Issue 13 3/2000
Label: KRL/Lochshore; CDLDL 1292; 1999; Playing time: 43.00 min
'Connected' - and Gibb is surely connected (with many excellent guest musicians, including John Sheahan, Tony Mc Manus, Alisdair Fraser, Simon Thoumire, Joannie Madden, John McCusker, etc.) - is his first ever solo album. Gibb is a singer with passion, he has a strong and powerful voice and he knows wich songs do fit to his singing style. The choice of songs on this album include some traditionals (Blackwaterside, Will ye no come back again,...), some songs by other songwriter and a hugely original recitation on the traditional 'Carrickfergus' against Finbar Furey's Uilleann Pipes.
Still, the highlights of the album are the two songs written by Gibb himself. 'Lonely Belnahua' tells the story of the last inhabitants of the island of Belnahua - a song with strong emotions. 'No more stravaigin' is dedicated to the late great Scottish singer Alex Campbell. Both are very strong songs - it is werth to buy the album just for these...
KRL/Lochshore
Christian Moll
Label: DoFol; DF-014-CD; 1998; Playing time: 43.16 min
The album presents 11 original tracks of traditional Galician songs of the Christmas season. For this project the excellent Galician label DoFol has chosen 11 of the best groups and musicians of the current Galician scene including Berrogüetto, Leilia, Pancho Alvarez, Na Lua,... Each of them was given the task to select, arrange or compose their track.
In the booklet you can read: "With this work we wanted to give our little assitance to recover the historical-musical memory of Galician. It was actually the great richness of rites, habits, traditions and the extensive documentation existing, which was the basis for the artists to produce their songs, to which they addedmore current musical concepts. This is the reason why the carols we offer contribute to a new, more contemporary, updated and modern vision of the carols while expressing the new ideas from the artists' group, whom mostly represent the current Galician musical panorama."
So the album represents both: the old Galician Christmas traditions and music presenting the folk music scene of Galica of today, yet steeped in the tradition! All of the 11 songs are impressive; personal highlights are Pancho Alvarez's 'Aguinaldo', Leilia's 'Canto de Laxoso', Berrogüetto's Nadal de Luintra' and Maite Dono's 'Os Reis do Caurel'.
The booklet (book?!) of the album is also special - it was too big to fit into the original box, so there is a paper box which includes the origianl box and the booklet. There is lots of information given in Galician, Spanish and English.
It is maybe not the right time to review a christmas album, but anyway christmas is just around the corner again - sooner than you might think now... And yet, these great songs can be heared all year round!
So wacht out for this album now, to avoid the last-minute X-mas shopping stress!
DoFol
Christian Moll
Label: Working Party; WPCD 003; 1999; Playing time: 60.18 min
Stömp is an English Country Dance Band with a broad field of influences: from trad to rock, from England over Sweden to central Europe. The band consists of Sheena Masson (concertina, flute, whistle), Martin Appleby (e-/a-bass, cittern, dulcimer, e-guitar), Jeff Dent (e-/a-guitar, spoons), Kevin Adams (violins, viola, mandolin, mandola, e-/a-guitars) and Rob Gifford on drums. The tunes presented on 'Machine Without Horses' - Stömp's debut album - is a mixture of fresh interpretated traditional material, and newer compositions (including self written material). The music is based in the tradition, but has the right modern swing to be perfect to dance to, but also to sit and listen to the inspiring unusual interpretations.
Working Party, Stömp's homepage
Christian Moll
Label: Veesik Records; VKCD106; 1999; Playing time: 48.34 min
The band was formed in march 1999, and has now, less than one year later, published its debut album. Solan have already toured in England, Scotland, the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark. And there are more concerts to come (including tours in Germany and Denmark, and the folk festivals in Gosport/Fareham and Chester). Solan are playing traditional, contemporary and original material mainly from the British Isles. The tunes are mostly focused on the concertina, fiddle and guitar creating a fitting backing for Frances. The ballads are sung by Richard Chaff in a traditional style (who has also recorded, mixed, mastered and produced this album).
A fine debut of a new band that will surely be seen in many clubs in the near future.
Veesik Records
Christian Moll
Label: DoFol; BOA 10002019; 1999; Playing time: 50.47 min
Na Lua is an 'old established' band from Galicia. They have been around for quite a time, having been around before, but also part of the big revival.
Their music is modern and fresh with deep roots in the Galician culture. The six lads play among others the gaita (Galician bagpipe), sax, flute, accordion, guitar, bass and percussion - and of course they do sing also. On this album they have some help from guest musicians, especially diverse percussion instruments and beautiful female voices.
Their music wanders between slow melodic tunes and folk rocky ideas. It is definitely a different album to their last one, and I think it might still take some time for me to like it as much as the predecessor - but this might well happen!
DoFol
Christian Moll
Label: Elkarlanean; KD 540; 1999; Playing time: 41.52 min
There are 9 different singers on this album, backed on several instruments (trikitixa (Basque accordion), percussion, guitars and mandolin). The interpretations and presentations of the songs are quite varied - as you would expect from so many different singers. Yet the overall sound gives the album a coherent feeling.
It's once again good to see that the work of folklore experts from long ago is used to bring new influences into today's folk scene.
Elkarlanean, Mailto Elkarlanean
Christian Moll
Label: Scotfolk; SCCD1; 2000; Playing time: 46.11 min
It is nearly unbelivable that Elspeth has never recorded a solo album before - she has recorded as a member of stunning Scottish group Seannachie, as one third of the femal vocal band Chantan and on various various-artist albums (e.g. Complete Robert Burns, Ceilidh House Sessions or Music for a new Scottish Parliament) - but until now she has never recorded on her own.
For the album, it was a good decision to focus clearly on her voice - this fascinating album features a breathtaking variety of songs, showing how colourfull and varied a-capella singing can be presented.
Most of the material is traditional - there are among others excellent interpretations of 'Cruel Mither', 'The great Silkie of Sule Skerry', 'Twa Sisters', 'Green Grow the Laurel'. Additionally, there are contemporary songs, the most unusual 'folk songs' of them being the folky swinging 'Can't help Lovin' Dat Man' and ' Wonderful World' - both maybe a bit unusual but fitting very well into the whole album.
Finally two listening tips - in 'Auld Maid in the Garret' there is a verse worth to listen to carefully. And then the MacCrimmon as a great final for this album.
Great singing, good production and informative booklet - full marks for this CD.
Scotfolk
Christian Moll
Label: Peerie Angel Productions; PAP001; 2000; Playing time: 50.57 min
Catriona plays mostly tunes from the Shetland traditions, along with some great compositians of contemporary musicians like Ian Lowthian, Brian Finnegan, Phil Cunningham and last not least Catriona herself. She is supported by some of the (many) greatest musicians of the Scottish scene: David Milligan (piano - Bachue), Conrad Ivitsky (double bass - Shooglenifty), Tony McManus (guitar), James MacKintosh (percussion - Shooglenifty), Ian Lowthian (acc). The album has a lot of highlights, bursting of beauty, energy, variety. It closes with a special tune where Catriona is joined by Ivor Kleive, one of Norway's finest church organists. Written by Catriona, this tune is calles "the joy of it!" - and you can easily feel the joy and excitement of her playing throughout this "bold" album.
Released on her own new label, the album has a very high production quality as well as a professional and cool design - well done!
At the same time of the release of her new album, Catriona presented a new super group in the Main Auditorium of Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall: Called String Sisters, it features five other famous international fiddle players - amazing stuff!
www.peerieangel.demon.co.uk, peerieangel@peerieangel.demon.co.uk; Tel./Fax +44-1273-205774
Michael Moll
Label: Grappa Musikkforlag; GRCD 4158; 1999; Playing time: 49.43 min
"Baba Yaga" is an exceptional strong album, proving that there is a successful way to accept and integrate foreign music cultures into regional music without losing the regional identity. Recommended.
Grappa Music, Annbjørg's homepage
Michael Moll
Label: Xource; XOUCD 126; 1999; Playing time: 57.07 min
If you now like to find out more about this cool music, or maybe even want to win one of the "Gront" CDs which FolkWorld is giving away, you should directly move on to the Väsen article in thi issue!
Xource Records, xource@mnw.se
Michael Moll
Label: Coop Breizh; CD894; 2000; Playing time: 43.26 min
mailto Coop Breizh
Michael Moll
Label: RCA Victor; CD 09026 63637 2;
2000; Playing time: 62.46 min
They have
some guests on the album, and this time not the rock stars, but
musicians of the crème of Irish traditional music - many of them do
represent a special style of an area: The Kilfenora Ceilidh Band from
County Clare, Altan from Donegal, Ciarán Ó
Gealbháin (of Danu) from the Ring Gaeltacht, Janet Harbison and
The Belfast Harp Orchestra from Ulster etc. Still, the music of the
Chieftains is always the centerpiece of the music...
The album
offers with 17 tunes and songs and more than an hour playing time
loads of high class music. It is inspiring to see the Chieftains going
back and producing an album without rock stars - this traditional
Irish theme was long overdue for an Chieftains album.
The booklet
is nicely designed, but the information about tunes, songs and guest
musicians could have been a bit more satisfying - instead of the long
introduction text of Maurice Linnane, Film Director. This film
director is the man who has done a documentary film about the making
of this album, and this documention can be seen in many countries this
spring - watch out for it!!
RCA Victor
Christian
Moll
To the first CD page
To the second CD page
To the content of FolkWorld CD Reviews
To the content of FolkWorld online magazine Nr. 13
© The Mollis - Editors of FolkWorld; Published 3/2000All material published in FolkWorld is © The Author via FolkWorld. Storage for private use is allowed and welcome. Reviews and extracts of up to 200 words may be freely quoted and reproduced, if source and author are acknowledged. For any other reproduction please ask the Editors for permission.