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2 The Watersons/Waterson: Carthy An Introduction To…(Topic TICD006). An all- embracing primer collection presenting fif- teen representative, enthralling examples culled from eleven recordings of the massive- ly influential family group in sundry permuta- tions, usefully including solo releases and expanded group lineups. A great vantage point from which to survey four decades’ achievements.
topicrecords.co.uk
2 Orquesta Akokán Orquesta Akokán (Daptone DAP052P). Recorded live at Havana’s Areito Studios, Orquesta Akokán taps veterans from Irakere, Los Van Van and NG La Banda, with engaging original compo- sitions that channel the sizzling big band mambo sound of such 1950s icons as Arsenio Rodríguez, Perez Prado and Cachao. ¡A gozar!
daptonerecords.com
The albums – good (2), adequate (1) and bad (@) – which didn’t get the full-length treatment, contributed individually by a selection of our reviewers cowering under the cloak of collective anonymity.
2 Bert Jansch A Man I’d Rather Be (Part 1) (Earth EARTHCD023). Endlessly re-issued down the decades, but you can now get Bert’s first three LPs Bert Jansch, It Don’t Bother Me and Jack Orion, plus the instru- mental set Bert & John with John Renbourn, remastered in a beautiful hardback digipack with notes from Bill Leader and a selection of Brian Shuel’s photos from the album shoots. Much better sound than vinyl and a great package too. Essential.
earthvinyl.com
1 The Wailin’ Jennys Fifteen (True North Records TNCD683). The well-loved Canadian harmony trio’s first album in six years com- prises one traditional song (learned from Waterson:Carthy) and eight fan-pleasing cover versions of songs by the likes of Hank, Dolly and Emmylou. Impeccable, yet also somewhat predictable. the
wailinjennys.com
1 Various Artists Habibi Funk (Habibi Funk HABIBI007). Rare vintage sounds from the Arab world. 1960s and ’70s music from Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan and Morocco. The earlier soul and R&B tracks fare best, the later disco and AOR material appeal less.
habibifunkrecords.bandcamp.com/
@ 3hattrio Lord Of The Desert (Okehdo- kee 6 16892 56084 5). Banjo, fiddle, bass and vocals for this trio. Slow, would-be atmo- spheric “American desert music… rooted in the natural world of their sacred homeland.” Effects sometimes over-used. Not too many words per song. I was bored.
3hattrio.com
3hattrio
1 Eilidh Shaw & Ross Martin Birl-esque (Rhubana Records RRCD001). Debut album of mellow arrangements of (mostly) Scottish tra- ditional tunes for old-timey fiddle and guitar. The tone is relaxed, with bluegrass and Amer- icana influences, an Elvis Presley waltz set, and a thoughtful version of Bruce Spring- steen’s Dancing In The Dark.
facebook.com/EilidhShawRossMartin
@ Various Artists Exotica (Saydisc CDSDL447). Achingly awkward title on a poorly conceived and sequenced selection running from David Fanshawe’s Pacific field recordings to studio confections by bands like Caliche, Arabesque and Burning Bush. The final coup de grâce is a cheap and nasty black-tray jewel box package with zero design values. Barrel scraping.
saydisc.com
1 David Halcrow Band Shetland Session (Houlland HALCD1701). This six-piece Shet- land-based band plays bread-&-butter Scot- tish ceilidh-dance music on lead accordeon, fiddle, piano, harmony accordeon, double- bass, drums. They perform traditional waltzes, marches, polkas, jigs, strathspeys, Irish reels and self-composed tunes in French musette style.
birnamcdshop.com
1 Duo De Schepper-Sanczuk Perron 12 (Appel Records APR1382). Belgian pair play their own compositions on fiddle and guitar in a way that is not particularly inspiring and lacks variety.
denappel.be
1 Cordeen Musical Bridge (Cordeen CDN001). Through lively tunes, delicate slow airs and rousing come-all-ye ballads, the lega- cy of Irish music and song in Newfoundland is showcased by four exponents of the button accordeon: Ireland’s Benny McCarthy and Conor Moriarty, Newfoundland’s Billy Sutton and Graham Wells.
cordeen.com
2 The Jeremiahs The Femme Fatale Of Maine (The Jeremiahs CD 002). Young Dubliners who began as something west of Stick In The Wheel now reveal their melodic compositional side. Joe Gibney’s warms like honey and engrossing story songs flow freely punctuated with crisp sonorous fiddle tunes. A rollickingly creative rootsy affair.
info@thejeremiahs.ie
2 Dresch Vonós Quartet Forrásból (Fonó FA400-2). Glowing new project from multi- instrumentalist virtuoso and composer, Mihá- ly Dresch. His customarily ambitious ‘ethno- jazz’ is pared back here, compacted into a stately and late-night underground murmur. Strings, saxophone, tambura and restrained cimbalom conjure a sad and twilit rural Hun- garian world, recalled wistfully from the heart of modernity and the city.
fono.hu
2 Soolmaan Quartet Letters to Handen- berg (Homerecords 4446172). Led by Tristan Driessens (oud), Soolmaan Quartet’s new release is skilled, mellow and melodic. Arab and Turkish makam modes prevail backed with classical style arrangements owing much to cello and bass clarinet. The oud passages and solos are beautiful. Recommended.
homerecords.be
2 Little Big Noz Little Big Noz (Collectif à L’Envers CALE 003/1). You think you heard it all and then someone comes along playing improvised music intended for traditional Breton dancing on a solo adapted baritone saxophone – and you realise that you haven’t heard it all at all!
collectifalenvers.org
@ Jono Heyes & Friends 9 Pilgrims (Mama Yeva). Croaky NZ singer and guitar player with some supposed World influences. Has Polish/Czech singer Beata Bocek on two tracks. Never quite gets away from disguising he’s a pakeha (white boy) singer/songwriter with a disturbing penchant for ‘spiritual’ name-dropping.
mamayeva.org
2 Amit Dattani Santiago (Amit Dattani AD001). Solo outing by Mellow Peaches man. A terrific country blues and lap-slide guitar picker with some neat original songs, too. Seven of those, one instrumental, and authentic renderings of Swing And Turn and Will The Circle Be Unbroken. Recommended.
amitdattanimusic.com
2 Conor Lamb, Brendan Mulholland, Deirdre Galway Music in the Glen (Mul- holland, Lamb, Galway BCD 01). Belfast- based outfit with Conor Lamb and Deirdre Galway from Realta and flautist Brendan Mulholland. The pipes, flute, and guitar trio is invigorating and innovative in approach. The music itself is bracingly impulsive and ornately sensitive boiling with impressive vir- tuosity.
musicitg.com
1 Reel Bach Consort Bach, Give us a Tune! (Reel Bach Consort 0742832953146). Johann Sebastian Bach’s visit to Ireland has remained overlooked in anthologies of the great composer’s life. Influenced subcon- sciously by Celtic strains the German based Reel Bach Consort return Bach’s works to rus- tic acousticity. Musically sound academically, aural results please equally.
reel-bach-consort.de.
2 Cara Live (Artes Records ARCD 5010). German/Scots aggregation Cara work best in the live arena, their amphidexterous abilities and musical knowhow working to their advantage. The epic ballad Little Musgrave hangs on emotional dexterity while the tune sets blend pastorality and uplift in propor- tion. Great.
cara-music.com
1 Beautiful Nubia And The Roots Renaissance Band Amunundun (EniObanke EBM117). Veteran Nigerian ban- dleader who offers a refreshingly gentler take on Afrobeat with mixed results. Some sweetly hypnotic moments, some vapid and (especially when he sings in English) a bit awkward.
beautifulnubia.com
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