f60 The closer, a version of the traditional


lullaby Aurora Tem Um Menino, is a lilting beauty that’s likely to prove an ear-worm to rival Calimero E A Pêra Verde that was on her first album and never fails to get audiences to their feet in a chain-dance.


celinadapiedade.com Andrew Cronshaw


MÁTYÁS PRIBOJSZKI BAND My Stories MTB PMCD008/2016


THE RED HOT SERENADERS Down The Big Road Red Hot Serenaders


TOMISLAV GOLUBAN Kaj Blues Etno Spona CD 194


Celina Da Piedade


STEVE ASHLEY Another Day Market Square MSMCD180


Over his 50-year musical journey, Steve’s mas- terly and perceptive songwriting has defined ’70s classics Stroll On and The Family Album through to 2015’s This Little Game, never los- ing his edge, always maintaining a keen awareness of the importance of tradition with- in the context of the contemporary political situation. Steve makes his points tellingly, without sloganeering or grandstanding, through intelligent use of poetic language and metaphor. From the purely musical angle, some of Steve’s tunes can be almost madden- ingly familiar (if not referential), while others (eg One Strong Voice) are twistily original and what I might term ‘distinctively Ashley’ in melody and structure. Those special hallmarks of Steve’s writing are present in spades on Another Day, his tenth album of new songs. Here he visits with fresh eyes, and a rekindled sense of hope, those perennial preoccupa- tions and recurring themes which have informed his songwriting output since day one: the desire to bring about a change for the better via a renewed appreciation of what we still have. Hope springs eternal (and passionate) on Another Day and The Way The Rainbow’s Made, yet it can also carry the double-edged sword of parting, as on It’s Just A Stage and the album’s closing statement, the valedictory Another Shore.


Expressively versatile as ever, Steve turns to a cappella mode to celebrate the beauty of the turning seasons (The Months Go Round) and the life of a recently departed musician (For Bruce), while for the remainder of the album he accompanies himself on guitar, occasionally adding harmonica and/or whis- tles. Steve’s right-on political stance also enables some sharp, withering social com- mentary (There Will Be Pain), although his trademark ready wit and dark humour may belie the seriousness of the wake-up call he’s delivering (The Paper Song which may, by virtue of its extended length, be felt to labour its point just a little) or else lapse into thinly veiled allegory (Oh No No). I Wonder


conveys an evocation of sweet personal mem- ory, and The Land Of Love represents Steve’s unshakeable advocacy of our NHS. And on One Strong Voice and One For The Playlist, he playfully teases around the specific subject of a song before directly naming it only in the final punchline.


In short, Another Day undoubtedly finds Steve still on a roll, in fine fighting fet- tle and rejoicing in his determination and proud integrity.


steveashley.co.uk David Kidman


CELINA DA PIEDADE Sol Sons Vadios


Portugal’s Celina da Piedade is one of my favourite singers. She radiates a wonderful warmth and joy, floating the melody, simulta- neously strong and delicate with an immensely attractive hint of grace-noting and vibrato, over the mellow fluidity of her button- accordeon. Live she’s a delight; does that transfer to a recording? It does…


Sol brings it all together – catchy melodies, her warmth, and in its graphics the rich, contrasting colours she revels in – in a production of great clarity and directness, with finely and subtly judged accompaniments. Often they include her accordeon but it’s all at the service of the songs, not dominating, and some are with guitars, the traditional Alentejo guitar known as viola campaniça, cavaquinho, piano, cello or bass from a well-chosen team.


Much of the material is often her own, the lyrics often written in conjunction with Alex Gaspar, and there’s some of course from her beloved Alentejo tradition which shapes everything she does. There’s Gilberto Gil’s A Linha E O Linho, her Portuguese adaptation of Piedra Y Camino by Argentina’s Atahualpa Yupanqui, and the opener is the almost poppy Assim Sou Eu, a setting of lyrics by António Avelar de Pinho by her colleague in the new ‘super-group’ Tais Quais, Joáo Gil, who plays guitar on it.


A blast of hot blues from Hungarian harmoni- ca maestro Pribojszki and his tight band who’ve invited eleven extra guests to the party including USA guitarists Bob Margolin, Kid Anderson, Ryan Donohue, and Little G Weevil plus Austrian Ripoff Raskolinkov (great name). So confident is Mátyás in his own harmonica prowess, he’s invited three fellow players (Charlie Musselwhite, Andy J Forest and Bill Barrett) to add a touch of their individual skills. All, bar one, of the twelve songs are written by Pribojszki who totally understands the blues idiom. The music is so good, who cares if his singing in English retains a slight Hungarian accent?


matyaspribojszki.com


German duo Tanya Wirz and Rainer Wof- fler love early acoustic blues and perform 20 of their favourites on this nicely packaged CD. Tanya’s a natural singer, while Rainer’s vocals sound overly growly and forced, but he is a good guitarist, mandolin and ukulele player and Volli Vollbrecht (upright bass) and Mojo Killian (harmonica) add variety to the tracks they guest on. Although the playing at times is a little rough and ragged, the music bounces along nicely, with the duo’s enthusi- asm carrying the day.


redhotserenaders.de


Singing in his native language may limit Croatian harmonica player Tomislav Gol- uban’s international appeal but the music on his eighth album is a heady mix/clash of gen- res of which just one element is blues. Around 40 musicians collaborated on the pro- ject including the Zagorie Brass Quintet, the six-piece Ansambl Zabok, and four other vocalists. It’s all a bit mad, rather fun, and quite invigorating. On one track, Traktor, Goluban improvises a harmonica solo accom- panied by the gradual accelerated revving of a tractor engine! Musical adventurers might want to track this one down.


goluban.com Dave Peabody


INLAY Forge Inlay Music UK INL2016-2GB


Formed in 2010 while studying music at the University of East Anglia, Norwich-based band Inlay released their well-received debut album in 2012. A wait of over four years for a follow-up seems like an age and, according to the sleevenotes, various other ideas have been tried out and lain unreleased. However, with a collection of self-composed tunes and songs and a few traditional numbers thrown in as well, Inlay have come up with a folk album that is fresh-sounding and coherent, and, most importantly, something that is worth waiting for.


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