87 f


2 Lazy Lester Lazy Lester Rides Again (Ace 1304). Welcome reissue of the 1987 UK- recorded vinyl album produced by Mike Ver- non, almost doubling the length with out- takes and new songs, good notes, photos. Storming stuff that still sounds good www.acerecords.co.uk


2 Andy Kirkham Shards (Own Label, no cat no). Israeli, Irish and Serbian tunes feature in nylon-string guitar virtuoso Kirkham’s repertoire, but the highlights are his own compositions and renditions/improvisations on Ali Farka Touré pieces. Great technique without ever sounding as if he’s showing off. andy.kirkham@yahoo.com


@ Colm Mac Con Iomaire The Hare’s Cor- ner (Plateau 16CD). This 2008 album by the fiddler with the Dublin rock band The Frames took three years to reach fRoots Towers which is fairly nippy compared to the pedes- trian nature of its self-composed and tradi- tional instrumentals. File under the compost heap. www.theharescorner.com


2 Luke Daniels The Mighty Box (Wren WRCD 2011; double CD). 24 tracks and 71 tunes (largely Irish traditional plus a few self- composed) of button box playing would usu- ally drive this reviewer bonkers, but Luke’s unusual tuning (A/Bb), sensitive dexterity and choice of accompanists (O’Dowd, Cahill and Foley) raises the enjoyment level profoundly. www.wren.ie


1 Putnam Smith We Could Be Beekeep- ers (Itchy Sabot 885767598423). Phwoar to the rich banjo, fiddle and cello interplay of intro I Dream Of Apple Orchards. And to the stripped bare ethos. Shame I’m sadly unmoved by the songwriting and vocals. www.putnamsmith.com


1 Ana Moura Coliseu (World Village 468103). Despite the striking and original interpretation of Amália Rodrigues’ Lavava No Rio Lavava that opens this live album – recorded in June 2008 at the Coliseu Do Porto – it still comes across as a slightly superfluous stopgap between her fourth studio album Leva-me aos Fados and whatever comes next. Next! UK distribution by Harmonia Mundi. www.worldvillagemusic.com


1 Various Artists Songs & Ballads From Perthshire Field Recordings Of The 1950s – Scottish Tradition Series Vol 24 (Green- trax, CDTRAX9024). From the archives of Edinburgh’s School of Scottish Studies, a trea- sure trove for musicians, singers, and social historians: Perthshire Travellers singing tradi- tional classics like Lord Randal and The Elfin Knight. These are the roots of the 1960s UK folk revival. www.greentrax.com


1 The Delmore Brothers Freight Train Boogie (Ace CHCD455) Re-release of the post-WW2 recordings by the brothers, whose easy, intimate country duetting sits not always at ease with the grittier musical stylings of the time. They made a pretty decent go of it, though, and there's some great stuff here. www.acerecords.com


DVD


2 Habib Koite, Afel Bocoum, Oliver Mtukukudzi Acoustic Africa In Concert (DVD/CD Contre-Jour CJ027). Does what it says on the tin. Three highly accomplished musicians playing acoustically with each other and a handful of their respective back- ing musicians. Small-scale, heart-warmingly simple footage in accordance with the trio’s generous, empathetic approach. www.contrejour.com


1 Various Artists Acoustic Guitar Mas- ters Vol 1 (Acoustic Music DVD 4101). Nice showcase for five of the Acoustic Music ros- ter: Steve Hicks, Matteo Alderete, François Sciortino, Franco Morone and, probably the best of the bunch, Steve Baughman. They’re all classy, but it’s a bit of a slog if you’re not a guitar obsessive. www.acoustic-music.de


In Search Of Nic Jones Queen Elizabeth Hall, London


The last 15 years have seen some heart-warm- ing comebacks from the long-lost figures of the British folk scene, be it Linda Thompson’s staggering return in 2002, the renaissance of Vashti Bunyan, or the near beatification of Shirley Collins (even if she hasn’t returned to singing). None of these seem as remarkable as seeing Nic Jones on stage, stooped and frail but with his voice getting stronger with each line, singing, of all things, Radiohead’s Fake Plastic Trees with his son Joe.


Nic shone brightly as one of the best song interpreters and musicians around until a car crash in 1982 left him disabled and fin- ished his career. His reputation has only grown and his influence spread over the years, culminating with Sidmouth Folk Week inviting him to sing on stage for the first time in decades as part of his own tribute last year (see fR329/330). Ten months later, and the festival team have arranged a second per - form ance at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall with a tweaked line-up.


Nic and the other 14 performers were seated in an arc on stage, allowing them to each take a few spots with minimal fuss. As the ’token’ North American, Anaïs Mitchell bravely started the concert, her bubbly, girl- ish voice and relatively economical guitar style revealing the melodic strength of the traditional songs. Damien Barber, by contrast, laid bare his stylistic debt to Nic with his affected, folksy voice and intricate guitar style. He was joined by the wonderful melodeon player and Jones collaborator Tony Hall, who got the second biggest cheer of the night. Jim Moray also impressed, but his sister Jackie Oates was a true highlight in collabo- ration with Belinda O’Hooley on piano. Their version of Annachie Gordon brought out all of the gravitas and heartbreak in the tradi- tional tale of doomed love.


As at Sidmouth, the night saw the refor- mation of short lived ‘supergroup’ Bandoggs, with Nic, Pete Coe and Chris Coe reviving their roles, and Damien Barber and Johnny Adams filling in for the late Tony Rose. They were let down by muffled sound, but still managed a rousing version of Loudon Wainwright’s Swimming Song amongst others. Unlike at Sidmouth, the show concluded with the treat of Nic singing from his solo repertoire. He


Nic and Joe Jones at the QEH


began with Rick Lee’s ballad, Thanksgiving, with Belinda O’Hooley on piano, before a mysterious red-mohicaned young man came to the front of the stage to join him. This turned out to be Nic’s son Joe, a hugely impressive guitarist in his own right. They per- formed Oh Dear, Rue The Day together, before the aforementioned Radiohead num- ber that Joe explained was one of his father’s favourite songs. They ended with Ten Thou- sand Miles, sung entirely by Nic, who by now was in much stronger voice than he started in. Its simple, plaintive melody encapsulated the emotion of the night and must have left many audience members in tears.


Christopher Conder


Celebrating Sanctuary South Bank, London


A summer Sunday on the South Bank and the contemptible crap spewed out by our slimy posho of a prime minister is being proved res- olutely wrong. I’m drinking Brazilian beer and eating Caribbean food while listening to musicians from Armenia, Ethiopia, Senegal and Iceland. So multiculturalism doesn’t work eh Mr Cameron… oh really? Sez who? This united nations of music are all plucking harp type instruments for a specially commissioned performance punningly titled Home Is Where The Harp Is, which features Anglo-Armenian Cevanne Horrocks-Hopayian on Celtic lever harp, Temesgen Tareken on Ethiopian krar, Senegal’s Kadialy Kouyate on kora and Solveig Thoroddsen on medieval wire-strung clarsach (Iceland). Everyone’s based in the UK and, as Cevanne points out in her introduc- tion, could only have created this music here.


Now in its 11th year, the Celebrating Sanctuary festival is a minor miracle of sur- vival against the odds. It can’t be easy to keep going, what with the toxic anti-refugee pro- paganda of most of our media, but here it is again, launching Refugee Week and showing us how life should be (great music, dance, art, food and culture from around the world) but so rarely is. A bit smaller and shorter than in previous years, but just as inspirational and when you look at how the axe has fallen on other similar events around the country, you’ve got to marvel at the resourcefulness of organisers Max Reinhardt and Rita Ray in keeping this particular fest afloat.


Photo: Alan Coles


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100