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2 Various The Original Transatlantic Ses- 1 Dan Walsh Tomorrow’s Still To Come
sions 1 With Aly Bain & Jay Ungar Vol. (Shankly SH 01) Exciting (if sometimes relent-
Two (Whirlie WHIRLIECD16)/ 2 Vol. Three less) debut from energetic young clawhammer
(Whirlie WHIRLIECD17)/ 1 Transatlantic banjoist (singer and songwriter) well versed in
Sessions 4 With Jerry Douglas & Aly Bain Americana, folk and other roots musics. Being
Vol. One (Whirlie WHIRLIECD18) 1995’s in Newcastle enables him to call on folk-grad
Transatlantic Sessions assembled the cream of chums (harp, harmonica, pipes, piano, flute
Scottish, Irish and American traditional musi- and occasionally over-insistently funky rhythm
cians and let them interact. Highlights on Vol. section). A little too determined to prove his
Two include Dick Gaughan, performing his versatility, but thoroughly musical neverthe-
classic song of Scottish-English friendship Both less.
www.myspace.com/danbanjowalsh
Sides The Tweed, and Karen Matheson’s
1 Carlos Do Carmo Fado Maestro (Uni-
exquisite rendition of Iain Ghlinn Cuaich.
versal 602517914261) Fado weirdo, more like.
Standout performances on Vol. Three are the
A role model for younger fadistas, Carlos Do
late John Martyn’s Spencer The Rover and the
Carmo’s adventurous arrangements and halt-
late Martyn Bennett’s bagpipe set MacCrim-
ing, melodramatic – even cheesy – vocal style
2
mon’s Lament. Finally, Sessions 4 Vol. One has
Eric Eid-Reiner On A Meadowlark
are challenging. Strings, harp, flute, a vocal
a cracking duet between Karan Casey and
Night (own label no cat. no.) Graduate of the
choir and even sax mean this 40-year (with
James Taylor with the traditional Scottish song
Meadowlark Music Camp in Maine, Eid-Reiner
gaps) retrospective ain’t for purists. Bad
The King’s Shilling.
www.allcelticmusic.com/
is a pianist whose accompanying style veers
sleeve note translations add humour.
labels/WhirlieRecords.html
from Irish piano driving of the ‘60s to Cape 1 Marc & Thomas Loopuyt Duo De Oud
Breton inflections, while his soloing borrows
2 Grigore Lese Romania – Lapus Song
(Buda 3018064) This father/ son oud duo cer-
from Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin and Tracey Dares
(Ocora/ Radio France C 600023) An unusual
tainly know their way around the world of
equally. Musically, the swing of Irish, Canadi-
release: unaccompanied Romanian singing.
maqam (melodic) and advar (rhythmic)
an, New English and Scottish tunes suggests a
From Lapus in Maramures, Lese (in 1995 Radio
modes. But whilst their performances are
rich trawl while the playing is quietly under-
Romania recordings) sings doinas, seasonal
impressive, they are a little too academic.
stated and eloquent.
www.ericeid-reiner.com
songs and epics – his voice in its prime, strong
Worth a listen, but only if you’re mad about
1
and declamatory, with rafter-ringing perfectly
Ormy Folk, Blues And The Sea
the oud. Distributed in the UK by Discovery:
controlled sustained high notes and sometimes
(Sounds.ie ORMCD-01) Sounds like a renegade
www.discovery-records.com
edge-of-yodel hocketing in the lower register –
from Greenwich Village c.1965 colliding with
and occasionally interjects wooden trumpet
@ F.B.A. Yaya (Ethnoworld EWR019) They
the Irish ballad boom. Ormy’s voice is pleasant
and whistle. Via Harmonia Mundi.
dress like refugees from Les Misérables, have
and lyrical in the Liam Clancy mould and he is played all over the continent – if their press
also a dextrous blues guitarist. This incongru-
@ Lindsay Ritch The Calm Before The
release is to be credited – and even compose
ous pairing works with the deft fingering on
Storm (Poor Little Ritch Girl 2009) Scottish
songs that nick melodies from The Pogues! Ital-
Mississippi Blues and a suitably doleful reading
fiddle player’s latest album features all origi-
ians, F.B.A. write wobbly Celtic-inflected songs
of Matt Hyland. An embryonic talent but with
nal instrumentals. Some fine tunes here, but
and conjure pleasant enough jigs but alongside
careful handling something could be happen-
the accompaniment on keyboard, percus-
the rocket fuel of so many bands, these guys
ing here.
myspace.com/ormymusic
sion, guitar and bass is at times heavy-hand-
are just a spent match.
www.fbamusic.net
2 Chris Jones & The Night Drivers Cloud
ed, mechanistic and cheesy, crossing the
Of Dust (GSM 102 2009) Good bluegrass lead
musical threshold between traditional and
1 Jimi McRae Global Gathering – Music
singer and songwriter leads his band through
shopping mall.
www.lindsayritch.com
Of The Clan McRae (McRae Music jm002)
a collection of mostly originals with a few
1
Another engaging CD from the globetrotting
Big Eyes Family Players Warm Room
bagpiper and legendary busker. Traditional
well chosen covers. Well above average.
(Pickled Egg EGG 72) James Green’s ever-fluid
tunes and Jimi’s own compositions are per-
www.chrisjonesmusic.com
BEFP now retreat to the fringes of nu-folk with
formed with rhythmic, cosmopolitan flair on
2 Beppe Gambetta Collection (Acoustic
a sequence of imaginatively textured instru-
pipes (Highland, Lowland, Arabic and elec-
Music 319.1424.2) Italian guitarist who first
mentals and songs, doubtless informed by
tronic) plus didgeridoo, cittern, keyboards,
appeared as a virtuoso of American flat-picking
their recent Folk Songs collaboration with
djembe, udu, bongos, shakers, tambourine
but then cut a few superb CDs of Italian music
James Yorkston. There’s everything from intri-
and drums.
www.jimithepiper.co.uk
with other virtuosi. Good collection of his many
cate Faheyesque guitar wanderings to love-
recordings and styles, but he is one of many
song-ragas and gently layered mood paint-
1 Various Fiesta Tropical (Network Medien
who is so much better at playing than singing.
ings, and mostly it makes a dreamlike, strange-
495129) Party pot-pourri from the Network
Are all these super pickers merely frustrated
ly-strange kind of sense, if at times a tad over-
catalogue: Cuba (Septeto Nacional, Septeto
singers in hiding?
www.beppegambetta.com
meandersome.
www.pickled-egg.co.uk
Raison, Conjunto Campesino Cuyaguateje);
2 Ricky Skaggs Solo – Songs My Dad
1
Jamaica (Jimmy Cliff); Trinidad (Iwer George);
Johan Sara Jr. Mino Mano (Stierdna
Curacao (Izaline Calister); Colombia (Batata Y
Loved (Skaggs Family 6989010092) 13 old
STI01) Johna Sara Jr makes sami yoik music – a
Su Rumba Palanquera); Brazil (Paulinho Da
songs and tunes with all parts played and
chanting-led genre originating in the Arctic
Viola, Banda Mel, Luizinho Vieira) and Argenti-
sung by Skaggs who is completely at home
regions of Northern Europe. On Mino Mano,
na (albeit not really the tropics, with tango’s
with the project. Acoustic country music at its
he has become ‘Johan Sara Jr. in Turkey’. It’s
Sexteto Mayor).
www.networkmedien.de
very best.
www.skaggsfamilyrecords.com
nice – if a little jarring at first – to hear his
1
chilly sound mixing with ouds and Middle
2 Norberto Lobo Pata Lenta (Mbari Músi-
Black Crown Stringband Black Crown
Eastern percussion.
www.johansara.com
ca MBAR107) The first few tracks are as good
Stringband (own label no cat no.) Mini LP-
examples of fiery guitar playing as you could
length seven tracks in exuberant old-time
Johan Sara Jr.
want: Fahey, Patton, Brazilian and Por-
string band style from San Francisco area quin-
tuguese stylings are mixed up explosively and
tet. Led by fiddles and mandolin, they play
effectively. The programming means that the
well enough but I have heard better singing.
album tails off somewhat, being good rather
www.myspace.com/blackcrownstringband
than excellent, but overall this is a terrific set
1 The Exmouth Shanty Men Randy
from Portuguese player Lobo. www.mys-
Dandy O (own label no cat no.) This well-
pace.com/norbertolobo
regarded 15-strong shanty crew demonstrate
1 Paul Anderson Home & Beauty (Green-
their all-round expertise by presenting a spir-
trax CDTRAX340) Anderson learned fiddle in
ited collection of mostly well-travelled
a tradition that descends from Niel Gow.
shanties and forebitters, although their lively
Drawn from Paul’s solo albums, this compila-
delivery, general gusto and sense of fun are tion includes traditional tunes, pieces by
intermittently compromised by a tendency to Gow, Scott Skinner, Brahms, Mendelssohn,
over-react or theatricalise in their bid to be and majestic compositions by Anderson him-
sufficiently ‘entertaining’ for the tourist audi- self. Accompaniment is provided mostly by
ence.
www.exmouthshantymen.com piano and guitar.
www.greentrax.com
1 David Holt & Josh Goforth Cutting 2 Sonia Sahlström & Håkan Larsson
Loose (High Windy HW 1262) Sometime Glädjen (Giga GCD-79) Sonia Sahlström-
banjo player, singer and storyteller, and for Larsson, daughter of famous Uppland nyck-
reasons best known to others, Doc Watson’s elharpa player Eric Sahlström, plays fiddle
current playing partner, Holt is joined by and nyckelharpa, sometimes joined by hus-
Goforth who has much more to offer musical- band Håkan mainly on harmonica. The tunes
ly, on guitar, fiddle and mandolin. With any are largely from Uppland which they deliver,
partner though, Holt’s voice lacks character as did her father, with a clear and uncompli-
and it is hard to be convinced. www.david- cated lift that makes them accessible and
holt.com,
www.joshgoforth.com memorable.
www.giga.w.se
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