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79 f
FÆRD, DORGE,
from accompaniment of the strumming/ So far, so good and great in theory and
BECKER, HJETLAND
plucking kind (though with occasional taste- much of the execution. Maybe we can leave
ful percussion – and I thought I’d never use aside the fact that we all know they’re only
Kryss Tutl SHD 86
those two words together in an Irish con- so cheap because the recordings are out of
text) and sensitively recorded by John Blake, copyright, probably no royalties will get
BALTINGET
this is an album whose utter quality belies its paid and quite likely they were already
protagonists’ ages. found in the digital realm from others’
Alive GO’ Danish Folk GO 1608
It’s not just the superb unison playing
restoration work (since such niceties never
Denmark’s expanding roots music scene isn’t
that’s paramount here (listen to the reels
bothered the blues collectors’ labels of the
all new names; musicians who have been
Mrs. Galvin’s/ Billy Connor’s as an example),
‘60s or indeed Harry Smith when they were
devoted over the years to making it happen
or the fact that oft-times (as on the jig The
on a mission to document and spread this
continue to develop new directions.
Drunken Gauger) the duo’s instruments seem
music back then). But I do find myself raising
to blend into one, but the absolute joy that
several eyebrows at why, having got this far,
Soprano saxist Eskil Romme, traditional
inhabits their music which makes this such a
they took their eyes off the ball.
fiddler Peter Uhrbrand from the island of
splendid album. Add to that some sparkling
Fanø, and Swedish bouzouki and guitar play-
Why, for example, having commis-
er Jens Ulvsand form the present line-up of
solo tracks, such as Liam’s The Duke Of Lein- sioned a lengthy sleeve note on the Patton
Færd but are, variously, prime movers in tradi-
ster or Seán’s The Lady’s Bonnet/ The Pinch set, do they present it in a design-over-func-
tional music based groups including ULC, Jæ’
Of Snuff (a tour de force in terms of drones tion way that reduces it to illegibility, aban-
Sweevers, Sula, Suleskær, Trio Mio and other
and regulators), and this has to be one of the doning basic rules of typography and then
projects, as well as teaching on the folk music
most successful and utterly memorable Irish superimposing it over a dark background?
degree course at Odense’s Carl Nielsen Acade-
recordings of the last 30 years. Why, on the Waters set, do they do things
my. Færd’s previous album had guest vocals
www.pipers.ie
like pair Muddy’s I Can’t Be Satisfied with
from Nielsen Academy student Jullie Hjetland,
the Big Bill Broonzy song of the same name
Geoff Wallis
who as a result of her work on Kryss won
which bears no relation to it other than the
Vocalist Of The Year 2009 in the folk section
title (while there was a whole album called
of the Danish Music Awards. For Kryss, Færd
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Muddy Sings Big Bill too – oh, maybe that
teams up with two musicians from world
one’s not out of copyright yet). Why do they
music band New Jungle Orchestra: Pierre
The Definitive Charley Patton – 75th
have the barefaced cheek to call the Patton
Dorge on guitar, Turkish cümbüs, Chinese
Anniversary Edition Proper PROPERBOX151
set ‘definitive’ when Revenant’s award-win-
frets ruan and liuquin and a touch of conch
ning Screamin’ & Hollerin’ The Blues was
trumpet, and keyboardist Irene Becker. The
Muddy Waters: Steppin’ Stone Proper one of the greatest historical reissue docu-
result is a varied, elegant and outward-look-
PROPERBOX 152 ments in any field of music? And what’s the
ing album of material, traditional Danish and
point of the ‘talking heads’ DVD that
First off, the positive and most important
original, including Uhrbrand’s tune Scandina-
accompanies the Muddy, little more than
stuff. The music on both of these 3-CD plus
vian Tribute To The Kurds, and for the closer
aural sleeve notes (the Patton one, by dint
bonus DVD sets is sensational and well repro-
Hjetland sings a Finnish traditional song.
of it being more documentary, is somewhat
duced, and at a price of around twelve quid
better but I’ll bet it will still only get
www.tutl.com each box they are unbeatable value. Few
watched once, if at all).
Like Peter Uhrbrand, Tove de Fries is a
would resent newly discovering buyers being
fiddler from Fanø. With guitarist Klaus Ravns-
able to acquire so easily all this music that, for
Fantastic music, fantastic value, but get-
borg, bassist Peter Sejersen and two others
us youthful blues collectors in the 1960s, was
ting it right doesn’t cost anything extra.
she formed the instrumental band Baltinget
mostly only available on obscure and very
www.properuk.com
in 1992. Nowadays the other two members
expensive imports with far inferior sound;
Ian Anderson
are accordeonist Jesper Vinther Petersen and
music that changed lives.
Jesper Falch, who are both also members of For cave dwellers who don’t know these
Phønix and were previously in Dug. things, both Patton and Waters more than
MARANNA MCCLOSKEY
Baltinget’s fourth album, Alive, was recorded deserve the descriptions ‘legendary’ and
(first half in the studio, the second at a gig) in ‘influential’, the former for a body of work
At Last own label MMCD 002
Tove’s pretty home village of Sønderho on laid down as modern Mississippi blues crys-
the island of Fanø, where traditional music
Maranna McCloskey stepped into precarious
tallised at the turn of the 1930s, the latter
and dance continued through the thin times taking it north and into the age of electricity
shoes when she replaced Cara Dillon in North-
into today’s revival. Their playing is springily in the 1950s. Both sets follow similar themes,
ern Irish youth supergroup Oige in the mid-
danceable, in tunes either found in old fid- putting the greatest tracks of these two
90s. Since then Ms McCloskey has returned to
dlers’ manuscripts or learned from elder fid- giants into the context of other artists who
academia, working as a laboratory technician,
dlers, including a Sønderhoning from Peter influenced and were influenced by them,
but the occasional flutter of vocal activity has
Uhrbrand. Many have much in common, in either stylistically or in repertoire. In the case
surfaced at times, including an impressive 4-
melodic components and rhythm, with dance of the Patton box this means you get gems by
track EP Fraser Island in 2003. Now comes the
tunes played in England over the last couple everybody from Bessie Smith to Tommy John-
Northern singer’s first solo album. Vocally, she
of centuries. For example Hoftur, a dance son, Willie Brown, Son House, Big Bill
resembles Triona Ni Domhnaill at times, her
tune from Thy, is akin to a morris tune, and Broonzy and Papa Charlie Jackson, while over
throaty strains emitting a raw sexuality on
the two reels comprising Reel I F Og A, from on Muddy’s set there’s more House and
Going To Mass Last Sunday – the uptempo
an 1869 collection, are strongly reminiscent Broonzy, Robert Johnson, Sonny Boy
arrangement adding a forceful side to a song
of Northumbrian hornpipes. Williamson, Bo Diddley, Little Walter and
more usually suited to funeral paces. The
www.gofolk.dk
many other Chicago contemporaries.
Gaelic Ca Raibh Tu Ar Feadh An Lae Uaim, a
version of Lord Randall, is seated in a genteel
Andrew Cronshaw almost elevator folk arrangement contrasting
Muddy Waters
a bloody tale of patricide.
Materially, the mix of traditional ballads
LIAM O’CONNOR & and contemporary self-penned songs, like the
SEÁN MCKEON
superb Fraser Island, largely cohabit peaceful-
ly but the overt pop of Our Last Embrace pro-
Dublin Made Me Na Píobairí Uilleann
vides the sole stylistic false move. Here the
NPUCD 017
balance between Karan Casey balladic
stylings and Andrea Corresque poppisms sits
RTÉ’s traditional music TV series The Full Set,
too close for comfort. However the local clas-
devoted usually to duos, has featured some
sics like Lonely Irish Maid and Verdant Braes
remarkable performances, but perhaps none
Of Screen are given crystal-clear readings
as startling or as inspirational as the show
with subtle backings befitting her refined
devoted to the young Dublin pairing of fid-
dler Liam O’Connor and uilleann piper Seán
tones. Obviously Maranna McCloskey will be
McKeon. Their sheer brio, synchronicity and
compared to Cara Dillon vocally and stylisti-
technical wizardry (all founded upon their
cally, and ideologically the musical approach-
backgrounds as members of two of their city’s
es aren’t too dissimilar. However Maranna’s
most renowned musical families) left tradi-
clear vocals and command of her material
tional music lovers both gobsmacked and
prove compelling enough to hold interest
desirous for more.
and her songwriting promises much. For the
moment, At Last should be filed under one to
So here’s their debut CD, released on
watch, but I feel her best work is yet to come.
the Irish uilleann pipers’ association’s label
itself (and that’s real kudos from their peers)
www.marannamccloskey.com
and, my, it’s a corker! Thankfully absent Photo: Stephanie Wiesand John O’Regan
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