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favourite. A “legendary lost record” (not exactly true, we all knew where it was, it was just unobtainable), it is now apparently dubbed a “1972 folk noir masterpiece”, a description that would have likely appalled Lal and had Mike chortling his head off.
Not sure it’s accurate to say it was “viewed with suspicion from the conservative folk community” as the notes claim; surprised as it may have been listening to an album of accompanied contemporary as opposed to unaccompanied traditional songs, the folk world greatly missed the Watersons when they split in 1968 and welcomed their return with open arms.
The album did, of course, also feature many of the great and the good from the folk fraternity of the time: Tim Hart & Maddy Prior, Martin Carthy, Richard Thompson, Ash- ley Hutchings, Dave Mattacks and Sue Harris, as well as Norma Waterson newly returned from DJ-ing in the West Indies – and Bob Davenport all but stealing the whole she- bang with his extraordinary vocal on Child Among The Weeds.
While the original itself may have been out of reach, the material has long been fêted in other ways, not least the all-star Shining Bright album of 2002 and Bright Phoebus Revisited tour of 2013 with Jarvis Cocker, Richard Hawley et al, various Lal tributes and regular cover versions of the material through the years from June Tabor and Fairport Convention to Dick Gaughan and King Creosote.
But it’s great to have the original in full wonder once more, alongside a selection of demos in the deluxe version. Lal’s songs still sound gloriously unworldly, with no obvious reference points – not even traditional song – just the dreams and scattered thoughts in her own head, defying the wisdom of conven- tional songwriting patterns in her tumble of words and images. While, full of puns and vivid characterisations, Mike’s contributions (“ditties” as he modestly referred to them, always deferring to Lal as the primary talent in the writing stakes) give the album its beaming smile. A frisson of excitement still cuts through as he begins to sing – in that brilliantly individual manner – Bright Phoe- bus, Magical Man and Rubber Band.
A joyous liberation.
www.brightphoeb.us
Colin Irwin
MEÏKHÂNEH La Silencieuse Buda 5754744
Some records are so instant- ly, obviously good that they jump up and shake you by the lapels. Others take their time to seep their subtle bril- liance into your conscious- ness, but end up being even greater favourites. This is definitely one of the latter.
Meïkhâneh are a French/ Iranian/ - Mongolian-influenced trio plus guests. Singer, flautist, player of the tovshuur lute, morin khuur fiddle, and linguist – some of this in an invented language – is Maria Laurent. It’s her beautifully restrained but deeply involving singing that binds all this together: deceptive- ly light, floating but somehow packing a sub- tle, implied punch. Possibly the best example is the ear-worm Hungarian Eszmélet.
Twanged strings man is Johanni Curtet, who knows his way around acoustic guitar and dombra as well as being a dab at over- tone and throat singing. In the percussion corner is Iranian Milad Pasta with a bewilder- ing selection of daf, udu, zarb, frame drums and “additional percussions”. The guests are the celebrated Bijan Chemirani on more per-
Bill Leader, Mike and Norma Waterson at the Bright Phoebus recording sessions.
cussions and lutes, Uuganbaatar Tsend-Ochir on Mongolian double bass and Martin Coudroy on diatonic accordeon.
Somehow, without even hinting at being one of those dreaded ‘world music fusion’ outfits, they manage to bring elements of Eastern European, Mongolian, Persian, Asian and even Andalusian musics together – and (perhaps imagined) hints of Appalachia and Sahara too – in a completely organic and unforced way. How does that work? What’s the common thread? Well it’s the natural spaces – in the music and the big sky land- scapes that they conjure up, and then deftly decorate with soft, refreshing rainshowers of improvisation. Earth, sky, sun, water and wind: elementary stuff, perfectly in harmony but with just a thrilling edge. Something in there, though there are no obvious similari- ties, says ‘Incredible String Band’.
When this one first showed up, I gave it an inattentive spin and put it on the pile mentally labelled “listen to this one properly when you’ve got the time”. Now it’s one of those which I’ll just leave in the player on repeat, two or three times in a row. Hard to imagine it won’t be one of my handful of favourites of the year.
budamusique.com Ian Anderson Meïkhâneh
MSAFIRI ZAWOSE Uhamiaji Soundway SNDWCD122
Msafiri Zawose is the latest offspring of the Tanzanian musical family Zawose (think of them as the East African Waterson-Carthys), and like his father Hukwe before him, he’s eager to get out there and mix it up. Record- ed in studios in the Zawose
hometown of Bagamoyo and Hackney, East London, this is a collaboration between Msafiri and UK producer Sam Jones, with con- tributions from other members of the Zawose clan (adding their characteristic hypnotic vocals and likembe) along with Brit musicians Magnus Mehta on percussion and Andy Backar and Simon Finch on horns. Jones adds programming, synths and keyboards.
It’s a lovely album, at times gently trance- inducing, at others edgier and more challeng- ing. There are some sweet melodies and inter- esting textures and in spite of the mix of moods and musical cultures, it sounds like a distinctive whole. A genuine meeting of minds between musicians from very different places.
www.soundwayrecords.com Jamie Renton
Photo: Claire Huteau
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