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1 Juan Peña ‘El Lebrijano’ Y Sus Músi- cos Dos Orillas (Discmedi Blau SE 2430–2013). Recorded live in Sevilla’s Teatro Central, the renowned cantaor is joined by flamenco guitarist Pedro María Peña, bassist Manuel Sabugal, percussionist Agustín Henke, and Moroccans Redouane Kourrich (voice, piano) and Faiçal Kourrich (violin) in a stirring essay on cross-Mediterranean Arab- Andalusian traditions.
www.discmedi.com
1 Jason Tittley Still Rollin’ (Dread 104). Technically accomplished but lacking form and substance is this bluegrass offering from English guitarist Tittley. Also writes, but doesn’t sing, somewhat cloying songs.
www.jasontittley.com
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.
2Various Artists Classic African Ameri- can Songsters (Smithsonian Folkways SFW 40211). The latest in Smithsonian Folkways peerless Classic series. 21 quality tracks and a 40-page booklet packed with photographs and informative sleeve-notes. Pink Anderson, Mississippi John Hurt, Snooks Eaglin and Big Bill Broonzy among the artists. Fantastic stuff!
www.folkways.si.edu
1 Alejandro Almenares Casa De Trova Cuba 50’s (Tumi 228). Septuagenarian Ale- jandro Almenares (requinto, tres), heir to the Santiago trova (troubadour) tradition, learned from his father and began perform- ing at age fourteen; his latest comprises a sprightly ensemble of vocals, chorus, guitar, flute, sax, violin, contrabass and percussion, performing his father’s and his own composi- tions.
tumimusic.com
@ Celtic Angel Celtic Hits (Own label, no cat no). Gruesome warbling of the ‘classics’ let loose over a synthetic guide track. Rear- range the letters of the title.
www.celticangelmusic.com
2Admir Shkurtaj Feksin (AnimaMundi 29). Albanian pianist adopted by Salento plays an invigorating set of quirky and some- times free pieces based on Puglian traditions, somewhere between the jazz of Bojan Z and primitive. Intriguingly listenable if you’re in the mood.
www.suonidalmondo.com
1 Various Artists / Wayne Gorbea The Rough Guide to Latin Music for Children / Introducing Wayne Gorbea’s Salsa Picante (World Music Network RGNET1321CD). The music smokes alright, but novelty tunes, Cuban son, Afro-Colom- bian songs, boogaloo and (Japanese!) salsa do not children’s music make. Wayne Gorbea is a noted New York salsa dura veteran, and his bonus disc does not disappoint.
www.worldmusic.net
1 Javier Moreno La Rumba Del Emi- grante (La Cupula Music CUP1301507). In Barcelona gypsy flamenco style, Javier Moreno addresses the enormous contempo- rary exodus of young Spaniards seeking a future, especially ironic as soulful singer- songwriter-guitarist and 2014 Lukas Awards winner Moreno now lives in London, where he ekes out a living as a working musician.
www.javimoreno.com
2Ange Hardy The Lament Of The Black Sheep (Story Records STREC 1653). Seriously enchanting third album from Somerset-based singer-songwriter with a keen feel for tradi- tion in her writing. Sparing but effective sup- port (James Findlay et al) further enhances this well-sung and beautifully-packaged col- lection.
www.angehardy.com
1 Kaela Rowan Menagerie (Shoogle SHOOGLE14014). Co-founding Bevvy Sister (formerly of Mouth Music) turns her hand to composition on a series of atmospheric songscapes that (with a couple of exceptions) don’t always quite convince in terms of emo- tional or musical focus, despite her gorgeous voice and James Mackintosh’s adroit arrange- ments.
www.kaelarowan.com
@ Oumar Konate Addoh (Clermont Music CLE009). One of the great liberations of African electric music was goodbye to the searing guitar solo. But it’s been creeping back in Mali. Here’s another slave to the wid- dle, from Gao, mixing trad and mod. Sidiki Toumani guests on track twelve if you can hold out.
www.clermontmusic.com
1 MANDolinMAN Old Tunes, Dusted Down (ARC Music EUCD 2498). Just over half an hour’s worth of Flemish traditional tunes expertly arranged for an ensemble compris- ing four mandolins, mandolas and mandocel- lo. All very well and suitably tight, but proba- bly quite dull fare for anyone other than the confirmed mando addict.
www.arcmusic.co.uk
1 The Greenbeans The Greenbeans (Old Soul Records). NY State siblings Vinny and Joe Lewis play catchy American teen folk-pop with acoustic stringed instruments and har- monica. Appealing stuff, though Girlfriend From High School and That Would Be So Nice sail perilously close to Busted with a banjo.
www.thegreenbeansmusic.com
2John Primer & The Teardrops You Can Make It If You Try (Wolf 120.833CD). Chica- go blues guitarist John Primer joined Magic Slim and the Teardrops back in 1982 and would always open a show with two or three numbers. These eleven tracks featuring just John and the band’s rhythm section prove that Primer has the guitar chops and vocal prowess to stand firmly as his own man.
www.wolfrec.com
John Primer
1 Sophie ter Schure Laurels (Own label, no cat no). Eleven traditional songs, including Blackwaterside, She Moved Through The Fair and Peggy Gordon, by heavenly-voiced Ams- terdam singer. It’s carefully crafted, with arrangements featuring mbira, bansuri and soprano sax, but I’d like to hear her tackle some less predictable material.
www.sophieterschure.wordpress.com
1 Clothesline Revival The Greatest Show On Mars (Paelo Music PAL 5004-2). Conrad Praetzel combines sampled archive recordings (by Alan Lomax and others) with electronics and guitars. Clever stuff which leaves this listener wanting to hear more Turn- er Junior Johnson (who, in 1942, sounded like a Delta Devendra Banhart), and fewer Mar- tians.
www.clotheslinerevival.wordpress.com
@ Caitríona O’Leary & Dúlra Sleepsongs (Heresy 014) Subtitle “Irish Lullabies And Songs Of Sleep”. Well, I could possibly get the little blighter to nod off for a while if only she didn’t shriek so much. Shame, really, as the packaging is absolutely beautiful.
www.heresyrecords.com
1 Run Out The Guns Powder And Shot (Own label, no cat no). Spirited and energy- fuelled shanties, tunes and songs (including some good originals), capably mixed and matched, from north-west-based four-piece. Enthusiasm and brio aplenty, if occasionally perhaps too keen to reach the finishing line! Also mildly let down by some off-key fid- dling.
www.runouttheguns.com
2Tokso Cor Amant (Hush HUSH001CD). Unusual bowed ensemble of Greek Kelly Thoma on sympathetic-stringed Cretan lyra, French Eléonore Billy on nyckelharpa, and Norwegians Anne Hytta and Sigrun Eng on hardingfele and cello, powerful original music flowing from their traditions in a rich, resonant instrumental blend.
www.toksoquartet.com
2True North Elsebound (Own label, 6 726170 07542 1). Quite outstanding blend of bluegrass-derived music from Oregon band with outstanding singer and writer Kristen Grainger. Her songs are first class and the band deserves attention.
www.truenorthbluegrass.com
1 Martín Alvarado & Horacio Avilano Guitar Tango: Más Allá (Riverboat Records / World Music Network TUGCD1074). Recorded in Buenos Aires, tenor Martín Alvarado teams with guitarist Horacio Avilano on sixteen stripped-down tangos, milongas and nueva canción classics, with acoustic guitar and gui- tarron accompaniment; the four live tracks convey warmth lacking in the studio rendi- tions.
www.worldmusic.net
2Jean-Louis Matinier & Marco Ambrosi- ni Inventio (ECM 375 9429). Accordeon and nyckelharpa both missed the sailing of the classical-instrument ark, but now show in per- fect partnership what they can do for that inbred gene-pool. Some drawing on the intri- cate lacework of Bach, mostly originals; all agile, evocative melodic conversations between two masters.
www.ecmrecords.com
2 Xarnege Talka Tum(Pagans PAG005). Cross-Pyrenean Basque / Gascon Xarnege goes grindcore. Abrasive bowed and pound- ing hit strings, squealing alboka, repetitive pulses, distortion, groaning free-reeds, drones, the surface of noise penetrated by male and female vocals. Not twee.
www.pagansmusica.net
1 Mark Harrison The World Outside (Own label no cat no). Twelve breezy folksy / bluesy original songs from Mark Harrison whose guitar playing comes across better than his thin, wispy vocals. Good support from backing musicians, especially Will Greener on harmonica and Josienne Clarke whose lead vocals on the song Not All Right is a highlight on an album that otherwise lacks grit.
www.markharrisonrootsmusic.com
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