79 f
2 Chris Thompson Chris Thompson (Sun- beam SBR2CD5078) A very welcome reissue of Thompson’s wonderful Village Thing LP, now with added outtakes and a potted résumé of his work since then on a second CD; this is interesting, but to be honest the best stuff is still on that first release, and it makes one wonder how his output would have shaped up if it had sold as many as it should have.
www.sunbeamrecords.com
1 Jack Blackman Just A Game (own label no cat. no.) 16-year-old British guitarist Jack Blackman has learned to play well in the style of such heroes as Gary Davis and Graham, Jansch & Renbourn, but his singing is far less assured. Given his age and general talent we shall, no doubt, be hearing more from the young Mr Blackman.
www.jackblackman.com Available through
www.sawmilldiscs.com
The albums – good (2), adequate (1) and bad (@) – which didn’t get the full-length treatment, contributed individually by a selection of our various reviewers cowering under the cloak of collective anonymity.
2 Huun Huur Tu Ancestors Call (World Vil- lage 468107) Atmospheric deep Tuvan roots from the best in the biz. Nothing they haven’t done before, but all done very well. The only surprise is that it was recorded in sunny Cali- fornia, rather than the windswept steppes.
www.worldvillagemusic.com – distributed by Harmonia Mundi.
1 Ralph Jordan Eloise (no label ATT001) 17 prime tracks from one of the UK’s finest expo- nents of the MacCann duet concertina. Wide repertoire (Bach to Tallroth, Auric to Schroer, Springtime In Battersea to The Navy Lark) and some pleasing stringed enhancements; the only drawback is its frustratingly low playback level. £13 from
ralph.jordan@
ntlworld.com
@ Joe Derrane with John McGann Grove Lane (Compass 7 4544 2) The octogenarian US-born button-accordeonist murders numer- ous Irish traditional tunes via the provision of more ornaments than you’d ever find in a Hallmark branch, ably abetted by a guitarist apparently recorded at the bottom of a swim- ming pool.
www.compassrecords.com
1 Ben Prestage Real Music (Nugene NUG1005) A gritty voiced one-man band from Florida, USA who keeps it very basic even with guests Mark Campbell (tuba/jug) and Bruce Johnson (harmonica) in tow. Blues from the likes of Skip James, Washboard Sam, Big Joe Williams, a song from Johnny Cash, and a cou- ple of Prestage’s own all get similar linear treatment. It’s OK… but doesn’t quite burn the playhouse down. Distributed by Cadiz.
2 Mairéad Ní Fhlatharta Ó Chaon Taobh/ From Both Sides (Cló-Iar Chonnachta CICD 182) Excellent sean-nós singing from a Con- nemara-born singer long resident in the Meath gaeltacht.
www.cic.ie
1 Ceumar & Trio Live In Amsterdam (own label 0 793573 596482) Better than average Brazilian jazzish MPB pop samba, well sung and played, though no moulds are even slightly cracked. If you like this sort of thing, worth investigating.
www.ceumar.net
2 Saltfishforty Netherbow (Cellar CRSFF0310) Third album from Orkney duo with a distinctive, powerful sound: dark, driv- ing fiddle/ viola, percussive guitar/ mandola and rugged vocals. They perform unusual tra- ditional material from Orkney plus their own material. The haunting composition Svecia has a deliciously shivery Scandinavian vibe.
www.saltfishforty.co.uk
2 The Quebe Sisters Band Timeless (Fid- dletone CD 0101) I have seen these three girls and they are great. Singing and fiddle playing in perfect three-part harmony on a journey through old western swing classics. Not even a bow hair out of place.
www.quebesistersband.com
2 Peter Ostroushko When The Last Morning Glory Blooms (Red House RHR CD 231) A new recording by American mandolin/ fiddle player Ostroushko is always welcome as the man always writes excellent tunes and has great taste. This is a collection of ten waltzes, each beautifully arranged and played with textures of acoustic sound sup- porting Ostroushko’s lead.
www.redhousere-
cords.com www.peterostroushko.com
@ FolkPort Let Me In (own label no cat. no.) Will somebody please shoot the drum- mer now? Turgid, plodding, last-century fid- dle strum bash folk rock, sung in English even though they’re Norwegian. I blame Fairport Convention.
www.folkport.com
2 Jeni & Billy Longing For Heaven (Jewell Ridge 005) A recording with lots of charm. Nothing complex from Jeni Hankins and Billy Kemp. Simple banjo and guitar accompani- ment, with occasional added fiddle and har- monica to two voices perfectly in harmony. Nice feel, avoiding smoothness with original and traditional songs. Always good to find liv- ing old-time country music.
jeniandbilly.com
2 Yr Hwntws Gwentian (Sain SCD2645) Meaning South Walian, Yr Hwntws –with a very large injection of the name Kilbride – raise a ruckus since the National Eisteddfod is bound for Ebbw Vale. Sung in an ancient Welsh dialect, this is hearty stuff with songs about tin- kers, beggars, oxen, markets and gory tales of industrial accident and murder. As much oral history as music.
www.sainwales.com
1 Jah WobbleWelcome To My World (30 Hertz 30HZCD32) A mixed bag from dub mas- ter Wobble, with pieces representing differ- ent places and spaces. Not as consistent as his recent excursions into Chinese and Japanese music, but certainly has its moments.
www.myspace.com/jahwobble
Jah Wobble
2 Steph Geremia The Open Road (Black Box Music BBM005) Thoroughly enjoyable Irish traditional flute album from a New York native who moved to Sligo to immerse herself in the North Connaught style. www.blackbox-
music.ie www.myspace.com/stephgeremia
1 Tatè Nsongan Trio Tatè Nsongan Trio (Kinkoba Kinkoba 01 2009) Guitar, cello, kora in perfect unison, beautifully produced and full of depth and texture. All it lacks is consis- tently strong songs, although at least three – Rich, Lontano and Comme Une Plume – are worthy of cherry-picking.
www.tatensongan.it
@ Fiddlebox Fiddlebox (own label FB-001) Probably fine in the clubs of South Wales, the area Fiddlebox tend to frequent, but trans- ferred to CD this just doesn’t have much going for it. From strained vocals to melodic self-deception, this string and box duo need a rethink!
www.fiddlebox.co.uk
2 Willie Salomon Let Your Light Shine (Acoustic Music 319.1457.2) A nice selection of traditional country blues, gospel ditties, and a few originals from this German player. Self-recorded at his apartment using a variety of great-sounding vintage guitars, plus har- monica and piano (sometimes multi-tracking himself), Willie sounds vocally relaxed and confident on this, his best album to date.
www.williesalomon.com
2 Mamud BandOpposite People (Felmay fy871) More devotees of the late Fela, this time from Italy – a seasoned and tautly-drilled nine- piece making a happy stab at Kuti favourites. International Nigeria marches on. www.fel-
may.it www.myspace.com/mamudband
2 Levellers A Weapon Called The Word (On The Fiddle OTFCD008X) Is it really 20 years since this emerged? As a celebration, here again is the Levs debut, but having grown a BBC session from 1991 and a rather amusing, video keepsake shot by the road crew. Back then they were full of bluster, in your face and endearingly idealistic. Now they’re pretty much the same guys, just older but the tunes still resonate.
www.levellers.co.uk
@ Gary Miller Reflections On War (Whip- pet WPTCD22) Oh crikey, the bloke who couldn’t sing from the Whisky Priests has made a solo record. Lots of actually quite decent songs about soldiers and war – think The Men They Couldn’t Hang – with good folk-rockish arrangements, but although his heart’s in the right place, unfortunately his voice is still in several different keys.
www.garymillersongs.com
2 Chris Ricketts & Mark Willshire Simple Folk (Hobgoblin HOBCD 1012) Enthusiastic young folk doing something refreshingly dif- ferent with their chosen material (sea shanties, trad folk, self-penned); Chris and Mark trade in simple but thoughtful guitar-and-bass settings, with Chris’s impassioned, bluesy singing style bringing a welcome fresh slant. Clear-sighted and with a real sense of commitment to drag- ging this repertoire into the modern world, this is a grower.
www.rickettsandwillshire.com
2 Mr. Keith Little Take It Off And Get Loose With It (Blue Skunk Music BS 4515) Known as Cincinnati’s ‘King of the Blues’, Mr. Little certainly delivers the goods. A strong, confident vocalist and excellent songwriter, he’s also adept on bass, drums and guitar. Add a powerhouse band, top quality recording, and you have an album of modern blues and soul that’s as good as any you’re likely to find this side of the Ohio River.
blueskunkmusic.com
2 Johan Hedin & Gunnar Idenstam Låtar II (Caprice CAP21807) Nyckelharpa and church organ with Swedish trad and original tunes. There’s imposing dark-veiled, silky depth to the combination’s big sound, and given the keyboard-to-pipes distance of most church organs, how they got them to dance in synch with such fluid nippiness on the fast sections – polskas and their ilk – is remark- able.
www.capricerecords.se
Photo: Jak Kilby
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