Four young lads from Laois - it should be the title of a song perhaps, but it's actually an innovative Irish band doing that seemingly impossible thing of writing new traditional music. All instrumental, all original, this debut album is a joy - but not exactly from start to finish. In fact, the first time I listened, the question I was asking was "Why didn't they reverse the order of these tracks?" Others have commented that they save the best till last, and that's not far from the truth, but the opening medley just doesn't do this band justice. So skip it, and start with Bergin's Jigs written by the most prolific composer here, box-player Ruaidhri Tierney. Box and whistle make a fine job of languid melodies over Dale McKay's solid guitar, coming close to a John McCusker tune on The Comfort of Hope. McKay waxes lyrical on the intro to PB18 which has Kurt Dinneen Carroll switching to low whistle for the most relaxed slides I've heard in a while, before cutting loose on a fine new reel.
The Flake gets to the tasty core of this recording, snappily arranged, combining the best of old school Irish trad with the new wave of funky rhythms: David Harte comes into his own on upright bass, and the combination of whistle and box is rocking the slip jig vibe like early Beóga or Moxie. Trip to Lucca is a wee Latin gem on accordion, followed up with a couple of beat-bending jigs from Kurt who it turns out is also a terrific piper. The delightful waltz Buíochas betrays the band's name, translating as "Thanks" or "Gratitude", and leading into the cracking jig Saorlaith's Tune. The final two tracks really are among the best here, a slides-reel medley and a march-reel medley with bowed bass underpinning some great tunes on box, whistle and pipes while the guitar keeps it all in order. Buíoch have a new, bright, exciting sound well worth hearing: check out their website for more details.
© Alex Monaghan
Cameron Fontenot "A Tribute to the Fiddling Greats"
Own Label, 2023
Cajun fiddling with a bit of polish: Cameron Fontenot hails from Eunice in southern Louisiana and has absorbed the music of many great Louisiana fiddlers. This album presents classic Cajun pieces from Dennis McGee, Dewey Balfa, and many more I had not heard of. Cameron is joined by Blake Miller, Joel Savoy, Gina Forsyth, David Greely, Peter Schwarz, Beau Thomas, Luke Huval and John Dowden for fiddle duets and trios. The backing sound of triangle, steel guitar, bass and drums evokes the Cajun dance halls, especially on the handful of numbers which incorporate Louisiana French vocals.
The well known Allons à Lafayette and the adopted oldtime showpiece Draggin' the Bow are the only titles which rang a bell, but the rest of this CD is core Cajun dance music: reels, two-steps, waltzes, weeping and poignant like their names. Caillette est Crevée, Tu M'as Quitté dans la Louisiane, and Ton Tit Coeur est Barré pretty much capture the mood. Fiddler's Waltz, Tolan Waltz and Valse de Bamboucheur are toe-tapping and romantic by turns. I've heard the catchy Aguillard Two-Step by other names, and Rabbit Stole the Pumpkin is great a bit of fiddle fun. Rosina is a pleasant surprise, basically a central French bourrée transported to the New World for a Cajun makeover. Every track is brilliantly arranged and deftly played with Cajun heart and soul. All that's missing on this album is a bit of rubboard to make it a full feast of Cajun fiddle.
© Alex Monaghan
Brian Fitzgerald "Turning Hay with a Crowbar"
Own Label, 2023
Great stuff, and plenty of it - this solo debut really puts the tenor banjo in its proper place, which is at the heart of Irish traditional music today. Brian Fitzgerald has played in groupings with many of the greats of contemporary Irish music, some of them assisting him on this album, and while Turning Hay with a Crowbar may have been long in the making it's also long on quality and quantity. Almost a double album with eighteen tracks taking it well over the hour, the banjo leads throughout and there's never a point where it's too much. Variety of tempos and tone is limited - there's only so much you can put into plucked strings, and there's none of your waltzes and slow airs here - but the choice of material and the different arrangements keep the music interesting and absorbing from start to finish. Reels and jigs, hornpipes and the odd set dance or two: Fitzgerald looks mainly north and west from his native East Limerick.
Grand old tunes and gripping new compositions, including a couple by Brian himself, are delicately mastered on banjo and backed by Michael Rooney on harp, Eoin O'Neill on bouzouki, Ryan Molloy on piano and John Joe Kelly on the auld skin drum. No track is unaccompanied, and Brian is joined by Lorna Fitzgerald on button box for two selections, but the banjo is always front and centre. It's nice to be reminded of Johnny Harling's, The Manchester Hornpipe, The Bellharbour Reel, Dr O'Neill's and a few others. There are some challenging pieces here, Lord Gordon' and Dr Gilbert's for example, but all seem to flow with unhurried ease from Fitzgerald's fingers. Less familiar but no less enjoyable are Skeffinagh House by Martin Power from Ballincollig (don't go there), The Road to Kilmallock from the Joyce Collection, and Tae the Beggin which Brian notes is actually called The Periwig but was tacked onto a begging song by Scottish band Ossian and so acquired the name of that song. Lots to enjoy here for fans of the banjo or anyone who appreciates good Irish music.
© Alex Monaghan
"Baiana"
Absolute Label Services, 2023
Singing in English and Portuguese, Baiana (Liverpool-born Laura Doyle) turns her tremendous vocal cords to Brazilian folk and jazz, Latin samba and bossa nova, and more. It's a retro style, but just as catchy now as a century ago with the early recordings of Elza Soares and others. Baiana includes a great Latin jazz backing group and an impressive horn section, conjuring moods from smoky lounge to full-on fiesta.
Some - maybe all - of these songs are originals. They would fit in with a Fado performance by the likes of Mariza, or a Broadway show with the crooners of the 50s and 60s. Paradise edges towards the psychedelic pop of Aquarius, but still keeps a connection to creole with a hint of zydeco. Saudade Samba has the bittersweet sentiments of its title, and perhaps a submissiveness from a previous era, while The Birds and the Bees is more demanding, more up front, aggressively romantic.
These tracks are polished to a shine, everything works perfectly together. Baiana uses her voice like a concert violinist - expressive, percussive, sweet and lingering, rich and powerful. Rhythm and melody, lyrics and mood, convey a wide range of emotions. The whole album oozes showmanship from every bar. Think Esquivel, Clifton Chenier, Hot Club of Cowtown. Baiana brings a sparkling new voice to the culture of Brazil and beyond.
© Alex Monaghan
Amelia Parker "Forwards"
Own label, 2023
From just outside Pictou, the site of the first Scottish settlement in Nova Scotia, Amelia Parker has wowed audiences worldwide with her fiddling through online concerts and social media, as well as competitions and performances closer to home. Her family has strong ties to its Scottish heritage, and there is certainly "Gaelic in the fiddle" as they say in Cape Breton, but only about a quarter of the material here is Scottish. The rest is divided between Ireland, Canada, the USA, and even England, although the accompaniment from Skip Holmes, Troy McGillivray and Kimberley Holmes is pure Nova Scotia.
Alongside some great reels and hornpipes, Amelia plays three beautiful slow tunes. Poor Girl Waltz is a Canadian standard, and Joe Book's Waltz by Benoit Lefebvre is almost as well known these days. Iconic Cape Breton fiddler Don MacLellan's lovely composition Fleur's Farewell was new to me, a very welcome introduction to a fine tune. There are also two songs, sweetly sung by Ms Parker: the very old English Bedlam Boys delivered with spirit, and a rather slower version of Ho-Ro Mo Nighean Donn Bhoidheach sung in English as My Nut Brown Maiden.
Amelia is still in her teens, and has been focused on competition, so there are a couple of competition pieces here: the technically challenging Willow Springs and the oldtime medley of Back Up and Push with Ned Landry's classic Bowing the Strings. Maybe there will be more of a session vibe to her next album as she heads of to college for a broad musical education. In the meantime, we'll have to make do with her excellent performances of Bobby MacLeod's Jean's Reel, Gordon Duncan's High Drive, Kevin O'Neill's Superfly, John McCusker's Frank's Reel, Adam Sutherland's Road to Errogie, Stacey Read's Stickney Way, Dave Richardson's MacArthur Road, and a double handful of traditional favourites.
© Alex Monaghan
Britanny & Natalie Haas "Haas"
Padiddle Records, 2023
Two sisters, two instruments, and a whole lot of magic: the music on Haas combines the styles for which Natalie and Brittany are justly famous - Celtic, Oldtime, Contemporary, Bluegrass and more - as well as their formidable composing and arranging skills. Starting with a contemporary fiddle reel, underpinned by cello chops and continuo, the duo moves into Celtic territory with Reel for Denis - still quite modern but more of a traditional dance tune feel. Natalie's tune The Volunteer is a dark brooding combination of contemporary American fiddle and Scandinavian cello chill. A pair of jigs by Brittany bridge the Atlantic to Ireland with rollicking rhythms and ancient modes. The gentle march Bob & Suzanne's Welcome to Inverness adds a distinctly Scottish flavour with its snaps or cuts and its swaggering beat over a pipelike drone.
Apart from the traditional Harvelandsvalsen, and its trackmate Potatis Valsen by Ale Möller, all the material here is composed by the Haas sisters. Their creativity embraces the delightfully sliding Pond, the solemn strathspey The Hummingbird's Visit, the sweetness of Brittany's waltz The Rose Gardener and the ominous drive of Natalie's Strange Road to the Unknown. Their penultimate track shows off the full range of sounds and speeds in a medley of melodies swapped from cello to fiddle and back again. The last piece here, aptly titled Finally, is both a catchy culminating anthem and a comment on this album which unites two great exponents of broadly traditional music on a recording which is long overdue and very welcome.
© Alex Monaghan
Paul Anderson "Iona"
Own Label, 2022
A complex and rewarding collection of music, song, spoken word and visual art, this album combines the considerable talents of Tarland fiddler Paul Anderson with poems by Francy Devine, paintings by Hebridean artist John Lowrie Morrison, and a number of guest musicians. Inspired by the island of Iona - its history, its scenery, its mystery - Anderson has composed twenty-one tunes and two songs which are played with help from seven other musicians on pipes, keyboards, strings, percussion and vocals. His trademark muscular fiddling delivers a wide range of moods on Iona, and there are some moments of divine delicacy too.
Interspersed with three poems, the musical styles here range from ancient Scottish and Irish airs to modern music from the country dance and stage show genres. Many of Anderson's compositions are clearly related to the tradition: the title air could come from Gow or Burns, and the jig Port-na-Curragh reminds me of Ireland's Old Favourite. On the other hand, despite taking the form of an ancient rowing tune, The Longships is a striking piece of contemporary folk. Airs and pibrochs, a march and a set of island reels in the old style bring us to the beautiful slow strathspey The Ross of Mull, a high point to my ears. The final burst of hornpipe, waltzes, and farewell hymn sung by Shona Donaldson has an authentic Hebridean feel, rounding off this fine tribute to a special place.
© Alex Monaghan
Réjean Simard "Mes compositions - Vol 1 & 2"
Own Label, 2023
Totalling just over 100 minutes, these two albums include thirty compositions by Réjean Simard, a Quebec accordionist of remarkable talent as both composer and performer. The first collection appeared a few years ago, and the second was released in 2022: both are available on Bandcamp. Simard's music reminds me of Philippe Bruneau: powerful and poetic by turns, full of ornamentation, with melodies which catch the ear and a rhythmic drive that gets the toes tapping. Rachel Aucoin and Sabin Jacques join Réjean on both albums, and Volume 2 adds seven more guests for extra variety. Volume 2 is also longer at 68 minutes, but does include three pieces not by M Simard: two by Isabelle Lapointe, and the Reel Réjean written as a tribute by Danielle Fillion.
In fact, most of the tunes here are dedicated to friends and family: Petite Marche à Rachel, Hommage à Jean-Pierre Joyal, Reel à Kim, La Valse à Ti-Bebé, and Hommage à Gaston Nolet for example. Several of Simard's tunes have been taken up by other Quebec musicians, and you can hear why: 6/8 Hommage à Michel Béchard fairly bounces along, Swing de Jean Marie Verret does exactly that, and Reel Virtuose is well named. Réjean Simard plays one-row and three-row button accordions, or what we might call melodeons: I don't believe he plays chromatic instruments of the Irish type. Even with this limitation, the music here manages to rival continental accordion pieces: Valse Francine, Hommage à Gilbert Bernier and Hommage à Marilyn Hardy make full use of the possibilities of these humble button boxes. Simard ends Volume 2 with the funky Reel Francesca, contemporary yet traditional, in tune with today's Québécois tradition but still true to the spirit of Bruneau. Bravo monsieur - roll on Volume 3!
© Alex Monaghan
Sorcha Costello "The Primrose Lass"
Own Label, 2023
A young fiddler from County Clare, Sorcha Costello was weaned on the tradition and has won accolade after accolade in her career so far. This is her debut solo album, a rake of reels with the odd jig, hornpipe and fling thrown in. There's a lovely variant of The Old Bush, a lyrical rolling performance of The Garavogue Reel, a touch of Scots fiddle in The Fairy Dance, and a delightfully cheery take on the old style jig Life is All Checkered. In case that's not enough, Sorcha brings three of her own compositions to the party, fresh but fiercely traditional. The title track is a trio of local versions: The Old Torn Petticoat without the Mullingar influence, The Heather Breeze in a crisp Clare style, and The Primrose Lass as sweetly played as you could wish.
With many familiar names dressed in unusual versions, Sorcha focuses on the Clare tradition as recorded by her mother Mary MacNamara, taking various excursions around the country including homages to Tommy Potts and Sean Maguire. This is serious fiddling, straight out of the top drawer, and as well as having the heart and soul of the East Clare tradition Ms Costello is a technical diva: the opening Master Crowley's takes her deftly up to the dusty end of the fingerboard, and the venerable Ryan's Rant is handled in C without a whisper of complaint. Sorcha wraps up a very fine collection with an energetic growling interpretation of Jackson's Reel and an exquisite take on the Clare classic Seán sa Cheó. The subtle accompaniment by Catherine McHugh and John Blake adds just the right touch to this exceptional recording.
© Alex Monaghan
Hildaland "Sule Skerry"
Adhyâropa Records, 2023
A country populated by Lancashire grandmothers? No - a new duo combining Orkney fiddle and American bluegrass mandolin, Hildaland bridges Scottish and American traditions. Louise Bichan and Ethan Setiawan have been playing together for a few years now, in the New England group Corner House and in other settings, and this is their duo debut. With seven instrumental tracks and four songs, Sule Skerry presents a wide range of material new and old. Guests add keyboards, bass, guitar and vocals, while Bichan and Setiawan sing and play multiple instruments to produce complex and satisfying arrangements.
The choice of material here is excellent, and the instrumental performances are outstanding. Louise and Ethan have composed nine pieces on Sule Skerry, including new melodies for the poem Ettrick and the old Shetland/Orkney song which forms the hugely atmospheric title track. Maggie o' Ham and Da Foula Shaalds, two ancient jig-like Shetland tunes, are powerfully played. The Oldtime favourite Elk River Blues is taken slow, deconstructed, sparsely re-assembled on just two instruments. Perhaps the most topical track here, and certainly the most engaging of the four songs, is Gillian Welch's ironic Everything is Free strongly led by guest singer-guitarist Sadie Gustafson-Zook. Hildaland close with a pair of their own compositions, Trains by Setiawan and Fin's Folly by Bichan, an energetic finish to this enjoyable collection.
© Alex Monaghan
The Routes Quartet "Arche"
Own Label, 2023
Think of this as experimental music, because that's what it really is. Despite its polished appearance and note-perfect performance, Arche is a work in progress, like almost any piece of art. Ten days in Tynron, that haven of solitude between Moniaive and Auchenhessnane, produced the six pieces here on skeletons composed by all band members: Madeleine Stewart and David Lombardi on fiddles, Rufus Huggan on cello, and Emma Tomlinson on viola whose Katabatic Winds blow through the opening piece and whose possibly related Andrew Waite's Unnecessary Noises will be familiar to many folk fans. That first seven-minute arrangement throws most of the elements you'd expect into the pot - Scottish, Irish, Scandinavian, classical and even a bit of contemporary American fiddle - setting the scene for a musical unfolding, a journey which spans the rest of the album, and which perhaps has no destination. The process is what matters - it is better to travel in hope. The Routes Quartet suggest that we listen to this music in order, in its entirety, in a calm 46 minutes to appreciate the full effect. Do yoga at the same time, or pilates, or a few gentle reps with the right arm and something heavy which gradually reduces as you drink it. This will be cathartic, and possibly calisthenic, and certainly in keeping with the Greek theme of the track names here. The strong melodies of Vesta give way to the jazzier Miltos, earthy low strings chopping and changing. Thymos is more contemplative, perhaps with a wee existential crisis in the middle (maybe someone realised how far it was to the nearest chippy), but chaos is averted and we flow smoothly into a lovely waltz at the start of Kairos. There's another troubled interlude (searching for the ketchup?) before an evocative passage which makes me wonder if Prokofiev ever took a walk in the Vienna woods. Melos is more modern - a Bond film perhaps, death in the wilderness before stepping into the casino, a kiss, the inevitable fight, and the final fade as silken shapes slip smoothly to the floor. The concluding Astar is born in almost oldtime fiddle chords, but matures into a piece which combines those elements we started with: Celtic, classical, a hint of Nordic, a supersized dollop of American smoothness. And that's the end of Arche. Or is it? Are we there yet? Enjoy the ride anyway.
© Alex Monaghan
"The Madeleine Stewart Trio"
Own Label, 2023
A whisker short of the full hour, this debut album packs a powerful punch for a threesome. A formidable front row for any line-up, The Madeleine Stewart Trio does more with fiddle, keyboards and bodhrán than many bigger bands. Madeleine is joined by Rory Matheson and Craig Baxter, all three part of the new wave of Scottish folk musicians but already hugely experienced: Gnoss, Fara, HEISK, Routes Quartet, Eriska, TRIP and other ensembles are already on their CVs, but I believe this is the first time they have joined forces.
Reel Béatrice, The Polliwog, The Island of Woods, Axelito, The Good-Natured Man, and Moneymusk provide a snapshot of the breadth of music here, all pretty much interepreted in the Scottish tradition. Madeleine's roots in New England fiddling embrace music from far and wide, but mainly through a Caledonian lens focused by ten years as a musician in Glasgow. The Irish influence is never far away, whether it's Liz Carroll slow airs or the gallops through reels such as The Horse's Tail by Zoë Conway and the traditional testing-ground of Fergal O'Gara. Baxter brings his Orkney lounge lizard persona to Andy Cutting's Uphill Way, evoking Dwayne Dibley in a funky Bodhrán Set that draws from New England fiddle icon Lissa Schneckenburger and West Highland Malteser mistress Mairearad Green. While Stewart's fiddle leads, both drum and keys get their moments in the limelight: Simon Thoumire's Joseph Boseph provides an opportunity for Matheson to shine, and the arrangements throughout the album leave space for all three musicians to make their mark.
Upbeat numbers are balanced by plenty of slower tracks, and even some in between such as a great set of strathspeys and a couple of fine hornpipes. I was worried for a moment that there was nothing in 7/8, but that need is addressed by City Stars, one of three fine Madeleine Stewart compositions here. Other new tunes come from names to watch Chloë Bryce and Sam Mabbett, and there's a lovely waltz by Axel Stewart. This excellent CD ends with a trio of thumping tunes by Ardnamurchan fiddler Neil Ewart, closing out an hour of top quality music.
© Alex Monaghan
Hialøsa "Scanian Very Old Pop"
GO Danish Folk Music, 2023
We're not talking carefully matured ginger beer here: translation is tricky, but this album by Swedish trio Hialøsa presents a generous dozen pieces from the archives and ancient tales of the southern tip of Sweden - Skåne, or Scania - some of them going back a thousand years or more. Most of this material is from 1600 or later, but one or two come from a pre-Christian time and there is a crossover piece from around the year 1100 by the famous religious figure Hildegard von Bingen. Both music and song show a strong influence of pagan as well as Christian culture. All three members of Hialøsa sing and stomp: in addition, Alva Bosdottir plays fiddle, with Love Aamås Kjellsson on octave fiddle, and Malte Zeberg (perhaps familar from the Floating Sofa Quartet) on upright bass.
About half of Scanian Very Old Pop is instrumental, a quarter is what we usually think of as songs, and the other quarter is a mix of music and vocals in more complex arrangements. Given the age of the texts here, some have been set to music recently: Fä Dör for example was written down around twelve hundred years ago and nobody can remember the tune! The band has composed melodies for a few of these old songs and other text fragments. The instrumental tracks are mainly dance music, old tunes from the traditional repertoire of Scania: polskas, long dances, and lovely waltzes including one by Alva for a famous oak tree. This is an unusual CD which rewards repeated listening, and creates an atmosphere of ancient mystery.
© Alex Monaghan
San Miguel Fraser "Dots of Light"
Culburnie, 2023
A triumph of an album, the debut from this duo is an absolute delight from start to finish. Neither of them is new to recording, or to the partnership here, so their first joint collection of music builds on firm foundations. Nevertheless, it towers over the landscape of fiddle music and Spanish-Celtic folk.
Maria San Miguel and Galen Fraser both play fiddles, with Galen adding cittern and Maria vocals on a few tracks. They are assisted by some great friends including Natalie Haas on cello, Sabela Caamaño on accordion and Antía Ameixeiras on additional fiddle. The older pieces here are pretty much from the Northern Spanish traditions of Castile, Leon, Galicia and the Basque country. Jotas and xotas, a Basque arin-arin and a Zamoran bolero, are among the traditional dances imbued with energy and passion by Galen and Maria. The fiddling is both powerful and precise, technically impressive and dramatically satisfying.
Four original pieces complete the picture, starting with the swirling evocation of joy which is the title track. There's more of a Celtic feel to Natasha, a cross-rhythm jig, while Cocido seems solidly Iberian to me, crisp staccato beats for those stamping feet. Dots of Light ends on a waltz, beautifully smooth sweet tones on fiddle over a subtle cittern accompaniment. San Miguel Fraser have started their partnership in fine style, and a bright future beckons.
© Alex Monaghan
Tingo "Kvartetten fra Verdens Ende"
GO Danish Folk Music, 2023
A new quartet of trumpet, tenor sax, drums and bass - not a fiddle in sight, yet they play traditional Swedish tunes! TINGO reminds me of Habadekuk, or of Spöket i Köket, both Scandinavian bands mixing folk and jazz: with TINGO the result is rather more jazz than folk, at least on this album. They open with two old Swedish tunes, the familiar melodies of Gladläten and Brudestykker, and then move into the more modern Bjergpas by bassist Gower-Poole. Their sparse jazz arrangements are quite accessible, solos and duets rooted in recognisable modes and rhythms. A cornet version of Rasmus Storm's Vindmølle pivots around a toe-tapping bass solo. Trumpeter Tim Ewé's Over Sø og Land oscillates between stripped-back passages and stronger melodic sections. Vandring is more urgent, even frantic in places, driven by drummer Per Rask Ringsted, the music straining forward, demanding attention. The gentle traditional Årepolska provides a moment of calm before the final sultry Solskotten by saxophonist Cecilie Strange, a funky flirtation with downtown jazz and swing for a big finish to this fun and fascinating album.
© Alex Monaghan
Clive Carroll "The Abbot"
Own Label, 2023
Two great guitarists for the price of one, and two CDs too! You won't see better value this side of Christmas. Clive Carroll is an English fingerstyle guitarist with a global reputation, and here he digs deep into the music of the legendary John Renbourn whose world standing is beyond question. Most familiar from his work with Pentangle and with Bert Jansch, Renbourn pioneered the transfer of Renaissance lute music to folk guitar but this was just one end of his musical rainbow. Classical, folk, blues, jazz and more are included in this collection of arrangements from Renbourn's repertoire. The delivery is more homage than immitation, there is no attempt to produce a close copy, and indeed there are pieces here which were never recorded by Renbourn, and several which have been neglected for almost half a century. About half this music is solo guitar, with more than twenty guests from the worlds of folk, jazz, classical and mediaeval music adding to the textures and flavours of what is a formidable musical banquet.
From soulful solo guitar on Lady Goes to Church to the final fifteen-minute big band medley embracing half a dozen musical styles, The Abbot provides a vast soundscape which allows us to appreciate both Renbourn's creativity and Carroll's inventiveness. The gentle ripples of Faro's Rag, the Early Music resonances of Intrada on recorder and pipe organ, and the traditional medley of ancient Scottish and Irish airs culminating in a spirited jig, are just one side of the music here which also explores Oldtime and Spanish folk. The other side is bluesy, at times electric, with occasional jazz vocals and dark notes of contemporary Americana. While there are passages where a style persists - the Early Music character of the start of Disc 2, or the folky middle section of Disc 1 for instance - there is no real pattern to the tracks here. Variety is the norm, and the lounge jazz musings of Old MacBladgitt can nestle comfortably between the baroque structure of Ladye Nothynge's New Toye and the uptown funk of My Dear Boy. Half a dozen tracks include more than a dash of vocals, by Carroll or his guests, but The Abbot is mostly instrumental, a towering tribute from one outstanding guitarist to another.
© Alex Monaghan
Daniel Sherrill "Back to PA"
Own Label, 2023
So there's this guy who plays in a country band or something, and sings, and he decides to make a solo banjo album. It's pretty good too. He made his own banjo, out of an old tree - the way you would I guess - and he wrote a couple of tunes but most of this short album is oldtime standards on solo clawhammer banjo. Probably my favourite track here is a lovely version of Brushy Fork of John's Creek. Information on this album is in short supply - in true Instagram style, there's lots about the journey but very little about the destination, so bear with me.
The PA in the title is Pennsylvania, where Sherrill grew up and learnt his oldtime music in the foothills of the Appalachians. I thought maybe his Pa was there, but it's not that - nor is it a comment on banjo players who wander out to the front of the stage and get lost beyond the speaker stacks. Pennsylvania Oldtime influences Sherrill's laid-back renditions of Shady Grove, Whiskey Before Breakfast, Dry and Dusty, Fishers Hornpipe and more. I think Wandering Boy and Fly Eagles Fly are his own compositions - they sound more New Country than Oldtime. Sherrill is joined on the final track by Simon Chrisman on hammered dulcimer for a ringing finale on a sweet little piece they call Fable's Tune. Neat album.
© Alex Monaghan
Freres de Sac 4tet "S'il Vous Plaît"
MusTraDem, 2023
The woodwind and button accordion of eponymous Frères de Sac Christophe and Jean-Loup Sacchettini are joined by the impressive talents of Marie Mercier and Marie Mazille on clarinets and nyckelharpa for a powerful romp through new and old dance music. Loosely based on the bal folk repertoire of dances, S'il Vous Plaît has a clear French character despite the slightly unusual instrumentation. Traditional branles and Breton dances are supplemented by a handful of Jean-Loup's adventurous compositions, and there are brief detours into Balkan and Scandinavian forms, all brilliantly performed. After two excellent duo albums, it's great to hear Frères de Sac in this new configuration. This album is suitable for listening or dancing, and the CD is very nicely packaged with brief notes and numerous photos.
Twin bass clarinets is quite a sound, shaking the foundations of my modest speakers, and to have Christophe Sacchettini's soaring recorder overlaid on such a powerful ground is like travelling back almost a thousand years. The use of nyckelharpa is uncommon in French music, but Mazille uses her instrument to great effect, almost as good as a hurdy-gurdy and capable of a huge range of sounds. Mediaeval and central French tunes can be quite simple, satisfying the constraints of bagpipes, gurdies and diatonic accordions, but some of Jean-Loup Sacchettini's melodies buck this trend: his 3/4 bourrées Premiers Pas and Sur le Retour are arranged with peak complexity, leaving listeners and dancers equally breathless. In contrast, his gentle waltz Pas Si Vite is perfectly named as a moment of calm. The quartet closes this debut album with another waltz, Chanson d'Automne sung by Mazille over the accordion and clarinet, with nyckelharpa and recorder on the bridge - or "sur le pont" as the French song says.
© Alex Monaghan
Rebecca Hill & Charlie Stewart "Thawcrook"
Own Label, 2023
Gorgeous gentle music from two of Scotland's finest young musicians, both winners of prestigious awards, Thawcrook is the debut recording for this harp and fiddle duo and shows the depth of their collaboration over the past ten years. Mixing new and old sounds, and a wide range of geographical influences, every note here is a joy and the delicacy of fiddle and harp can still surprise at every turn.
Starting with a soulful intro to a very traditional-sounding Stewart reel, Hill and Stewart combine melodic and rhythmic devices to build excitement through the opening track which ends with a dark Nova Scotian reel by Paul Cranford. Angus Grant's is perhaps the liveliest selection here, a spirited march by Allan Henderson and a sparkling reel by Charlie. The aching Gaelic air Mi le m'Uilinn is followed by another Stewart original, the oldtimey Out on the Roof played down at the visceral end of the violin range. A medley of traditional tunes brings the harp to the fore for a kora-like solo passage of rare skill and beauty, blending into plucked fiddle as Hill fronts the melody on a catchy wee reel.
Cailleach a'Ghobhainn is probably my favourite track, not just for the name: it starts with a version of New England fiddler Bob McQuillen's reel Scotty O'Neill neatly deconstructed on harp, delicately bowed on fiddle, and then moving nimbly into the traditional jig as befits its title. The Hebridean rowing tune Iorram Iomraimh is played both as a rhythmic work song and as a melodic duet before a trio of East Highland fiddle tunes, loosely in the form of a march, strathspey and reel set, ending with a wonderful rendition of The Bride's Reel by Skinner. Thawcrook ends with a single guest, Misha MacPherson, for a single vocal track Aonghais Oig, a final blast of Hebridean emotion in music and song. The whole album is delightful, tugging us this way and that, ever changing yet perfectly balanced and brilliantly played.
© Alex Monaghan
Tellefs "Reel Date"
Taragot, 2023
This is a bit of a weird one, but bear with me! Tellef Kvifte, a Norwegian folklorist and player of the wooden sax-like taragot, was brought up with traditional Hardanger fiddle music but fell in love with Irish reels in the 1970s - didn't we all?! Mr Kvifte took this love affair further than most, developing considerable skill in Irish music, and more recently seeking out and releasing rare recordings on his Taragot label. Now he presents an album of Irish and Norwegian music, together with Magnus Wiik on guitar, Åsmund Reistad on bass, and Knut Kvifte Nesheim on drums. Their combined sound is somewhere between West Clare and Eastern Europe, with plenty of gypsy jazz thrown in - think Moving Hearts in Hardangerfjord, or Planxty if Andy Irvine had visited Bodø instead of Bulgaria.
Eight of the nine tracks on Reel Date combine traditional Irish tunes with Norwegian music. There are some classics from both traditions: Micho Russell's Wheels of the World follows Hardanger icon Salve Austenå's Prestegangaren, the swirling minor Fermoy Lasses is paired with Den Kaldsteikte which tells the tragic tale of a husband who forgot to cook the bacon before his wife returned with the cabbage, and an old gangar Etter Neri Neset leads into the final reel The Beauty Spot. There are less well known pieces too, some of Tellef Kvifte's own compositions and a couple of Irish titles I hadn't heard before: A Spailpín a Rún, and the splendidly named I Wish I Had a Yellow Cow! Once again, don't we all? Only one track is devoted to a single tune, VossastRil which Kvifte composed, played here in the modern Irish style with a generous helping of jazz banjo. This album is available for download or streaming only - no hard copies - but it comes with excellent sleeve notes and a very nice cover illustration.
© Alex Monaghan
Fiachra O'Regan "Na Beanna Beola"
Own Label, 2023
Now based in Quebec, and accompanied here by Québécois guitarist André Marchand, Connemara piper Fiachra O'Regan looks back to his home place beneath the Twelve Pins for a couple of dozen fine Irish tunes on uilleann pipes and whistles. Reels and jigs, slow airs and hornpipes are played in the old style, with care and skill and great understanding, to make Na Beanna Beola a delight for piping fans or anyone with a love for traditional Irish music.
Fiachra mixes old favourites like Mo;llin the Wad and The Duke of Leinster with a handful of newer tunes by Marcus Hernon and others. Lashing into The Boys of the Lough, O'Regan's piping has that West Coast wildness, but he can switch on sensitivity for an air such as the traditional Eleanóir a' Rún or Hernon's heartfelt Invisible Corncrake. The regulators come into play nicely on a few tracks, but are not overused. The Gardener's Daughter and All the Way to Galway is another highlight, an unusual tune with some imaginative ornamentation by Fiachra O'Regan, and a classic reel which gets a full-blooded treatment here. In a bumber crop of Irish piping albums this season, I really enjoyed Na Beanna Beola as an accomplished youthful take on traditional Irish piping.
© Alex Monaghan
La Famille LeBlanc "Perdrais-je mon temps..."
Own Label, 2023
La Famille LeBlanc is a family, called LeBlanc, who play traditional music from New Brunswick. Mother, father and three teenage daughters are proud of their Acadian tradition which combines elements of French, Irish, Scottish and other music which came to Canada hundreds of years ago and has been melded and seasoned by Acadian musicians and customs. This is the group's third album, and the long winter nights and summer days of New Brunswick have given them ample time to perfect technique and arrangements for this release. The girls are strikingly talented on fiddle, whistle, and the exotic English concertina. Their father Robin LeBlanc plays a mean fiddle, and his fingers find fine accompaniment on keyboards. Mother Rebecca provides the beat on bodhran, and also leads the six vocals here, with strong instrumental backing.
Fille Que Moi sounds like a Quebec song with its turlutes and instrumental breaks, while J'ai Vu la Boulangère is pure Central French, and the others are somewhere in between. It goes without saying that all the ladies sing, and step-dance, seated or standing. Scots and Irish ears will find much that's familiar in the selections of reels and other dance tunes here, to which Robin adds seven of his own compositions. Older fiddle tunes present the Acadian tradition's taste for hypnotic melodies and catchy or crooked rhythms, often tacked before or between a song. Notes with this album give the provenance of most tunes, and song lyrics in original French as well as English translations, but they say little about the excellent arrangements and musicians. I daresay we'll be hearing a lot more from La Famille LeBlanc, time enough to get their backstories then!
© Alex Monaghan
Dartry Ceili Band "Dance Upon the Mountains"
Own Label, 2023
From the slopes of Benbulben - near enough - this Sligo céilí band boasts several star players - Philip Duffy, Mossie Martin, Declan Folan, June McCormack and Michael Rooney among them. The most important thing, though, is how they sound as a group. The answer is tremendous: that's the only word for it. Their third recording is nicely balanced both in material and in mixing: reels and jigs, barndances and hornpipes, Sligo polkas, and a march, all showing the separation and unity of fiddles, flutes, accordion, concertina, piano and drums. There are also two songs, surprising selections by fluters Noelle Carroll and Cian Kearins: Noelle sings the very well known Maggie, except that around Dartry the lady was known as Nóra, and Cian chooses the mock humorous ditty I Wish I Was Single Again about a chap who can't manage with or without a wife and to be honest deserves all the trouble he gets.
Old favourites The Laurel Tree, Apples in Winter, Matt Peoples', The Nova Scotia Barndance, Miss Walsh's Jig and Patsy Touhey's Reel are delivered with flair and freshness and not too fast. More recent favourites including Upstairs in a Tent, The Moving Bogs of Powellsboro and The Stone of Destiny are a joy alongside The Pinch of Snuff, Nóra Chríonna, Contentment is Wealth and The Wily Old Bachelor. A trio of polkas has been fished from the Sligo archives and given a deserved outing here. The march Beauties of Autumn is another piece which deserves its day in the sun, a curious composition by Offaly fluter John Brady which takes some unexpected turns but is worth the trouble to learn. The start and finish of this album are pure quality, which is all that really matters for a céilí band after all. The album cover and artwork also happen to be drop-dead gorgeous, so if you don't have a CD player you can always look at the pictures.
© Alex Monaghan
Grace Smith Trio "Overleaf"
Own Label, 2023
A fiddle player from the north east of England - but not quite as far north as I thought. Grace Smith is joined by Sam Partridge (concertina and jobbing electric guitar) and Bevan Morris (upright bass), both of Newcastle-based band Pons Aelius. This, and Grace's membership in the Northumbrian-Scots Monster Ceilidh Band, led me to expect a Tyneside sound: but Ms Smith is actually a Teesside lass, two valleys away from the Tyne. Overleaf does reflect those North Yorkshire roots in several ways, and also the North West traditions of her adopted Lancashire home, to give this album a character which is both distinctly Northern and unmistakably English.
Think Sam Sweeney with his sweater off, a mouthy Leveret perhaps, or Tom Kitching in drag. Actually the music here is sweeter, more palatable than some of the rougher fare which these comparisons might suggest, but there is a bleakness and a hardness too: the ominous Three Sheepskins, or the grim realism of Yorkshire Wedding for instance. Stewart Hardy's genteel 3/2 Mr Vanbrugh's Maggot sounds more North West than North East to me, but the longsword melodies Cobbler's Jig and Threedling definitely have that Teesside edge. Roughly two thirds of the tunes here were written by Grace Smith, from the delightful Miss Cole's which introduces the album to the title tune which closes this musical chapter. The Dale deserves a place alongside Barham Down as a popular English hornpipe, while the jaunty Leo is probably being used on Tik Tok by now. Overleaf is a grand selection of Northern English music, well worth the price of a pub lunch.
© Alex Monaghan
Conor Mallon "Unearthed"
Own Label, 2023
This is a hugely impressive album of Irish piping, reminiscent of Moving Hearts' The Storm or even some of the more contemporary Breton bands. Mallon plays in a traditional style which owes much to the wildness of travelling pipers, and his playing is as polished as Spillane or O'Flynn, giving a high professional gloss to most of the tracks here even when he performs piping classics such as Cape Clear or The Battle of Aughrim. Mallon's trio of jigs and reels One Four Four seems to have a gross backstory, but you won't hear many better examples of contemporary piping.
Unearthed makes good use of a dozen or so studio musicians, everything from harp to electric guitar, and of course a string quartet for that cinematic touch. There are effective passages of the spoken word too, and also some relatively unaccompanied whistle and pipes. Nine of Conor's own tunes are joined by compositions from Birmingham fluter Kevin Crawford and Orkney fiddler Jeana Leslie, as well as a few traditional pipe airs. Kevin's Brythonic march Heaton Chapel will be familiar to fans of Lúnasa, and Jeana's Lake Banook channels the old Scots song The Sheiling's No' for You into a charming waltz to finish this very memorable collection of music.
© Alex Monaghan
Lisas "Etiam"
Gentle Music, 2023
A gentle album indeed, one for quiet moments. You might turn it up loud - in fact that was my inclination with the opening Sarafour which put me in mind of a Baroque church organ recital - but you will probably want to find a pew and listen in peace to Etiam. I tried to appreciate this music while working, driving, reading: in the end I had to stop and just pay full attention. The tracks flow together - Rondeau, Viridis, Sista Dagarna - and the instruments do too. Lisa Långbacka's free bass accordion and Lisa Rydberg's fiddles can be hard to separate, so tightly do they entwine on their own compositions and on the three older pieces here.
Långbacka's Happy New Hugo breaks up the flow with its spiky plucked introduction, a descriptive piece delivering visions of winter landscapes and a mix of tension and tranquility. It's followed by Rydberg's hypnotic Skirheten and then by the only traditional Swedish tune here: Marias Brudpolska, attributed to the great 20th century fiddler Pers Hans Olsson from Dalarna. Next comes an English 3/2 hornpipe, the second of two Purcell compositions. This one is better known as the Playford dance Hole in the Wall, played with beautiful delicacy by Lisas (I wonder if they know the Quebec reel Les Deux Lisas). A bridal waltz and a new polska bring us to the title piece, calm and relaxing, an almost ethereal ending to a subtle but engaging collection.
© Alex Monaghan
Tamsin Elliott & Tarek Elazhary "So Far We Have Come"
Penny Fiddle Records, 2023
When this CD popped through the door, I was unsure what to expect. Now I am seriously impressed, and considering putting it on my 2023 Top Ten list. This duo's mix of middle eastern and middle English music is not what I usually listen to, but their mastery of instruments and their interplay of melody lines is intoxicating and deeply satisfying. The mix of harp and accordion with the Egyptian lute provides a rich carpet for guest musicians to decorate on fiddle, clarinet, guitar and vocals. Elliott and Elazhary play with old and new traditional pieces, twisting and turning them into new compositions. The majority of So Far We Have Come is based on Arab classical and folk music, with Muwashshah themes bringing the Arab world into Europe. Telaet Ya Mahla Norha extends musical kinship even further, an Egyptian melody which could easily fit into southern French folklore: it is paired here with the old English dance Mundesse in a smooth flow between these usually unrelated traditions.
The tunes mix new compositions in the English canon with collaborations which successfully blend European and North African music. Among these eleven instrumentals are two songs, the poignant Amy Abu El Fanous delivered with authentic ornamentation by singer Leila Sami and vibrant flute from Tamsin, and Jala Man Kad Sawarak strongly sung by Tarek. The vocal contributions are just enough, and nicely spaced to counterpoint the varied instrumental tracks. Other highlights here are the English 3/2s Barn Elms and Halsway Hornpipe, the powerful oud tones on El Hara, and the final impromptu blend of an Egyptian radio broadcast with clarinet improvisations over the sounds of Cairo street life. So Far We Have Come is full of surprises, all of them delightful, and I look forward to hearing more from Elliott and Elazhary.
© Alex Monaghan
Ragnhild Knudsen & Paulina Syrjälä "Talende Strenger / Kertovat Kielet"
Taragot, 2023
Enchanting Nordic music, this combination of Norwegian Hardanger fiddle and Finnish kantele is quite a rare sound as their respective traditions are separated by almost a thousand miles. Knudsen and Syrjälä have combined Norwegian and Finnish pieces on this debut duo recording: both are highly regarded players in their own traditions, and this album builds upon strong foundations to reach lofty heights of new interpretation. Each track takes one or two pieces and explores them anew in a mixture of improvisation and variation, both musicians giving and taking in a creative symbiosis.
Split roughly equally between Finnish and Norwegian material, Talende Strenger / Kertovat Kielet is based entirely on traditional tunes, some from only a century or so ago, others much older. The album title means "Talking Strings", and is a perfect description: the eight or nine strings of Ragnhild's Hardanger fiddle and the twenty strings of Pauliina's kantele speak in their different tongues, laughing and weeping together. Their conversation is about landscape, love, longing, and all the joy and sadness of life. No words or other musicians are needed to accompany the dance tunes, shepherd melodies and wedding music here.
© Alex Monaghan
Lucie Hendry "Land of Eden"
Own Label, 2023
There's a wide range of excellent music on this Scottish harpist's debut album. Its eclectic nature may stem from Lucie Hendry spending the last three years in Denmark, mixing with jazz, rock, and Nordic folk musicians, but there's still a Caledonian character to her clarsach. From the opening folk-rock of Fractured to the final lingering air A Time Gone By, A Time Will Come, Hendry is in control of every nuance. Whether it's the simple but charming melody of A Waltz for You or the complex runs and rhythms of Fernweh, the intricacies of a contemporary reel like Mourning Moon or the beautiful rise and fall of Easter Wedding, each piece is a masterclass in harp technique and expression.
Lucie wrote all ten numbers here, one per track, and her Danish accompanists Dennis Iversen on electric guitar and Christoffer Skovhus on drums put their own mark on the arrangements but the harp still defines the sound on Land of Eden. The combination of these instruments keeps the sound interesting and varied, allowing different styles to come through, different levels of energy and emotion too. Three quite gentle pieces bring us to the title track, a jazzy solo showcase, harp and guitar lines intertwining, an upbeat composition inspired by optimism for the rural environment, the same sentiment perhaps which spawned the title of the final air. This album is an understated triumph, with great promis of things to come from Lucie Hendry.
© Alex Monaghan
Patricia Clark "Restored"
Own Label, 2023
As they say in the States, this isn't her first goat rodeo: Patricia Clark handles the fiddle as though it has never been out of her hands. Sadly this is not the case. Her fiddle was stolen, smashed, and only partially recovered in 2019. After painstaking reconstruction by Paddy Tutty from Waterford, the fiddle is back with Patricia and sounding like it never left. As well as great tone and responsiveness from her instrument (listen to Gurty's Frolics for instance), Ms Clark has strikingly precise and intricate technique. I have the impression that she is holding something back, that there's a wildness behind the smooth controlled sound we hear from the opening set of steady-paced reels to the pair of piping hornpipes. Playing fiddle, viola or piano, her pace is measured and consistent. Patricia cuts loose a little on the final two tracks, exuberant jigs and reels, for a rousing finish to a very varied and enjoyable selection of tunes.
Growing up in England, Patricia Clark was steeped in Irish music through her parents and took to the fiddle as a teenager. This is her second solo album, and shows a depth of understanding and sensitivity to traditional fiddle tunes which is rare indeed. Her combination of technical perfection and emotional connection makes Restored a truly exceptional album. Her choice of material is unusual too: along with a politician's dozen of her own compositions, Patricia has chosen rare and little-known tunes and made them shine. The Laccarue Boys and Boiled Goats Milk come from the dustier pages of O'Neill's, a few from Down and Fermanagh, and many are plundered from old collections. You don't often hear The Happy Mistake, Pop in the Pawn Shop, The Dewdrop Schottische or even Kitty's Rambles to Youghal - at least not in the sessions I go to. Yet here they all are, bright and bold as you like, neatly backed up on fretted strings and percussion by Cillian Doheny, Alison Crossey, Ryan O'Donnell and Conall Ó Cnáimhín. Clark's the one to watch though: like that Kitty, she is going places!
© Alex Monaghan
Heather Ferrier "Engine for the Sound" [EP]
Own Label, 2023
A short album, or a long EP - categories are blurry these days, and this Tyneside accordionist doesn't easily fit in a single pigeonhole. Her brand of contemporary folk blends many influences, and the core trio of accordion, guitar and drums adds bass, fiddle, and most of Northumbrian band Pons Aelius as required to produce a big sound around the dominant piano accordion.
The modern hypnotic melody and shifting rhythms of Lacuna play both sides of the accordion against a middle ground of rock music. Apple 1 is more of a solo showcase, flamboyant fragments bound together by drum and bass, some impressive fingerwork from Heather and a funky beat for dancing. The Break does what it says on the tin: a gentle relaxing track based around a pastoral air with hardly any drumming at all, relatively speaking. The title track, almost ten minutes long, moves through several phases, bringing in Scottish pipes for a Breton or Galician feel to an energetic finale.
A stimulating and intriguing selection, this short album is unlike most folk music and raises more questions than it answers about where Heather Ferrier will take her music next. I don't think there's enough here to define a distinct style or a character yet, but I am certainly keen to hear more from this new force on the folk scene. Engine for the Sound could be the start of a very interesting seam of material from the north east of England.
© Alex Monaghan
Lily Honigberg "The Sun's Valley"
Lily Honigberg Records, 2023
Following up on her fine EP Sunrise Summit, Lily Honigberg offers a shortish full album of mostly her own tunes which packs in a surprising amount of quality music. This twentysomething US fiddler bridges styles and states, spanning classical to Celtic and hopping from coast to coast in an impressive and highly entertaining recording. She is joined here by a full band, with cameo performances from Eric Rigler on pipes and whistles, and Hannah Crowley on the single vocal track.
Starting of with a low driving jig, Lily's commanding fiddle is nicely backed by Calvin Anderson on guitar, James Yoshizawa on drum, and James Heazlewood-Dale on acoustic bass. This core line-up is deployed on most tracks, with an occasional touch of piano and electric bass. Sunrise Summit II slows the pace a little, still with a Celtic feel to the melody. The Lightning is pure contemporary US fiddling, like something by The Fretless or Hawktail perhaps, but as with all of Honigberg's compositions it's accessible, playable, as well as enjoyable to listen to.
Raft brings in Rigler's sparkling uilleann pipes, and so does Tuesday Adams, a funky jig-time piece and a more traditional take on Irish jigs and reels. In between are the gentle Harvest and the obligatory 7/8 rhythm of Rushadikus. None of these tracks overstays its welcome, and many could have been extended without losing their edge. Lost on Land is a piece of new-age poetry strongly sung and imaginatively arranged in a modern style which approaches Capercaillie or Clannad. The fiddle is to the fore pretty much throughout this album, but never grates or grows stale. Lily adds a bit of banjo on the final oldtimey musing piece Sometimes you Need, wrapping up this lovely selection on a gentle note.
© Alex Monaghan
