FolkWorld #77 03/2022

CD Reviews

Various Artists "I am of Ireland - Yeats in Song"
Merrow Records, 2021

German CD Review

Article: I AM OF IRELAND... Yeats in Song

www.yeatsinsong.com

During the past years we read mainly unpleasant things about William Butler Yeats, Irish poet and Nobel laureate - research was done into his flirt with fascism, his attempt to worm himself into the favours of the Nazi establishment, because he coveted Frankfurt city's Goethe medal, were made public. In Ireland his poems were taken from the school curriculum, though not for political reasons, but to have the kids read something more "modern". But whatever we may think of the man's personality - this ignorance is something his poems do not deserve. 24 of them are gathered on this CD, all of them set into music by Raymond Driver. The selection present his perhaps greatest hits, it starts with "I am of Ireland" and ends with a catchy version of "The Fiddler of Dooney". And at this point a little complain: Was it really impossible to tell us on the cover who sings which song? Of course, the inclined reader finds these infos on the website, but even there it's a tiring search. In the songs we encounter Yeats' penchant towards mysticism, his rebuttal of what he perceived as modern world, we learn about his love for the great medieval epics of Ireland. All of this is presented by a host of musicians, some of them are known over here, such as Kevin Burke, Eleanor Shanley and Christine Collister, and many whom we yet have to discover. And listening may make you grab for a volume of Yeats in your bookshelf and read, after all, it's not the poems' fault.
© Gabriele Haefs


Bett Padgett "Turning Over Stones"
Own label, 2021

German CD Review

www.bettpadgett.com

Bett Padgett, songwriter from the USA, sings with a voice reminding of Hedy West, whom she relates to musically. She also sings the version of "500 miles" which West compiled and made famous. Most of the other songs on this album were written by her, with one exception: „Wild Mountain Thyme“, which does not sound Scottish here at all, but like an emigrant to the US and still very romantic. In her own songs she takes up current problems, such as the horror caused by the storm on the Capitol, as felt by those who are no fans of the way Trump sees the world. She describes the fear caused by this. How can this country find peace again? And what can we do against growing poverty in our countries which are said to be so rich? But not every song has such a tragic origin, „Don’t take my yard signs“ deals with a feud among neighbours, irritating the moment it happens, but funny, when described by Bett Padgett.
© Gabriele Haefs


Brooksie Wells "Stops Time"
Own label, 2021

German CD Review

Artist Video

www.brooksiewells.com

On the cover Brooksie Wells looks like Dolly Parton light, and that's what she sounds like, too - but "light" here must not be taken to mean light-weight or easy-listening. She plays guitar and sings and has invited very able guests to the studio (fiddler Polly Launay and mandolin player Paul Bowlin, to name but a few), and as well as her own songs she sings some songs of her favourite colleagues. „Early Morning Rain“ by Gordon Lightfoot is always a pleasure to hear, and her version of the ancient Monkees hit "I'm a believer" reminds us in a wonderful way of Neil Diamand's early activities in the folk scene. Her own texts are about our present days, „Snakes in the trees“ for example is about hurricane Katrina which really left snakes in the trees and did a lot of far worse things. We hear songs about failure, about loved ones taken from us by Covid, about friendship ... and hope alwayx prevails. "I'm a believer", indeed. And as it should be, there is the one song whose tune you remember at once and which you hear in your mind for many days: "Talk to you".
© Gabriele Haefs


Carole Wise "The Long Way Home"
Soulful Cricket, 2021

German CD Review

Artist Video

Artist Video

www.carolewisemusic.com

US-songwriter Carole Wise records on Soulful Cricket, and even to read this name puts you into a good mood. On the cover we see the artist with her guitar in front of blossoming trees, the crickets can be heard in the background. And then there is the music. "The long way home", this sounds like homesickness and bitter plight, but the album is a collection of songs which inspire hope. It starts quite catchy with "View from our window", followed by two waltzes, and titles like "New Frontier" und "Make your own way" show the way: We are on a long march, through life, through the world, through our hearts, and we must not lose courage on our way but try to make the best of it. We are told this in a richly varied musical language, all songs were written by Carole Wise herself, she plays guitar and mandoline and one of the fellow musicians on the CD is the wonderful cello-player April Reed-Corr. US folk at its best!
© Gabriele Haefs


Väsen "Duo"
Noside, 2021

André Ferrari / Olov Johansson "In BeatWeen Rhythm"
Olov Johansson Musik, 2021

German CD Review

Artist Video

www.vasen.se

Väsen, a Swedish duo, make music like a whole regiment. Olov Johansson and Mikael Mann play all types of the nyckelharpa as well as fiddle and violoncello. A lot of their material is from older collections, some tunes were written by themselves, always deeply rooted in Swedish tradition. One exception: "Den gröna ön", inspired by visits to Ireland and Irish courtly tradition, mainly Suantraí. Wonderfully gentle and melodious. But they can do catchy as well, which is proven by their own composition "Gruffalon" ("The Gruffalo"), which is funny and don't we see him?, and by „Fröken ska få löken“ – which almost has the melody of a well known German dance tune, „Im Grunewald ist Holzauktion". So sad you may want to cry is „Marstalla-Olles Brudmarsch“. The bride's name is not mentioned, but for the benefit of those who now expect a tragedy: The bridal march at a Swedish wedding had to be so slow, because the happy (or not) couple had to walk past all the guest. Whatever ... this is a CD where many discoveries can be made.

Artist Video

www.olovjohansson.se
www.ferrarhythm.com

Two Swedes with one very Unswedish name, but close connections to the Swedish folkscene nonetheless. Olov Johansson is also a member of Väsen. With Väsen he is very much rooted in tradition, but together with percussion virtuoso André Ferrari he lets his musical phantasies fly at random. Here a silly joke begs to be made: of someone called Ferrari we can expect speed. And it's true: Speed and drama. The first track an the album starts like Tchaikovski on speed, with a big bang and then the mad music starts. The first track, composed by the duo, like all tracks on the album, is called "Skevschottis", "Crooked Schottis", and that's exactly what it sounds like. We hear the traditionally styled melody in the background, but the rhythm keeps changing, and the tune sounds different all the time. Also other titles show the musical direction: „Dusch“, „Short Beats“ and „Intekonsekvent“, meaning "Non-consistent", but the CD with its many surprises is extremely consistent and exciting as well.
© Gabriele Haefs


Christina Lux "Lichtblicke"
Luxuriant, 2021

German CD Review

Artist Video

Artist Video

www.christinalux.de

Christina Lux loves macaronics, songs which interchange between two languages, here: German and English, very fine examples are "True Self" and "Ins Licht". She writes all her songs herself, and her style of singing reminds a bit of Udo Lindenberg, the slow, easy-going drawl. Many songs are waltzes, duly accentuated by percussions. The songs are about the True Self, of course, a bit of hope, even though the world is in a miserable state. "In the end only one thing counts: whether you are an arsehole or a lover", said about a man, in another song she asks us to help the queen unto her throne. The song about the paper plane is truly wonderful, a little salute to Ikaros, so to speak. Let's fly, and if it ends badly, well, at least we've tried. There is a lot to discover in these texts, it's perfect music to listen to, preferably with a glas of good wine at hand.
© Gabriele Haefs


Seinerzeit "Erste Runde"
Own label, 2021

German CD Review

www.seinerzeit.online

Detmold in the Lippe-region seems to be a hotbed for talents which had and have a far-reaching influence, names like Ferdinand Freiligrath, Georg Weerth and Josef Plaut say enough. So what can we expect from a new band from thereabouts calling themselves "in those days"? Lippische Schützen and Trotz alledem, nicely mixed with new stuff and cooked to make a new sort of broth? Seinerzeit give us a nice surprise, the tread new ways but we still see the heritage of the great ancestors. Life really wreaks havoc here, idylls are only a flighty vision, never mind how tempitng they might look.The harrassed woman does not lament, but reaches for her knife, and a choir of wildmen demands tenderness and threatens to cuddle everything to pieces. It's a wonderful play with hardworn stereotypes, and that we are requested to allow an outburst of courage, that friendship is sworn, that we learn, that salvation can only be found in Helga, and that gender delenda est and we at long last want to toss old gender rolaes over board - all of this is presented in the form of wonderful music with bass, kazoo, strings and accordeon. More of this, let's have a second, third and fourth round!
© Gabriele Haefs


Daniel Wahren "Celtic Mythos"
Own label, 2021

German CD Review

www.danielwahren.com

The mixture of English and German in the title shows the direction: the road leads into Celtic twilight, to myths and music which talk to the feelings, perfect for those who feel attracted by "Celtic"culture, but don't want to dig too deeply into the matter. Daniel Wahren and his band present wonderful music. He plays harp and nickelharpa, and this Swedish instrument is very well suited for the courtly music of the old Gaelic overclass. Here mainly suantraí is played. The last one of the old harpers represented here is Carolan. We also hear newly written songs which seem to be inspired by symbols often associated with things Celtic. One has to get used to the songs on the CD, though. Singer Marta Hornik has a tremendous voice, but a penchant for dramatic recital which does not necessarily go hand in glove with the text. Scottish "Tha mi sgith" sounds as if the devil himself were to be invoked - the words tell a different story. You get the impression that the singer does not understand the language, as if she just learned the pronuncation and sometimes not even that. Irish politician Cathal Brugha has no English th in his name, this sound does not exist in the Irish language. But the wonderful instrumental music helps to forget these minor flaws.
© Gabriele Haefs


Quote the Raven "Can’t Hold The Light"
Own label, 2021

German CD Review

Artist Audio

www.quotetheravenofficial.com

Quote the Raven is a duo from Canada, consisting of Kirsten Rodden-Clarke and Jordan Coaker – very tempting to read Croaker, since we are talking about the raven. But Jordan C does not deserve this, he can boast of a truly fine voice and he plays several types of guitar. Kirsten Rodden-Clarke also has a wonderful voice, and both of them are truly a joy to listen to. Quote the Raven - this reminds too much of Edgar Allen Poe's famous poem so we have look for hints - quote instead of quoth? Poe in modern? The search is tempting and yields surprising results. The last line of the last song is: „Never is an awfully long time“. Say no more! Musically it starts with a bit of country, there is a waltz to melt away, sometimes it sounds like bar music, then again - all songs were written by the duo - we see their great compatriot Gordon Lightfoot hovering in the background, in short: this Canadian duo is a true discovery.
© Gabriele Haefs


Declan O’Rourke "Arrivals"
East West, 2021

German CD Review

Artist Video

www.declanorourke.com

Declan O’Rourke, songwriter from Dublin, has a lot of pet subjects so write about, some are historical. A long ballad (written by himself, like all songs on the album) is about the Irish Fenians which were transported in chains to Australia, after the failed rising of 1869, as „slaves without the name of slaves“, where parallels to today's situation are shown carefully and without acting like a teacher. All songs show his great style on the guitar, as guest-musician well-known Paul Weller joins the fun. And since we have praised his guitar-style we also have to say a word about his singing: Which also is great, and Declan O'Rourke loves the deep notes and really can get vey deep. Many songs are about everyday life: Homesickness, Farsickness, longing after loved ones and the stars over Kinvara, a place in Co. Clare, which means a lot to him. And he has a now not anymore secret love for Greek mythology, proven by his song about Zeus and Apollo. Perfect for Percy-Jackson-fans.
© Gabriele Haefs


Stampestuen "Brev fra Amerika"
Terjeb Production, 2018

German CD Review

Artist Video

www.stampestuen.com

Scandal, this album was issued in 2018, so why could we remain ignorant of it for four whole years? Stampestuen are a foursome from Norway, one woman and thre men. They play a multitude of instruments and are great singers, never mind if unaccompanied or backed by instruments, solo or in harmony, each song is a pleasure. And each song is a document of its time, letters from America, as the title promises. The songs are from the 19th century, when Norway - in relation to its total population - sent more emigrants to America than any other European nation, second only to Ireland. The words are as different as the tunes, some are joyful, (at long last we are on our way and everything will be better in America), we hear waltzes and we almost see the organgrinder telling the tale to those who stays at home. Some songs are terribly sad, when the singer does not really want to leave their true love, the aged parents or Norway in general, but is forced by poverty. Politics are never a factor here, unlike in German oder Irish emigrant songs. Besides poverty only one more reason to leave the country is mentioned: to run away from a seemingly hopeless love affair.
© Gabriele Haefs


Tune Wood "Natural Wood"
Own label, 2021

German CD Review

Artist Video

www.tunewood.de

Tune Wood is duo, consisting of musicians Milena Hoge and Stefanie Gärtner. On their first album they show that their musical inclinations go into the direction of Ireland. Milena Hoge plays the Harp, Stefanie Gärtner the wooden flute. Someone plays the bodhrán (we are not told who this is). The harp is special, it is a Bohemian crooked harp, wonderfully suited to the Irish music currently in fashion, but also adding a special sound, a bright ringing, like tinkling bells. It's no surprise that we find compositions by well known colleagues, such as Turlough O'Carolan and Ruairidh Dall Ó Cathain - why the former's name is given in the English version, the latter‘s in the Irish origianal remains a secret. But we do get the impression that the duo takes no interest in the Irish language anyway. However, they want to play music, not learn Irish (apparently). Slow airs and fast tunes can be heard, and in additon to the well known pieces by the blind harpers there are some new compositions and songs played as instrumentals, like "As I roved out" (the version made known by Andy Irvine). All of them make wonderful listening.
© Gabriele Haefs


Tworna "Tworna"
Own label, 2020

German CD Review

Artist Audio

Artist Video

tworna.jimdofree.com

Dresden trio Tworna is hailed by the reviewers as the great renewers and inspirators of German folk music, there seems to be no end to the superlatives, and we can't write them all down here. Suffice it to say: They are right, so very right. The Tworns tell in interviews that they hail from classical music and stumbled into the folkscene by coincidence – fate makes wonderful coincidences indeed! We hear the classical background, easily to be discovered in surprising arrangements. The first song sounds somehow holy, like from another world - and it's a hymn by Paul Gerhardt, at long last these musical treasures are being explored. Then we hear about the "Heavy dream", and the CD never gets into a merry mood, except for tongue-twister "Heißa Kathreinerle". Unhappy love ("Und in dem Schneegebirge"), sexual violence ("Heideröslein"), longing ("Wenn ich ein Vöglein wär"), even "La Marmotte", often sung a a catchy dancetune, sounds gentle and sad. And wonderful! It's a kind of sad greatest hits from the German songbook, hopefully the merry ones will follow on vol. 2.
© Gabriele Haefs


Eric de Vries "Song and Dance Man"
MIG Music, 2021

German CD Review

Article: Stories with Depth and Passion

www.ericdevries.info

Dutchman Eric de Vries writes and sings in English and we can say this at once: He does master the pronuncation without the embarrassing mistakes, which make listening to a lot of people who insist in singing in English such a torture. He has performed at impressingly many festivals in the US, for example at Woody Guthrie festivals, has collaborated with Iain Matthews and reviewers without much of an imagination call him "Chris Hillman of the Netherlands". But he absolutely has his own style, inspired by folk, country and blues. Song and Dance Man, his album is called, and on the cover we see two pairs of dancing feet, one of them in such horrible boots that your feet start to hurt just by looking at it, but dancing after all is possible in normal shoes, too. Titles like "For the grace" and "Jericho walls" show his use of traditional metaphors, the last song breaks the country connection and takes us to Amsterdam in the evening - don't listen to this without a genever at hand!
© Gabriele Haefs


Synnøve Brondo Plassen "Hjemve"
Own label, 2021

German CD Review

Artist Video

www.synnoveplassen.com

The names of the tracks make us expect a purely instrumental CD - „Springar“, „Springleik“, but „Bom-bom-leiken“ („The bang-bang-game“)? We very soon learn what to make of this: Synnøve Brondo Plassen from Folldal in Norway specializes in songs without words, in mouth-music so to speak. She uses her wonderfully rich voice for dance melodies, sometimes they contain fragments of words or verses, such as in „Ha du sett nokor gåmmål kjerring“ - "Did you see an old crone". The old crone we encounter in the only surviving verse of the song is sitting over there carding wool, and comparisons with other text-fragments tell us that we hear the last remains of an ancient magical song. Synnøve Brondo Plassen finds inspiration in the repertoire of older singers, like Jenny Eide (1911 - 2003, also from Folldal), but for her it's mainly the sound that counts, she wants to show the fun we can find in tongue twisting words, and the fun catches on - you might find yourself having a go at it quite easily.
© Gabriele Haefs


Ainsley Hamill "Not Just Ship Land"
Own label, 2021

German CD Review

Artist Video

www.ainsleyhamill.com

Ainsley Hamill is a songwriter from Scotland, or rather from Glasgow, or rather from Govan which now forms a part of Glasgow. The old Gaelic name of the village meant Smithtown, and this shows the direction: The history of Govan is told, the bridge over to Glasgow, the people living there, hard work and poverty. This sounds truly tradionally Scottish, but Ainley Hamill follows her own musical paths, she does not even sing with a Scottish accent, and the instrumental accomaniment (sadly, very little info in the booklet) sounds like the soundtrack of a dramatical movie. Only one song, "The Daffodil King" sound a bit Scottish, like musical quotes from "Loch Lomond". The Daffodil King was Peter Barr (1926 - 1909) who devised a system to register the various types of daffodils. Also other persons from Govan figure in the songs, like the women who fought vor bearable housing conditions during the Great War and became the role model for many later strikes.
© Gabriele Haefs


Deutschmann / Moheit / Stadlober
"HEYM - Vom Aufstoßen der Fenster"
Argon Verlag, 2021

German CD Review

www.robertstadlober.com

Stefan Heym is not really well-known as a poet – his novels we all know, and his last years as the oldest member of the German Bundestag. So it may be pardonable to look at this album and think: Ah, great, Georg Heym. But then – the big surprise: No wild expressionist metaphors, but the clear, systematic language we know from his novels. Stefan Heym, indeed. Surprisingly he has written many poems with end-rhymes – and the CD presents only a small selection from his lyrical oeuvre written in the 1930s: Naziterror, life in exile, trying to survive, the hope for solidarity fill the texts, not really something to put you into a merry mood, especially since the poet’s voice also let us take part in his resignation: „What has no being may sink into the circle of the hours of all Clocks. I want to drown in the stream of time, sleep silently on the bottom of the river.“ The poems were given melodies by Robert Stadlober, Robert Stadlober and Klara Deutschmann sing, Daniel Moheit plays the accordeon. Andreas Spechtl is listed for „magic“. Exciting!
© Gabriele Haefs


Dymala "Wellen"
Prosodia, 2017

Dymala "… von Kranichen und Krähen"
Prosodia, 2021

German CD Review

Artist Video

www.dymala.wordpress.com

Two albums with more or less no info from Sebastian Dymale, who lives, works and plays music in a small place near the Deister mountains. Let us quote the man himself: He an his texts are asking questions, acting like a mirror, playful, translating, taking all sides, open for differences, interested, critical towards discrimination, methodically adjusted, creative, patient, full of humour. All of this is true, and we can add: melodious, at least as far as the tunes are concerned. Dymala sings and plays the guitar, and is joined on both albums by Johannes Westpfahl (vocals and guitar) and Simon Lohse (E-bass and ukulele). Album Nr. 1 is more quiet than no. 2, sort of melancholy for every day. No. 2 starts with a catchy drinking song in shanty rhythm, tipsy male choir, you know, and ends with a declaration of love. Followed by a hymnlike song, sung like a litany, an „old song“. Both CDs are very varied. Nice to find a French song on each one. And nice the way the check proverbs and sayings, put them upside down and give them a new meaning.
© Gabriele Haefs


"Manfred Pohlmann singt Peter Weißgerber -
Manfred Pohlmann hört Ute Zimmermann"
Schnoog, 2020

German CD Review

www.manfred-pohlmann.de

In the booklet he says things which make you worry: „Perhaps this is going to be my last CD“, writes Mosal-Franconian songwriter Manfred Pohlmann, but why? Let’s hope he is not serious – but anyway, the CD would be a glorious evensong. Wir hear a selection from the rich production of Manfred Pohlmann’s compatriot and friend Peter Weißgerber (a sacred heart marxist, a by-name once coined by Franz Josef Strauß to denounce his political rival Norbert Blüm, but here used as a proof of quality). We hear a richly varied choice of songs, most of them in standard German, but with Mosel-Franconian elements, the tunes often are jazzy, then again in traditional songwriter style, there is one love song by Villon (in a German translation by Paul Zech), and a song written in honour oft he great French chansonnier Georges Brassens, and there are a lot of instrument: accordeon, hackbrett, guitar, mouth organ, flute, piano, to name but a few. Then the switch over: Ute Zimmermann who writes poems in her dialect from the Palatinate, has her say and Manfred Pohlmann is a dedicated listener.
© Gabriele Haefs



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