59 f
Subscribe! for life!…
fRoots is a truly independent, activist magazine that celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2014! We are very proud that we have published every single issue on time.
Le Tres Sorelles
the concept of happenstance: Sometimes In This Life (from Life By Misadventure), Blues For The North Wind (from And So It Goes) and Rocky Road (from Solorubato).
The central theme is neatly continued on
into the disc’s quota of brand new Tilston songs (notably Jam Tomorrow and the catchy opening number Beulah Road) and a (rare) composition of Keith’s (Sentimental) that sits well alongside Steve’s own creations and is brilliantly complemented by Steve’s nifty, slightly tongue-in-cheek take on the Irving Berlin standard Let’s Face The Music And Dance (I won’t spoil the back-story which he relates with relish at his live gigs!).
Then, moving back towards the tradi- tion, Steve brings us refreshingly different, intriguingly arranged accounts of Courting Is A Pleasure and Martin Said To His Man (the latter also springs a delightful surprise on the listener in its coda), and treats us to his own thoughtful setting of W B Yeats’ iconic Song Of The Wandering Aengus. The menu is com- pleted by a pair of instrumentals: Steve’s deft composition Jimmy’s Train pays affectionate and masterly homage to the genius of jazz clarinettist Jimmy Giuffre, while Stuart’s jaun- ty Little Norris forms the disc’s pithy, judi- ciously multitracked closer.
Happenstance almost effortlessly proves
that there’s much mileage in the trusty Tilston vehicle yet, for the man himself remains ever open to the possibilities of fruit- ful artistic collaboration, consistently drawing the best out of his fellow-musicians while continuing to develop his own craft as singer- songwriter-guitarist – of which he remains one of this country’s very finest examples.
www.stevetilston.com David Kidman LE TRE SORELLES
Lampascioni e Cianfrusaglie La Paranza Del Geco KHZ13CD02
A very attractive overview of Southern Italian folk music – Sicily, Campagnia, Calabria and Puglia (which gets 50 percent of the repertoire) – from three young women who are part of a larger musical theatre group from Turin. Whilst not quite hav-
ing the wild, hard authentic edge of Anna Cinzia Villani (hardly a sin – who could?!), they nevertheless go for their stornelli and pizzica with abandon and produce wonderful full-throated harmonies, making some well- known songs come to fresh life.
Multi-instrumentalist Alessia Cravero (accordeon, chitarra battente, lyra, tam- bourines, frame drums, percussion), Giulia Provenzano (chitarra battente, tambourines, frame drums, percussion) and Valeria Quarta (tambourines, frame drums, percussion) aren’t actually three sisters – two cousins and a friend, apparently – but they’ve got some- thing approaching that sibling empathy when it comes to pitching those harmonies, with very well-matched voices.
They’ve also got judiciously-used guest musicians to round out the sound on some tracks – cane flute and mandolin contributing to the Sicilian waltz Cu Ti Lu Dissi, for exam- ple – but they then follow that bigger pro- duction with the breathtaking a cappella har- monies of the L’Americana.
It comes in an eye-catching and tactile digipak that has lyric translations in English, all-round oozing quality and a lot of thought that has gone into the project. Actually, they really don’t need the matching theatrical frockery of their publicity pics that hint at the dreaded ‘folkloric’ ensemble: the music grabs you without such distraction.
“Molto bene,” says a little voice off the end of the powerhouse Puglian Teresina before the mournful harmonies on the follow- ing Sardinian Deus Ti Salvet Maria make your ears buzz. Very good indeed: I would love to catch them live, and in the meantime there are tracks for you on this issue’s fRoots 46 compila- tion and in the November fRoots Radio.
www.paranzadelgeco.it Ian Anderson
ARLET Clearing Smugglers Records SR017
The hallowed F-word repre- sents a broad church indeed, and Arlet, a mostly-Kent- based septet is particularly well-versed in the expression and meeting of diverse musi- cal perspectives. Its elliptical dance-derived tune patterns are woven from an impres-
sive range of textures and dynamics, while the ensemble’s keen individual and collective musicianship displays an broadly experimen- tal aesthetic and intuitive interactive rapport that’s derived as much from the classical chamber ensemble as from the jazz combo or the folk session and indeed from the Canter- bury school of early prog.
Arlet boasts a quite unusual instrumen- tal complement – accordeon, violin, guitar, clarinet, euphonium, double bass and percus-
If you value, enjoy and believe in fRoots, you can help us to build on what we have achieved, continue our musical activism, and train people to carry it on. You can become a Life- time Supporting Subscriber by making one lump contribution. You will then receive every fRoots – paper and digital – until you shuffle off this jumping sphere, and you’ll be helping to secure the future of the one maga- zine which has consistently support- ed this music through thick and thin for more than three decades.
We’ve set a minimum of £550 for the UK, £750 for Europe and surface else- where, £950 for airmail outside Europe. But if anybody feels able to be a more generous patron, they can specify their own figure.
Every Lifetime Supporting Sub- scriber will also get access to the digital edition, the option to claim free VIP tickets for any events we promote, and automatically receives any special CDs we are involved in.
More info at
www.frootsmag.com bribery!
1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION BRIBE! As an introductory offer to new first time 1-year paper subscribers, we'll give you 3 FREE BACK ISSUES of your choice from the list online at
www.frootsmag.com
2 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION BRIBE! Open to new paper subscribers or renewals: a FREE CD if you sub- scribe for 2 years. See the full list at
www.frootsmag.com which includes albums by Lisa Knapp, Eliza Carthy, Martin Simpson, Bassekou Kouyate, Sam Lee, Karine Polwart, Lau, Kristi Stassinopoulou & Stathis Kalyvi- otis, Orchestra Super Mazembe, Emily Portman, June Tabor & Oysterband, Jim Moray, Sproatly Smith, Hedy West, Snakefarm, Andrew Cronshaw, The Copper Family and great compilations including You Never Heard So Sweet, The Rough Guide To English Folk, ’80s World Music Classics and Ghosts From The Basement.
Allow 3 weeks for UK CD delivery, longer abroad. Alternatively, pick 6 FREE BACK ISSUES – double issues with CDs count as 2 – from the list at
www.frootsmag.com
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