Cara "Grounded"
artes records, 2021
Besides their endeavours as a duo and with their bands Deitsch and Litha swinging back and forth between German and Celtic folk music,[47]
Gudrun Walther and Jürgen Treyz founded the musical ensemble Cara to become Germany's flagship in all things Irish (and Scottish).[45]
Cara left German shores several times to tour overseas, and their courage had been repaid twice by Irish Music Awards. The release of this album was originally scheduled for December 2020, but
the grim Mistress Corona forced them to reassess their plans. Particularly, the CD required a new title, and "Grounded" alludes at the same time to Cara's down-to-earth music
and travelling artists ditched and stuck in pandemic lockdown. Gudrun caught the sentiment tongue-in-cheek by composing the "March for the Grounded Traveller"
(who does anything but march), "Trip to the Fridge" (the artists' pure frustration relief) and "Not Tuscany" (but a retreat to Lower Saxony, well, can be nice too).
Notwithstanding all the challenges, Gudrun (vocals, fiddle, accordion) and Jürgen (guitars, dobor, banjo) managed to play music with their two comrades. At present this means uilleann piper Hendrik Morgenbrodt and Scottish
singer-songwriter Kim Edgar on vocals and piano.[62]
The internet also enabled the co-creation by bodhrán players Aimée Farrell Courtney and Tad Sargent
(apparently founding member Rolf Wagels left the group once and for all) as well as cellist Henrik Mumm. Sure, we all know Cara stands for
sweet female vocals, sometimes in enchanting harmony, and a splendid selection of songs: "The Cockle Gatherer" is an English translation of the Hebridean
working song "'S Trusaidh mi na Coilleagan," which Kim knows since her school days. She also shines with the well-known Burns song "Lassie, Lie Near Me"
and two ancient Child ballads, the "The False Lover Won Back" (No. 218) and "True Thomas" (aka "Thomas the Rhymer," No. 37).[75]
The latter is a real earworm, once again[65]
thanks to Gudrun's new setting. Gudrun carries on singing Dylan's "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" as a haunting piano ballad with Jürgen's wistful dobro,
and the final track, "The Spell of Winter," a comforting prospect that after the frost and cold comes sunshine and spring.
The songs are the proverbial quiet before the storm of kick-ass Irish-Scottish instrumental music. Even if dancing is not all the rage in the pandemic age,
Gudrun's "Windhorse" is a furious ride, and their take on Jarlath Henderson's "Jaboozy" a sexy jazz number. Cara's presentation
is sometimes delicate, sometimes playful, and sometimes cool and way-out. Hendrik changes the mood once again: the slow air "The Pretty Girl Milking The Cow" is a solo on the pipes - by the way an instrument of his own making -
employing all the instrument's potential - chanter, drones and regulators. The tune has been unearthed from an early recording of the seminal piper Finbar Furey,
and 50 years later it is just as thrilling - if performed by a dab hand. In spite (or is is because) of the enforced break, Cara's "Grounded" turns out to be one of their finest albums. It fits nicely into the chronology of their
recordings,[33][43]
breathes new life into it indeed, but discreet and unobtrusive. Best of all, it doesn't get lost in depression and despair.
© Walkin' T😊M
Jared Rabin "Cold Rain and Snow"
Golden Twine Music, 2021
Jared Rabin took his first musical steps as a kid learning the violin from his grandfather, at the time being first violinist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Jared went on and earned a jazz music degree; he joined bands of different types including progressive rock. So what can you do locked away on your own because of
the pandemic? You can play all the instruments by yourself! That's exactly what Jared did on his debut acoustic album, and for a first it's a smasher.
There are four traditional songs such as the title track, "Cold Rain and Snow"; for many this classic American folk song (and murder ballad) is
associated with the Grateful Dead who recorded it on their 1967 debut album and performed it throughout their entire career;
thanks to Bill Monroe the song became a part of the bluegrass tradition. The latter is also the blueprint for Jared's lively string-band sound.
In the same vein he deals with the graceful reel "Whiskey for Breakfast," a staple in the fiddle traditions of Appalachian folks as well as the Métis people in Canada.
Jared's vision developed while pondering at home is based on the characteristic bluegrass band sound as we know it, and he is a well-versed multi-instrumentalist:
he plays guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, bass, keyboards and harmonica. To make this perfect, he wrote six new songs to some extent inspired by the lockdown.
The bluesy "Hey Mister Doctor" makes mockery of Dr Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Advisor to the US President;
"Drone of Days" is a melancholic retrospect on the long long hours of the autumn days back in 2020.
Eventually, "No Sympathy" is looking back at the challenges of living on the road, including a stolen guitar,
but I also understand it as an optimistic look forward when the road will open again.
Yeah, maybe we'll get to hear this music live in concert (which requires a band of course), until then "Cold Rain and Snow"
is an album not to be missed in anybody's home sweet home.
© Walkin' T😊M
Mia Guldhammer & Morten Alfred Høirup "Tral, Tråd & Traditioner"
GO' Danish Folk Music, 2021
Morten Alfred Høirup and his various endeavours in the matter of traditional Danish music and song are common knowledge.
He especially had a whale of a time singing and playing guitar and making waves with fiddler Harald Haugaard.[36]
A decade after the dup split up it is different. Morten first met singer Mia Guldhammer in 2018 and they started making music together.
Mia is at home at viking and medieval markets, performing with the group Virelai and the Breton-Swedish-Danish project Nøkken
(featuring Swedish singer Sofia Sandén[31] of Ranarim fame).[18]
After some soul-searching Mia and Morten realized that they don't need any further instruments but could vocally 'diddle' a dance tune;
I guess 'lilting' or 'mouth music' is a more intelligible expression for providing music (for dancers) when there is no musical instrument available.
The Danish call this 'tral', oddly enough "tråd" means playing a hot guitar, but at least 'traditioner' is self-explanatory.
Over time, Mia added a shruti box as further accompaniment, and for the recording they invited some friends to add some colour here and there, namely,
fiddlers Kristian Bugge[59]
and Arto Järvelä,[47]
among others. They unearthed some gorgeous traditional songs, with the usual folk stories of unrequited love and conflict between master and servant,
that might bring the faint-hearted down. Of course, there is also a certain amount of esprit and humour.
Their musical approach however is powerful and perhaps trailblazing. The whole shebang is catchy and easy to digest,
enriched by original tunes and melodies. Just listen to Mia 'diddling' the "Polka Umulius" to be bowled over.
Yes, sometimes it requires only a simple formula to bring some fresh and new into circulation.
The sleeve notes are in both Danish and English, explaining the stories behind the songs to non-Danish speakers.
Mia and Morten were supposed to tour in Denmark this autumn (don't know if it really happened) and again in 2022, which will
take them over to the US indeed. First responses to their show were promising I heard:
"My girlfriend and I had a fantastic evening last night. Your concert was my birthday present to her, and we were singing all night
long – yes, I am actually still humming here the day after. Thank you so much!"
© Walkin' T😊M
Tre Martelli "Concerto di Natale"
Felmay Records, 2021
Italians, and Piedmontese are no exception, love a stuffed tummy. At the start of every natale dinner it's the roasted capon's, afterwards every man's, woman's and child's. This goes along with the traditional bonet pudding and a glass of dark-red Barolo wine. And here's the musical soundtrack for that purpose...
More than 40 years ago, Italian group Tre Martelli (which means Three Hammers, for all I know) started digging into the folklore and traditional music
of the Piedmont region in northwest Italy.[23][50][56][65]
Piedmont (meaning at the foot of the mountains and referring to the Alps)
borders Liguria and the Lombardy and France, with several different local languages being spoken including Occitan. As applies to
lingo applies to culture, customs and traditions as well. Tre Martelli collected north and south, east and west, created a vibrant show
with singing, guitars, fiddles, flutes, hurdy-gurdies and bagpipes, and introduced Piedmontese folkways to almost the whole of Europe.
Being cultural ambassadors for Piedmont remains true for their altogether thirteenth album "Concerto di Natale" (Christmas Concert),
which in itself is already based on annual performances given since the late 1970s. On the one hand the Concerto tries to evoke the
festive mood of the Yuletide season - the run up to Christmas Eve, the Nativity, eventually the Epiphany. On the other hand the group
looks into profane archaic rites, all or part of pre-Christian origin, as conveyed in traditional music and song.
So what about Christmas bonfires, the all-night vigils, the strennas (the exchange of gifts dating back to the Saturnalia of ancient Rome)?
Tre Martelli will tell you! There was the log burned in the fireplace before midnight mass to welcome and warm the newborn Jesus.
If the flame was still alive after mass, it was a good omen for the forthcoming year. Much favoured were the vernacular plays about the shepherd Gelindo of Monferrato
who helps Joseph and Mary to find shelter. Some traditions had already fallen into oblivion
to a great extent, if not reinvented by Tre Martelli - for better or for worse.
© Walkin' T😊M
Dan Walsh "Live at the Floodgate"
Own label, 2021
Let's start with a defintion: Clawhammer Banjo stands for an American old-time music style with the thumb focussing on the fifth string as a drone (though
occasionally picking other strings as well) and index or middle fingernail employing a downward stroke. The fingers thus appear just like a wild beast's claw.
Staffordshire's Dan Walsh perfected the clawhammer style, being no musical purist though he also snitched some ideas from the rivalling Scruggs style.
The end result is a percussive and funky approach he labelled funkhammer.[57][63][69]
Dan Walsh is a member of the Urban Folk Quartet (featuring fiddlers Joe Broughton and Paloma Trigas),[58]
regularily performs with harmonica player Will Pound [73]
and concertina veteran Alistair Anderson,[64]
and lately formed a duo with British-born bluegrass banjo player John Dowling and teamed up with American bluesman Brooks Williams.
He has recorded several albums, released two books and is in great demand as a teacher, even giving instructions via the internet.
However, Dan's natural element is playing live in concert. He can play a crowd and the result is an unforgettable night.
"Live at the Floodgate" has been recorded in his hometown of Stafford, his solo show eventually recorded for posterity,
just before the first lockdown terminated his busy touring schedule. The set list features some of the best
of his five albums plus old crowd-pleasers and new test-material which haven't yet been recorded.
To give you an outline: Dan slowly kicks off with a few notes, then accelerating for the first few drops of high velocity picking.
The following song "Still A Town" laments the demise of the local retail trade; little did he know then that internet shopping will prevail due to the pandemic
(and Brexit meaning empty shelves too). This and the traditional Irish "The Suilin" is a display for his vocal abilities; the next gritty set of jigs showcases
his instrumental skills: Irish dance music usually performed on the four-string tenor banjo but successfuly transformed to five-string clawhammer-style.
Dan takes up the guitar rendering a bluesy version of the Saw Doctors' "At Least Pretend," afterwards no pretending anymore with assaulting first the Appalachians
and secondly the Himalayas, the banjo impersonating the Indian sitar. Dan is again at home with his "Tuesday Night Session," a bluegrass romp, and
a couple of thoughful songs. Most notably, "The Song Always Stays" about consoling persons suffering from dementia with music,
and his 1:1 replica of Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al" on guitar including slapped bass. Drawing to a conclusion, Dan flies into a frenzy and
his digits are swirling across the fretboard. It sends anybody off, grin on their faces, spasm in their calves. However, nobody is laughing,
leastways nevermore about odd banjo jokes.
Dan Walsh has also published "O'Neill's Tunes For Clawhammer Banjo," a collection of jigs, reels and hornpipes taken from the renowned compilation
of Captain Francis O'Neill (1848-1936), uilleann-piping police officer of the Chicago Police Department, arranged for clawhammer banjo.
He admits that this volume is not aimed at beginners. The tunes are rather challenging, though he tries his best giving full particulars
to tackle these traditional Irish dance tunes. I'm not familiar with the five-string banjo, but I understand that different tunings are employed
(with illustrious names such as sawmill); Dan also devised an A major tuning which is supposed to provide the low notes typically out of the banjo's range.
In addition to the book, Dan posted regular tutorials on his Youtube channel. Check it out @
www.youtube.com/c/danwalshbanjo!
© Walkin' T😊M
Tom Beaulieu "2021 Update"
Own label, 2021
Tom Beaulieu[73]
sounds like a grumpy Sam Hawkens, which is an interesting start. On the CD he tells us about the songs, comments on the events which inspired him to write, and generally spreads a sombre apocalyptic mood. The appearance of lots of zombies in his songs only seems logical. „Zombies on Zambonies“ for example. His favourite sentence is „Zamboni was a man and not a machine“, he repeats this in several songs, but his explanations are not a great help at understanding what he is talking about. He likes to experiment with sounds, some songs sound like sung through an old-fashioned bullhorn. Beaulieu likes rocky songs, seems to find inspirations in bands from the seventies, is absolutely interesting, but folky only in trace elements.
© Gabriele Haefs
Nolan McKelvey (with Megyn Neff and Tim Hogan) "Into The Silence"
Get Onus Stay Onus Music, 2021
Nolan McKelvey & Ron James "Songs of Hope"
Get Onus Stay Onus Music, 2021
Nolan McKelvey is a songwriter from the USA who’s apparently performed everywhere in his home country. His website is overfull with information about his gig, in the past, present and future, unfortunately though it does not tell us much about the man himself. Never mind, it’s also nice just to listen. His voice and guitar style remind of young Donovan, but McKelvey likes to meander among musical styles. Slow, ballad like songs which match his tender voice, old time, classical US-songwriterstyle - he is good at them all. The album was recorded live, but the audience applauds in a discrete way and does not disturb. The titles show the variations in mood: „After the wine“ and „Dark times“. We absolutely have to mention fiddler Megyn Neff, who also sings the harmonies in some songs.
On the short CD „Songs of Hope“ (ca. 25 min., 6 tracks) we meet Nolan McKelvey together with Paul James, the songs were written by both, a lot of guest musicians joined them at the recordings, which must be why the whole things starts in genuine big-band-sound. All the money made from the sale of the album will go to a foundation in aid of children with brain-tumours. The songs are about this disease and its various stages. A project well worth supporting, though the album does not sound folky at all.
© Gabriele Haefs
Fia Ekberg "Bangatan"
Kakafon Records, 2020
Swedish songwriter Fia Ekberg calls her CD „Station Street“, and on the cover she walks through a more or less abandoned street where just a few cars linger on. It looks like a typical Swedish smalltown which has seen better times, but first the jobs disappeared, then the railwaystation was closed. Fia Ekberg’s bright red trousers seem to promise that not everything is as dreary as it looks. And this takes us right into her songs, which address many things: Old age, being left alone, fears for the future, longing for love and friendship, snow in May (is this a good thing or a bad one, these days?), strict role patterns (a boy wanting to dance …). For each topic she has the perfect tune. And her unforgettable voice, which rises to an amazingly high pitch. Die guest musician deliver a suitable accompaniment which never puts itself into the frontseat (even saxophone player Sten Källman manages to avoid the usual Scandinavian mishmash). Simply beautiful!
© Gabriele Haefs
Celenka "Villoi Varsa"
Nordic Notes, 2021
Finnish trio Celenka has a passion for the songs and the languages of Karelia, the part of Finland which after WW2 was annexed by the USSR. The songs on this CD were found in collections made in the great collecting period around 1900, when female singers from Karelia still knew the traditional styles of singing. The songs were sung in four languages: Finnish, Russian, Karelian and Veps (Veps is a language related to Finnish, nowadays it is seriously threatened by extinction). The close cohabitation of such different cultures had made it possible to develop a singing style which embraced elements from all of them, and this can still be heard today. A Russian element is immediately followed by a bit of Finnish hymn singing, and so forth. Truly a discovering voyage in sound! And unforgettable – the truly catchy workers‘ anthem „Työväenlaulu“, and good to know that „Solidarity“ sounds similiar in all languages.
© Gabriele Haefs
Annie Gallup "Oh Everything"
Gallway Bay Music, 2021
Annie Gallup, songwriter from the USA, sings with a dark voice, reminding immediately of Juliette Gréco. She dresses in black as well, and on the cover she sits, surrounded by flying ravens, in a soon to be demolished house. This mood is typical for her songs, which she accompanies on guitar. But not everything is as slow and melancholy as the cover seems to suggest. Immediately after the first Gréco-like recital we are treated to a zany rap, which turns out to be a lullaby, but has the untypical title, for a lullaby, that is, of „Rockabye“. Such is Annie Gallup: One surprise after the other. And each time you think you can place her style somehow there is a new change in melody and rhythm. A title such as „Nothing/Everything“ must be programmatic. And that she’s always been like that is proven by the album’s last track: „Portrait of the Artist as a Young Punk.“
© Gabriele Haefs
Asleep at the Reel "The Emerald Dream"
Own label, 2019
Asleep at the Reel are an Australian group with Irish roots and preferences. Together with vocalist and songwriter Mark Cryle we especially should mention accordeonist Rose Broe. The band’s songs often sound traditional, but they aren’t, all of them were written by Mark Cryle, who gets his inspiration, among others, from poetical icones such as John Donne or William Butler Yeats, or writes a song about Moby Dick and star-crossed captain Ahab. The music is mainly catchy, makes you want to clap your hands, something which is emphasized by the sometimes extremely monotonous percussions. A slight love for clichés is also notable, wherever Irishmen meet, streams of whiskey are flowing, the way we know it from many not native Irish Irish bands. And sometimes Cryle’s texts also fit the cliché of Australia being a macho land. But in spite of it all, it’s fun to listen, especially the detours into pop music with songs like „Red Dress“.
© Gabriele Haefs
Catriona McKay "Love in Secret"
Glimster Records, 2021
Catriona McKay[65]
is a Scottish harper with a penchant for classical Irish and Scottish compositions, so on this album we find works by Carolan, like „Carolan’s Concerto“ and well-known old favourites like „Sí bheag, sí mhor“ and „Casadh an tSugáin“. She works often together with Alistair MacDonald, a more experimental musician (not to be confused with traditional singer Alastair MacDonald!), and so she also presents her own, very modern compositions, where sometimes only the title sounds Scottish (like „Whisky Reels“). Her love for experimenting is also shown by the fact that the old tunes are played a lot more lively than unsual, especially „Casadh an tSugáin“ turns into an entirely new tune (and a lot more fitting for the dramatical story which is its origin). An album which makes you want to listen to it many times and invites you on a musical journey of discovery.
© Gabriele Haefs
David Crosby "For Free"
BMG/Warner, 2021
Exactly, it’s the David Crosby,[75]
and with this more or less everything is said. He does not change his style, is forever true to himself, so to speak, and his bright and clear voice still is unmistakable. All old fans will be delighted, and he’ll surely will gain some new ones. On this album he collaborates with his son, multi-instrumentalist James Raymond, we learn this from the info-sheet written in very complicated German. But this only seems consistent with what his agents call „complicated textures and complex grooves“. You should not let this frighten you off, the music is beautiful, with many layers and texts, which are not easy to forget. And the infosheet is right at least in this: „For Free“, Crosby’s cover of a song by Joni Mitchell, whom he admires so much, is the terrific climax of the album.
© Gabriele Haefs
Tip Jar "One Lifetime"
Coast To Coast, 2021
Duo Tip Jar is from the Netherlands, but sings in English. Bart de Win and Arianne Knegt wrote all songs on this album themselves, sometimes with a little help from others (the info on the cover shows a very artistical design, the letters dance in front of the poor reviewer’s eyes, so no further information will follow here). The two of them seem to find inspiration all over the place. The first track is simply pop, track 2
(„Something I said“) reminds of Joe Dassin, track 3 („Kiss me“) is country and Arianne Knegt shows what a great singer she is, and so it continues … the (as are as the lyrics are concerned) horrible stalker-song „Tell me something“ is Motown-inspired, the Carpenters had a hand in the title-song – a very interesting mixture, which no matter what we are reminded of never sounds like a copy, but as a work of ist own, and which makes us want to listen to a lot more of Tip Jar’s work in the future.
© Gabriele Haefs
Olaf Sickmann "New Irish Tin Whistle Tunes 2"
Timezone Records, 2021
„Tunes as beautiful as dreams meet tremendous technique“, claims the infosheet in German (which only addresset itself to men, but women as well can make use of this tin-whistle tutor), and we surely won’t contradict. Olas Sickmann has written all tunes himself, in a traditional style, even though he allows himself slight deviations from strict tradition every now and again. The titles show how far he strays at times: „Sometimes TV is great“ or „Restart“. The CD and the tunes are meant to help us learn, and we can download the music sheets and the soundtrack without the tinwhistle and practice. We hear (and play) reels, jigs, marches, waltzes, hornpipes, the whole gamut. Perfect for practicing, and quite soon we get a feeling of achievement. Let’s quote the info-sheet again: „This is the way to sell CDs in an age of streaming-services. (Satisfied Amazon-customer).“ Luckily there is no need to buy this interesting and instructive album via Amazon!
© Gabriele Haefs
Diana Jones "Song to a refugee"
Proper Records, 2020
Diana Jones, singer and guitarist from Nashville, has gathered famous colleages for this album, such as Peggy Seeger and Richard Thompson, to name but a few. That shivers run down our spine when listening is not only due to the wonderful music and the perfect harmonies. The title reminds of Woody Guthrie’s „Deportees“, and that’s what it’s meant to do, the songs are about fugitives, refugees, displaces persons, about people from many countries who in their despair seek refuge somewhere – and who often don’t meet with hospitality, but are placed behind barbed wire and separated from their loved ones. Diana Jones wrote the title song for a mother from Sudan who came to England hoping to be reunited with her children. The music is wonderful, in spite of the depressing topic, we’ve said that already, and the money made by the sales will go to an organisation for the aid of refugees, two perfect reasons for buying many copies!
© Gabriele Haefs
West of Eden "Taube"
Own label, 2021
Evert Taube (1890 – 1976) was a legendary singer and poet from Sweden, everyone in Sweden still knows at least one of his songs and many quotes from his works. West of Eden,[70]
a group of six musicians, has chosen a merry mixture, wellknown songs and hidden jewels from the Taube-universe. For some songs they chose the melodies the master himself wrote for his texts, for others they found new tunes, and they often find inspiration with British or Irish songs. Jenny Schaub’s bright, clear voice opens new access tot he rather male oriented world of Evert Taube’s lyrics, vocalist Martin Schaub guarantees that we are not overwhelmed by surprise. The songs are often coupled with another tune, most often a jig or a reel, like „Copperplate“ or „I’ll tell me Ma“. Tinwhistle and Bodhrán add their share to this successful cultural fusion. A very varied album and a perfect introduction tot he work of the great Evert Taube.
© Gabriele Haefs
Various Artists "Lyden av Vestfold"
ETNISK MUSIKKLUBB, 2021
This CD could be one tremendous farewell concert fort he Norwegian district Vestfold, which in January 2020 – against furious protests of the people living there – had to fuse with neighbouring district Telemark. To have the new superunit called Vest-Viken could be prevented; this name was invented by Norwegian Nazi-leader Quisling, the politicians responsible for the fusion and the new name claimed to have forgotten this embarrassing fact. Singers Karolina Westling, Tone Krohn, Rikke Christine Roseng, Tone Juve and Elfi Sverdrup show how much wonderful music old Vestfold hat to offer– and that it was absolutely on a par with Telemark, so to speak the darling of all Norwegian folklore preservation. They offer high class folk music, sing solo or in harmonies, and always unaccompanied. We hear long ballads from old collections, like the one about knight Ole of Rosenlund’s tragic love, as well as short fun songs, like „Pål sine høner“, known in many variants all over Norway, a menuet sounds, sung and not played on the harpsichord, all of a sudden not like taken from a nobleman’s court, pious hymns and short cattle calls follow each other and show the powerful voices oft he singers. It does not happen often that Richard Wagner is quoted on Folk World, but here it has to be: „This is what I call an aftersong!“
© Gabriele Haefs
Matt & Madeline "The Aim Was Song"
Eigenverlag, 2021
Matt and Madeline are a young duo from Colorado who at present live in Shanghai. Their website does not tell us much more, which is a pity. The CD anyway was recorded in Colorado. All texts are by Robert Frost (1874 – 1963), whom many of us surely remember from English lessons at school. At first the songs sound very folky. Madeline’s clear voice reminds of Carolyn Hester, especially in the first song,
„Love and a question“. Matt sings too, he plays guitar, Madeline plays banjo and tin whistle, the ideal folk-equipment, so to speak. Bluegrass influences are obvious, some songs sound a bit Irish (or rather like Irish songs after having survived some generations in the US) – but then the sound turns jazzy, and Matt’s love for improvisation breaks through (assisted by drummer Christian Teale). Altogether a most interesting mixture and a reason to take up your old Robert Frost textbook again.
© Gabriele Haefs
The Accidentals "Time Out" [EP]
Own label, 2021
This short album with five songs is sort of a by-product. The American trio was working at full power on a new album, when Covid-19 broke loose and the first lockdown started. Under house arrest they wrote new songs, in close electronical contact with famous colleagues like Tom Paxton. The songs are folky, like we expect from the USA, they deal with the worries and fears of the pandemy’s first phase. They also offer comfort, especially in the last track, which sounds almost like a hymn, and where they repeat over and over again: All shall be well in the end.
© Gabriele Haefs
Eric Lambert "Beating the Odds"
Woodpicker Music, 2021
Eric Lambert shows on this CD what an able songwriter he is. All songs were written by him, with the exception of „The music set me free“, which he wrote together with Kari Estrin, and Dylan’s „The Weight“. Musician and singer Lambert presents a wide variety of styles, sometimes swinging, sometimes full of speed, then again a melancholy mood prevails, and a journey to Ireland inspired him to an instrumental („Green“), which is accompanied by a Dick-Gaughan-style guitar. Things which occupy his mind are the destruction of environment and nature („Mother Earth“), but in the midst of all misery he still feels hope and makes future plans which might be an inspiration to us all:
„I’ll dance when I’m a hundred“. A truly eventful album, which can turn you into an Eric-Lambert-addict.
© Gabriele Haefs
Joy Zimmerman "The canvas before us"
Own label, 2021
Joy Zimmerman is a songwriter from the US who accompanies herself on the guitar. Other instruments mentioned on the cover are fiddle, ukukele, djembe and typewriter. The typewriter can only be heard if the listener knows on which track to watch out for it. She has written all songs an this album herself, and the universe of her songs is large indeed. The first song, „Prairie Wind“, breathes the Karl-May-spirit which everyone in Germany rightfully expects. Song No. 2, „Measure my heart“, sounds almost like an Irish traditional, „If your life were a movie“ is extremely lively, and in such songs Zimmerman presents a wonderful irony which reminds of Womenfolk, a group from the early days of feminism who was far too little known over here. The last song sounds like a hymn and invites to join in.
© Gabriele Haefs
John McCutcheon "Bucket List"
Appalsongs, 2021
Songwriter John McCutcheon[73]
from the US probably harbours a secret love for Roger Whittaker, at least in sounds like this on the first tracks of this album – Mr Whittaker could have sounded like this had he not sung such hideous stuff. McCutcheon also plays a great guitar. And as soon as the enthusiastic listener has got used to this style, the style changes, and the singer manages without the slightest problem to remind of Dick Gaughan. Almost all songs were written by himself, with the exception of well-known oldie „The Moonshiner“, but here he uses a different tune from the one we are used to hearing. In additon to the guitar he plays the piano, and as a special highlight we can hear the piano (which used to belong to songwriter and activist Zilphia Horten and is now to be found in the Highlander Center in Tennessee) on which „We shall overcome“ was played for the first time.
© Gabriele Haefs
Mala Oreen "Awake"
TOURBOmusic, 2021
For a start: Those who do not know songwriter Mala Oreen from Lucerne, will go to her website looking for information. And there we read, among other things, that she finds inspiration in Irish music, and that some festivalperson thought he was listening to Joan Baez, when he first heard Oreen perform. Don’t believe a word of this! No traces to be found of Irish music, and neither in her singing style nor in her voice or her choice of songs can we discover any similarities to Joan Baez. What we hear ist the sort of Folk which often is labelled „Americana“. Mala Oreen, who has family relations in the US (which probably explains her wonderful Swiss-accentless pronunciation which alone makes the album a joy to listen to) has written all her songs herself, she plays guitar and violin. She writes about things like friendship and vague fears, which haunt most of us at some stage, about trying not to give up hope, sometimes rather nondescript lyrics, but music and voice make listening into a pure enjoyment.
© Gabriele Haefs
Christoph Hansen, Martje Johannsen, Kalle Johannsen "Mungard"
recordJet, 2021
Jens Emil Mungard (1885 – 1940) is not well-known outside his home island Sylt in the Northsea, and many poetry lovers will only vaguely remember that he once lived, that he was the great poet of Northern Frisia and that he was murdered in a concentration camp. A newly released album gives us now the chance for a closer inspection of the Syltian poet. Mungard wrote in Sölring, as the Frisian ideom of his island is called, a language which is not easily understood in the other areas where Northern Frisian variants are spoken. The very informative booklet with its many illustrations tells us about his life and work. Obviously the poor man was haunted by misfortune all through his life, private catastrophes made his family life hell, and then the Nazis came whom he could not tolerate at all. The melodies on this CD were composed by Christoph Hansen, who also supplies the instrumental accompaniment. The mood in the texts probably is significant for the mood prevailing in Mungard’s life, dark, but not depressing. The album is a wonderful reason to get acquainted with this poet and with the Frisian languges in general.
© Gabriele Haefs
Kalinec & KJ "Let’s get away"
Berkalin Records, 2021
The American duo’s name makes curious to find out what their full names may be, and here we can tell you: Brian Kalinec and KJ Reimensnyder-Wagner! Both of them write songs, sometimes in cooperation, but those who expect grand opera from a name like Wagner will be surprised: Everything is quite gentle and without great explosions of feeling. The duo’s singing styles reminds a bit of the Carter Family, without religion, though – but a song like „Reach out“ indeed has spiritual elements. Both love waltzes, which is proven already by song no. 2: „New Lovers‘ Waltz“. Ms Reimensnyder-Wagner also loves Scotland and really feels at home on the banks of the Tay (if anyone thinks of Fontane now: right you are!). For her song „Home in Scotland“ she invited piper Jeff Duncan into the studio, and on other tracks he turns out to be a truly devilish fiddler!
© Gabriele Haefs
Paul Kaplan "We shall stay here"
Old Coat Music, 2021
Paul Kaplan sounds like the folksingers from the USA we grew up with (Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs), and this has its reasons: He was around at their time already, and wrote his first song in 1966 (why is he not as well-known over here as he deserves?). The new album presents songs from today and from 1982, and everything sounds very much from now, and well-known at the same time (a song about pollution, written in 1982, unfortunately is even more up to the point today). His great forte is making new words to songs we all know almost by heart. Malvina Reynolds‘ „Little Boxes“ was about shoebox like houses in the suburbs, in Paul Kaplan’s version the little boxes are the squares on the screen into which we write our daily and usually completely inimportant postings.
„Those were the days“ becomes „These are the days“, a description of life in lockdown. And we can all join in when a song starts with „I dreamed I heard Pete Seeger sing“ and like Joe Hill Pete Seeger smiles and his voice lives on. These are just some of the songs on this wonderful CD we can listen to again and again!
© Gabriele Haefs
