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Keyloch and the peerless Salah Dawson Miller. lovely version of The Duke Of Fife’s Welcome
Everything’s kept in a low light: I first listened To Deeside) and ragtime (Maple Leaf Rag and
to this album with a glass of wine in my hand Whistling Rufus) to two western swing songs,
one rainy evening and it sounded just right. If Milton Brown’s Berkeley Hambone Blues and
you’re in the mood for that kind of thing, Bob Wills’s Don’t Be Ashamed Of Your Age.
then purchase, uncork and enjoy. All are played beautifully, with Baker’s signa-
www.myspace.com/lestriaboliques; dis-
ture fluid bass runs and clear picking, and as
tributed by Harmonia Mundi.
usual, there are a couple of surprises: the first
transforms Salif Keita’s Souareba into true
Jamie Renton
Americo-Malian jazz, and the second is the
assured version of Thelonius Monk’s Blue
STEAMCHICKEN
Monk, which brings it close to its blues/
gospel roots. Throw in some sacred harp and
Calling All Chickens own label Steam 04
Shaker hymns, and you have a fine overview
and a damn good guitar album.
There is a musical world which lies beyond the
www.lescousins.co.uk,
pop scene and at right angles to folk music
www.duckbaker.com
and Steamchicken seem to live there. From
the opening Ragtime Hornpipe things get dis-
Australian Jeff Lang’s take on the feel of
tinctly yet very logically strange. The CD devel-
Americana is just as strong as Duck Baker’s, if
ops its theme simply enough with a lovely
much bleaker, on this blend of original and
minor key version of Princess Royal in a signifi-
traditional songs: from the opening South-
cantly individual arrangement/ version which
ern Highlands Daughter, a song of “bad
is more than enough to satisfy the traddies.
behaviour, regret and fear of retribution”,
it’s welcome to Flannery O’Connor country
The band don’t let you linger long
and addictive it turns out to be. Lang is a
enough in one time zone to get comfortable
consummate slide guitarist who rarely solos,
however and we shift from ragtime to Play-
ford at a rate that even Doctor Who might
Jesse Fuller
but rather uses his array of guitars to set up
moods and atmospheres through repetition
find a bit abrupt. The thing is it works. Then
and the odd superb flick of technique. In
suddenly we’re in Hollywood!
guitar playing, just preferring to keep it Copper Mine he uses an electric cimbus and
This shift from the recognisably trad to simple. He sets up a picking riff that perfectly lap slide to create the industrial sounds
fifties film themes is both clever and totally suits each song and sticks with it throughout, needed, while the 12-string playing on
appropriate. It’s like listening to a medley of then uses harmonica or kazoo to fill out the Mooncoin resonates through a story of love,
fifties radio shows from Uncle Mac to Work- solo parts. His sound makes you smile, his
death and abandonment. In amidst the origi-
ers Playtime. The thing is how thoroughly rhythm makes you tap your toes, and his
nals are spooky versions of The House Car-
danceable it all is and how seamlessly the instantly recognisable voice (both expressive
penter and lesser-known My Mother Always
melodies overlap. Flanders and Swann’s inter- and playful) makes you want to sing along.
Talked To Me, which fit right in with the
pretation of Mozart fits into the mix so well
Jesse Fuller came to Europe three times.
modern songs, all sung in a high tenor voice
that one can practically feel Mozart stomping
The first was in March 1960 to play alongside
reminiscent of Dock Boggs. Mention should
along in spirit at least. The Tender Trap is
Chris Barber. Tracks originally recorded by the
be made of the bass work of collaborator
pure jazz, you think… and how wrong you
World Song label in 1954 were acquired by
Grant Cummerford, which is always just
are when the theme suddenly develops Play-
Topic Records and issued in 1960 on their 10”
right. If you’re into tragedy and fatalism, this
fordward (this is now a real word describing a
LP Working On The Railroad (10T59). During
will suit the purpose perfectly.
severely retro shift in a Steamchicken
the next trip, Peter Kennedy recorded Jesse in www.jefflang.com.au; distributed in the
arrangement). Creole Belles and Sweet Geor-
Cecil Sharp House on 19th March 1965 and six UK by Proper: www.properdistribution.com
gia Brown come and go in a perfectly logical
tracks were released as side 1 of the Topic
progression except… well by now nothing’s
If Jeff Lang has that austere West Vir-
12” LP Move On Down The Line (12T134)
like it’s supposed to be… it’s actually better!
ginia quality, then the collaboration between
with side 2 being five tracks from the 10”
Jack Rose and alt-country trio the Black Twig
So at last Fairie’s Hornpipe approaches
album. Fledg’ling have added a further track
Pickers can only be described as a meeting of
courtesy of Rodgers and Hammerstein??
Hanging ‘Round A Skin Game from the ‘54
John Fahey, Gid Tanner and the Weems String
Steamchicken have tapped into a wellhead of
session to complement this CD issue of Move
Band, with the ghost of Charlie Poole leading
danceable material which, unsurprisingly,
On Down The Line. The CD’s booklet
the mayhem and waving a bottle of some-
forms a missing link between the musics of the
reproduces Joe Boyd’s original notes which
thing extremely strong and bad for one.
last three generations. In effect they recognise
places Fuller in a historical and musical
Oldies Little Sadie, Special Rider and I Shall
the tradition which lies behind all of the the-
context and, written specifically for this
Not Be Moved swing along to Gangloff’s
matic material on the album and by not
release, is a more personal reminiscence by
rowdy fiddle and almost completely incom-
pigeonholing, they have arrived at a unique
Val Wilmer who has also supplied four lovely prehensible vocals and excellent percussion
view of late 19th and early 20th century popu-
photographs. I was so impressed seeing Jesse from Nate Bowles, with Rose’s – yes, once
lar music which works exceptionally well in a
perform in the mid ‘60s, I went out and again – pure Fahey guitar holding the whole
dance context. This is an album which puts a
bought a 12-string guitar… nearly 45 years
smile on the face and a spring in the step.
thing together. Rose originals Kensington
later I’m still singing San Francisco Bay Blues. Blues and Revolt get a shot of adrenaline
www.steamchicken.co.uk
Thanks Jesse. from this line-up, and Goodbye Booze and
Paul Davenport www.thebeesknees.com, distributed by
Hand Me Down My Walking Cane even bring
Proper: www.properdistribution.com
a weird sort of dignity to the proceedings.
Wild, woolly and rather wonderful.
JESSE FULLER
Dave Peabody
www.myspace.com/blacktwigs
Move On Down The Line Fledg’ling Fled
Ian Kearey
3074 DUCK BAKER
Jesse Fuller’s San Francisco Bay Blues has
The Roots And Branches Of American
STOCKHOLM LISBOA
proved an enduring folk blues classic, still
Music Les Cousins LC010
fresh and engaging some 55 years after Jesse
PROJECT
first recorded it. The song arrived in Britain JEFF LANG
Diagonal Nomis Musik NMCD05 / Westpark
before Jesse did, having been picked up by
Half Seas Over ABC Music 1777791
WP 87177
early visitor Ramblin’ Jack Elliott (who still
performs it to this day). Fuller’s original 1954
recording closes this prime reissue of 12
JACK ROSE AND THE
This is the band whose lead singer is London-
resident fadista and O Fado restaurateuse
wonderful tracks reminding us just what a BLACK TWIG PICKERS Liana Costa, the subject of a Root Salad
great artiste ‘The Lone Cat’ was.
Jack Rose And The Black Twig Pickers
written by Jamie Renton in fR313.
Jesse was a one-man band who
Beautiful Happiness HAPP012CD
Violinist Sérgio Crisóstomo played
accompanied himself on 12-string guitar, traditional and classical music back home in
harmonica, kazoo and his home-made Three slabs of Americana for your delight Portugal before moving to Sweden and
Fotdella (foot-operated bass), and a songster here. On his 23rd album, Duck Baker once getting drawn into Scandinavian music and
who could take songs – blues, gospel, work shows what a picker of American music he is, finding within it two musicians who were
songs, songs for children – and make them ranging from turn-of-the-20th-century Irish interested in Portuguese music. Filip Jers
his own. He wasn’t as accomplished a tunes that make the link with the nascent plays the range of harmonicas from diatonic
musician as Blind Willie McTell and, unlike Chicago police (Sergeant Early’s Dream/ Chief through chromatic to bass, and Simon
Leadbelly, he’s not out to impress with his O’Neill’s Favorite), through Scott Skinner (a Stålspets, of Svart Kaffe and earlier Kalabra,
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