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under the influence of various substances.
The book closes with Wobble and family
moving out of his once beloved East End, in
response to growing levels of violence, partic-
ularly from local Bangladeshi youth (there’s
an interesting but difficult section where he
discusses how this challenges his views on
race), and settling in Cheshire.
As a tale of one man’s spiritual journey
this works well and has some good descrip-
tions of the music-making process and the
Photo: Jak Kilby
dubious business shenanigans that so often go
on behind the scenes (even at his most intoxi-
cated Wobble always appears to have kept an
Really The Blues
eye on his money). What those who aren’t
already interested in Wobble will make of it all
Mezz Mezzrow & Bernard Wolfe Souvenir
is a moot point and I also wonder how it will
Jah Wobble
Press ISBN 978-0-28563-845-7
read to anyone unfamiliar with the rhythms of
Quite what inspired Weston-super-Mare pub-
his speech. But if the idea of getting as close as
– and analyses them in ‘workshop’ sections
lic library in the early 1960s to have copies of
you can to having your ear bent by this talent-
that explore rhythms, dance forms, tonality,
such gems as Paul Oliver’s Blues Fell This
ed but awkward customer appeals, you’re like-
bowing and articulation etc., and give specific
Morning, Alan Lomax’s Mister Jelly Roll and
ly to find things to enjoy here.
practical advice on how to vary and ornament
this mind-blowing (to an impressionable
www.serpentstail.com
the tunes. Pull-out booklets are also included
teenager) 1946 tome is hard to fathom.
Jamie Renton
for sekund, or accompanying fiddle, and bass,
Needless to say, I locked myself away in my
parts, and the CD includes historic recordings
bedroom and sucked in Really The Blues from
as well as authentic, beautiful fiddle-led band
cover to cover. I wouldn’t say it changed my Scottish Fiddle Tunes
performances, and backing tracks. Complete
life but it certainly opened my horizons!
with a Yiddish glossary and pronunciation
Iain Fraser Schott World Music ISBN 978-1-
Milton ‘Mezz’ Mezzrow was a white Jew-
guide, an appendix on dance styles and a good
902455-58-7 £10.99
ish boy from the Chicago of the 1920s who
bibliography and (short) discography, this
had totally fallen under the spell of black cul-
Klezmer Fiddle: A How-To
impressive package achieves with great flair
ture in general and jazz & blues in particular.
the author’s stated aim, “To take you beneath
In effect, he changed races, learned to play
Guide the surface of klezmer”. Highly recommended.
sax and clarinet in prison (where he wangled
www.oup.co.uk
Ilana Cravitz Oxford University Press ISBN
a transfer to the coloured section), and played
978-0-19-335584-2 £13.95
The Greek Fiddler is the latest in a long-
with everybody from Louis Armstrong and
running series (Celtic, Latin American,
Bessie Smith to, most celebratedly, the great
The Greek Fiddler
klezmer, Viennese, early music, tango etc.) by
Sidney Bechet with whom he recorded the
Edward Huws Jones. He provides a separate
gorgeous track whose title was gifted to this
Edward Huws Jones Boosey & Hawkes ISBN piano accompaniment to each of the 16
book. He was also an organiser, gig fixer and
979-0-06-011786-2 £12.99 pieces here – “hardly a traditional Greek
famous – frequently busted – drug dealer to
instrument,” as he acknowledges, “but
the jazz scene in particular and ‘30s Harlem in Gypsy Fiddle Collection
standing in bravely for the hammer dul-
general. To say that he lived in colourful times
Gundula Gruen
cimer” – along with chords and “easy violin”
Spartan Press Music SP837
(no pun intended) is an understatement, and,
parts. There’s a history of folk melodies being
£17.99
written as it is in jazz slang – shades of later
co-opted for teaching purposes in the early
Lord Buckley – it bustles along with an energy
Individual players may read music or not, but
stages of classical violin, and yes of course stu-
that makes it hard to put down.
tunes in most European fiddle traditions
dents respond well to lively dance tunes, and
I’ve still got my original, very dog-eared have tended to be acquired by ear and
that’s great. With a striking woodcut-style
paperback that I’d somehow managed to played by heart. Tune-books giving basic
cover like its predecessors, this is a profession-
find after reluctantly returning my discovery melodic outlines have been published for
al enough piece of work, and violin teachers,
to the library shelves, but hadn’t read it since centuries, notably in Scotland, and are useful
school string ensembles and no doubt exam
the 1960s. How would it stand up now on a provided the reader is familiar with the
boards will welcome the fresh material. But is
late-adult re-read? Well, I have to say it idiom and playing style, and able to bring
Greek fiddle music distinctive and important
seemed every bit as good. For a slice of alter- the tunes to life. Even by the late 1800s,
in its own right, or just as an exotic stage on
native US pre-war culture, it’s hard to beat. though, James ‘Scott’ Skinner realised that
the road to orchestral violin playing? The
Ian Anderson
such prior familiarity could not be assumed,
author doesn’t credit specific source fiddlers,
and invented symbols like the ‘straight slur’
offer a discography, or include a CD recording
and ‘loop’ to convey aspects of strathspey
(shock horror) of his own playing, so the
Memoirs Of A Geezer
bowing, also remarking that a tune’s charac-
answer isn’t clear. It all feels a bit old-school
ter could really only be “caught by conta-
and removed. www.boosey.com
Jah Wobble Serpent’s Tail ISBN 978-1-84-
gion”. Perhaps it’s lucky in the present flu cli- If Jewish musicians have been one major
668712-9 £12.99
mate that we have the hygienic ‘book/ CD’ force in Eastern European fiddling, Roma
Wobble writes like he speaks: passionate,
format to help with the job. have long been another, though what exactly
digressive, angry, philosophical and full of
Iain Fraser gives fine brief performances
constitutes a ‘Gypsy tune’ is harder to define,
(often jet black) humour. Subtitled Music,
of all 60 of the Scottish Fiddle Tunes, mainly
given the Roma’s usual professional status as
Mayhem, Life his autobiography wanders
18th and 19th century, in his book/ CD, and is
performers of the music of ‘host’ cultures.
through his life and times from a London Irish
able to dispense with quirky, non-standard
Gundula Gruen adopts an enthusiastic,
East End upbringing, through hanging out
notation. Jigs, reels, strathspey and reel sets,
broad-brush approach in her Gypsy Fiddle
with the Sex Pistols in the mid ‘70s, making
slow strathspeys and slow airs are each pre-
Collection, delivering in regional sections
his bass-playing debut with John Lydon’s Pub-
sented in separate sections, bowed through-
some 63 tunes, many of them popular
lic Image Limited, fully indulging in drugs, out in tradition-aware manner, with tempo
favourites, from various parts of Eastern
drink and global music and beyond into a indications, and violin-style dynamics (loud-
Europe and the Balkans. With bowing indica-
kind of hard-nosed spiritual enlightenment soft), and without chords. He also provides a
tions, fingering for the numerous position
and contented pursuit of his own musical short introduction and useful notes on the
shifts, and chords, the notation is precise and
whims with his 30 Hertz record label. tunes. Those who’ve come to the music via
‘classical’ in style. Additional advice on inter-
Along the way he offers insights into his
the present-day session scene in Scotland may
pretation such as, “Strong feelings and plenty
world view and highly outspoken pen por-
search in vain for current favourites, but
of ‘schmalz’ allowed, even demanded” and
traits of those who’ve crossed his path over
James Oswald, Niel Gow, William Marshall,
“Play like a fun sledge run down the hill,
the years: Lydon, Charlie Gillett, Peter Gabriel
Simon Fraser, Peter Milne and Skinner are
increasing speed”, seem like fair warning to
and Justin Adams all come in for criticism, but
among the classic fiddle composers repre-
those who don’t like too much cheese on
he’s honest and philosophical enough to
sented here, along with others whose names
their pizza. The notation is supplemented by
recognise their positive qualities too. The
are long forgotten. www.schott-music.co.uk
efficient, at times virtuosic, accordeon-
backed violin performances (each with a clear
only person he can’t find a good word for is Ilana Cravitz’s Klezmer Fiddle, A How-To
count-in) by Gundula on the CD, conveying
comedian Sean Hughes who goaded him to Guide is an invaluable, scholarly and illuminat-
style and phrasing. Companion volumes for C
violence in a break from filming an episode ing book/ CD, the best exposition I’ve come
and Bb instruments are also available.
of Never Mind The Buzzcocks. Wobble is also across of Eastern European-style Jewish fiddle
hard on himself, describing in some detail his playing. She presents 16 tunes – freylekhs,
www.magicviolin.co.uk
early misdemeanours and boorishness when nign, khosidl, zhok, sirba, terkisher, bulgar etc. Pete Cooper
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