135 f
2 Lucibela Laço Umbilical (Lusafrica 762562). Lucibela started out covering Cesária Évora songs, developing her enchant- ing style as a hotel chanteuse. She reinter- prets traditional material and renowned Cabo Verdean composers including Manuel de Novas, Nhela Spencer and Elida Almeida.
lusafrica.com
1 Hermanos Herrera Sones Jarochos Y Huastecos Y Más (Smithsonian Folkways SFW40580). Six southern California siblings offer lively interpretations of jarocho and huasteco classics they learned (on violin, jarana, guitar, harp and bass) on summer trips to their father’s southeastern Mexican home- land.
folkways.si.edu
1 Andrés De Jerez & Samuelito Ara - ñando El Alma (Buda Musique 5782644). Young flamenco guitarist Samuelito backs veteran cante jondo singer Andrés de Jerez on a spirited repertoire (soleá por bulería, seguirilla, bulería de Jerez, fandango, taran- to, corrido gitano). Notes in French, Spanish and English; lyric transcriptions in Spanish.
budamusique.com
1 Mélissa Laveaux Radyo Siwèl (No For- mat!). Haitian-Canadian singer-songwriter-gui- tarist is a keening purveyor of folk and vodoun songs and Haitian composers of the early 1920s, backed by Kobo Town’s Drew Gonsalves (guitar, cuatro), combo organ and percussion, conjuring up a breathy contemporary vintage- pop sound all her own.
noformat.net
@ Plantec Live (Fury-breizh PL0915-1). Live headline concert from Lorient Festival disap- points. Same tracks on both CD and DVD. Sound quality is imperfect. DVD uses every cliché in the book. The music veers away from what is normally covered in this magazine towards electronically derived dance beats.
plantec.fr
2 Ordinary Elephant Before I Go (Berkalin Records BRK-10036). Outstanding duo originally from Texas and Louisiana. Crys- tal is a tuneful laid-back singer in the mould of Kate Wolfe and Gillian Welch and a perfect foil for their original, well-crafted songs with harmony and tasty banjo from husband Peter.
ordinaryelephant.net
2 Keith Kendrick & Sylvia Needham Shine On (WildGoose WGS 423 CD). Two of the folk scene’s stalwarts sing a variety of modern and traditional songs and play some tunes with guest musicians which show why they are always welcome guests at the nation’s folk clubs.
wildgoose.ck.uk
1 Omar Konaté Live In Bamako (Cler- mont CLE020). This sounds like a great dance night to have been at but the atmosphere does not quite transfer to CD. Omar has an arresting voice and his effects-driven guitar is impressive but somehow it’s a bit one-dimen- sional.
clermontmusic.com
2 Leah Abramson Songs For A Lost Pod (Headless Owl). Layered vocals, beats, field recordings and whale song on fascinating and heartfelt concept album by Canadian singer-songwriter, with various musician/ pro- ducer collaborators including Lau’s Aidan O’Rourke. Ten percent of sales to OrcaLab whale research station on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
leahabramson.com
2 Unsetl Unsetl (Unsetl UKL9817000000). Beautiful and yes, at times, unsettling avant- folk that explores themes of transience and displacement via the viola and harmonium of Ed England with added Morris dancers. “Any and all income from this album donated to Shelter,” so buy two.
unsetl.bandcamp.com
2 Fran Wyburn Wood For The Trees (Yel- low Door Records VDR17001). Initial aversion to childlike voice (the type that TV advert makers go doolally over) quickly dispelled by gorgeous melodies, terrific musicianship and plenty of lyrical wit and grit behind quirky titles like Snowdrops And Me. Hail the York- shire She-Devendra!
franwyburn.com
2 Martin Simpson An Introduction To… (Topic TICD005). Personally-selected 77- minute tip-of-iceberg overview of master musician/singer/songwriter’s eclectic, exhaustive back-catalogue straddling folk, blues and beyond, inevitably concentrating on Topic recordings mostly from the latest third of his 45-year career. The big carrot’s a spine-tingling return to Palaces Of Gold.
topicrecords.co.uk
1 Richard Knott Long Story Short (Solid Thumb Music STCD1801). Convivial home- grown blues-cum-ragtime with a sense of humour, fresh from the Wirral delta, effi- ciently dispatched by guitarist/ singer Richard and occasional collaborators. Plenty of finger- picking accomplishment and imagination on display, but Richard’s singing proves too laid- back for some of his material.
richardknottsongs.com
Irka Mateo
2 Irka Mateo Y La Tirindanga Vamos A Gozá (Irkamateomusic 91079-85614). Dominican singer-ethnomusicologist Irka Mateo has collected folk songs around the country to infuse the original pop material she unleashes with her lively sextet (accordeon, electric guitar, horns, organ, bass, drums, percussion).
irkamateo.com
2 Lefty Frizzell The Singles Collection 1950-62 (Acrobat ADDCD3234). An absolute bargain. 55 well selected tracks from one of country music’s most influential and under- rated singers. All his hits and many more from a time before country music covered itself in syrup.
acrobatmusic.net
1 The Dead South Illusion And Doubt (Devil Duck DDUCK 065). High energy outfit from Canada mainly banjo-led. Think tuneful Pogues, although the vocals occasionally are shouted as opposed to sung. Interesting wordy original songs.
thedeadsouth.com
1 Cua Songs Of The Hollow (Anseoceo Records L005). “Music inspired by people of the Atlantic areas”, seems like a plan at least. However Irish trio Cua miss the target;what could have been quite peppy ends up well played but confused with all the constituent elements getting in the way. Too weird by far, check out Spirit Of The West lads, they got it right 20 years back.
cuamusic.com
2 Tim Easton Paco & The Melodic Polaroids (Campfire Propaganda CPLP005). ‘Paco’ is Tim Easton’s road-worn black Gibson J45 acoustic guitar, which has a lovely warm tone. Musically Tim follows a long line reach- ing back to Jimmie Rodgers, Woody Guthrie, Merle Travis et al. His lyrics sound more mod- ern than his music, even though relating timeworn themes. Ten songs, 32.30 minutes of music, recorded direct to lacquer through one vintage microphone. A little gem.
timeaston.com
1 Luke Jackson Solo/Duo/Trio (First Take Records FTCD003). Best-of-all-worlds collec- tion of blistering home-territory live perfor- mances showing Luke completely at home in all three named formats and situations. His characteristically overwhelming personality and dynamic expressive force make for an experience that may not suit the more com- fort-seeking listener, however.
lukepauljackson.com
2 Martin Matthews Wall To Wall… Cowraik To Sliabh Croob (Cúig Music CUI CD 013). Second instalment in Martin’s trilogy Wall To Wall accompanying his travelling landscape painting exhibitions, matching music to locations through original and tradi- tional tunes using refreshing, exhilarating acoustic instrumentation and an all-star sup- port cast. Special commendation for its beau- tifully presented booklet.
martinmatthews.eu
1 Glymjack Light The Evening Fire (Storm Lantern GLYMJACKCD001). Based around the songwriting of Greg McDonald, Glymjack is an acoustic folk-roots trio with attitude, clearly modelled on and inspired by – and here also heavily involving – Messrs Knightley and Beer. Fulsomely upholstered, big-hearted and determinedly wide-scale social commentary. And yet…
glymjack.com
1 The Burgoynes No Way Of Telling (The Burgoynes CCJ001). Sheffield-based trio attempting to recreate the sound of the 1930s American old-time string bands, but good-time spirit, instrumental proficiency and overall enthusiasm are undermined by often strained vocals and slightly cluttered ensemble (mandolin, banjo, guitar). File under ‘despite best intentions’…
facebook.com/Burgoynes/
1 Erlend Apneseth Nattsongar (Heilo HCD7299). Hardanger fiddler Apneseth with frets, electronics, nyckelharpa and bass in a sequence of his compositions, commissioned by Førde festival 2016 as a distillation of the festival’s variety, that moves, with Chinese and other international influences, between reflective-improvised and full-on rhythmic.
grappa.no
1 Okra Playground Ääneni Yli Vesien (Nordic Notes NN105). Finnish six-piece – three female singers, kantele, jouhikko, accordeon, bass, drums programming etc – with original music based on tradition that, again on this second album, whenever it gets interesting (and it does) soon lurches on every track into wind-blown, massively-pro- duced, Eurovision big-repetitive-chorus over- drive.
nordic-notes.de
2 Lonnie Donegan Lonnie + Showcase (HooDoo Records 263579) / Odetta Some- times I Feel Like Cryin’ + Odetta and the Blues (SoulJam Records 600904). The format is to combine two LPs plus some bonus tracks to create a really good value package. Origi- nally released as a 10” disc in 1956, Showcase was Donegan’s debut LP, followed by Lonnie in 1958. Bonus tracks include Puttin’ On The Style recorded live at the London Palladium in 1957: 76 minutes of energetic skiffle, blues and folk songs sung in inimitable style. The equally influential Odetta stamps her rich vocal authority on two 1962 albums that have her backed by some classy jazz musicians, as well as (on the first album) Sonny Terry on harmonica. Bonus tracks include solo items recorded in San Francisco in 1956. Via
discovery-records.com.
2 The Vagaband Something Wicked This Way Comes (Eggsong Recordings EGGCD0003). Beloved of slide guitar wizard BJ Cole, this is a delight, they throw every- thing rootsy into a huge pan and come up with toe-tapping melodies and songs which basically ask why the UK is set on being so American. Wouldn’t we all like to know? Ideal support band for the Levellers and such. Hitch a ride on their train. Distribution through Shellshock.
thevagaband.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148
