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to be deeply moved by the sound of people where folk is part of the equation (witness the
of all ages in a small rural community singing only trad piece, the opener Setesdal), albeit
along to these words: still a strong influence, and the music is very
Put a light in the window, your brother’s
much a group effort. There’s no exact British
coming home/ Set a meal on the table, your
equivalent, which is a good thing; when they
brother’s coming home/ Coming home to a
want to, they can rock hard indeed. However,
place he’s never been, coming home to a that said, this seems like something of a hold-
land he’s never seen/ Coming home to a fam- ing action, going deeper into themselves as
ily he has never known/ All Jock Tamson’s they discover where they want to go next.
Bairns are coming home.
For Morild, their second outing contin-
www.greentrax.com, via Proper. ues the folk-jazz path they started to walk
Paul Matheson
on their debut. The trio’s sound is more fully
rounded now, and at times quite delicious –
En Yndig Og Frydefuld Sommertid is reminis-
DANNY SCHMIDT
cent of Jane Siberry, for instance. Anne Due-
holm is a seductive singer, and she should use
Instead The Forest Rose to Sing Red her voice more than she does. Much of the
House Records RHR CD 216 time, though, they use the traditional
melodies as springboards for what might
Like many singer-songwriters on both sides of
best be called midnight jazz (but, curiously,
the pond, Danny Schmidt draws on more
not of the Nordic variety). It’s the kind of
than one genre, and he does so naturally and
thing that might well bring the odd jazzer
persuasively. Born in Texas, this college grad-
uate took himself first to a rural Missouri
into the fold, but it often just floats by.
community and then to Virginia’s Blue Ridge
Mikkelsen has long been a linchpin with
Mountains, steeping himself in mountain Photo: Jak Kilby
Phønix, one of the seminal groups of the cur-
gospel and in country blues. At the age of 30 Mamane Barka
rent Danish folk revival, but this is her first solo
he became part of a Charlottesville group of
album, a collection of compositions that
songwriters. Then he returned to Austin to
kalangou (talking drum), alongside which
would be out of place with the band and
pursue other goals. In the face of medical
Mamane Barka drives out an insistent groove
showcases her compositional side and a variety
debts for a treatable cancer, a self-produced
punctuated by short runs of rhythm and light
of short pieces. It’s folk chamber music, essen-
CD proved his financial salvation. He recently
melody. Mamane Barka is relatively limited
tially, and Mikkelsen’s clarinet is deliciously
published a collection of 60 songs from
vocally, his voice high, all in the head, but
melodic throughout (the highlights are tracks
albums released between 1999 and 2007.
occasionally plangent too, and although he’s
that feature her and the wonderful accompa-
This was the background to Schmidt’s not incapable of impassioned outbursts it’s
nist Nikolaj Busk). Delicately arranged, it’s
first Red House album, comprising ten num- more a conversational and rhythm-riding
music meant for small ensembles. It seems as if
bers that are largely topical reflections on style than a dominant force.
many of these pieces have been gestating for
money (“A penny for your thoughts, my
This two-man ensemble really pushes out
years and the fact that they’ve finally found an
friend”). Uptempo opener Better Off Broke
a funky, hypnotic sound when heard first
outlet is great. Again, not folk, but definitely
sets the tone and the theme; Two Timing
hand, but the biram doesn’t cut through the
folk-influenced. As all these here spread their
Bank Robber’s Lament gives it a humorous
air with great flourishes of notes like other
wings, Danish music grows wider and wider.
twist. Southland Street stands out as a ballad
African harp-lutes such as the kora, or possess www.gofolk.dk, www.folkshop.dk
on the global economy. The album’s title
the polyphonic strum of an oud or ngoni. So
comes from Serpentine Cycle Of Money,
Chris Nickson
pulling the subtle, buzzing sound out of and
whose interspersed cries feature some strik-
above the percussion must present a bit of a
ing female vocals. When turning to matters
challenge in the recording studio. Etran
of the heart, Schmidt avoids the saccharine,
Finatawa producer Paul Borg has made a
SOOTHSAYERS MEET THE
despite a sweetly ascending violin line on
good job of achieving that, bringing the RED EARTH COLLECTIVE
Accidentally Daisies. Grampa Built Bridges
expected clear and snappy feel to this sparse
addresses the subject of growing old in mod-
and elusive sound, and with very few over-
One More Reason Red Earth Records
ern society. The lyrics of Oh Bally Ho illustrate
dubs – the occasional echoed backing vocal,
REDECD006
a penchant for the surreal.
tiny shades of what sounds like uncredited
Led by saxman about town Idris Rahman and
Clear and melodious, the singer’s deliv- acoustic guitar – there is enough rattle and
trumpeter Robin Hopcraft, London’s Sooth-
ery is frequently embellished by a little catch hum to most of this album to provide a fair
sayers have been combining Afrobeat, jazz,
in the voice. His command of guitar rhythms approximation of a sound that is possibly
funk and dub for some years now. This, their
is delicate. For this release, he has a handful always going to require the acoustic space
third album, finds the emphasis shifting over
of premier supporting musicians mainly from afforded by the live set-up to fully appreciate
to old school ‘70s reggae, aided by The Red
Austin. Co-producer Mark Hallman plays vari- it. www.worldmusic.net/mamane-barka
Earth Collective of UK-based Jamaican vocal
ous instruments. George Carver’s harmonica
Con Murphy legends Johnny Clarke, Michael Prophet and
really starts the ball rolling, and at one stage
Linval Thompson – putting the band on a par
classically trained trumpeter Kevin Flatt
injects jazz overtones. The texts are printed
with UK reggae roots revivalists Pama Inter-
on the gatefold jacket.
SERRAS national and Prince Fatty. Soothsayers howev-
www.dannyschmidt.com, www.red-
Ø Go’ Danish Folk Music GO1308
er have jazzier inclinations than those two,
with warm buzzing horns and the skitter of
houserecords.com
MORILD
Phil Dawson’s guitar.
Peter Palmer
Lyrically the album is spiritual and posi-
Der Stode Tre Skalke Go’ Danish Folk Music
tive whilst staying the right side of cloying.
GO1708
The guests all acquit themselves well, with
MAMANE BARKA
ANJA PRÆST MIKKELSEN
Clarke’s vocals on the haunting Your Love
Introducing Mamane Barka World Music
and Thompson’s achingly righteous delivery
Network INTRO114CD
Hemmeligheden/ The Secret Go’ Danish
on History working particularly well. But it’s
Folk Music GO1408
the young UK singer Mellow Baku who really
Mamane Barka is a former malam (teacher) impresses, infusing the two tracks on which
from Niger whose remit in the Ministry Of
There’s plenty happening in the state of
she takes lead, Irie (which also features rap
Culture is to support and preserve the tradi-
Denmark, but none of it is rotten. Danish
from her brother Michie One) and Hold On,
tional music of the nomadic tribes of this
folk music is more fertile than at any time in
with soulful grace. Add to all this River Effra,
landlocked desert-dominated nation from
the past, and these three releases offer a
which could easily pass for a vintage Studio
the African mid-west. To wit, he has spent six
cross-section of what’s going on – albeit just
One instrumental (no higher praise can there
years becoming the only living master of the
a small one.
be), and a pair of dub mixes from the ever-
near-extinct music of the biram, a boat- Serras are back with their fourth release,
creative UK reggae producer Mad Professor,
shaped five-stringed harp formerly used by and the way they’ve developed is very inter-
and you’ve got the Soothsayers’ most satisfy-
the Boudouma nomads and fishermen of esting, from a folk-rock band rocking up 18th
ing set yet. Whether this move towards reg-
eastern Niger. Like the provenance of the century Danish music to one mostly playing
gae constitutes a welcome diversion or a new
music, the sound of this sacred instrument is their own compositions. From hoping to con-
direction for the band remains to be heard,
as dry as the desert, yet at times as difficult to quer the world they’ve settled into something
but right now it’s sounding very good.
pin down as a free-flowing river. Accompanist more mature and personal. Under the leader-
Oumarou Adamou lays down a heavy ship of the seemingly ubiquitous fiddler Har-
www.soothsayers.net
polyrhythmic base on douma, calabash or ald Haugaard, they’ve become an outfit Jamie Renton
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