Mike Barnett "Portraits in Fiddles"
Compass Records, 2017
An interesting concept, instrumentals and the occasional song featuring bluegrass fiddle, with a bit of chat in between most tracks. Bryan Sutton, Dave Grisman, Jesse McReynolds, Bobby Hicks, Tony Trischka and Buddy Spicher talk about fiddle music. Interestingly, half of these people are not fiddlers: there's banjo, mandolin and guitar in the spoken mix. Only the upright bass player is missing from a classic bluegrass line-up, and although there is some old-time and even celtic material here the approach is pretty much bluegrass. Bryan Sutton delivers a version of Reel du Pendu which wouldn't be recognised by most Quebec fiddlers and actually seems closer to Fisher's Hornpipe. The chat interludes are entertaining, but quite brief and high level. Grisman comments that he realised it was possible to have a band which played just instrumental music. Sutton extols the virtues of tunes with more than two parts. McReynolds alludes to the difference between flat pick and fingerpick styles. Bobby Hicks mentions a couple of his heroes, and Trischka explains how he got the inspiration for Fox Chase which is a modern take on the old Irish showpiece. Spicher introduces the final Tennessee Waltz, explaining the allure of the high fiddle part.
As for the music, it starts with a lovely fiddle breakdown Old Barnes which I've not often heard before, and continues with the first of four vocal tracks. Mary and the Soldier is well known across the British Isles, probably a Napoleonic folksong with English, Irish and Scottish versions. Mom and Dad's Waltz could only be American, a hymn to Momma and Daddy set to a frankly sentimental melody. Each track here features two fiddlers, Barnett and one other: Hicks and Spicher of course, but also Stuart Duncan and Alex Hargreaves, plus notable sidemen on banjo, mandolin, guitar and finally that bass. The instrumental main course starts with Grisman's Waiting for Vassar, a track with some of Vassar Clements' trademark swing fiddle. There's more swing in Bobby Hicks' Fiddle Patch, another highlight, while Bow Wow and Okeechobee Wind are mainstream modern bluegrass, and Dixie Hoedown lives up to its title. The final course is introduced by country-style fiddling on Angel Waltz, followed by Trishka's banjo magic and the final plangent Tennessee Waltz. A banquet of Americana punctuated with pockets of chat.
© Alex Monaghan
The Alan Crookston Ceilidh Band "Note Again"
Glasfield Records, 2017
Twelve sets of dance music from a very accomplished, slightly formal ceilidh band: this is the second CD from accordionist Alan Crookston and his band, and while there is some humour in the title they clearly take their dance music very seriously. Although calling themselves a ceilidh band, their sound would not be out of place for a pucker country dance: Gary Sutherland on second accordion, Iain Anderson on fiddle, drummer Alan Irvine and piano/bass maestro Liam Stewart span the Scots world from Anstruther to Antrim, combining to produce a core Scottish dance band sound. Their tempo might be a little quick for the older crowd, and their rhythms don't stretch to the funk and salsa of current ceilidh kids, but on this record The Alan Crookston Ceilidh Band neatly treads a line between strict and sexy, with the impression that they could easily swing both ways if required.
Hard core pipe marches for The Gay Gordons, Irish jigs for Strip the Willow, and many other standards of the ceilidh band repertoire are augmented by a wide range of more unusual choices. The Dashing White Sergeant draws on reels from Cape Breton and County Durham, Kate Martin's Waltz by Skye box-player Blair Douglas is a great choice for St Bernard, and Shetland composer Ronnie Cooper provides some exceptional tunes for Circassian Circle. The waltzes on Pride of Erin start in Ireland, but end up in Australia by way of a Phil Coulter air. Well known Scots artiste Mark Knopfler also gets a credit for Crookston's showpiece Piper to the End. Pipe tunes, Irish reels, quicksteps new and old, and an eclectic set of 6/8 marches for the Britannia Two-Step complete a fine and varied dance selection. Who would have thought of pairing Tyneside's Blaydon Races with Merseyside's Yellow Submarine? There's a lovely lift throughout Note Again, and a fine balance between box and fiddle which is never swamped by the back line, so if you fancy a nice gentle ceilidh with a couple of faster numbers for the youngsters, this album is a perfect fit.
© Alex Monaghan
Albireo "Binary"
Flying Swan, 2017
Subtitled "an eclectic double CD of music for listening and dance", this is a collection of mostly English music with a few pieces from elsewhere. The Albireo website contains dance instructions suitable for most tracks. In the style of much English music, there are specific dances for perhaps ten of the tunes here: the rest will suit numerous dances, and all are of course suitable for listening. Albireo is that most curious beast, an English ceilidh band, sitting at the junction of English, Irish and Scottish music but really based in the English tradition. Fiddler Tom Kitching, concertinists Howard Jones and Steve Hodgskiss, guitarist Sean Bechhofer and bassist Peter Crowther can cook up anything from Finnish polkas to French renaissance dances, but the vast majority of the music on Binary is English, by band members or from the rich traditions between Newcastle and Newquay.
There are some great tracks on Binary: the Playford classics Jack's Maggott and Barham Down, the melodeon standards Enrico and Iron Legs, the Celtic version of Buttered Peas known as Stumpie in Scotland, a pair of lovely Northumbrian 3/2s, the faux Western Swing of Levi Jackson Rag, and the delightful Duke of Kent's Waltz. As is the wont of many ceilidh bands, once the tune is established and the rhythm is set, some of the musicians have a tendency to flights of fancy, imagining themselves in a rock band or on a frontiersman's front porch, so there's some fun to be had for the listener on most tracks. Other pieces are played surprisingly straight: the old favourites Horses Bransle and Hole in the Wall, for instance. There are occasional stumbles and stutters, but on the whole Albireo keeps the tune and tempo through almost two hours of solid arrangements. As a piece of entertainment, or as an advert for this North West outfit available for weddings, festivals and anything in between, Binary represents both great value and good quality.
© Alex Monaghan
An Tara "Faha Rain"
Raelach Records, 2017
This duo of percussionist Tommy Hayes and multi-instrumentalist Matthew "Mattu" Noone is now on its second album. I don't recall their first, but Faha Rain is certainly memorable. Mostly composed by Mattu, with one piece by Hayes and a handful of traditional Irish themes, this recording floats past like a mirage, a graceful thing of chiffons and dainty footsteps, fading in and out as the instrumentation changes. The insistent resonances of the sarode on Paddy Fahy's give way to the rainforest sound of the marimba for a pair of Junior Crehan tunes, and then the meditative spaces of Wisdom with its temple bells and muted drum.
There's a mystical side to An Tara's music, even when it's based on Irish material such as An Luachrachán or The Morning Dew. An Tara means "the space between" in Sanskrit, apparently - and there was me thinking it was Irish for an old hill fort in Meath. The oriental edge of the stringed instruments is accentuated by hypnotic rhythms and simple melody lines. Only Ocean Drive retains the character of western music, the ukulele sounding more like a slack-strung blues guitar. The final Rosie's Lullaby heads back east, but still with a western tinge, like a hippy string band from the sixties, a song for those willing to explore other cultures with an open mind and a camper van full of instruments. Take a tour with An Tara, and appreciate those spaces in between.
© Alex Monaghan
Martin Hayes Quartet "The Blue Room"
Own Label, 2017
For many people, the name Martin Hayes will be enough reason to buy this album - and rightly so. Since his 1995 release Under the Moon, Martin has built a worldwide reputation as both a traditional icon and an innovator in Irish music. This apparent contradiction is reconciled in a skilful fiddler whose awareness of Irish music allows him the freedom to express himself without breaking his bond with the past, and to define new music which carries the heart of the Irish tradition deep within itself. It's not always a smooth process, but Martin's work with guitarist Denis Cahill, with supergroup The Gloaming, and now with this quartet has been a defining factor in the evolution of Irish music for the past two decades, and we all benefit from the results.
The Martin Hayes Quartet is for me the most interesting of Martin's musical projects. Hayes' own creativity is expanded and intensified by the experience and imagination of clarinetist Doug Wieselman and fiddler Liz Knowles, both eclectic musicians with a wide repertoire of styles and pieces, as well as his long-term collaborator Cahill whose sparse guitar unerringly chooses which gaps to fill and which to leave empty. The Blue Room is a dozen tracks recorded in a live setting, each one a spontaneous interpretation of a single Irish melody, whether it's the driving Brennan's Reel or the soulful slip-jig My Mind Will Never Be Easy. There's passion, pathos, fun and ferocity. Funky twin fiddles brighten up Tommy Peoples' Reel, while the bass clarinet breathes blue notes into Port Sadhbh. Each piece is a revelation, from the primal resonances on The Boy in the Gap to the final frenzied chord of The Monastereden Fancy.
© Alex Monaghan
James Carty "Hiding Daylight in Dark Corners"
Racket Records, 2017
Son of the widely respected fiddle and banjo revivalist John Carty, this young fiddler is making his mark before the ink is dry on his debut album. Like his father, James treads a line between the polished showmanship of Gavin or Hayes, and the raw naturalness of Diamond or Ó Raghallaigh: his music is not quite a return to Coleman and McGann, but it has that same energy and drive. The reel Barr na Cúille sizzles on Carty's bow, and Michael Dwyer's is delivered equally hot. Jigs and reels fill most of Hiding Daylight in Dark Corners, and James is joined by fine musicians on about half the album, including most of his family on flutes and fiddles for a final romp through The Duke of Leinster and The London Lasses.
With such a young player on his first recording, it's no surprise to find occasional imperfections of timing or tuning, but these do not greatly detract from the enjoyment of this CD. There are a few things here which I would not have chosen: a slowed down version of The Chanter's Song, Coleman's version of Harvest Home which is almost impossible to improve upon, and the dragging Jamesie Gannon's Waltz which really needs a swing fiddle and a full band to do it justice. On the other hand, there are many fresh tracks which bring new life to the music: a pair of schottisches or flings including The Killarney Wonder, a lovely down-to-earth take on a barndance by the very same Jamesie Gannon, and the title track which seems to be a variation on the Scottish reel Ale is Dear. It's early days for this latest Carty prodigy, but there's plenty of promise in James' performance on Hiding Daylight in Dark Corners. Whether he follows in his father's footsteps, or takes his own path, his will be a journey worth watching.
© Alex Monaghan
Maxim & Gervais Cormier "Cape Breton Guitar"
Own Label, 2017
After his eponymous debut a few years ago,[51]
Maxim has teamed up with his father Gervais to produce a two-guitar recording which blends their Acadian/Metis heritage with the Scots and Irish influences on Cape Breton. This broad spectrum of music results in a very varied album, despite the limited instrumentation: all tracks are guitar-led. Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald's jigs are followed by a set combining the Acadian Mme Sylvain with the showpiece Banks Hornpipe and the Scots fiddle reel The Earl of Hyndford. Unlike his solo debut, Maxim doesn't play much of his own material here: instead he draws on great Cape Breton style composers like Dan R MacDonald, Jerry Holland, Dave Greenberg and John Morris Rankin to augment the traditional repertoire. Winston Fitzgerald's version of The Monaghan Jig is joined by Scott Skinner's variations on The East Neuk, and by Skinner's composition The Forth Brig. Andy de Jarlis' Caribou Reel is a reprise from that earlier album, not the only one here, but Maxim's playing has moved on and each track on this CD is a new experience.
Jerry Holland's waltz Tears is a beautiful piece, achingly played on mouth organ by Gervais I assume. It's followed by a virtuoso set of reels from Maxim in his flatpicked classical style, accompanied by Gervais. The modish Sheepskin and Beeswax is another stand-out moment, backed by what sounds like muted mandolin: sleevenotes would help, but that's a downside of downloads! Dave Greenberg is a fiddler I'd like to hear more of, judging from the trio of his jigs performed here: finger-twisters with a groove of their own. Maxim and Gervais Cormier finish with a march, strathspey and reel from John Morris and Dan R, including the latter's iconic Lime Hill and the former's dramatic driving Hull's Reel. As soon as Cape Breton Guitar was finished, I wanted to hear it all again. There's a lot to absorb in this relatively short collection, and plenty more scope for Maxim and Gervais to apply their considerable talents to the music of Cape Breton, so I look forward to hearing Cape Breton Guitar 2 in due course.
© Alex Monaghan
Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh "Foxglove & Fuschia"
Own label, 2017
A singer and flute player from Kerry, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh has been a part of the group Danú for many years and has featured in numerous TV programmes including the roving series Port which she presented alongside Julie Fowlis. The crossover between the traditions of the Kerry Gaeltacht and Fowlis' Hebridean Gaelic culture are surprisingly strong, and this CD contains two examples: the shared song Bridget O'Malley, and the slide Cáit Ó Gharán a'Bhile which is known as a mouth-music melody or puirt-a-beul in Scotland. There's also a more modern crossover in Archie Fisher's song The Final Trawl, transferred to Muireann during the making of Port.
More typical Irish songs on this second album from Muireann include An Sciobairín, Muirisín Deas agus Nóra, the well known Johnny has Gone for a Soldier, and the beautiful sad Bean Dubh an Ghleanna which is a great vehicle for Muireann's rich low voice. Foxglove & Fuschia also features three instrumental tracks: polkas and slides of course, and a pair of reels on sparkling tin whistle, showing why Ms Nic Amhlaoibh is almost as much in demand as a musician as she is as a singer. Both tunes and songs are given a boost by a host of fine traditional players and singers: Méabh and Séamus Begley, Jeremy Spencer, John McSherry, Dónal O'Connor, Pauline Scanlon, Donogh Hennessy and Gerry O'Beirne to name only a few. Its mix of songs in English and Irish, tunes on flutes and fiddles, and fine accompaniment makes this album an exceptionally fine reflection of Kerry music.
© Alex Monaghan
Peatbog Faeries "Live@25"
Own label, 2017
The thought that the Peatbog Faeries could be getting middle-aged is a disturbing one: visions of piper Peter Morrison in a suit, or fiddler Ross Couper in an apron, or indeed any of the band's members in a proper job, could rock social media to its foundations. Fear not - Live@25 is still as fresh and energetic as these lads were in their younger days! And it rocks. Driving beats, thumping bass lines, freaky keyboard effects, diamond-sharp whistle, grooving fiddle, and the dynamite blast of big Scottish pipes deliver over a dozen tracks of the corrosive highland music which is PBF's hallmark, etching their name in sterling silver.
This is the Peatbogs' second live album, but the previous one was quite a long time ago and I'm pretty sure there's only one reprise from those days. The tracks here generally come from their recent albums Blackhouse and Dust, but the lads do finish with the crowd-pleaser Folk Police from the 2001 Faerie Stories release. I say finish: there are actually two tracks after the last track, an encore from their Stornoway concert, and a wee surprise to end this feast of faerie fare. For well over an hour, with a wee bit of chat and a modest helping of applause, the Peatbogs strut their stuff on stage: the gentle jig Dun Beag, the savage reel Strictly Sambuca, and everything in between. There's even a new, previously unreleased number, so fresh that it goes by the relatively normal name of Humours of Ardnamurchan, suggesting that these five aren't ready to throw in the plaidie just yet. Fishing at Orbost, Tom in the Front, Jakes on a Plane - it's all here, deep and dark and mostly uncut, like the very bogs that spawned the fabulous folk phenomenon which is the Peatbog Faeries Live@25. Lang may their lums reek.
© Alex Monaghan
Roddy Matthews & Friends "The High Road O'er the Border"
Bingfield Music, 2017
Recorded to raise money for the Maggie's cancer charity, this CD is amazingly polished and professional for an album quickly put together by good friends and good will. The High Road O'er the Border is basically a classy Border ceilidh or barn dance - the sort where the barn is still standing afterwards - with fiddler Roddy Matthews, accordionist Gary Forrest, guitarist Ally Lee and drummer Keith Lauder. This impromptu band pumps out the jigs and reels, marches and waltzes, rants and hornpipes from Tyneside to Torridon, with the majority of them written by Roddy to commemorate people and places on both sides of the Scottish border.
From his opening set of Portrigh pipe jigs to the final reel Captain Jim Michie of Lochshiel, Matthews provides some cracking melodies. I'll single out a few - the reel Bamburgh Castle, the 6/8 march Howahill, the air Mrs Jean Nichol of Lauder, and The Slander Jig - but there are many more. I also particularly enjoyed some of the old Northumbrian tunes here, a trio of James Hill hornpipes, and a set of rants taken from legendary band leader and piper Jack Armstrong. There's one song, from which the CD title is taken, with vocals by Daniel McPhee and a guitar accompaniment by Chris Newman. The other eighteen tracks, almost an hour, are all instrumental and led by Roddy. There are a few timing issues as you'd expect from even the best scratch band, and Keith Lauder's drums are vital in holding the whole sound together, but both Matthews and Forrest turn in excellent performances to make The High Road O'er the Border a surprise hit for me.
© Alex Monaghan
Tony O'Connell "'Live and Well"
Own Label, 2017
From a Limerick born multiple champion whose core repertoire has drifted towards Sliabh Luachra but whose material spans the whole island of Ireland and beyond, 'Live and Well is a masterclass in modern Irish concertina music. O'Connell has taken pieces from the playing of Hill, Daly, McArdle and others, adapting them to his own flowing style. There's less percussive bite than some concertina players, and the accompaniment seems to draw on piping as much as push-pull techniques. With very few exceptions, all the tunes here are beautifully delivered and a delight to the ear: only once or twice do the technical aspects intrude on the music. The Drunken Gauger is something of a showpiece, with lavish ornamentation which becomes the focus of this quite short track. Kimmel's Jig is another elaborate piece, fitting a flurry of notes around the tune, much as that great Dutch box-player did himself.
Like many other concertinists, Tony O'Connell has a taste for Scottish strathspeys. These spiky tunes suit the natural staccato of the concertina, and Tony performs a fine pair here: Angus Chisholm's Number 2 from Cape Breton, and South of the Grampians from Scotland's East Coast fiddle tradition. In contrast, his handling of the Tommy Peoples composition Cronan's Hornpipe is surprisingly smooth and understated, bringing a delicacy to the tune which gives it an unexpected beauty. Slides and polkas get the trademark swagger of the Munster dance forms, and the concertina is joined by Brid Harper's Ulster fiddle on some lovely reels and jigs. There are two powerful slow airs on 'Live and Well, quite different but equally stunning in their stark melodies and evocative arrangements which take full advantage of the concertina's polyphonic possibilities. Arty McGlynn' guitar, Cyril O'Donoghue's bouzouki and Trevor Hutchinson's bass provide subtle assistance in places, contributing to an exceptional recording of virtuoso concertina music.
© Alex Monaghan
Chris Stout & Catriona McKay "Bare Knuckle"
Own Label, 2017
Another collaboration from two of Shetland's finest musicians, this collection of original tunes on fiddle and harp is challenging, breathtaking, captivating. The title track says it all, a free-form piece where McKay and Stout play with an intuitive synergy, as if glued together - or like Japanese Red Crowned Cranes as the press release crows. Bare Knuckle ranges from the very contemporary Seeker Reaper to the earthy traditional sound of Louise's Waltz, an album full of variety and innovation, flawlessly delivered.
The lively fun of Moscow Rush combines superb technique with spirited playing on both harp and fiddle. Tingaholm is a hymn to the windswept purity of Shetland's lonely places, a mix of Nordic mystery and lifelong familiarity. The final piece, by Brazilian composer Villa-Lobos, is surprisingly in keeping with this pair's compositions: sultry yet cerebral, evoking a special place, with elements of tradition and jazz. Chris's fiddle is commanding and expressive, while Catriona's harp provides a full band accompaniment as well as harmonies and counter melodies. I don't think any other musicians are involved in Bare Knuckle - they're hardly needed - Stout and McKay have all bases covered.
© Alex Monaghan
Topette! "C'est le Pompon"
Own Label, 2017
With a ready-punctuated name and an appealingly simple approach to graphics, Topette!! would be immediately memorable even if their music was not so captivating. Born out of the friendship of five musicians playing Anglo-French music, they claim to be principally a dance band but they are just as good for listening. Andy Cutting on button box and Barny Stradling on bass are well known to English audiences, while Julien Cartonnet and Tania Buisse come from the French "bal folk" scene. Fiddler James Delarre is a new name to me, but has worked with Saul Rose and Mawkin among others. Together they produce a powerful and propelling sound, Cartonnet on Central French pipes and tenor banjo boosting the melody, Buisse adding bodhran and some choice French vulgarities to the rhythm section of bowel-shaking bass and Cutting's "warm bottom end" - according to the website which has videos and more details.
Bourrées and polkas, waltzes and schottisches, old English dances and new Swedish hornpipes, this is mostly dance music, but not really played for dancing - no chords to start, no once to yourself, no "bisez-vous" at the end. C'est le Pompon is more of a taster, a sampler, and a damn good one at that. You could dance to most tracks - Stradling's The Punisher in 5/4 might be a challenge, and Cartonnet's Opus Lent while technically a waltz is not really designed for dancing, but the rest is certainly suitable for a bal folk. There are some cracking melodies here too: my favourites include Cutting's Ricer, which now has a sequel, and the traditional Polka de Glux which is also on accordionist Seb Lagrange's new album, as well as a pair of delightful tunes by Blowzabella gurdyman Gregory Jolivet. Available to download from Bandcamp, or as a physical CD, this is an extremely enjoyable recording.
© Alex Monaghan
Lena Jonsson "Places"
Playing With Music, 2018
If you are already a fan of Lena Jonsson, you will be expecting an exciting mix of contemporary and traditional fiddle, American oldtime and Swedish dance music, folk rock and rockabilly funk: so this album won't hold many surprises. If you are new to Jonsson's music, welcome to a world of fine fiddling from both sides of the Atlantic. Places kicks off with a piece which perfectly illustrates the combination of eclecticism and authenticity in this music: The Antelope could easily come from the Swedish, Scottish, or oldtime traditions - it has elements of all three, and nothing to rule any of them out - but in fact it's the newest piece here, although that's not saying much because all the tunes on this album are Lena's own. Happy Penguin is more obviously contemporary, a hard-riding breakdown with bluegrass roots underscored by Dominic Leslie on mandolin. Jon Antonsson's flute enhances the mid-Atlantic Margies, a tune whose twisting rhythms might go either way. First Snow could never be anything but Nordic, fiddle harmonies accentuating those wintry cadences.
Jonsson is assisted by guitarist Erik Ronström and bassist Krydda Sundström for the core trio sound here, but she adds a dozen or so guests from various folk genres as well as jazz and rock. Bluesvals has help from Filip Jers on blues harp, and slide guitar from Lena's brother and Skenet bandmate Staffan Jonsson. Breton box-player Martin Coudroy and drummer Petter Berndalen turn Swiping Right into a hot jazz funk number in honour of Tinder, while Jonas Knutsson's soprano sax is elegantly cool on The E Flat. All these influences come together in Brakpolskan, a galloping Swedish polska with virtuoso performances from Lena Jonsson and her trio. If Johann Sebastian Bach had been a Swedish fiddle diva, he might have written The Roll with its baroque arpeggios. He might also have composed the beautiful final piece for folk string quartet, a great ending for this exceptional album.
© Alex Monaghan
Naomi Vercauteren Trio "One Rainy Evening"
Appel Records, 2018
A Belgian trio of fiddle, accordion and guitar, with two songs on this debut album, their music is a blend of Brabant tradition with wider European influences and the backwoods simplicity of American oldtime. Fiddler Vercauteren has written most of the material, and it's good stuff - the modern schottische Regain with its strong harmonies, the plaintive title track with almost Scandinavian open strings, the jig Rolling on the Tracks which looks further west to England or perhaps even to Ireland. Bert Ruymbeek's button accordion - Belgian chromatic system I assume - fills out the music with harmonies and chords, while Jan Debrabandere provides rhythmic guitar.
Jan's vocals are in accented English which is distracting for my ears, but probably not for a central European audience. His pronunciation is almost flawless, and he expresses the sad sentiments of Arthur McAuley and Ruby in a strong tuneful voice. The instrumental arrangements of both songs are beautiful and moving, providing a pleasing contrast to the upbeat tunes such as Whirlwind, What to Do, and the tastefully-named Road Kill Safari. With a few guests on strings and keys, this trio can make a very full sound and some of their music certainly gets the toes tapping. The final track is slower, more soulful, but building to a peak as befits its title Waiting for News. I thoroughly enjoyed One Rainy Evening, and it's great to hear a new band with so many ideas and so much promise.
© Alex Monaghan
Purcell's Polyphonic Party "An Invitation to Dance"
Own Label, 2017
Just shy of an hour, this collection of English music boldly reinterprets pieces from around three hundred years ago. Each track is a single piece of dance music, and can be danced to, but the focus here is in the arrangements and variations rather than the strict tempo or "lift" which dancers appreciate. Duo Vicki Swann and Jonny Dyer play nyckelharpa, woodwind, fretted strings and keyboards: they are joined in this trio by John Dipper on viola d'amore to create a sound which certainly has many elements of renaissance and baroque music. From the large repertoire of 17th and 18th century English dance tunes, Purcell's Polyphonic Party have chosen some very well known pieces and some much rarer melodies. Dick's Maggot, A Trip to Paris, Maiden Lane and Upon a Summer's Day are familiar to most people with a passing interest in Playford dances. Terpsichore is probably the best known tune from the earlier Praetorius collection. Others, such as St Margaret's Hill and Emperor of the Moon, are less well known and perhaps less memorable: but while their melodies may not be as striking, the arrangements here do bring out the best in each one.
Take Kelsterne Gardens, a piece I was not familiar with. After a tango-rhythm intro, the treble recorder lead is strong and the fiddle fills in behind with harmonies and resonances. The rhythm is maintained on keyboards and guitar, and the effect is very much as a Georgian parlour concert might have sounded. Hare's Maggot is treated in an older style, nyckelharpa standing in for the medieval bowed psaltery, with what sounds like a bowed bass viol and harpsichord continuo, while Dipper's viola d'amore swaps in and out on the melody. Softly Good Tummas from the 1728 Kynaston collection strikes a note somewhere between the renaissance lute and the Turkish oud, reminding me of the music of North Africa or southern Spain, bands such as Concert Dans l'Oeuf or La Musgaña: the ever-present viola d'amore and nyckelharpa both hint at the sympathetic resonances of theorboed lutes and even sitars. Each track is different: with plenty of variety, An Invitation to Dance can be just that, or it can suit more relaxed listening.
© Alex Monaghan
Brendan Mulholland, Conor Lamb & Deirdre Galway "Music in the Glen"
Own label, 2018
Flute, pipes and guitar from Belfast, a powerful instrumental album by three time-served but still fresh-faced musicians: Music in the Glen features reels and jigs, slides and barndances, and a couple of sweet slow pieces. Mulholland and Lamb are familiar names to those in the know, but guitarist Deirdre Galway is a new face for me: she plays in the percussive style of Cooney or Rolston, well suited to the up-tempo material here. All three players make an equal contribution, and the group sound is tight and full. There are occasional solo moments, enough to add variety, but the main appeal is the big sound which this trio produces together.
Mulholland, Lamb and Galway alternate classics such as The Shaskeen and The Lark in the Morning with newer pieces. May Day is a medley of a reel and a jig by Brendan and Conor on low whistles, while The Antrim Barndances were both written by piper Patrick Davey: Deirdre opens this track with some fine flat-picked guitar. A catchy set of slides by Sliabh Luachra flute icon Billy Clifford follows an atmospheric version of Captain O'Kane with snare drum and cello. There are a few guest contributions, but mostly Music in the Glen is an unadorned trio affair and is more than capable of holding the listener's attention as such. My only criticism of this recording is that the pipes tend to dominate: it would be nice to have a better balance of flute and pipes on some tracks, but that's a minor niggle on a very impressive album.
© Alex Monaghan
Patti Kusturok "Momentum"
Own Label, 2018
We don't hear many fiddlers from Manitoba over here, and certainly very few as good as Ms Kusturok. Recently inducted (or indicted if you're a Trump supporter) into the North American Fiddlers' Hall of Fame, Patti has won it all and done it all, but really came to prominence outside Canada with her "365 days of fiddle tunes" project on YouTube - well worth checking out. Those recordings are mostly quite impromptu though, whereas Momentum is a very polished piece of work indeed - no surprise as it's Patti's fifteenth album! Starting back in 1981 as Patti Lamoureux, she's racked up over 200 tracks, all available from her impressive website. From her Red River fiddling roots, Patti has absorbed most of Canada's oldtime traditions and can play her way across the country's fiddle styles from Vancouver to Newfoundland.
Winnipeg and Minnedosa are a long way from most of us, but music travels so well these days, and this is some of the finest. A little Blackjack Whiskey for starters, a virtuoso toon by the late great Graham Townsend, is quickly followed by a light and lyrical Andy De Jarlis jig and a couple of tunes I would describe as old-school Irish. Patti regularly plays for dancing, and her fiddling has bags of lift, but don't underestimate the contribution of the extraordinary Jeremy Rusu: a master of many instruments, with a head for tunes that has to be seen to be believed, Rusu plays drums, piano, guitar, accordion, banjo and more - no bagpipes on this recording, but maybe next time - as well as engineering and co-producing this album. The CD sound is flawless, the perfect mix of lead and backing instruments, and Jeremy also provides little melody breaks on guitar and accordion - he is quite a phenomenon.
Back to the fiddle, though, and the delicious Casey's Oldtime Waltz illustrates Kusturok's trademark smooth technique. Tullyknackered is tully different, a stomping tune written by Gemma Donald for Scottish accordionist Gordon Patullo. A medley of traditional oldtime tunes is followed by the emotionally charged Houston On My Mind, a late night dancehall classic with Rusu on rock-style guitar. Next comes a big set of reels from all over Canada - De Jarlis, Dan R MacDonald, Crawford, and Townsend again for the aptly named Busy Fingers, all fiddled with rare skill and sensitivity. We've just reached the halfway point, with so much more to come: a Kenny Baker bluegrass breakdown, a few Quebec classics, the simply beautiful Russ McDougall Waltz with clarinet from Jeremy I think, the wonderful oldtime swagger Chokecherry Jam, another dreamy waltz, and the twostep-style Freeman's Jig by the endlessly talented Mr Rusu. Patti finishes on a pair of tunes by Ward Allen and De Jarlis again, both toe-tappers, fabulously played and brilliantly backed, bringing this hugely enjoyable collection to an end. What to do? Put it on again, and find a dancing partner!
© Alex Monaghan
Úna Monaghan "For"
Own Label, 2018
A debut solo CD from this innovative Belfast harpist, this album gets its title from the fact that almost all the music here was written For someone or something. Úna combines harp with electronic and electro-acoustic effects - she's highly qualified in this, similar to Shetland innovator Chris Stout. All the tunes here are Úna's, and they range from very traditional-sounding jigs and hornpipes such as Nanny Nora's to the much freer-form For Her written for an unknown murder victim. There's a sad edge to several of Miss Monaghan's compositions, which reminds me of Carolan's Farewell to Music and other big harp laments of the Irish tradition. Mixed in behind several tracks are soundscapes, ambient or artificial: recordings from around Belfast on the big medley An Dearcadh, nightmarish and otherworldly sounds on The Choice, water sounds on the charming waltz Ómós do Sheumas written for Seamus Begley following a 24-hour session in West Kerry. You'd need a lot of water after that.
Several of these pieces are long - ten or twelve minutes - and one or two are quite short. Every one is different. There are some lovely melodies here: Half Moon Lake and Mammy's are gorgeous, written for Úna's parents. Other tracks are more challenging: the long thematic piece The Bodélé Project and the even longer Naomhóg for instance. With more than a decade of compositions, For gives a very diverse impression of this young harpist's music but I suspect the more complex tracks represent her current direction. The album notes are fascinating and informative - two separate booklets, one in English and one in Irish, the first time I've seen that. As you'd expect from someone with artist parentage, the whole CD is stunningly presented with a striking deep purple cover, so if you look for this in specialist shops you won't miss it!
© Alex Monaghan
De Temps Antan "Consolez-Vous"
L'Abe, 2017
Good advice from this Quebec trio, and they back it up with cheerful toe-tapping music - plus a couple of miserable songs of course. Light and shade is here in abundance: the happiness of La Veuve Joyeuse, the pragmatism of Regret dans l'Âme, the joyful abondon of Projet Rett, and the abject misery of Quand le Jupon Dépasse. There is little or no explanation of tunes or songs on this album, so check the website for details, or just enjoy the ride.
Guitar and Quebec accordion are wielded by Eric Beaudry and Pierre-Luc Dupuis, with David Boulanger picking up the fiddle in place of André Brunet who still appears on a few tracks. All three band members sing and provide foot percussion, and there's a bit of bouzouki, blues harp and jaw harp to complete the core sound. Guests contribute bass, more percussion, bugle, additional vocals and supplementary fiddle, but I get the impression that De Temps Antan could carry this off with just a trio. The extra firepower certainly helps on more rock'n'roll tracks like Affilons nos Couteaux and Reelopel - folk is still the music of the masses in parts of Canada, and this group can sound like a party band when necessary.
Infectious dance music such as Anaë Toujours, poignant songs such as La Brune Habillée en Soie, a serious commitment to unearthing and extending the Québécois tradition, and the ability to pull out all the stops for a final number like Damdé - all this makes De Temps Antan one of the most exciting Canadian bands around, and the natural successors to the legendary La Bottine Souriante. Just listen to the layers of great music on Consolez-Vous, the way these three guys can take an everyday song of ruined dreams and callous desertion, and turn it into a driving grinding anthem which will have you jiving along to its story of jilted young love - quite exceptional.
© Alex Monaghan
Eilidh Shaw & Ross Martin "Birl-Esque" "Birl-Esque"
Own Label, 2017
A mixture of languor, insouciance and sultry ennui runs through this recording, reminding me of the performance by Madeline Kahn as Lili von Shtupp in Blazing Saddles. Eilidh's fiddling is just as captivating, intense and personal, with the same feeling that the music must out and the audience is purely incidental. There's no rush or fuss on The Westcoaster or John D Burgess, great highland tunes played with a relaxed swing. The Sound of Sleat and Millburn are reels I associate more with Edinburgh fiddler John Martin, but even in his Easy Club days he rarely achieved a more laid back feel that Eilidh's fiddle here. Mo Mhathair is pure Gaelic melody, and the two Elvis waltzes which follow it are somehow completely in keeping with the blue suede vibe of Shaw and Martin's music.
It's not all fiddle on Birl-Esque. Ross fingerpicks several pieces on guitar with a similar swagger, and Eilidh sings two slow gentle songs: one of her own, and one of Bruce Springsteen's, with little to choose between them in my ears. The pace does pick up for a set of reels including the pipe band competition classic Dolina MacKay which gets the bow driving into the high strings, and for a pair of tunes by Eigg mandolin virtuoso Damian Halliwell. There's probably a joke in there somewhere, but I'm not going to scramble after it. The guitar accompaniment is essential in maintaining the mood, and adds depth as well as rhythm. This CD has a surprisingly full sound for a duo, even with a bit of guest bass and drums from the intriguingly named Bracadale Rhythm Gentlemen. If you like your fiddle on the cool side, and still have fond memories of the bands who first put riffs to reels and blues backing to bagpipe marches, you'll dig this album. If you're too young to remember that far back but get a buzz out of Shooglenifty and the Poozies, you'll love Birl-Esque too.
© Alex Monaghan
Caroline Keane & Tom Delany "Never Say Goodbye, Say Good Luck"
Own Label, 2017
Irish pipes and concertina - what's not to like? These two relative youngsters recorded together a few years ago on a lovely band album called Four Winds, and now they've released a very fine duet CD. The title refers to a piece of Dublin patois which is confusing at first but charming too. In fairness (another Dublin expression), Caroline and Tom do rope in half a dozen friends to help out on both rhythm and melody, but the pipes and concertina are the stars of the show. They have also composed two or three of the pieces here, although the vast majority are traditional Irish, with a smattering of tunes by recent composers such as Junior Crehan, Ed Reavy and Paddy Keenan.
Tom's pipes play in a very percussive style which sits well with the jaggy notes of the Clare concertina. There are smooth tracks too - Return to Burton Road, a trio of slinky hop jigs, and even a pair of slow tunes with Carolan's version of Princess Royal - but I find this pair at their best when the buttons are rattling and the bellows are pumping and the chanter is popping fit to burst. In an almost flawless performance, Keane and Delany present the very best of Irish jigs and reels: Famous Ballymote, Top It Off, The New Found Out, Fisherman's Island, The Mist Covered Mountain and many more. They get nicely creative with tunes like The Friendly Visit and Metro Blues, changing rhythms and adding harmonies, but even without that added variety Never Say Goodbye, Say Good Luck would be a delight.
© Alex Monaghan
Sarah-Jane Summers "Solo"
Own label, 2018
A phenomenal collection of music, true solo fiddle with no safety net, this is hard core Scottish fiddling from one of the best. I must confess that it is not what I was expecting. Sarah-Jane has been prolific in her recording output recently, from an experimental viola CD to an album of exciting contemporary fiddle with her Nordic partner Juhani Silvola, as well as her work with RANT, and I didn't anticipate another release of such high quality so soon, or indeed a return to her highland fiddle roots. But there's no denying either of those things: Solo is a great CD, full of old tunes taken back to their essentials by an exceptional fiddler. This one goes straight on my 2018 Top Ten list.
Lath a' Siubhal Sleibhe Dhomh, Oran an Aoig, Bog an Lochan, Cumha Mhic a h-Arasaig - there's plenty of Gaelic in this selection, song airs and dance tunes and laments. With a long family lagacy in Scottish fiddling, Summers was steeped in the tradition from an early age, and learnt from the late great Donald Riddell who had an appreciation of highland music from both sides of Scotland. Donald's Lament for King George V, written in 1936, is achingly played here, and would normally be a highlight of any recording, but on Solo it is just one of many great performances. A trio of big strathspeys starting with Are You Always Pleased shows Ms Summers' technical brillance on smooth and percussive bowstrokes, combining clear bowed semiquavers with the "dancing bow" technique to bring out the best in these old dance tunes, and several gorgeous slow pieces demonstrate her tone and control as well as her instinctive feel for this music.
There are two departures here from the Scottish fiddle tradition. The first is a Norwegian piece, played on the resonant Hardanger fiddle: its ringing notes are very different from most of Scotland's music, making me think of ice caves and endless snow fields and perhaps whalesong, a very evocative sound. The second is Sarah-Jane's own Morning Prayer, which seems to come from a place between the Gaelic psalms of Lewis and the ringing strings of Scandinavia. Hardanger fiddle is also used for the final piece here, a piobaireachd lament in open tuning, extremely powerful, almost like an old Shetland tune in this version. There are also two more stirring sets of dance music on Solo to balance the slower pieces: the muscular strathspey When you've Hooked him Hold him Fast which I hope is an angling reference, paired with two delightfully eccentric St Kilda reels, and a brace of pipe marches including the jauntiest rendition of Donald MacLean. Much of this music reminds me of Alasdair Fraser, stripped of the arrangements of course, and the way his Skyedance and Dawn Dance albums combine the lyricism of West Coast music with the drive of East Coast piping and fiddle traditions. Sarah-Jane Summers has achieved the same feat on solo fiddle with this simply outstanding recording.
© Alex Monaghan
String Sisters "Between Wind and Water"
Own Label, 2018
Despite a time interval of over ten years, the String Sisters line-up has hardly changed since their first album. Fiddlers Annbjørg Lien from Norway, Liz Carroll and Liz Knowles from the Irish American scene, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh from Donegal, Catriona MacDonald from Shetland and Emma Härdelin from Sweden still form the front line, while David Milligan, James Mackintosh and Tore Brusvoll still provide the backing. In fact, the only significant change is that the bass player now has a new name - Conrad Molleson. The band's philosphy is unchanged too: great fiddle music derived from northern European traditions, powerful arrangements, and the odd song. The first song on Between Wind and Water is particularly odd, a version of the Child ballad The Cruel Sister found in several countries, but this version is from North America, transported and passed down, until by the time Jodie Stecher passed it on to Mairéad it had lost several verses and consequently had some big gaps in the narrative. It's a lovely piece of music, but makes little sense unless you already know the story. This track is framed by instrumentals with a strong Irish influence: firstly Liz Carroll's punchy piece As the Crow Flies, and then a couple of big Donegal reels mixed in with the more modern Resistance Reel by David Milligan.
The next section is more Scandinavian, a medley of Shetland and Norwegian reels followed by a Swedish song. Catriona's composition Hjaltland to Flatland is taken slow, sparsely arranged with intricate cow noises, and gives way to the driving Norwegian Dolkaren before coming back to Shetland for Up da Stroods da Sailor Goes, a very well known reel given a thumping treatment here. The song Det Bor i Mina Tankar is chillingly sung by Emma, leaving no possibility of a happy ending even if you don't understand Swedish. Liz Knowles leads the medieval dance tune Trotto which has a fascinating story in the sleevenotes and is really out on its own here, with a more French or Spanish sound to my ears. The combination of a Swedish polska with another Liz Carroll tune might seem improbable, but it works perfectly on Tiger in the Galley. The subtle 3/2 rhythm of the polska sets off the strong swaggering beat of the threatening march Jarl Squad. Another song from Mairéad completes the vocals, a gentle lullaby this time, written for her daughter Nia who is now well past that stage and a fine young singer and fiddler in her own right.
The final four tracks are all new creations. Englishman Ian Stephenson's Return from Helsinki has proved popular with fiddlers all around the North Sea and the Baltic, its delicate melody capturing the gentler aspect of those coasts. Vinterfolk by guitarist Tore Bruvoll increases the tempo slightly, and its simple structure leaves plenty of room for fiddle harmonies, especially with these double-stop divas at work. Annbjørg's hypnotic polska Late Night in Førde is a dance tune on stimulants, pulsing and gyrating over a deep continuo bass. The final fling is built out of three more Liz Carroll tunes: the enchanting slow waltz Liam Childs, the dramatic swirling Balkin' Balkan which overlays eastern rhythms on a great reel, and the straight contemporary E-B-E Reel for a proper backwoods fiddle send-off. Nice tunes, great playing, and a very entertaining CD: check the website and YouTube clips for a few tasters, and don't miss these ladies live if they pass your way.
© Alex Monaghan
Méabh & Tiarnán Smyth "Méabh & Tiarnán Smyth"
Own Label, 2017
This short album is a first taste of the music of accomplished Armagh siblings Méabh and Tiarnán Smyth who play fiddle, guitar and concertina, as well as singing one song here. Méabh's fiddle leads the opening reels, a mix of Irish and Tyneside classics, high energy stuff with intricate fingering accompanied by rock steady guitar. Tiarnán switches to concertina for a medley of barndance and jigs including Larry Reynolds' Fancy and a rousing rendition of The Humours of Ballingarry. There's deft fingerpicking behind the delightful Minnie Foster's Clog, a 19th century American hornpipe learnt from New York fiddler Brian Conway. The virtuoso Newcastle Hornpipe is all about that fiddle, strong and inventive. The Diamantina Drover is an Australian song which Tiarnán delivers with feeling, accompanying himself on guitar and drawing on Christy Moore's version, while Méabh adds a touch of oldtime fiddle to fill out the sound. After a set of hop jigs taken a little too fast but showing rare dexterity on concertina, the final track illustrates the delicacy and power of the Smyths' playing: a gorgeous setting of a piece I know as a Robert Burns song, cunningly paired with the great Tommy Peoples reel Black Pat's to show their similarities. And there you have it, short and sweet, but there should be plenty more from these youngsters: drop them a line at meabhandtiarnan@gmail.com for more details.
© Alex Monaghan
Trio Dhoore "Momentum"
Appel Records, 2016
The third release by the three Flemish Dhoore brothers,[52][56] Momentum is a departure from the traditional French/Dutch feel of their previous albums. There are no notes with this promotional CD, so I'm guessing the music here is still mostly written by box-player Hartwin and played on his button box as well as Koen's gurdy and Ward's guitar, but it's all a bit more contemporary, fluid, enigmatic. I could easily imagine this recording accompanying a film: the title track might fit a balloon ride over the Serengeti or Sahara, Huiswaarts seems more suited to a gentle boat trip, drifting on a lake, or as the title suggests puttering along a canal to a home mooring. Flandinavian has a touch of Nordic winter, and Gepetto could be a Venetian waltz, but there is always a foundation of Belgian folk.
Blowzabella "Two Score"
Own Label, 2017
The fourth album from the new-look Blowzabella rightly celebrates forty years on the English scene, a great achievement, which is also marked by a tunebook and major tours this year. There are some remarkable instrumentals on this CD which live up to the band's reputation for creative melodies and wall-of-sound arrangements, but as with their previous recording Strange News the vocals still don't excite me. I won't dwell on criticisms: when both Paul James and Jo Freya are singing there is nearly enough vocal power to carry off these songs, but the only solo vocal which really works is Bushes and Briars, and the other three songs are weak in both melody and lyrics. For me a song has to tell a good story, have a memorable tune or a rousing chorus, and be delivered by a strong singer.
Don't despair, though: the opening track is a corker, written and driven by gurdyman Gregory Jolivet, augmented by Stradling's resonant bass and Freya's strident sax. In fact, this number features no fewer than four saxophones, as well as an almost total eclipse of fiddle and accordion: it's a monster. Jo's SCCS Polkas are gentler, whistle and fiddle over the pastoral buzz of hurdy-gurdy and accordion, a lovely trio of French-influenced melodies. Coteeto has that same Gallic feel, harking back to the Renaissance perhaps, with a bagpipe lead and theatrical interludes to evoke the triumph of chastity over lubriciousness. Jon Swayne's jig 481 also hits the wall, and hits it hard, shaking it with a great bagpipe melody and thumping bass line, rhythm from the gurdy and that swinging sax from the old Blowzabella: I also like it because it's my phone number, or at least the part I use to greet callers!
A mixed bag then, with a few low points, this CD still provides a great deal for Blowzabella fans to enjoy. Two Score finishes strongly with the jaunty Lord Frog on accordion, sax, and Gregory's hand-cranked beehive, and the final waltz know only as Colin which is much more beautiful than you'd expect from its title which rivals Denis and Fenton as a memorable vocative, and provides an excellent response to the common enquiry "What was that last one called?"
© Alex Monaghan
Daisy Chapman "Good luck songs"
Songs & Whispers, 2017
Singer/songwriter Daisy Chapman (vocals, piano) recorded her 3rd album with 9 original songs in Bristol, accompanied by a bunch of great musicians.
"Edgar Freecards presents: My baby just wrote me a postcard"
The German enterprise Edgar Freecards produces free postcards for 25 years, to honour it duly they produced together with the label Songs & Whispers a 500-piece limited silver edition vinyl with a compilation of bands, each bringing forward a cover version and an original song.
Johnny Parry "An anthology of all things"
British singer/songwriter Johnny Parry goes classic on his new album featuring 8 movements written, conducted, produced, mixed and mastered by himself, performed by The Johnny Parry Chamber Orchestra and The Bedford Arts Choir presenting soprano soloists Donna Lenard and Andrea Tweedale.
Eileen Kozloff "Just words"
Singer/songwriter and awarded autoharp player Eileen Kozloff hails from Bradenton FL. Together with Joe D’Angelo on drums, Thomas Helton on double bass, Jeff Duncan on violin, John Kelly on e-guitar, Rob Pastore on pedal steel guitar and producer Hank Woji on acoustic and 12-string acoustic guitar she recorded 11 original songs.
Jon Zeeman "Blue room"
Jon Zeeman (guitars, vocals) recorded his latest album in Florida, together with local top musicians Phil MacArthur on bass, Tom Regis and Bob Taylor on keyboards and George Lilly on drums.
Kaurna Cronin "Euphoria, delirium & loneliness"
Australian singer/songwriter Kaura Cronin recorded his 4th full album with 9 original songs and a cover version.
Daisy starts off with the title song, a mesmerizing hymn accompanied by strings, trombone, oboe, drums and a full-scale choir. “Settle down” is a ballad with piano, violin, cello, double bass, drums and Daisy’s powerful voice opening the final as a mighty Blues-rock. Another favourite is “Generation next”, Daisy sings the Blues accompanied by baritone sax, trombone, violin, cello, double bass and drums. The arrangements are brilliant with changing line-ups and thus diversified sounds. “The decalogue” is a dramatic rocking hymn featuring violin, cello, bass, drums, oboe, piano and Daisy’s powerful voice and Martin Denzin’s intoxicating percussion pace drives Daisy’s and the choir’s breath-taking singing on “There’s a storm coming”.
Daisy Chapman’s new album is in my opinion the best Sounds & Whispers release of the year, she’s a gifted songwriter and a brilliant singer.
Songs & Whispers, 2017
The American-Australian band Riddle & The stars chose the Box Tops 1967 hit “The letter”, the compilation’s title is a quotation of this 50 years old song, and English pianist and composer Johnny Parry arranged an orchestral version of Falco’s “Rock me Amadeus”. Australian singer/songwriter Kaurna Cronin sings “Passion parade”, a rhythmic song from his 2016 EP and Rivers of England present “In the barley”, a romantic ballad from their latest album. Finally, Bristol’s angelic voice Daisy Chapman mesmerizes with “Home fires”, a beautiful piano ballad from her current album.
This special edition features 5 bands who publish on the label, so it’s not only to honour Edgar Freecards, it’s also a kind of competitive exhibition and certainly a collector’s item.
Songs & Whispers, 2017
After presenting himself on movement I – things I like about myself – Parry tells about childhood heroes on movement III. The chamber orchestra includes 8 string instruments, violin, viola and cello, 3 saxophones, tenor, alto and baritone, 3 brass winds, trombone, French horn and trumpet, 3 percussionists, e-guitar and e-bass. Movement V is a melancholic soprano performance dedicated to a loving wife and mother sitting on a park bench and the powerful hymn movement VI – romantic sentiments – has been presented on the Songs & Whispers compilation My baby just wrote me a postcard. The album ends with the pilgrimage, an ode to the road we’re travelling on.
Johnny Parry has created a formidable musical oeuvre, modern classic with modern lyrics sung by great soloists and a gifted choir, put to music by an outsized but great chamber orchestra.
MoosiCowlia, 2017
They start off with the mid-tempo Country “Always wrong from the start” featuring Eileen’s beautiful singing and fine playing together of pedal steel, e-guitar and acoustic guitar, driven by bass and drums. Eileen’s brilliant autoharp playing accompanies the dramatic ballad “To the river I’ll go” and also can be heard on the rhythmic “Asunder” showcasing Eileen’s powerful voice. “No more war anymore” is certainly one of the strongest pleas for peace I’ve heard, Eileen plays acoustic guitar. Pedal steel, acoustic guitar, double bass and drums play a mid-tempo Two-step and Eileen and Hank sing a beautiful duet, “Will you still be mine”. Another highlight is the breath-taking “Heart’s back door”, drums, double bass, autoharp and e-guitar create a funky tune and Eileen sings the Blues.
Eileen Kozloff presents a brilliant album full of intelligent words and wonderful music, by now the best I heard this year.
Membrane Records, 2017
The late Butch Trucks plays the drums on the up-beat Blues-rock “All I want is you” and the stomping Blues “Next to you”, Zeeman will donate half of the royalties to his family. The Jimi Hendrix cover “Still rainin’, still dreamin’” is a perfect showcase for Zeeman’s gifted guitar playing and on “If I could make you love me” he plays and sings a beautiful slow Blues. Other highlights are the funky Soul rock “Talkin’ bout my baby” or the short title track, a solo instrumental performance on guitar.
Jon Zeeman has recorded a great album, his musical influences are Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, The Allman Brothers and the likes, a trip back in time.
Songs & Whispers, 2017
He kicks off with the moony Pop song “Selling dreams”, intoxicating pace and guitar licks accompany Kaurna’s tenor singing. “East side” is a beautiful song with a rocking chorus and “I’ll never know your name” a funky Country Rock. They accelerate the pace for “A different side to you”, an up-beat Pop song, and then Kaurna sings Bonny Tyler’s “It’s a heartache”, as Kaurna Cronin doesn’t have a voice thus powerful as Miss Tyler it’s kind of brawly.
Kaurna Cronin’s music gets commercial and mainstream, I preferred his early works.[54]