The Revelers "Au Bout de la Rivière"
Own Label, 2019
I really enjoyed Get Ready, the previous release from this Louisiana band - great tunes, memorable songs, and a sense of mischief and mayhem consistent with Mardi Gras. This new CD is perhaps even better: more power, more polish, and just as much fun! The killer combination of Cajun accordion and sax spices up the zydeco title track, Please Please shifts the mood to rock and roll with a bluesy edge, and Les Blues à Blake is smooth swamp smooch music with (as the Cat said) a capital smoo. Blues and rockabilly on Who Who, country sentimentality harking back to a simpler time in She's a Woman, and the swing ballad I Wouldn't Do That mix and match genres from Klezmer to Cotton Club. Those bewitching bayou rhythms are back for Pendant Je Suis Loin de Toi and the sultry waltz Bonsoir Petit Monde, with the slow drag You're Not to Blame slipped in between. The lyrics here range from the maudlin to the méchant, and the instrumentals certainly cash the cheques written by these expressive singers: guitar and fiddle, drums and bass, keyboards and Cajun triangle. Southside Stomp outs all this together for perfect party music, while the final Bague Diamante sweeps up the bottles and gently brushes the sleeping stragglers as the sax echoes their snores. There's no shortage of bon temps here, as the Revelers roll sublimely on.
© Alex Monaghan
Tristan Driessens "A Folk Dancer's Journey"
Seyir Muzik, 2019
Ranging across most of Europe, and from the Renaissance to the railroad era, this album centres on old instruments - oud, flute, harp, violin and percussion - to perform dance music from Scandinavia to Samarkand, as well as some improvised pieces more suited to listening. Driessens plays oud, and its distinctive slack-strung sound leads some tracks and seasons most others, but A Folk Dancer's Journey gathers over a dozen other musicians, mainly from France and Belgium. The only name I recognise is Gregory Jolivet, hurdy-gurdy maestro with Blowzabella: I'm guessing the others come from the folk dance world, highly competent players of woodwind and strings mainly, with backgrounds in Bulgarian, Turkish, Irish, Swedish and other traditions.
About half the pieces here are Tristan's own, from the attractive opening mazurka Alethea's First Song to the final 3/4 air Danse de l'Envoi à l'Aube. Among my favourites here are the traditional Swedish Slängpolska, the simply named Greek Dance by Katerina Papadopoulou, and the compelling if slightly chaotic Caucasian Eagle Dance. Improvisations on hurdy-gurdy, violin, kanun (a sort of Arab zither which sounds a bit like the music from "The X Files"), oud and harp are solo showpieces, skilful and entrancing. There's no overall structure or character to the music on A Folk Dancer's Journey: it's more like a picaresque novel, passages from different lands, loosely strung together, reminding me of albums by the 1970s band Concert Dans l'Oeuf, full of fascinating diversions.
© Alex Monaghan
Ian Robertson & Muriel Johnstone "Robertson: A Musical Heritage"
Own Label, 2019
Respected band leader Ian Robertson has enlisted the support of renowned Scottish pianist Muriel Johnstone to produce an album of Robertson-related tunes which is suitable for both dancers and listeners. "There's threesome reels, there's foursome reels, there's hornpipes and strathspeys, man" as Burns said, but there's barely a hint of Scottish dance band kitsch or tourist-trap tartan here. Every track is played with vitality and grace, with genuine feeling for the music and with that mix of great technique and driving energy which characterises Scottish fiddling.
Robertson: A Musical Heritage was inspired by the realisation that there are quite a lot of Robertson-related tunes in the Scottish repertoire. Compositions by William Marshall, Bobby MacLeod, Angus Fitchet and several members of the Gow family span three centuries of Robertsons. Ian has also sneaked in well over a dozen of his own tunes, which sit well with this older material, and there is a small handful of Muriel's originals too. Even with almost 60 melodies on this CD, there are several more Robertson tunes which could be the start of a follow-up album: Struan Robertson's Rant and Margaret Ann Robertson spring instantly to mind.
For the present, the sprightly notes of Ian's jig-time march Ian Rose, Man of Mistley open a generous hour of highly enjoyable fiddling. Although Mr Robertson is well known as a piano accordionist, he eschews that instrument here so every track is fiddle-led with pleasing light-touch piano accompaniment. Along with clearly marked sets of reels and strathspeys for dancing, there are a number of slow airs and waltzes: Ian Robertson's waltz Jennifer is a highlight, and so is his son Tom's modern lyrical strathspey Air for Megan. Among the faster tunes, a set of four Shetland jigs stands out, as does the medley of five reels starting with Miss Eleanora Robertson's by Robert Mackintosh. Pipe marches and even a slip jig are sprinkled through a splendid album in the best Scottish fiddle tradition.
Ian Robertson Music does have a Facebook page, but the best way to obtain this CD may be to email ibrobertson@btinternet.com for more information.
© Alex Monaghan
Sgoil Chiùil "The Final Trawl"
Own Label, 2019
A double CD with two hours of music and song from the prodigious students of Plockton's school for traditional music, the first disc here is dedicated to the final year students - mostly 18-year-olds - and is full of top quality music. The opening Hamilton's Rainbow takes two Terry Tully compositions and squeezes the traditional Sheepwife between them on pipes, flute, fiddle, accordion and guitar. Stilton in the Caravan is a composition by young accordionist Louden MacKay from Sheil Bridge who is joined by flute and fiddles, and by Mairi Taylor and Ullapool's Gillie O'Flaherty who provide excellent accompaniment throughout on piano and guitar. David Robinson is another striking MacKay tune, and The Seals of Plockton was written by whistler James Bauld of Dornoch. The arrangement of O' Fair a-Nall am Botal is powerful, and although the miserable vocals don't particularly grab me this is a stand-out track overall. There's no shortage of great piping here, with a medley of tunes by Ross Ainslie, Allan MacDonald and Gordon Duncan taking pride of place. The students have their heroes of course - under "F" are Flook, Fraser & Haas, Finlay MacDonald, and the Nordic Fiddlers' Bloc whose second album Deliverance features the charming waltz played here by Hollie Cook of Banff.
There are occasional rough edges on The Final Trawl, and of course the second CD which features students as young as 12 shows their lack of experience at times, but in general these performances are remarkably confident and polished. There's certainly plenty of traditional talent coming through the Scottish highlands - instrumental prowess in particular, but that's not surprising as singers' voices often mature later in life. On this recording one voice in particular stands out: Eilidh Lamb from Edinburgh, still with two years to go at school, who sings a beautiful 17th-century lullaby and also delivers a clarsach version of the Charles Grant (1806-1892) air Mrs Jamieson's Favourite. Almost half of this double CD is given over to songs - ten tracks including two in English, six in Gaelic, and two Gaelic "puirt" selections. On the instrumental side, piper Finlay MacVicar from Grimsay (a small island often lumped into Uist) and the trio of piano accordionists here particularly impressed me, with whistle-player James not far behind, especially on The Skylark's Ascension. Louden, Kenny MacKillop (Berneray, another Uist offshoot), and Mairi Taylor (Avoch, near Fortrose) excel on the Mrs MacRae medley. With more than twenty students featured, and a fine mix of old and new material including many compositions by these youngsters, The Final Trawl is a great showcase and another testament to the success of Sgoil Chiùil na Gàidhealtachd.
© Alex Monaghan
Blair Douglas "The Flyer"
Macmeanmna Records, 2019
A tad shorter than his last solo album Behind the Name,[63]
this CD has all the same hallmarks of Blair's extraordinary talent. It hits you between the eyes immediately, and maintains that magical blend of Celtic, Cajun and contemporary Country from start to finish - all on one accordion! Well not quite: Mr Douglas is ably assisted by young Calum Matheson on Scottish smallpipes, the more mature Gordon Gunn and Ian Smith on fiddle and mandolin, and the positively ageless Ben Bachle on drums.
In fourteen of his own compositions, Blair Douglas offers everything from laments to laughter, adrenaline rushes to relaxed waltzes. The opening up-tempo Judique Flyer honours Cape Breton legend Buddy MacMaster, uncle of Natalie, a man who could play like the wind but preferred to suit his tempo to the dancers. Mira River Waltz is a delightful tune, again associated with Cape Breton Island. Tears on Tràigh Mhòr refers to another island, Barra, and its loss in the tragic events of May 2017 in Manchester where many youngsters lost their lives: a moving tribute, with an appropriately sensitive piping lead.
Blair's signature sound is perhaps clearest on From Braes to the Bayou, a Celtic Cajun funk two-step with more bite than a snapper turtle. Most of The Flyer is actually slow pieces, some lovely melodies gently arranged. On the quicker side, there's a Canadian Barn Dance set of three lively tunes which works up to the reel Donald John and his Wall for a certain disowned Lewisman, and the rocking Cajun-tinged Great Glen Breakdown with the flair and fun typical of this accordion maestro. Blair Douglas finishes on another sad tune, Lament for the Band of Brothers, which could so easily have marked the end of Run Rig but actually commemorates a 1915 battle whose casualties hit Skye families hard. Perfectly played and engineered, this album will join the ranks of classic Skye folk-rock and Hebridean slow air recordings where Blair is already well represented.
© Alex Monaghan
Charlie Piggott "The Days That Are Gone"
Own Label, 2019
A name from the past, Charlie Piggott played banjo in the early days with De Danann until an accident forced him to change to button accordion. He's been pumping the reeds for about thirty years now, and has a delicate old-fashioned touch which matches his very traditional choice of material for this first album on his new instrument. The Battle of Waterloo, The Drunken Landlady, Down the Broom, The Tombigbee Waltz and The Hag's Purse are all old tunes, recorded in relaxed fashion here. Even the polka medley ending with I'll Mend Your Pots and Kettles is a languid affair - no West Cork battering here! The Days that are Gone is a reflective take on this music, quite different from most box albums, a refreshing change.
Piggott opens with The Westmeath Jig, one of the livelier tracks here, with gentle accompaniment from Garry O'Briain as on most of this CD. John Naughton's Jig is similarly jaunty, and in between there are several slow pieces. The title track is delivered on two whistles, a march reminiscent of the revolutionary music of 1798 or 1916, or perhaps of the Ulster flute bands. The House at Creegh is a flowing slow jig with fiddle from its composer Frances Marriott and from Charlie's son Rowan. Sweet Kingwilliamstown is a powerful slow air on solo accordion. Barndances and waltzes sit alongside jigs and the occasional reel in unhurried style, leaving plenty of space for these subtly decorated melodies to breathe. There's a slight increase in tempo for the final punchy Tailor Small's Jig, but The Days that are Gone is an album for those quiet moments, for listening and for contemplation.
© Alex Monaghan
Marla Fibish "The Bright Hollow Fog"
Own Label, 2020
An Irish mandolinist from Frisco, Marla has recorded albums with a few partners over the last ten years. Although she is assisted here by various guests and accompanists, this can be considered her solo debut. Starting with a gentle slip-jig moving into a pair of reels, sweetly backed by Martin Hayes, The Bright Hollow Fog includes jigs and polkas, airs and waltzes, and two songs. Ms Fibish leads the way on mandolin and vocals, backing herself on mandola. Contributions by others on fiddle, mandola, banjo and guitar are carefully acknowledged in the copious notes. The whole package is attractively wrapped in an oil painting by Vincent Crotty.
Slip-jigs are a bit of a thing here: the Fibish compositions Càit the Great and The First Rain are fine examples of this very Irish form, the latter sliding into a reel by the late great Tommy Peoples, while the former is followed by his air An Gleann Ciúin. Steve Baughman's fretless gourd banjo gives an Indian subcontinent feel to a pair of reels, and Rebecca Richman's fiddle version of The High Cauld Cap treks into the backwoods for an oldtime Scottish sound.
The contemporary waltz Ashes of Paradise strikes a tone which is shared by Marla Fibish's two vocal pieces, poems set to music, a tale of woe from the American Civil War and a cheery take on the Stretched on your Grave genre of folk songs. Three well-known jigs, with fiddle, mandola and flying feet augmenting the mandolin, bring us at last to the title track from the repertoire of Micho Russell, known by a few names and firmly played by Marla on both mandolin and mandola. The Bright Hollow Fog is a gentle collection, but the music is no less fine for that, and every aspect of this CD is beautifully constructed as well as being pleasing to the ear.
© Alex Monaghan
Petri Hakala & Markku Lepistö "Nordic Route"
Own Label, 2020
The names here are pretty obviously Finnish - the music not so much. Hakala and Lepistö are influenced by Scandinavian and Finnish music of course, but also by Canadian and South American traditions, Irish and Balkan sounds, and by jazz and swing styles. All the material on Nordic Route is original, an even split of composing credits. The combination of Markku's push-pull accordion with Petri's mandolin and guitars produces a slightly unusual and surprisingly full sound, suited to such a wide range of music. The opening reel Kipinä has a definite Finnish character, while the gentle waltz Sateen Jälkeen could come from any Western European tradition. Montmagny leans towards Quebec, or perhaps Cape Breton, a cheeky reel with variations. The schottische Rapusaari is probably my favourite piece here, a simple Hakala melody with an engaging rhythm, sweetly arranged for button box and mandolin.
Nordic Route is the second CD from this duo. Their first was almost twenty years ago, rather more traditional, and both players have been involved in plenty of other projects since then. Lepistö has recorded with Finnish supergroup Värttinä and Accordion Samurai amongst others. Hakala was a member of the wonderfully named Ottopasuuna, and plays with piano accordionist extraordinaire Maria Kalaniemi as well as being an instrument maker, building his own guitars and mandolins. The collaboration between these two is tight and exciting, bringing an extra spark to jigs, waltzes and more. Their feel for contemporary folk is obvious on the funky Kilsanmäki, while the smooth waltz Kaipaus slides into sultry jazz. No Finnish folk album is complete without a tango, of course, and Nordic Route offers two flavours: the acid zing of Hetken Epäröinti, and the more rounded tropical taste of the older milonga form on Punta Secca. Petri and Markku deliver a rich and varied menu here, a satisfying album of new music with old roots.
© Alex Monaghan
Rob Harbron "Meanders"
Own Label, 2019
The lads of Leveret[64] all seem to be delivering solo projects at the moment. Concertinist Rob Harbron's true solo album is a chance for him to shine on his own, and he grabs it with both hands. Well he'd have to really! A dozen of his own tunes and a few old treasures from the tradition, Meanders is more relaxed than some of the precise staccato playing one hears nowadays, giving it an endearing warmth and an air of maturity. The polyphonic arrangements remind me of a guitarist, melody deftly fingered on the high strings while the underlying chord shapes shift unhurriedly: I imagine Harbron's hands working in a similar time warp, the weft and weave of the tunes subtly shaping the accompaniment. Maybe that explains the title, melodies flowing constantly, but the overall shape of the music is a coil of slower twists and turns. Or maybe I should dam this current stream of thought.
There's no shortage of good stuff here. The Brink of July sets a high standard to follow, with its three-part harmonies on solo concertina, a pleasing if unpredictable tune. One String Jig, an odd name as it doesn't fall easily on one string, is a charming jig which suiits most instruments, definitely one to be learnt. Midnight Schottisches have catchy melodies and a strong rhythm supported by punchy bass notes. Keswick Bonny Lasses is a great tune, played in a set of almost monophonic hornpipes here. The air The Ship that Never Returned gets a multi-layered arrangement, like a one-man Leveret, while the following 3/2 Piggery adds an ominous countermelody in the left hand before Rob lightens the mood with his Alvin. This long-overdue solo debut ends with January Blackbird, another lavishly arranged air. Meanders showcases a rare talent, and is a joy for the listener.
© Alex Monaghan
Bragr "Live at Engelsholm Castle"
GO Danish Folk Music, 2020
Last time I encountered Bragr they were a trio of nyckelharpa/cittern, acoustic bass guitar and percussion: they've added piano since then, which supports both the melody and rhythm. Bragr's unusual and experimental sound is immediately engaging on Surgubben, a bouncy polska by bowed fiddler Perry Stenbäck who wrote about half the material here. Another toe-tapping Stenbäck number is preceded by Danish mouth music, a new concept to me - but it seems every tradition used singing for dancing back in the day. The jazzy Dovretrollet doesn't quite work for me, but the next few tracks are delightful. Stenbäck's graceful waltz Svanen is perfect for the high clear notes of the nyckelharpa, and Kristian Bisgaard's piano delicately complements the melody. The traditional Swedish Polska efter Gelotte is a charming tune, and its compatriot Gladlåten is a gentle classic, perhaps a little overdressed here on piano and cittern, but you never know until you try! Percussionist Christine Dueholm's soft vocals are particularly effective on this piece.
Hommage till en Spelman is a contemporary air by fiddler Torbjörn Näsbom, a gorgeous melody achingly played here. Bassist Jesper Frost Bylling wrote Amelia i Norge for his daughter, but this arrangement rather puts me in mind of the creatures which inspire Trolska Polska's music. The truly international Soldier's Joy is known in Denmark as Hornfiffen - I think we can all see how that happened - and on this live recording it serves as a finale with solo breaks by each member of Bragr, approaching Shetland reel speeds by the end, with enthusiastic audience participation. The inevitable encore Vintertur ends the album on another Stenbäck waltz, a beautiful slow tune with lush vocal harmonies. Bragr are well worth a listen - their website www.bragr.dk has a nice sample video from this concert with a snippet of each track on the CD. Interestingly, Live at Engelsholm Castle has no cross-over with Bragr's debut album Danmarkar'n, so you can pick up that one too!
© Alex Monaghan
Three Cane Whale "303" [EP]
Own Label, 2019
An unusual trio of high brass, percussion, bowed and plucked strings, Bristol-based Three Cane Whale has several previous highly-acclaimed recordings: this fifth release is described as a mini-album, but I've seen shorter. Each of the dozen tracks here goes by quite quickly, but together they build a fascinating soundscape featuring ten different instruments and various ambient noises from the open-air recording locations and the A303 for which this CD was named. An opening passage, in more than one sense, gives way to Shadow's Shadow on lute-harp and/or lyre-harp, then the intriguingly-named Island of Apples which introduces the band's hallmark combination of cornet, mandolin and guitar. Birdsong and breezes herald the soulful Frond on bowed psaltery and chimes, followed by the slow waltz Cruc on brass and fretted strings. Pete Judge puts down his trumpet and sits at the dulcitone for Blackthorn Spring, a brief but poignant air.
There are no notes on individual tracks, so I'm guessing at the instrumentation, but those mini harps seem to be in service again for Deadman's Hill, and for Crooked Bank, a chirpy melody dedicated to the site of King Arthur's last battle rather than any of the dodgy high-street financial institutions we have all learnt to distrust over the past decade or so. A mandolin solo by Alex Vann recorded in St Thomas à Becket church, the chiming ripples of Dark Lane, and the hypnotic Estovers with Paul Bradley's guitar backing cornet and mandolin, bring us to two final poetic references: one to Frances Horovitz, and the other to the rather dustier William Blake, both evocative and soothing pieces. Local, literary, legendary and historical references abound on 303, some of which are illustrated on the hand-drawn sleeve. After thirty-two minutes, Three Cane Whale are still definitely an enigma, a puzzle which may be pleasantly explored but which might never be solved.
© Alex Monaghan
Llan de Cubel "La Lluz Encesa"
Own Label, 2019
The definitive Asturian folk band, Llan de Cubel must have about ten albums to their name by now. They have been delighting audiences worldwide for thirty years or more. With a mix of songs, airs and dance music from celtic northern Spain, La Lluz Encesa provides an hour of Latin-tinged folk with clear ties to Brittany and Scotland, closely related to the neighbouring Galician tradition. Fronted by fiddle and Asturian bagpipes, the instrumentals range from joyous fiesta music to graceful slower melodies. The back line of bouzouki, bass and percussion also delivers backing vocals behind lead singer and guitarist Xel Pereda who sings four numbers here: the wistful La Rexa la Mar, the insistent Matalalluna to ward off evil dreams, the lullaby Dormi, Fíu del Alma, and the driving title track. Each song is arranged with breaks featuring traditional melodies, and the vocals are often quite understated, so the melody and rhythm are crucial elements of every track. Excellent sleeve notes, in Asturian and English, provide full lyrics and translations as well as detailed information on every track.
The ten instrumentals cover many Asturian dance forms as well as song melodies, alboraes (played at dawn by bagpipers, the way you do), marches, and slow airs. Llan de Cubel have taken a lot of material from old collections, dressed it in their snappy special sauce, and added their own compositions and some from great Asturian musicians. The opening La Perruca joins guest Jean-Michel Veillon's Breton flute to the fiddle of Simon Bradley: we have to wait until track 2 for Xuan Rodriguez' gaita to kick in on some Asturian triple-time reels. La Xibarte starts with one of several compositions by bouzoukist Elias Garcia, this one dedicated to the humpback whale, a rousing tune followed by two more with festive drumming from percussionist Fonsu Mielgo and a cameo on flute from Mike McGoldrick. After a dreamy air by folk icon Fernando Largo, we are roused again by those dawn pipers and two traditional alboraes from a 19th century collection which show the similarity between Asturian and Galician traditions. A lovely mazurka by Pereda and a reel by Bradley, a couple of traditional Asturian jigs, a medley of different dances and a mash-up of old song fragments, all in the lively Llan de Cubel mood, bring us to the final track: bagpipe tunes in processional style, one by Rodriguez and two by Bradley, played with a swagger. Whether you're new to Asturian music, or a dedicated fan, La Lluz Encesa will not disappoint.
© Alex Monaghan
The Maniacs "The Maniacs"
Own Label, 2019
Take ten English dance tunes from the late 18th century and arrange them for accordion, violin, cello and clarinet: what could possibly go wrong? Very little, actually, but we'll come to that. Box-player Paul Hutchinson is well known for his innovative approach to venerable English melodies, and he is joined in The Maniacs by clarinetist Karen Wilmhurst, cellist Gill Redmond, and Seona Pritchard on violin and viola to inject some energy and eclecticism. The material here has been lost to the English tradition for some time, but it is reanimated with a touch of jazz, klezmer, folk and funk. The ranting Admiral Mitchel's Reel, the gleeful doom of Hopeless Love, the swirling slip jig Roodulum and the modal march Sally Kelly are tossed from hand to hand, tried at different tempos and pitches, even banished to Argentina with barely a can of Tango to quench their thirst.
Jackson's Dream / Jackson's Nightmare starts as a typical martial quadrille, another Lily Burlero or Garyowen, before being transformed into a macabre dance from the Brothers Grimm. General Suwarrow's Strathspey sounds as though it should have come from the far east, and is almost that far removed from Speyside. The title track is another which undergoes a dark Kafka-esque metamorphosis. Lover's Vows, on the other hand, stays true to the end. The jaunty Whiskers precedes the final Barham Downs which you might think is familiar - but it isn't!
Which brings me to my two minor criticisms of what is a perfectly pleasant collection. First, these melodies do not seem to be quite familiar enough to the musicians: there are timing and intonation issues, and it's all a bit too pressured overall. Second, drawn from commercially published collections of at least 60 tunes every year, presumably to address the social market for drawing-room performances on harpsichord and other instruments as well as for dancing, these pieces had passed into obscurity while others such as the music of Carolan or the Gow family have been preserved and passed on for centuries. The function of tradition as quality-control is far from flawless, but few of the melodies here strike me as future classics. Time will tell.
© Alex Monaghan
McGoldrick, McCusker, Doyle "The Reed that Bends in the Storm"
Under One Sky Records, 2020
An interesting title - very Zen - unless you're a piper, in which case the last thing you want is a reed that bends. Whatever its meaning, this third or fourth album from McGoldrick, McCusker and Doyle contains well over an hour of music from undisputed masters of the Irish and Scottish traditions. John Doyle is a Dublin export to America, a world-class guitarist and accompanist, and a fine singer who delivers five songs here. Household names McCusker and McGoldrick are the Rolls Royce of backing bands, and offer seven or eight stunning instrumental sets on whistles, fiddle, flute, harmonium, Irish pipes, bouzouki and tenor guitar.
I say seven or eight, because the English perennial Willie Taylor is paired with a couple of grand old Irish reels, raising a rather ordinary arrangement of this song to the heights of Planxty or La Bottine. The Factory Girl is a fine old ballad, still with a valid message. Napoleon Bonaparte, a rather favourable account of Boney's life, is set to a version of Princess Royal resonant on fiddle and pipes. There's a healthy dose of Irish American pathos in I Never Let You Know, and a happy ending for the Maid on the Mountain wrapped in The Munster Cloak.
With a good dozen new compositions and a smattering of old favourites, the tune sets are rich and varied. Irish and Scottish reels alternate with American oldtime tunes. A storming set of Asturian reels is surpassed by a trio of jigs with improbable names like Fifi and The Mouse in the Horseshoe. The ancient air Taimse i mo Choladh concludes this feast of fabulous music, like a mini Transatlantic Sessions with the boring bits cut out! I picked up my copy of The Reed that Bends in the Storm at a live gig, but it should be readily available online.
© Alex Monaghan
Randal Bays "Up the West"
Own Label, 2020
Respected guitarist and fiddler Randal Bays from the north-west coast of the USA has been playing Irish music for a few decades now, and this is his second CD of Irish fiddle music: his first, Salmon's Leap, was a while back. Here he's accompanied by Frank Kilkelly on guitar, with a handful of guests and some of his own guitar work, but Up the West is really all about that fiddle. Most of the album was recorded in an afternoon in Kinvara: a few pieces were added afterwards. This mixture of traditional tunes and new compositions includes, reels and jigs of course, but also waltzes, planxties, slip jigs and hornpipes.
Much of the music here has a Clare lilt to it, and comes from the playing of fiddlers such as Bobby Casey, Paddy Canny, PJ Hayes, John Kelly and his son James, and Vincent Griffin. Cavan and Galway are also represented, among others, with pieces by Ed Reavey and Paddy Fahey. Bays favours the Clare style, although not at either the breakneck Ennis speed or the "Feakle treacle" of some players: his measured pace allows for quite intricate bowing, and although he employs the bowed triplets and cuts of more northern styles, he plays rather straighter than the Ulster fiddlers.
Among half a dozen or so of Randal's own tunes, a couple of dozen classics from the Irish fiddle tradition are supplemented by a few other recent compositions. The title tune is a reel which sounds deceptively ancient and venerable next to Sean Reid's, and follows on from a brisk medley of The Leac Rua, Eileen Curran and Molly Bawn. Jigs such as The Rakes of Clonmel, Maid on the Green, Old Man Dillon and The Piper's Chair sit well with Bays' Hairy Cat's Ear, written for his wife. There's a charming pair of shiny new waltzes, a fine trio of slip jigs to finish off with, and many more delights scattered through this album. Up the West honours both Randal's Seattle home and Ireland's Atlantic coast where so much of this music originates.
© Alex Monaghan
Darol Anger "Fiddlistics"
Kaleidoscope Records, 1978/2020
This pioneering album of fiddle-led "newgrass" or jazzy oldtime music was originally recorded in 1978, and you can still buy the LP. but it hasn't been generally available in a digital format - until now. Darol Anger has put a downloadable version on Bandcamp, with a couple of bonus tracks from 1999 (recorded at Moonbase Alpha probably), so we can all enjoy the thrill of off-piste jamming by Darol, Tony Rice, Mike Marshall, Todd Phillips, and about a dozen other people playing everything you can reasonably put in a bluegrass band.
A bit of Blue Midnite, a touch of cool jazz in Old Grey Coat, and a lot of flash fiddling and picking, this album just predates the rise of Mark O'Connor, Jerry Douglas and Béla Fleck but it already had a lot of those bases covered. Moose the Mooche reminds me of early Trischka, while the frenzy of Megatones presages some of the Windham Hill albums or the music on Skip, Hop & Wobble. A couple of these tracks have become classics: Old Folkies, an oldtime pastiche, and the bluegrass showpiece Ride the Wild Turkey. And of course there are the delights of Dysentery Stomp. Scroll on over to darolanger1.bandcamp.com for this and Darol's many other recordings available to stream or download!
© Alex Monaghan
The Fitzgeralds "The Fitzgeralds"
Own Label, 2016
You probably need some context here. The Fitzgeralds are three siblings - Julie, Kerry and Tom - from Bancroft, Ontario, with Irish ancestry and long experience in the eclectic Canadian fiddle tradition. All three play fiddle and dance in the Ottawa Valley style: between them they have won several prizes for both music and dance. Still in their early twenties, they have just released this second album with the same title as their 2016 debut - only the cover photo is different! On stage they are exciting, energetic, hideously talented, playing bass and keyboards almost as well as their seemingly in-born fiddles, and even singing the odd song.
This new CD is more laid-back and contemplative than the live show which has been touring North America and Europe for the past couple of years. The trio enlist a little help from guitarist Kyle Waymouth and bodhrán beast Jacob McCauley, but otherwise it's Fitzgeralds all the way down. As well as plenty of hot fiddling, and powerful step-dance rhythms on The PEI Set, it includes two vocal numbers from Tom and a couple of slow tracks. All three siblings compose too, with a cool seventeen of their own tunes here. Kerry's Blu and Grey is a modern air played mainly on piano which reminds me of Ludovico Einaudi or perhaps Liam Ó Maonlaí - gentle, rippling, with hidden depth. May Day, a Julie tune, starts with a similar laid-back feel but soon jumps into a more lively mood. Finale 1 is a nice touch - throw one of your showstoppers into the middle of the recording, full-on fiddle frenzy but no stepping. After Tom's rendition of the swing classic It's All Your Fault, sad vocals and weeping fiddle, there are a couple more storming instrumentals and a technically impressive solo on Over the Rainbow with all four fiddle strings in play. Finale 2 wraps things up in a stunning combination of three Fitzgerald tunes. The live act adds another dimension to this impressive album.
© Alex Monaghan
Uaine "The Dimming of the Day"
Own Label, 2019
Ulster musicians, I thought. Reels, and maybe the occasional fling, I thought. Not a bit of it! This new group launches in with a rake of auld polkas fit for a king of Kerry, and wraps up their debut album on a trio of slides. In between you'll find jigs, airs, hornpipes, three songs, and reels of course - but they're carefully couched behind marches and mazurkas to catch the unwary. Donegal fiddler Bríd Harper is paired with Limerick concertina from Tony O'Connell, which explains the wide-ranging repertoire. Lisa Butler provides vocals for three songs, including the Richard Thompson title track, and Paul Meehan backs everything on fretted strings.
Between compositions by Brendan Begley, Ed Reavy, Charlie Lennon and many from Tommy Peoples there are also some fine old favourites. John Morris Rankin's moving Last March is followed by the traditional Paddy Murphy's Wife, and King of the Pipers leads into two jigs popular in the twenties and thirties. Bríd's slow jig Turas go Teamhair is a delightful melody on solo fiddle, and the three Peoples tunes which come after are all top quality. Butler makes a fine showing on The Jolly Soldier and An Londubh 'san Chéirseach, appropriately supported by the band. In between is a quick hop across the North Channel for a couple of rarely heard Scottish pieces, and two more catchy Tommy Peoples originals. A few Ulster-style reels bring us back to Limerick with slides, ending on a tune which I know as 100 Pipers but which also goes by the great name The Hair Fell Off My Coconut. Full of spirit and wonderful music, Uaine's debut is definitely worth looking out for!
© Alex Monaghan
Mari Black & Corey Pesaturo "Unscripted"
Own Label, 2020
A storming album of fiddle and accordion music from two of the world's finest, Unscripted is appropriately instrumental and ranges across Celtic, Klezmer, Latin, Jazz, Tango, Americana, and even a little light classical. Mari Black has swept the board in Scottish, US and Canadian fiddle championships, while Corey "C-Pez" only happens to be a triple world champion with arguably the world's loudest piano accordion. Together they make all the noise on this CD, and it's a sweet symphony indeed!
The challenging Italian mazurka Migliavacca is followed by a Pesaturo piece in twisting Balkan rhythms. The Argentine waltz Corazon de Oro shows spiky and smooth fiddle over the Piazzolla-like accordion. A Sicilian tarantella reminds me of Walt Disney's Fantasia, before the cool jazz of Gershwin's But Not for Me with digitally-added drums and bass thanks to Midi accordion. A couple of tracks of Cape Breton brilliance on fiddle bring us to the halfway point, and you'll have to explore the rest for yourselves: US fiddle showpieces, traditional Klezmer dances, more from Astor Piazzolla, and a big celtic rock set to finish. Unscripted is a towering performance across a broad swathe of rootsy music, some very traditional, some totally contemporary, all star quality.
© Alex Monaghan
Peter Croft "Button Box Breakdown"
Own Label, 2020
Single-row box-player Peter Croft learnt his craft in East Anglia but switched from Cambridgeshire to Cajun music and then moved back to his Scottish birthplace. He's a regular attraction in various Edinburgh music venues, launching into a range of surprisingly complex tunes on his simple D melodeon. Here he's joined by guitarist Mark Jones and fiddler Hazel Fairbairn for some oldtime front porch music, just good ol' boys (and a lady) kicking back. This relaxed recording includes many tunes too old to have documented origins, plus one each by Bill Monroe the father of bluegrass and Bob Wills the king of Western Swing, and two Croft originals.
The sleeve notes are excellent, explaining the background of the Civil War reel Squirrel Hunters (not to be confused with Squirrel Heads and Gravy, which presumably comes later), Swannanoa Waltz, Trouble Trouble and more. Both Mark and Hazel take solos: guitar on the catchy New Oklahoma Rag and fiddle on the lonesome Creole Blues. Among all the oldtime dance tunes, one Cajun number creeps in, the rousing Port Arthur Blues. Peter and Hazel duet for the title track, and the other Croft original is a march dedicated to the Suffolk Regiment who fought at Caterpillar Valley in the Great War. Peter finishes solo on Speed the Plough, a tune played around the world but particularly associated with Suffolk where he was brought up. Button Box Breakdown may be hard to find, but petercroft2000@hotmail.com will get you straight to the main man.
© Alex Monaghan
The Bonny Men "The Broken Pledge"
Own Label, 2020
This Dublin seven-piece[47][56]
add a handful of guests for their third album, but the basic line-up is unchanged: pipes, fiddles, flute, vocals, and a range of backing instruments. The arrangements have matured, allowing The Bonny Men to produce a wide range of different textures, and although some tracks move away from a traditional Irish sound the overall effect is consistent. The Broken Pledge opens with a raw piping track, Jenny's Welcome to Charlie, and follows up with the contrasting multi-layered King's Arrival which harks back to bands like Clannad and Relativity. At first I felt Tunnel Tigers was taken too slow, but it grew on me at this pace and it underscores the grim reality of emigrant labour. Of the four songs here, this and An tSean Bhean Bhocht are the highlights.
Instrumentally, fiddles and whistles deliver some fine reels on the title track and there's another dose of accomplished piping on the final Repeal of the Union set. The Clergy's Lamentation, a lesser-known Carolan piece, is poignant on fiddle, flute and pipes. Delicate piano introduces a pair of jigs ending with a powerful rendition of The Chapel Bell. I was particularly taken with Rodney's Glory, a tune mentioned in the song The Galway Shawl but not much played these days: it's a fine old hornpipe, paired here with a couple of familiar reels, another high point in a very satisfying recording.
© Alex Monaghan
