that I’m only part way into a long journey, and not running as hard or as fast as I’d like to either. A musician I know once introduced me to his friend as “iolo – he’s the best drummer in the WORLD, man!” I acquiesced that I was probably the “best” drummer on this paving slab, and that seemed to satisfy all of us.
Foremost amongst my various musical projects in terms of profile,
effort and startling
results is a band called Jamie Smith’s MABON.
I should
probably introduce them too… The band has a ten-ish year history, going back to when my brother and I were both knocking
around the Welsh
folk-dance circuit, having long established that accompanying dancers was a pleasurable route
to a range of benefits:
from friendships and free beers to trips abroad, and what’s more, you didn’t need to wear the itchy knee-length socks that the dancers did. A father and son we knew were also involved in that scene, and the four of us formed an acoustic folk quartet, and after a short while, decided to call it Mabon.
Ten years is a long time in band life, and the band’s evolution has been thorough. Only two of the original members remain, and another couple have come and gone since, but the current five-man team has become a well-established unit by now,
going under the slightly altered name Jamie Smith’s Mabon. So the line-up comprises piano- accordion (and vocals) and fiddle at the front of the band’s sound, stealthily accompanied in varying degrees of subtlety by bouzouki, bass and drums. We also draw in a fabulous flautist and piper from time to time to broaden the sound further. Most of the repertoire is instrumental and original, composed by Jamie the accordionist, who draws on the rich heritage of the Celtic nations for his inspiration.
The best way to describe the band is by sitting someone down in front of us and playing a gig for them, but you need to describe the band to get them there in the first place. also “Catch22”.
See “Interceltic” comes into
That’s where play.
We came across the term in Brittany – several of us had been devotees of the ‘Festival Interceltique de Lorient’
for
years, even before it became an annual band pilgrimage to play at the fringe festival, and eventually in the official festival too (and there are more stories right there than you can fit into one article for sure!). The festival invites all the Celtic nations to join together to share their music
and dance traditions
for ten days every August – it is a spectacular event which you should try to attend at least once if you can, even if only to marvel at
its scale.
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