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2 Tom Yates Love Comes Well Armed (Epona EPO 002). A reissue of his second album, originally released in 1973. Musicians include B J Cole on pedal steel and Duncan Browne on guitar – the latter also co-wrote a couple of the songs. The melodies are haunt- ing, the lyrics eloquent. Great to hear it again after all these years. www.eponarecords.com


2 Dylan Fowler A Passionate Landscape (Acoustic Music 319.1506.2). Ranging from Arabic ensemble tunes to elaborate solo gui- tar work, Fowler’s compositions, inspired by his native Welsh landscape, create washes of mood, sometimes ambient, sometimes more stark. A fine selection. www.acoustic- music.de


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 Bert Jansch Heartbreak (Omnivore Recordings OVCD-43). 30th anniversary two- disc edition of Jansch’s long-deleted 1982 album, presenting the original LP remastered plus a previously-unissued, roughly contem- porary complete live set from McCabe’s Gui- tar Shop. The package is worth having for that brilliantly intimate dark-days live show alone. www.omnivorerecordings.com


2 Gisen, Ulvsand & Tullberg Diphtong (Kap Syd KAPCD005). Swedish trad and origi- nal instrumentals and occasional songs from airy-textured wooden-flute, clarinet & bouzouki trio of Markus Tullberg, Dan ‘Gisen’ Malmquist and Jens Ulvsand, all musicians of long pedigree (Filarfolket, Avadå Band, Trio Mio, Trio UGB etc), and accordingly experi- enced, elegant and well able to extemporise. www.kapsyd.com


1 Unni Boksasp Ensemble Kvite Fuglar (Own label UBE 1). Norwegian singer and zither player backed in her own trad-rooted songs, including the catchy singalong Reveenka, by a substantial acoustic band of twin hardanger fiddles, harmonium, piano, double bass and ace Swedish percussionist Petter Berndalen. It might take a while to engage with her traditional vocal microtonal- ity, but it’s worth it. www.boksasp.no


2 Christian Borlaug Ruske-Saras Minne (Etnisk Musikklubb EM76). 2 Kenneth de Gala Spursmann (Etnisk Musikklubb EM43). Two fine players of hardingfele from the new generation. Both benefited from Norway’s various folk music education courses and learning from masters including the Buens, and have excelled in the Landskappleik com- petitions. Borlaug from Buskerud has a five- generation family fiddling background, de Gala is a convert inspired by seeing Annbjørg Lien. Both CDs come in EM’s customary ele- gant, informative digipacks. www.emcd.no


2 Various Artists Out Of Reach (Treewind TWD015). A group of quality musicians (Ana- hata, Mary Humphreys and friends) who reg- ularly play for fun in Cambridgeshire pubs, here ensconced in the studio yet losing noth- ing in vitality and enthusiasm. Menu mostly traditional English tunes (plus a brace of songs). All in aid of Cancer Research; deep joy and win-win! www.treewind.co.uk


@ Kevin Doherty Seeing Things (Big River Records QUAY 10). Fourth solo disc from 4MAAD’s Kevin is a reflective and honest (if morose) s/s collection. Downside is that despite best intentions the songs, audibly inspired by Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits and Randy Newman, tend not to quite survive any longer-term memorability benchmark. www.kevindoherty.ie


2 17 Hippies Chantent En Français (Hip- ster 860234). Here the Berlin-based polyglot 17 Hippies mainly pillage their back cata- logue – El Dorado, Sirba, heimlich – for Fran- cophone content. Sans Savoir Comment is new. A merveilleux and sometimes macaronic package. 17hippies.de


2 Ragnar Haugstøl Tussegarden (Etnisk Musikklubb EM92). Norwegian traditional singer whose voice suddenly reminds me of Fred Jordan, the more so as part of this is recorded with an audience and he gets laughs for the songs’ lyric content. Story- songs, in style and form not unlike a fine English trad singer, actually. Largely unac- companied, with some touches of hardanger fiddle or viola. www.emcd.no


Bert Jansch


@ The John Langan Band Bones Of Con- tention (Own label, no cat no). No, no, no, a thousand times no! Rules of self-promotion number 1: if you want to get your CD a fair hearing don’t stick fully nude sketches of your band all over it. What’s the music like? Average singer-writer stuff with a hint of gypsy and roots. Best avoid the whole thing! www.thejohnlanganband.com


1 Quramitry Circus Baroesjko (Own label, no cat no). Yes, they’re slightly mad, more musicians in the line up than is really sensible, but for all that there are some sparks, Lady Bug’s Overture is pure big top theatrics; I swear as it played a high-flying trapeze act could have swung from the lounge ceiling, and Little Lizzy is a dead ringer for Blondel circa 1974. Crazy but like- able. www.quramitry.nl


@ Marcus Corbett Strung Deep (Marco CD1003). A Kent-born singer-songwriter and guitarist with an Indian slant. The half-hour on this release has its moments but the entirety fails to sway. Never wholly convinc- ing lyrically in post-ISB English or musically in either C or Sa. www.marcuscorbett.com


1 Union Jill Respectable Rebellion (Inde- pendent). Clive Gregson produces and plays on the third album from Helen Turner and Sharon Winfield. An Indigo Girls vibe informs the best songs, about female icons and trail- blazers, and the duo’s voice and guitars blend into a pleasant listen with a feisty edge. www.unionjill.org


Photo: Bleddyn Butcher)


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