59 f A. L. LLOYD


An Evening With A. L. Lloyd Fellside FECD220


However you dress up the British folk revival, the name of Bert Lloyd will always loom large – and if not, it damn well should do. What isn’t always widely acknowledged in documenting his pivotal role in the whole shebang, however, is his heartwarming abili- ty as a performer. Evidence of his rare power to deliver a song in a manner so intimate and engaging it makes you feel you are right in the middle of the narrative, has already been provided in a couple of fine previous Fellside collections, yet this first commercially released album of Lloyd in concert offers new insights.


For he was also a mesmerising story-


teller – as his wonderfully rambling tale of The Kush Maker included here triumphantly testifies –with an impudent sense of humour as well as being an authority on the prove- nance of the traditional material he delivers with such evident involvement and warmth, more chummy asides than scholarly intellect. In this sense he was the antithesis of his great contemporary Ewan MacColl – Bert was a peo- ple man who lit up in front of an audience… and they lit up, too, in response to him.


Recorded at the Top Lock Folk Club, Run- corn in 1972, this album finds him not at the peak of his powers exactly but, having long acquired all the stage craft and performance tricks to make this a vital collection. Sure, it’s full of affectations both in his singing and song introductions but, in the unexpected ploys of timing, the exaggerated timbre, the bending of notes and the whoops in his voice, it’s easy to see his influence on any number of revivalists who followed him, notably Mike Waterson and Peter Bellamy.


There are few greater experiences in folk song than Lloyd conspiratorially luring us through the twists and turns of the epic mag- ical ballad Tamlyn, but we also get jokey Bert (Little Piece Of Wang), Aussie Bert (The Shearer’s Dream) and sing-along Bert (Doodle Let Me Go and The Wild Goose Shanty – “Shanties always get sung too fast…” he comments pointedly). Responding to a request from the audience he even sponta- neously sings a song he claims never to have performed in public before, Brigg Fair.


Recording quality is slightly erratic and occasional outside traffic noise seeps through the speakers, but it scarcely detracts from an album that helps make one of folk’s greatest icons much, much more human. He’s proba- bly not an influence on acid folk though...


www.fellside.com – distributor: Proper. Colin Irwin


NANCY KERR & JAMES FAGAN Twice Reflected Sun Navigator 041


This charismatic Anglo-Australian partnership is by now firmly established on the folk cir- cuit. Nancy’s fiddle playing is fluid and expertly contoured, capable of lyrical sensitiv- ity and a passionate rhythmic drive, while James’s Sobell guitar-bouzouki combines forceful onward momentum and intimate intricacy. The duo’s intelligent and sparkling musicianship and wonderfully complemen- tary instrumental – and vocal – skills really draw the listener in, as ever, on this their fifth recording as a duo. But Twice Reflected Sun also forms a significant departure from previ- ous releases in that instead of presenting a mix of traditional and contemporary writing, songs and tunes drawn from English and Aus- tralian sources, it consists entirely of self- penned material (nine songs by Nancy and two instrumentals by James).


Nancy moves away from the creative direct adaptation of purely traditional mate- rial; here, inspired by the shared histories of the UK and Australia, her belief is that in the end it is experience, rather than place or cul- ture, that connects us as people. Nancy and James companionably trade lead vocals as the album progresses, shifting between England and Australia for inspiration. Initially, the Twice Reflected Sun shines on home ground, with Nancy bidding farewell to life on an English canal in music of delicious dancing poetry (Queen Of Waters). James takes the helm for bushranger-ballad Jerilderie, then on Dolerite Skies Nancy plaintively portrays Tasmania in a time of drought before James returns us to home turf for the determinedly English imagery of I Am The Fox. Flower Pick- er’s Song is both charming and gently reflec- tive, and the pensive yet beautiful A Lover’s Hymn provides another highlight; but maybe the lovely Hauling On needs just an ounce more thrust (and a longer chorus?) to fully realise its intended anthemic import.


The disc’s last two songs come with dedi- cations: the folksy Sweet Peace to nonage- narian Pete Seeger, and the jazzy Rammed Earth to Charles Darwin. The latter features sterling double bass work from Rick Foot, while Nancy & James’ touring partner Robert Harbron contributes English concertina or guitar to a further five tracks including the first of the disc’s instrumentals (The Floating Mountains); the second (Night Night) is even more persuasive in its melding of the lilt and ambience of Scandinavian music with Celtic or English modality. Twice Reflected Sun both well encapsulates Nancy & James’ appeal and moves their creative endeavours onto a high- er plane of invention. www.kerrfagan.com


www.navigatorrecords.co.uk – distribut- ed by Proper: www.properdistribution.com


David Kidman


MAHMOUD AHMED & IMPERIAL BODYGUARD BAND


Ethiopiques 26 – 1972-74 Buda 860191


More dizzy marvels from the great explosion of music that happened in late ‘60s/early ‘70s Ethiopia – just like elsewhere, but in a special- ly Ethiopian way. Old disciplines dissolved, new freedoms sprang up overnight, but the result here was unique – strange scales and strange time signatures were retained, sup- porting a brave mix of vocal ecstasy and heartbroken doom from the abyss. It wasn’t a garage band revolution – the musicians who carried the flame were the strictly organised state orchestras. They found themselves play- ing pop, jazz, something like funk, whipping


Old Man Luedecke


it up like free spirits, and here the first impression of the Imperial Bodyguard Band suggests the Foden Works Brass Band with something funny in the tea.


You have to marvel – the jauntiness is insane but perfectly-ordered, infectious. The girl backing singers squeak like three Minnie Mice, the emphysematic organ wheezes in Telstar wonderland, the drums clatter, the band skips forward with alternating swagger and bluesy slouch. And then come the vocals – amazing: these are some of the earliest recordings by Mahmoud Ahmed, who had been with the band from 1964. All his later hallmarks are here – his unremitting applica- tion of energy, fluttering intensity, sometimes showing restraint, sometimes flirting with the edge of hysteria. Shortly after these tracks were recorded, he left the Imperial Body- guard Band, apparently finding the discipline stifling. Nevertheless, a tight band loosening its corsets must have been a great advantage to Mahmoud, finding his feet; these are great recordings by a great singer in his early days.


Distributed by Discovery in the UK:


www.discovery-records.com Rick Sanders


MARY GAUTHIER The Foundling Proper PRPCD 058


OLD MAN LUEDECKE


My Hands Are On Fire And Other Love Songs Black Hen Music BHCD 0062


Compare and contrast. Gauthier has been around a while, has produced some good albums, written some good songs, played some good shows and now lays her soul bare with a selection of songs from her own frac- tured life as an adoptee. Produced by the Cowboy Junkies’ Michael Timmins, it doesn’t take long to note that he has removed a lot of Gauthier’s brittle edge that has served her so well. The opening track could actually have been from a Junkies album with its swirling accompaniment, but it is easy to soon get into Gauthier mode. Although it is, generically, a concept album, the songs are individually strong. Goodbye with its memorable hook line “Goodbye could be my family name”, is one of many fine songs, but the opening line “Born a bastard child in New Orleans” will ensure it never gets heard beyond this CD. A class writer, Gauthier has not saved her supply of strong melodies for a more commercially oriented recording and she and Proper deserve success. www.properuk.com


www.marygauthier.com


Luedecke also writes songs and sings, but has even less of a commercial angle than Gauthier. There is something about his recording that captivates, as Luedecke moves through a set, accompanying himself on old- time banjo, where all but one are originals. He has a few others to help, notably the ubiq- uitous Tim O’Brien on mandolin, fiddle and vocals, but kept very much in the back- ground. It is the songs that stand out – great wit and observation. I loved Woe Betide The Doer Of The Deed. Take a guess at the intend- ed target, but most presidents/ ministers could make it fit. The Palace Is Golden is about infertility and is clever and funny but the charm of this record is that each song is worthy of deeper exploration. If you are not so disposed you still have a very musical col- lection for your listening pleasure, but I would suggest a close listen to each song would be a more than profitable experience.


Neither Gauthier nor Luedecke deserves the usually pejorative singer-songwriter title. They are both at the top of their art.


www.blackhenmusic.com – distributed in the UK by Proper; www.oldmanluedecke.com


John Atkins


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