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TWELFTH DAY Northern Quarter Orange Feather OFR001


Twelfth Day comprises two dynamic, distinc- tive players – Orcadian fiddler Catriona Price and Peebles harpist Esther Swift – who bring the experimental sensibility of Manchester (where they’re based) and its exciting North- ern Quarter (the city’s bohemian district) to their repertoire. They present a handful of their own stylishly inventive tunes conve- niently arranged into sparkling sets, comple- menting defiantly individual renditions of songs mostly either traditional or by Burns. But even the phrase “defiantly individual” can’t really begin to give a flavour of the startlingly imaginative sound-world you’ll encounter on this CD.


The combination of fiddle and harp and female voices could easily be regarded as tame but that’s the very last word you’d use to describe this invigorating disc, whose music manages to be both playful and radi- cal. Even the most orthodox-sounding of the tune-medleys, Orkney Twister, is aptly named for its multiplicity of fiendish twists and turns of phrase, key-centre and time-signature, while the disc’s title track rejuvenates the tra- ditional-sounding opening air, played on ghostly fiddle harmonics, into a vibrant, ultra-energetic jig with a more carefree gait.


The playing is deft and precise where need be, and suitably lyrical on the contours of Granny’s Green Steps (a prelude to the dazzling virtuosity of The Silver Penguin), although elsewhere there are times when Catriona’s fiddle work also has an appeal- ingly rough, surprisingly raw edge to its tone and she applies a rather unusual, deli- cately abrasive technique to accompany the opening of the Burns ballad Jamie, which for the singer ends in supreme discords and piercing howling.


Refreshingly, Catriona and Esther are also unafraid to introduce creative vocal lines into their instrumental pieces, as on the opening Curry set, and a similar sense of edgy stridency pervades their adventurous harmo- ny and counterpoint on the songs them- selves. There may occasionally be a touch of precociousness in their vocal delivery (and The De’il’s Awa’ might smack a tad of party- piece), but their feisty, yes de’il-may-care spir- it soon banishes such impressions. You’re unlikely to hear a version of Bonnie At Morn that’s as genuinely unsettling as theirs, and Shakespeare’s Mistress Mine is rescued from its customary tweeness by their intriguingly wayward reading, while their take on Fare Thee Well is a mesmeric tour-de-force of pent-up emotion. Twelfth Day’s music is defi- nitely not pretty, but it nevertheless contains beauty in profusion (which, pace those ele- gantly coiffeured cover shots, isn’t as illogical a statement as it might appear).


www.twelfthdaymusic.com David Kidman


RACHEL HARRINGTON Celilo Falls Skinny Dennis Records SKD 005


Quietly making a name for herself with two excellent albums and several visits to the UK, Oregon singer, writer and player Harrington continues to earn top marks with another set of nearly all original material. Her roots, and both feet are firmly planted in the heart of old time country music. Her songs are timeless and all performed in acoustic setting with no flash notes, just the right number in the right place with fiddle, banjo, dobro ,mandolin and pedal steel all used sparingly for decoration not competition to Harrington’s voice.


And that voice is what carries the record- ing. Mixed right up front she could have sung with the Carter Family or duetted with


SPIKEDRIVERS Seven Scratchy CD 140909


FRAN McGILLIVRAY & MIKE BURKE The Road That You Believe In Joka JOKA2


EDDIE MARTIN Folk & Blues Blueblood 013


Three-two-one... Hey presto! Three Spikedrivers, two of McGillivray & Burke, and one Eddie Martin. Not the law of diminishing returns... quite the opposite in fact with these three albums that demonstrate the cre- ativity possessed by all of these experienced folk blues artists.


The Spikedrivers come as a pretty effec- tive three-piece package... and popular too. They are masters of subtle rhythms, rhythms that creep under the skin and compel you to


George Jones, but she is so at home with her own material. An unaccompanied rewrite of Pretty Sara stands out but this is followed by two songs with only a few lines of verse between them, both highlighting the quality of Harrington’s performance and writing. Bury Me Close, a poignant story about her grandparents, starts with simple guitar and has a tasteful string section added as a finish- ing touch. Next up is Where Are You. Two verses with guitar, mandolin, then dobro, harmony vocals all added to build up the per- formance say it all. Quality songs and perfor- mance to show how the purest strains of American country music live on without the fossilisation the music often has to endure.


The bonus here is that there are also 13 songs worthy of further exploration,


John Atkins


TONY REIDY Hayshed Days TR TRCD03


As he proved on his magnificent previous album, Rough Shot Of Lipstick, Tony Reidy has a distinctively unique style geared perfectly to songs that convey the endearing colourful spirit of County Mayo. His thoughtful, unhur- ried, sharply lyrical music is both nostalgic and evocative, whether in lively celebration of the wandering 18th/19th Century bard Antoine O Raifteri (Raifteri Is Back) or the sinister secret obliquely alluded to in the unhappy story of Willie. He conjures expressive pictures from random memories… a single black and white photograph is worked up into a poignant vision of childhood on Innocent Times, the title track Hayshed Days presents vivid images of the past as a powerful indictment of a changing world, and No News Is Good News uses his mother’s favourite phrase as a power- ful reflection on passing time.


His songs bear close scrutiny, often cam- ouflaging deeper meanings in gentle expres- sion, but whether or not you delve that deeply, they stands up musically too, mainly thanks to some spectacular contributions from the brilliant Seamie O’Dowd who plays everything from dobra to djembe to give the album light and shade.


This is perhaps a more contemplative,


less instant effort than Rough Shot of Lip- stick, but Reidy is a powerful, questioning voice for the ordinary man, cherishing simple values, ill at ease in a fast-changing, greedier and more ruthless society. This even extends to music as a parable for life… “So rally round a sound, make it harmonise/Sing it in your houses and turn down the noise,” he sings plaintively on Song Of The Crow. He’s a dreamer and more power to him for that


www.myspace.com/tonyreidy Colin Irwin


undulate to their music. While propelled by drummer/percussionist Maurice McElroy, the other two ensure it’s triple shares in the rhythm stakes with Ben Tyzack laying down some very rhythmic guitar and Constance Redgrave underpinning it all with her propul- sive bass lines. The Spikey’s keep you trans- fixed with their (never obvious) arrange- ments, their effective use of dynamics, and their instrumental tonality. They’ve also writ- ten some pretty good songs for this, their sev- enth album... songs like the boogiefied Spiked River Blues, the whispery Blues Skies This Way, or the weighty Steady Rollin’ Train, all songs that show that The Spikedrivers are definitely on one real steady roll.


www.spikedrivers.net


Fran McGillivray has been performing and recording since the late ‘60s, appearing on the second volume of the seminal British blues release Blues Like Showers Of Rain (Matchbox SDM 167). Despite the years of touring, Fran’s voice sounds as fresh as ever on this new CD, her vast experience giving her great control and confidence. Her singing shines on this selection of four covers and nine original songs, songs that she’s co-written with long- time partner Mike Burke. Mike, on guitars, mandola, cajon, and harmonica, tastefully accompanies Fran as she sings her way through a range of material... contemporary, blues, ballads, and country. They recorded all the tracks at their home in South London and have made a very professional job of it.


www.franmike.com


Of these three acts, Eddie Martin (leav- ing his band home again for his third solo album) is the one who sticks closest to his blues roots. All 12 tracks (nine songs, two gui- tar instrumentals, one harmonica blowout) are Eddie’s own and he infuses many of them with bluesy guitar phrases and rhythms, some real downhome harmonica, and sings like he’s just off the plantation. Good lyrics too! The superb recording catches all tones of the instruments and every nuance of Eddie’s expressive vocals. The straightforward album title Folk & Blues tells it like it is... some tracks are very much blues-oriented while others move toward a folk element. The flow from track to track is effortless, helping make this Eddie’s most satisfying solo CD to date and proving, yet again, just what a solid solo artist he can be.


www.eddiemartin.com www.bluebloodrecords.com


Dave Peabody Ben Tyzack of Spikedrivers


Photo: Dave Peabody


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