that they also play with Bellowhead, but here of course they are stripped down from the big folk band sound.
Something missing from the CD is Jon Boden's very percussive feet, giving a steady beat from the miked up wooden box he stands on. They produce an impressive wall of sound, and the vocal delivery has an authenticity that more polished voices would not be able to sustain and which gives new life to well know shanties like Haul Away For Rosie. With the pair dressed mainly in black you couldn't be further away from the arran jumper and beards stereotype, and that can't be a bad thing for widening traditional folk's appeal, but there's nothing here that should upset a "purist" either..
A superb night, can't wait for the next.
Jonathan Aird
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Janis Haves – The Garden (Angelic Music ANGCD. 005)
For Janis’s second solo album, she retains the services of husband Geoff as producer, and they’ve kept it all admirably simple, concentrating on direct and straightforward voice-and-guitar settings and textures, these completely reflecting the exquisite, personal nature of the songs – all eleven of which are Janis’s own compositions. There’s a plain-spoken immediacy in Janis’s relating of everyday experiences and events that proves gently captivating, and she easily avoids any potential charge of navel-gazing or pretentious introspection by virtue of the freshness of her expression and the pure language she employs. Even though Janis often writes from the female perspective, hers is not a stance that excludes the male listener from appreciating what she’s saying: indeed, songs like the impassioned Twisted Mind (for instance) can, and do, apply equally to both sexes. The title track is a typically perceptive metaphorical reflection, examining how we try and control everything in our lives but how every now and then something wilder and uncontrollable breaks through from the deeper part of our natures (interestingly, that analogy then can be seen to hold true for the process of songwriting itself). Although there’s not a weak song here, arguably the set’s standouts are placed at the epicentre of the disc, and include the fragile beauty of The Sun Went Down (poignantly reflecting on an ended relationship) and Don’t Cry. I really rated the concealed bonus track too, with its lovely one-off doubletracked vocal harmonies: continuing the central theme and image of the collection, it’s like a kind of “secret garden” I guess, and a delicious highlight of the set that’s almost too good to be hidden away like that! Janis’s singing is totally in keeping with her songs – an ever-so-slightly-breathy combination of pure-toned and innocent-but-knowing with expressively confident, in a quite childlike delivery that sometimes belies the degree of worldly experiential wisdom inherent in her lyrics.
Her guitar accompaniments are expert, delicately contoured yet forthrightly assured, perfectly moulded to her melody-lines, unobtrusive yet wholly complementary. Many of the songs were recorded live (they started out as a series of acoustic demos and happily became retained in exactly this form); some were recorded only hours after they’d been composed, and the quality of creative immediacy I noted earlier is surely more than partly attributable to this. As a whole, this thoroughly charming yet also thought-provoking disc is rather an object lesson on how credibly to both realise and present a contemporary singer-songwriter album, letting the songs speak for themselves without distraction. Packaging is minimal but attractively designed – lyrics aren’t provided, but you really can hear every single word Janis sings. A fabulous disc.
David Kidman
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Walter Strauss – Pulling Shadows (Redstone Records 002)
A native of Wyoming and almost incidental wizard of the fingerstyle guitar, Walter’s also a singer-songwriter who drags rootsy Americana from the open spaces of the Midwest out into the far reaches of the globe. In the past, he’s worked with musicians from West Africa to Australia to Finland, weaving together seemingly disparate musical strands and disciplines into a surprisingly seamless whole. The ten tracks on this, his debut CD, comprise eight songs and just two instrumental cuts. Taking the latter first, one (Dustdevil) is a plain astounding piece, a whirling, spinning mass of kora textures (on which Mamadou Diabate guests, no less), whereas Spinner’s Cascade is also aptly named, being a tumbling solo acoustic guitar painting on which Walter demonstrates his consummate mastery of the instrument in a pastoral, neo-folk-baroque context (think acoustic Led Zepp perhaps). The vocal items, all songs of Walter’s own composition, are also exceedingly satisfying, indeed tasty, and embrace a variety of roots idioms, from the tenderly soulful Latin-inflected Time, Peace And Honey through the deep-throated horn-bedecked The Beast and the contemplative Like Water.
Walter’s gently soulful, smoky, sometimes dreamlike vocal tones suit each song so well, whether he’s framed by edgy Beefheartian rhythms (Love Puddle), funky percussive picking (In The Stone) or a yearning pedal steel (as on Blue Horizon and Spring Song) or carrying the expressive heart while kora and guitar cascade meaningfully around him. Walter’s chosen his guest musicians well – they include Rich DePaolo, Bob Carlucci, Ken Laroche and Bill King – and Walter’s keen incorporation of the African influences in particular leads to some creative and stimulating musical adventures, wholly naturally blending the rippling rhythmic patterns into his own inventions. Pulling Shadows was recorded a couple of years ago at least, yet it sounds bang up to the minute, and a followup is due this year sometime, maybe (I hope) to coincide with a short UK tour starting May 2009; this guy’ll certainly be worth seeing.
www.walterstrauss.com
David Kidman
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Jack The Lad – Jackpot (Market Square Records MSMCD149)
Well, a breath of fresh air harking back to the good old days of the 70s when much of my youth was spent in the moshpit that was the Marquee Club in London. To witness the likes of Jack The Lad, Hedgehog Pie, The JSD Band and Spud was always a pleasure and let’s not forget, all of these bands were entertainers, not just great musicians and vocalists. It’s long been established that Billy Mitchell for me was the main man when it came to vocal prowess in the field of folk-rock and this is ably demonstrated on an album full of nostalgia. I must admit I wasn’t such a fan of the out and out rock material they were playing at the time of this recording but, if you’re a ‘folkie’ like me then you’ll want to purchase the CD for the two trad arranged studio tracks on offer. “The Tender” with its riff sodden sparring guitars/mandolins, hard hitting intro and Geordie-ness will put a smile on the face of even the sternest critic and then of course, there’s the jaunty set of tunes “Walter’s Drop”. All of the previously unreleased bonus tracks (including a great version of “Buy Broom Bessoms/The Tender/The Marquis Of Tullybardine” – anyone for wah-wah mandolin?) will be required listening for completists everywhere.
www.marketsquarerecords.co.uk
Pete Fyfe
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Lindisfarne – Happy Daze (Market Square Records MSMCD148)
OK, so hands up - I wasn’t particularly into the rockier version of Lindisfarne Mark II (along with a majority of the original Lindisfarne fans according to Jim Henderson’s informative sleevenotes) although I have to admit a glowing admiration for two or three of the more subtle tracks on this previously unavailable CD recording. Firstly there is the outstanding Alan Hull penned “River” (which even featured Hull on recorder) and then there were the two Kenny Craddock songs “Nellie” and “Tomorrow”. At the time this recording was made in 1974 it was probably Mr Craddock, Hull & Ray Jackson armed with his trusty mandolin that held the quintessential Lindisfarne ‘sound’ together. Although (for me) it’s these three tracks that make this CD a required purchase I was also interested in the seven bonus tracks featuring solo performances by Alan. A bit of a mixed bag then but a must have for Lindisfarne collectors everywhere.
Pete Fyfe
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The Doonans – Dorking Folk Club 07.10.09
Gawd blimey guv’nor let’s dispense with the bankers of this world and give these lads (and lass) a rise. Playing to a packed club, The Doonans have boundless energy and take no prisoners in a display of musicianship, dancing and vocal gymnastics that would put Michael Flatley to shame. Blasting on stage with a set of tunes including an old Hedgehog Pie favourite “The Big Kerry Reel” featuring Mick Doonan’s trademark piccolo, Kevin Doonan’s fiddle plus the driving rhythm of Stu Luckley (guitar) and Phil Murray’s pounding acoustic bass (and you don’t see many of those) the spectacle was topped by the agility of the group’s dancer Frances Doonan. Between them, Mick and Stu hold court with strident vocals on standards such as “The Blackleg Miner”, “Here’s The Tender Coming” and Ewan MacColl’s “Moving On Song” but it’s the more contemporary acoustic settings of Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home” and Labbi Siffre’s “Something Inside So Strong” that will linger in the memory.20And that’s what sets this band apart. Diversification in the hands of lesser mortals could make for uncomfortable bed-fellows but, as displayed with such vigour and not a little humour (mainly provided by Phil) you can ‘entertain’ as well as prove your credentials as a serious artiste…a rare thing indeed. With musicianship well to the fore utilising Mick’s Uillean Pipes, Flute, Whistle and Saxophone the group never once let up the pace in the best part of a 2 hour set that all too soon came to an end with an encore of the classic “Wild Mountain Thyme” that had the audience joining in as if they were auditioning for the TV programme “The Choir”. I can’t wait for next time I see the band and in these days of doom and gloom anything that leaves you smiling can’t be a bad thing.
Pete Fyfe
The Doonan Family Band – Manna From Hebburn (Own Label DFB02)
The Doonan Family Band – Further Along (Own Label CRCD03)
To the distinctive strains of piccolo from the now sadly departed John Doonan joined by sons Mick (Uillean Pipes) and Kevin (Fiddle) along with their mates Phil Murray (Bass) and Stu Luckley (Guitars) the Doonan Family Band certainly create an infectious wall of sound. To be perfectly honest I’d just popped out to make a cup of tea and forgotten I’d left the CD playing and thought I’d come across an old Hedgehog Pie or JSD Band recording. With their mix of traditional and contemporary songs and tunes the band might not have the finesse of The Bothy Band or Altan but if, like me you like your music a bit rough round the edges in the spirit of a good old fashioned session then both these albums will be right up your street. They hit the spot with some excellent instrumental sets including established standards “The Star Of Munster”, “Barney Bralligan” (I didn’t know it was a song as well) and “The Banks Of Ireland” but it is probably their arrangements of songs such as “Something Inside” and “House Of The Rising Sun” (both performed with great aplomb by Mick) that will capture the listeners imagination. Augmented by Mick’s daughters Fran and Rosie on the Further Along album this is a band that will inspire more than most because they just know how to have a good time whilst treating the music with respect and a great deal of humour – a rare treat indeed!
www.doonanfamilyband.co.uk
Pete Fyfe
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2 Duos - Until The Cows Come Home (Own Label)
You can sometimes tell from the first track that you are really going to enjoy a full album. And so it proves with this debut recording from 2 Duos. The pair in question: Claire Mann & Aaron Jones and Gudrun Walther & Jurgen Treyz (of the German band Cara) already enjoy great credentials and you just know this recording will be something special. In the days before 2 Duos we had…it appeared…loads of artists such as The Bothy Band, De Dannan, Altan and Clannad etc all vying for the same bit of space on the Celtic music scene.
Perhaps we don’t have quite so many now but now is a good time to promote the genre. With songs such as the “Midlothian Mining Song” with Aaron putting his fine Scottish vocal to good use and the gently evocative flute/fiddle start to the track “Beyond The Glen” (think Maids Of Michelstown) this is a band in no rush to rock it up for the general public. On another track the texture of bouzouki underpinned by Jurgen’s subtle use of dobro on Sandy Denny’s song “Solo” is crowned by the gorgeous harmonies of Gudrun and Claire. The band utilise to good effect a studied repertoire that will appeal to a wide listener base and as demonstrated on this recording they should prove a real winner on the ‘folk’ circuit…I hope I’m proved right!
www.2duos.com
Pete Fyfe
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Oysterband – The Oxford Girl And Other Stories (Running Man Records RMCD6)
Thirty years down the road and still going strong here is a band that doesn’t age much like the seemingly indestructible nature of some of their songs. I thought, on first hearing the opening track “The Early Days Of A Better Nation” that I’d stumbled across a long lost recording by Peter Gabrial but then again Oysterband have that knack of throwing you every which way musically. And that’s what makes this album so interesting with re-arrangements (or re-imaginings as the band would have it) in a more acoustic setting than we’re used to hearing.
Fronted as ever by the strident vocals of John Jones this is a band that takes no prisoners and makes no apology for getting down and dirty in a display mixing raw passion and subtle moments in equal measure.
For those Oyster anthem seekers the cello driven take on Tim Hart & Maddy Prior’s version of “The False Knight On The Road” will I’m sure have the audience chanting along in customary fashion and who wouldn’t want to when it’s performed with such unbridled power. With copious pounding rhythms providing the backdrop to much of the band’s material, if you’re feeling down in this present climate then buy this CD and revitalise your pleasure organs.
Cracking stuff!
www.oysterband.co.uk
Pete Fyfe
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Jim Malcolm – The First Cold Day (Beltane Records BELCD106)
I first saw Jim performing with the band Old Blind Dogs some years ago and was immediately struck by the strength of his vocals. This is the seventh solo album in his prolific canon of work now featuring predominantly his own songs along with the traditional “The Shearing” and “Maggie’s Bairn” plus Andy M Stewart’s evocative “Valley Of Strathmore”. Proud of his Scottish heritage Malcolm has a way with words that I’m sure would please the likes of forebears Robbie Burns and Robert Tannahill.
Being a much-travelled folksinger, Jim has had plenty of time to hone his skill with the pen and the images he paints is a vast landscape as far as the eye can see…or the ear can hear. Capturing thoughts and putting them on paper has always eluded me as a performer but it’s good to see them come vividly to life in the hands of a craftsman who obviously relishes the challenge. I have a particular liking for tracks such as “An Hour In The Gloaming” accompanied by his wife Susie on harmony vocals or the double-tracked smooth jazz tinged title track “The First Cold Day”. In some ways this particular track reminds me of the first time I heard The Easy Club.
For those of us who feel we know the best performers on the ‘folk’ circuit check out this recording…if you haven’t seen or heard Jim before I’m sure you’ll enjoy a majority of the album…I certainly did!
www.jimmalcolm.com
Pete Fyfe