75 f


KONKOMA Konkoma Soundway B007ZW33CI


Afrobeat, Afro funk, the music of those parts of English-speaking West Africa that never appear to have got over hearing James Brown is at its worst plodding, repetitive, unimagina- tive...like an Afro version of Status Quo. At its best it can (to borrow a phrase I’m sure its practitioners would appreciate) blow your mind, but generally we don’t get to hear too much of the latter stuff. Recently, though, we’ve seen the emergence of UK Afrofunka- teers Yaabafunk and an excellent new album from veteran Ebo Taylor, so things are defi- nitely on the up, and now there’s this from a new group featuring UK-based Ghanaian vets Alfred Bannerman (guitar) and keyboard player Emmanuel Rentzos, plus a tight-as-a- drum horn section. They play a fiery and var- ied blend of Afro funk: jazzy but never self- indulgent, very danceable but never lowest common denominator. Produced in Brighton and mixed by Mike Pelanconi (who makes great retro reggae under the name Prince Fatty), the album has a chunky, timeless sound, no electronica here (apart from the odd ping of a syn drum), just high quality ensemble musicianship. This is a proper album too, progressing from frantic funky workouts such as Sibashaya Woza through more lan- guidly jazzy pieces, to the closing traditional Jojo’s Song. Whatever the opposite of an African Status Quo is, that’s what this is.


www.soundwayrecords.com Jamie Renton


TARRAS Warn The Waters Horsefly Records HFR001


Saints preserve us, it’s nearly 15 years since this very magazine discovered Tarras, then an unknown, unsigned bunch of precociously tal- ented teenagers. We tracked them down somewhere near Hadrian’s Wall and by golly, we only went and stuck them on the cover. Subsequently signed by Topic, they released two perfectly decent albums, Rising and Walk- ing Down Mainstreet, which strove earnestly to encapsulate the various members’ dis- parate talents and musical leanings, a diversi- ty that may have confused the issue and ulti- mately contributed to their early dissolution. Their timing was out, too, as they pre-dated the current surge of young talent, emerging during a barren period when the F-word was still considered verboten and few under the age of 45 acknowledged its existence.


You can’t blame Ben Murray and Rob Armstrong then – the only two original mem- bers in the new line-up – for reviving the Tar- ras brand, with classical violinist/viola player Lou Peacock, guitarist/writer/singer/keyboard player Rory Connor, bass player/mandolinist Michael Woodward and percussionist Liam Hiatt adding weight and measure to the assortment of instruments played by Murray and Armstrong.


The album opens with a lively and enlightened arrangement of Richard Fariña’s Joys Of Brotherhood, which bounds into a pleasantly soulful treatment of the tradition- al song New York Trader, but mostly this time round it’s the weighty songwriting, vocals and musicianship of Murray – last seen in partnership with Rosie Doonan – that is the overriding driving force.


The songs are immaculately crafted and delivered with a keen attention to detail, whether in the tight harmonies, the subtle blend of instrumentation, the grave piano at the heart of it all or arrangements so pol- ished and creamy they have radio-friendly written all over them without sacrificing character and style. None more so than Standing, a song of unusual delicacy that they gradually build into a soft rock epic,


Konkoma


topped off with rampaging violin; and She Won’t Wait, a superior slice of poppery so skilfully constructed you can only admire the delivery, even if you don’t necessarily buy into the form.


There’s not a lot of the folksie tunery that first grabbed our attention all those years ago and this may be more a vehicle for Ben Murray than anything related to Tarras as we knew them in their previous incarna- tion, but in its own context of contemporary song it’s pretty impressive.


www.tarrasmusic.com Colin Irwin


JAYWALKERS Early For A Thursday 101 Records 27


SHARON KING AND THE RECKLESS ANGELS


Nothing = Everything Sharon King Music 001


TOY HEARTS Whiskey (No label or cat no)


Compare and contrast. Three CDs of English bands all using American music and or/instru- mentation as their motif, all with female singers and all playing, mostly, original music. Oh, and not a banjo in sight.


The Jaywalkers have the strongest mate- rial, delivered by a first class singer Jay Brad- berry. She is also a fine fiddle player, although outshone by a first class mandolin player Michael Giverin who also writes almost all of the songs. Giverin also contributes a few outstanding tunes that sit well alongside his songs, of which Oh Sarah, Drag You Down and Goodnight Old Friend stand out.


Sharon King from Scotland owes less to American music than the others and her fine original songs are a great vehicle for her voice. Only weakness is that the recording tends to be all one-paced and towards the end almost comes to a complete halt. Instru- mentally and vocally King is well supported by her Angels, Vera Van Heeringen on man- dolin and the outstanding Amy Geddes on fiddle and has songs like Travelling Ways and Josie that lift her well above the pack.


Finally Toy Hearts who wisely, I think, take a break from bluegrass. Father and his two daughters who sing together superbly, the girls that is, but not to hide the fact that lead singer Hannah Johnson is really out- standing. From time to time on this record- ing (try Mary Jane) she really belts it out, and whilst her normal delivery, for example on the title track, is good enough, there are clear signs that she has another vocal gear


to change into. Guest musician Eamon McLaughlin on fiddle really sets the record off, adding twin harmony instrumental pas- sages and fills that add the mark of authen- ticity. A couple of Bob Wills numbers work well (Riding On Down which, by the way, was written by Cotton Thompson, one time Wills’ guitarist), as does an excellent arrangement of Wayne Hancock’s Thunder- storms And Neon Signs. The original songs do not suffer by comparison and Toy Hearts have an outstanding writing and singing career ahead of them.


It is pleasing to note that the common ground for all three CDs is quality singing, writing and playing without the hint of embarrassment that so often accompanies British attempts at American music.


www.101records.co.uk www.sharonKingmusic.co.uk www.thetoyhearts.com


John Atkins FIDIL Old Wheel Of Fortune FID003


Fidil are a refreshing force in Irish traditional music, eschewing the oft-clunky forms of piano and guitar accompaniment for the nuance and verve of an all-fiddle trio.


They stretch an impressive amount of


effect from this humble form, creating driv- ing percussive accompaniment, gracing melodies with unobtrusive harmonic touches, and providing the sort of tight mutual inflec- tions on a tune that we associate with the best of trad. In Fidil’s arrangements instru- mental techniques from other styles and gen- res find a new home, settling in with a snug, groovy ease.


The instruments’ roles continuously shift within the group, a fiddle often sounding like a bouzouki, bodhrán or bass guitar. This work of instrumental impersonation is often so con- vincing that the sleeve contains the disclaimer: “Only fiddles were used in this recording.”


Their approach to arrangement is reminis- cent of Norwegian Hardanger fiddle trios, or closer to home, Padraig O’Keefe, Denis Mur- phy and Julia Clifford’s seminal album Kerry Fiddles. Nevertheless the repertoire is quite distinct from the latter, its tunes and style rep- resentative of the Donegal fiddling tradition.


Throughout the album a fine balance is maintained between the raw vibrancy of a session and the crisp cleanliness of studio playing. Some will find this balance ideal, though others may find it veers a little towards the latter.


www.fidilmusic.com Fiacha O Dowda


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