71 f AILIE ROBERTSON
Traditional Spirits Lorimer Records, LORRCD03
Some years ago the multiple award-winning Scottish harpist Ailie Robertson took part in the Arts Council’s ‘Distil’ showcase for traditional music composers. This led to a Creative Scot- land commission to write a suite of music for a traditional ensemble, and this CD is the result. Much of this music was actually written in a dis- tillery during a week in Glenfiddich where she was struck by the resemblance between the crafts of whisky-making and music-making.
Traditional Spirits is a musical sound- scape inspired by whisky-making, and it com- bines traditional and classical styles with touches of jazz. Ailie’s harp is joined by fid- dles, saxophone, whistle, bass, piano, guitar and percussion. Her harp technique creates a sound of extraordinary warmth and colour. Patsy Reid’s classically-trained fiddle is poised and soulful. Fraser Fifield adds his saxophone to delicately acoustic music with a skill and sensitivity worthy of Jan Garbarek.
The Favourite Dram, Islay Dawn and The
Angels’ Share are slowly-unfolding, evocative compositions of great beauty, using tradition- al and jazz instruments with classical ele- gance and a deep understanding that the pauses are as powerful as the notes in between. The Angels’ Share seamlessly blends its traditional, classical and jazz influ- ences to create an exquisitely moving little masterpiece. A future career as a film score composer surely beckons.
There are jazzy, uptempo tracks here
too, such as The Cooperage in which the per- cussive sound of hammers on iron and wood is emulated by the heavy rhythm of the drum kit, and the harp improvisation has a Spanish feel – alluding to the origin of the sherry bar- rels being hammered together to store the whisky. The saxophone brings a Balkan touch to Solera. The achingly joyous Brandy Wines is based on Quebecois dance rhythms, and – like sun breaking through rain – is both plain- tive and uplifting at the same time.
Ailie’s debut album attracted rave reviews in 2008. This gorgeous follow-up deserves to do the same.
www.ailierobertson.com Paul Matheson
IALMA Simbiose Fol Música 100FOL 1051
A splendidly attractive second album, full of catchy songs and alegría, from the Belgian- resident Galician female vocal quintet, joined by an expanded version of their regular band.
They’re described this time as
“cantareiras” rather than “pandeireteiras”, which in effect means the tambourines that usually characterise such Galician women’s vocal groups, while still present, are less in evidence here. They’re replaced by very meaty, full arrangements, including the instruments of rock and tradition – accordeon, guitars, trumpet, gaitas, fiddles, programming, plenty of percussion – expertly pulled together by Ialma’s Veronica Codesal, musical directors Ad Cominotto, Pascal Chardome and other members of the band into an integrated whole, often punchy and massive-sounding but dappled with light and shade, lovely touches and quirky corners.
Ialma is Nuria Aldao, Verónica and Natalia Codesal, Magali Menéndez and Marisol Palomo, whose voices, in unison and sometimes harmony, blend magnificently and exuberantly, and there’s not a track on this album without a memorable melody. Of the 12 songs (actually 11 plus a reprise of track two, the big folk-rocky Na Iauga, a translated Quebecois song, preceded by wittily confus-
Ialma
ing directions to the cathedral), most are tra- ditional in melody, lyrics or both, some famil- iar from other pandeireteira groups, but coming up all new and fresh.
From the snappy opener 6 AM, through
Grixoa’s muted trumpet leading into glori- ously anthemic massed female and male voices, the gaita and pandeireta-preluded medieval-sounding Ialma Tornia, the piano and pandeireta-impelled dancing shuffle of Xota Do Amenecer, Carraskashion’s quirkily perky, almost Caribbean bounce and a sassy reworking of the Bangles’ Dance Like A Galician, it’s thoroughly satisfying and uplifting throughout.
www.folmusica.com Andrew Cronshaw
LUCY PRINGLE & CHRIS WRIGHT
The Speaking Heart Mondegreen Music, MONDCD01
Pringle and Wright are young Scots singers of great talent. They won the Danny Kyle Award at the Glasgow Celtic Connections festival in 2009. This exceptionally good debut album lets you know why. The genius of Pringle and Wright is that they keep their song arrange- ments simple but expressive, providing haunting and hypnotic accompaniment on shruti box, guitar, 12-string guitar, banjo, cit- tern and piano.
The album includes traditional ‘big’ bal-
lads (such as Lady Maisry), humorous songs (The Earl O Errol, The Auld Woman O Kelso) and recent songs (Ewan MacColl’s Fisherman’s Wife and Sara Daniels’ Bramblethorn). There are two songs of unrequited love, one French and one Norwegian, translated into Scots by Hamish Henderson and Steve Byrne respec- tively. The predominant tone of the album is one of serious, melancholy beauty.
The vocal delivery of both Lucy and Chris is quietly expressive and never overstated, letting the melodies and words weave their spell. The subtle instrumental accompani- ment complements the ballads superbly, cradling, almost caressing the vocals in response to the unfolding events and emo- tions being described in each song. This approach is devastatingly effective in the big powerful songs. In The Dun Broon Bride the
tension builds unbearably as the drone of the shruti box, the softly pulsing arpeggios of the guitar, and the restrained sweet pathos of Lucy’s vocal all combine to fill us with rising dread that the story will end in horror.
Hallowe’en is a deeply moving love lament by the poet Violet Jacob to her only son who died in the Battle of the Somme in 1916. She describes the Halloween games and dances as forming a surreal background to her own longing to see the ghost of her son return to his accustomed place by the fire. Lucy’s tender vocal hints at pent-up longing and grief. Chris’s flowing guitar accompani- ment pauses and surges like the uneven breathing of someone sobbing quietly.
Steve Byrne (himself a great singer of Scots song) produced this album, and he has created something which will never grow old. With its nuanced vocals, sensitive accompani- ment and heartbreaking melodies, this will be as fresh and as gripping in 50 years time as it is today.
www.pringlewright.com Paul Matheson
OMARA PORTUONDO & CHUCHO VALDÉS Omara & ChuchoWorld Village WVF016
From her introductory a cappella interpreta- tion of César Portillo de la Luz’s Noche Cubana, Omara Portuondo’s consummate vocal command is manifest throughout this duet outing, as on Recordaré Tu Boca (by Tania Castellanos) and Esta Tarde Vi Llover (by AM Canche, with a Wynton Marsalis trumpet cameo). Yet her playful spirit also comes through on pieces like Huesito. Valdés tosses off a grand introduction to Margarita Lecuona’s Babalú Ayé – an unexpected reworking of the Cuban classic, and impro- visatory variations on Rachmaninov (Alma Mía) and Beethoven (Claro de Luna). Togeth- er the pair explore styles as diverse as filin (‘feeling’, Portuondo’s stock in trade), son (the Félix Reyna classic Si Te Contara) and the blues (Juan Almeida’s Me Acostumbré A Estar Sin Ti). A closing Valdés keyboard solo repris- es Noche Cubana, fitting bookend to this expressive reunion of two Cuban greats.
www.worldvillagemusic.com Michael Stone
Photo: Lieve Boussauw
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