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VARIOUS ARTISTS Appleseed’s 21st Anniversary: Roots And Branches Appleseed APR CD 1142
Founded in 1997 by activist attorney Jim Mus- selman, Appleseed Recordings’ mission state- ment is: “Sowing the seeds of social justice through music and exploring the roots and branches of folk and world music.”
The first disc in this 57-track, triple-CD
set – Let The Truth Be Told – is a collection of “songs that make a statement about the state of the world and of America.” Opening and closing with the voice of Pete Seeger, it features performances by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Clegg and The Kennedys. The most unexpected track is Tom Morello’s parody of AC/DCs Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, while the now-aged voice of life- long peace campaigner Joan Baez singing the traditional I Wish The Wars Were All Over, provides its most poignant.
Disc two – The Wisdom Keepers – con- tains songs by some of the great singer-song- writers of the 1960s and ‘70s generation – Al Stewart, Jesse Winchester, Dick Gaughan, Tom Paxton and Jackson Browne among them. The third – Keeping The Songs Alive – is mostly traditional, and includes Roger McGuinn and Judy Collins harmonising on John Riley, a typically authoritative Tim Erik- sen on Careless Love, and an affecting Wild Mountain Thyme by Donovan. The whole thing concludes with Tommy Sands with Dolores Keane and Vedran Smailovic on Where Have All The Flowers Gone?
In an age when we need to listen to the voices of compassion and reason more than ever, this release is as timely as it is celebrato- ry. The accompanying booklet provides plen- ty of interesting information on the individu- al tracks and Appleseed’s history and ethos. Happy anniversary, Mr Musselman!
appleseedmusic.com Steve Hunt
NEWPOLI Mediterraneo Beartones 888295756204
A decade after their recording debut, this Boston-based band offer their fifth album. It shows that they continue to develop as well as looking for new musical horizons. The core music of the band has always been the range of musical traditions of southern Italy and
Newpoli
those from an Italian background, around half of the eight members judging by their names, seem to drive the repertoire of the band. Their previous albums, much praised in these pages, have shown that the main strengths of the band lie in the interplay between the great voices of the two lead singers, Carmen Marsico and Angela Rossi, as well as their sturdy, exciting playing and singing of pizzica and tarantella. Their videos show us that exciting dancing is also part of their live performance appeal, but we are talking about the CD here.
The theme of their previous album was their sadness of the depopulation of the Ital- ian south, with unemployment and a lack of decent jobs leading an exit of young people like themselves. Traces of that remain here with So' Emigrant and Na Voce Sola, as well as the title track. English translations of both the traditional and written songs in the book- let show the power of the lyrics and their strong socio-political messages.
A new focus is emerging, as suggested by the album's title. Newpoli are just one of the bands concentrating on the music of Puglia, Calabria and Sicily that have been extending their range to incorporate some- thing of a pan-Mediterranean approach and this is most noticeable in the singing and the hand-drumming. However, those who have been drawn to Newpoli by the exhilaration of their dance music playing will still find lots to enthuse about here.
newpolimusic.com Vic Smith MABON
Twenty Live! Easy On The Records EOTR- CD06)
Twenty years ago, Mabon started as an acous- tic quartet playing Welsh traditional music. To celebrate their twentieth anniversary, this album (Mabon’s seventh) is a retrospective of audience favourites from their previous six albums, but all recorded live recently, as befits a band with a legendary reputation for live performance. The band members are Jamie Smith (accordeon, vocals), Oliver Wil- son-Dickson (fiddle), Paul Rogers (guitar), Matthew Downer (electric and upright bass- es) and Iolo Whelan (drums).
This is a Welsh folk band with a delicious- ly cosmopolitan sound. Easy On The Elephant
opens with an elegant Breton-sounding tune, inspired by Lorient’s Festival Interceltique, before bouncing into a rousing instrumental rendition of the Welsh traditional Hen Ferchetan. There’s a smoky, spicy, Balkan flavour to The Gordano Ranter, which is a complex rhythmic delight. The Ridiculous Thinker is mellow jazzy folk with a louche, loping rhythm. Drum ‘n’ Briezh is a drum ‘n’ bass funked-up Breton dance-set. Jig Trouble In Little Blaina is a zesty, expressive jig set, and Jamie’s accordeon playing has a lovely French café-jazz quality to it. Frank’s Reels opens with a heavy bass rhythmic pulse, before the quicksilver accordeon kicks in with Parisian panache. The Tale of Nikolai opens with superbly expressive Slavic fiddle, which duets soulfully with the accordeon before picking up pace and rhythm; then the whole band goes full-on klezmer, with the audience going wild. There are also two Welsh songs on the album, composed by Iolo: the lyrical, rhythmic Yr Ennyd and Caru Pum Merch with its hauntingly beautiful fiddle.
jamiesmithsmabon.com Paul Matheson
RICK KEMP Perfect Blue FellsideFECD283
Free of Span commitments after his late-2016 exit, Rick Kemp’s recently been a whirlwind of bands and production, and now to cap it all comes Perfect Blue bearing his own name, returning him to the Fellside stable where his solo career began. Already legendary as a consummate bassist, R.K.’s guitar technique is less well known, and whilst others do play sessions on the album – including old chum Doug Morter – this is Rick’s show, where he comes over as a wry observer of life, love and all the bits in between. His guitar displays tight, rhythmic chops with a dash of funky; those familiar with history might just detect the occasional lick hinting at Michael “he’s like my brother” Chapman.
The thirteen tracks mix older and newer songs in a chummy order which means you’re never too far from the familiar: Deep in The Darkest Night is straightforward and to the point, his finest romantic creation by a coun- try mile and a number you never tire of hear- ing. From the Steeleye locker Where Are They Now is far more measured and poignant in 2018 than it was back on Sails Of Silver. Race Against Time seemingly has him musing on years with his former colleagues: “We used to sing we used to play / Those seasoned songs of yesterday / I was wondering if good would come / Of beating more on that same drum.” Path chosen, he’s struck out alone with a great opening track Waiting For Tomorrow, a north of England blues which ruminates on everyone’s current dream that there’s a brighter dawn to come – well maybe. Low- land Sky is another contemplation number about how perplexing life can be just when you need it to stay simple. Special looks side- ways at the obsession with self which seems to be all around these days; Andy Warhol’s statement about fifteen minutes of fame has never been so apt. Not that Mr. Kemp’s run- ning an agony column here, he’s just watch- ing the world slip by with a chuckle and a raised eyebrow. Good for him.
I like Perfect Blue, it’s an honest album by a musician who’s found that his music and songs are more relevant than maybe he ever believed. I say again, good for him.
fellside.com Simon Jones
Photo: Liz Linder
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