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2Johanna Divine Mile High Rodeo (Own label 8 84502 42828 1) Exiled Tennessean now in Louisiana with her own songs supported by the superb Dirk Powell and members of Red Stick Ramblers. Delightfully old-fashioned with a ‘50s country sound still right for 2011.
www.johannadivine.com
1 Various Artists Eilean Mo Ghaoil – The Music Of Arran (Brechin All Records, CDBAR008) Rarely-heard traditional songs and tunes connected with the Scottish island of Arran are performed on fiddle, guitar, accordeon, pipes, piano, viola, rhodes, melodica. Gaelic was spoken in Arran until WW2. Four Arran Gaelic songs are beautifully sung by Kathleen Graham.
www.brechin-all-
records.com
2Shaun Cromwell Folk-Worn Prose (Melon Patch Recordings 7 00261 131245 3) Singer-songwriter from LA. No don’t switch off. Sings like Kelly Joe Phelps without the tedium factor. Plays guitar and banjo extremely well and his songs are not bad.
www.shauncromwell.com
2Various Artists Rumba Blues – The Mambo Years (Rhythm & Blues 0009) Fol- low-up to the first volume; 30 vintage 1950s R&B sides with the rumba rhythm. A diverting selection of artists, good sound and notes and packaging. Some selections are arguable but it plays well, and the sound is great.
www.rhythmandbluesrecords.co.uk
@ María Volonté Portrait (Network Medi- en 495133) Compilation introducing this lit- tle-known Argentinian singer, drawing on her seven albums and a handful of new live recordings. Volonté is a strong singer but overuses an irritating American harmonica player, and is too in awe of the pan-American icons to show much originality.
www.net-
workmedien.de
2Various Artists You’ll Never Know – 18 Caribou Ska Selection (Rock A Shacka DBCD019) There are a million ska compila- tions in the naked city… and this is one of the better ones if you’ve already got the classics. Its 18 early ‘60s tracks from the vaults of Kingston’s Caribou label. Fans of the haunt- ing trombone playing of Rico Rodriguez and Don Drummond should check this out.
www.rock-a-shacka.com
2The Ironopolis Singers With Graeme Miles Songs Of Ironopolis (CDHS.09) Dou- ble-disc studio recording of the show chroni- cling aspects of the ironstone industry around Middlesbrough, as told through the works of key folk songwriter Graeme Miles, who pro- vides the linking narration. Keenly commit- ted and well characterised performances by stalwart singers from the Teesside folk scene.
k.hallhome@btinternet.com
2 The Delta Flyers Sixteen Bars (Soulbilly Records 2010) Led by Texan Stevie Dupree on vocals and harmonica, The Delta Flyers romp enthusiastically through a heady selection of originals penned by either Dupree or Dupree in conjunction with guitarist Travis Stephen- son. Blues is the springboard but the music keeps darting off in unexpected deviations keeping it all fresh. A joyful, fun-filled foot- tapper.
www.thedeltaflyers.com
The Ukrainians
2The Ukrainians Twenty Years 1991- 2011 (Zirka Records ZRKCD6) Band and coun- try the same age, this is a hoofing, chunky delight celebrating what started as an off- shoot of The Wedding Present, two decades and still not out. All you expect, from the accordeon punk roots yelp of Anarkhiya (Anarchy In The UK) to Chekannya (Venus in Furs)
www.the-ukrainians.com
2The Ian McMillan Orchestra Homing In (Taith TRCD00012) The Bard Of Barnsley treats us to a fresh batch of his Sharp Stories, taking in everything from poignant historical nostalgia to broad comedy and cosmopolitan rap, all showcasing Ian’s exceptional grasp of rhythm, language and observation; musical settings again courtesy of Luke Carver Goss. Masterly.
www.ian-mcmillan.co.uk
2Various Artists Ace Story Vol 3 (Ace 1297) Expanded version of the classic vinyl album, with eight bonus tracks. Superb blues and R&B, including Jerry McCain’s Steady and Sonny Boy Williamson’s Boppin’ With Sonny Boy. It’s like greeting an old friend wearing a fresh suit of clothes.
www.acerecords.co.uk
@ Gwyneth Keen & Scarlett Bazaar Thir- teen (Wise Records WISCD4110) Folk-cum- classical crossover disc which works at times as on Oxford City where the winding vocal of Keen and the trio’s melodic wanderings shad- ow and embrace to somewhat mesmerising effect, but elsewhere, like Moving On Song/ Sylvie Sylvie, gets it all wrong. An outside producer next time girls y’hear?
www.mys-
pace.com/scarlettbazaar
2Jennifer & Hazel Wrigley Idiom (Geo Sound Records GSCD002) Fiddle-and-guitar sibling duo’s 6th album, which celebrates their 20th anniversary as ambassadors for the music of Orkney on a sparkling and varied can’t-be-faulted collection of traditional, con- temporary and original tunes brimming over with confidence, energy and maturity.
www.wrigleysisters.com
2Sandy Brechin & Friends The Sunday Night Sessions (Brechin All Records, CDBAR007) A taste of the Ensign Ewart pub sessions in Edinburgh, held for 15 years, fea- turing accordeons, fiddle, flute, bouzouki, guitar, whistle, pipes, mandola, cello, bass and vocals. Beautiful, warm rendition of Both Sides The Tweed with Ewan Wilkinson on vocal.
www.brechin-all-records.com
2Los Hermanos Cubero Cordaineros De La Alcarria (Armando ARD-128) Mandolin and guitar brother-duo Enrique and Roberto Ruiz Cubero apply the spirit and techniques of Bill Monroe and Jimmie Martin to the folk songs and dulzaina tunes of their region, Castilla, in central Spain, plus originals. It works really rather well, sounding something like Tex-Mex border music.
www.myspace.com/loshermanoscubero
2Musikgruppen RAA The Incredible RAA Band (Gason CD 743) Wig out! Swedish world music band pays tribute to the Incredi- ble String Band – in Swedish. It helps to know the originals, but some of the 20 tracks here are haunting and lovely. I think they call it psych-folk (but I call it hi-de-ho).
http://raa.just.nu/
2Mario Lucio Kreol (Lusafrica 024082) The former Simentera leader follows up his excellent (and better) Badyo album by col- laborating with Caribbean, West African, Portuguese and Brazilian artists. Aside from one cloying song in English, he wisely sticks to Kreol. Gently rocking tempos and gor- geous arrangements hold sway.
www.lusafrica.com
2Cahalen Morrison And Eli West The Holy Coming Of The Storm (Own label) Outstanding Seattle-based duo. Original songs, perfect harmony singing and superbly played guitar and banjo backing. Worthy of checking out.
www.cahalenandeli.com
@ Terça Feira Trio TFT (Mañana MM425012) A largely instrumental album by this Paris- based Brazilian trio. They explore the roots of choro, but also more contemporary Lusitanian material by the likes of Chico Buarque and Mayra Andrade. Ricardo Herz contributes the only original piece, but his fiddle tone eventu- ally grates.
www.mananamusic.com
2Ruth and Sadie Price RaSP (Own label RPCD020) Second CD from Yorkshire-raised sisters brings a great collection of songs most- ly culled from local sources, mostly sung unac- companied. Ruth and Sadie are blessed with strong individual voices and together trade spine-tingling, intuitive sibling harmonies.
www.ruthandsadieprice.com
@ Folklaw Nation’s Pride (Own Label, no catalogue no) Songs of social conscience and protest, written and sung by Nick Gibbs with backing from Gaz Hunt. Lyrics (injustice, poverty, war etc) worthy enough but insuffi- ciently distinctive; music dull and unremark- able; recording far too close-up, thus distort- ed.
www.folklaw.co.uk
2Various Artists Ishumar 2: New Tuareg Guitars (IRL 054) Fine, beautifully presented compilation that demonstrates the depth of quality of Tuareg guitar bands. No major stylistic departures, but contains a nagging, languid earworm by Nabil Baly Othmani that is ripe for crossover success.
www.properdistribution.com
2Alan Reid Recollection (Temple COMD2103) Reid’s songwriting has always played a major role in Battlefield Band’s repertoire. Retiring after 40 years, a trawl of their back catalogue provides a different set- ting for listening, and a reminder of his important contribution to their quieter side.
www.templerecords.co.uk
Photo: Paul Jackson
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