Bulletin - November/ December
2009
Folk Music
The Hallelujah Chicken Run Band
->
Various Artists
| AFRICA-ZIMBABWE |
THE
HALLELUJAH CHICKEN RUN BAND |
Alula 2002 |
Take One |
$10.98 |
18 tracks, 64 mins, highly recommended
Formed in the early 70's as the house band for a copper mine, the
Hallelujah Chicken Run Band ended up being influential in the world of
Afro-pop. Inventors of what became known as "Zimpop", these guys changed
the face of Zimbabwe music, which before the Chicken Run Band, consisted
of artists covering Western pop songs. The music was still pop, but
performed with staccato guitars that mimicked aspects of the mbira, a
traditional instrument. Also, the lyrics-sung in Shona, which was big deal
given the political climate in Rhodesia at the time-were occasionally
rebellious and political. But mainly this CD provides an early showcase
for vocalist Thomas Mapfumo, who became a solo star and noted band leader
in the late 70's and early 80's. If you like Paul Simon's world music
experiments on "Graceland" and "Rhythm of the Saints," then you'll like
this. (GMC)
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| CAJUN |
RAY LANDRY & FRIENDS |
Swallow 6212 |
Mes Racines Cadien Sont Creux (My Cajun
Roots Are Deep) |
$15.98 |
14 tracks, 49 min., recommended
The title in English is "My Cajun Roots Are Deep," and in case you speak
neither English nor French, the cover photo is of tree roots. Landry,
clearly serious about his Cajun music, joins forces with the equally
serious Dexter Ardoin (accordion), Al Berard (fiddle, bass, mandolin,
slide/electric guitar), Sheryl Cormier (accordion), Terry Huval (steel
guitar), Mason Menard (steel guitar), and many others. Landry's vocals
here are merely serviceable, but Helen Bourdreaux 's voice (on La Valse
D'ennuie , for example) sweetens the proceedings whenever it appears.
Be ready for sturdy, authentic Cajun music played with great heart and
skill. But the album does tend to be a bit waltz heavy, which gives a
mid-tempo sameness to the whole that the individual songs are not guilty
of. Still, pleasing nonetheless. (JC)
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| AFRICA-SOUTH AFRICA |
MIRIAM MAKEBA |
African Cream 59 |
The Legend |
$16.98 |
Miriam Makeba was one of the legends of African music;
hailing from South Africa, she was one of the first artists to bring
African music to international prominence with the help of Harry
Belafonte, who discovered her. This compilation collects tracks from the
60's to the 90's-including three songs by Brazilian superstar Jorge
Ben-that display her versatility and influence. The key song here is
Pata Pata, which was a huge U.S. hit in 1967.
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| CHILE |
RAFAEL MANRIQUEZ
AND FRIENDS |
Smithsonian Folkways 40549 |
Que Viva El Canto - Songs Of Chile |
$15.98 |
25 tracks, 74 min., highly recommended
Rafael Mariquez describes his purpose in making his album as wanting to
represent "diverse compositional times and spaces of Chilean song," and
indeed this far-reaching release seems to contain the entire history of
Chilean folk music on one CD. Of course it doesn't quite do that, but it
comes closer than anything else. Manriquez harkens back to the 1950s and
1960s folk singers of Chile for inspiration and filters through as many
urban and rural folk forms as he can. He covers songs by Victor Jara,
Violeta Parra, Eduardo Peralta, and others, as well as including several
of his own compositions. The 42-page booklet contains a wealth of
information and notes on individual songs in Spanish and English.
Arresting. (JC)
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| IRISH FOLK |
DAN MILNER |
Smithsonian Folkways 40553 |
Irish Pirate Ballads & Other Songs Of The
Sea |
$14.98 |
13 tracks, 59 min., recommended
Milner can be forgiven for capitalizing of the recent pirate craze as
represented by the album title, since many of the songs are not strictly
about pirates, per se. Most are about scoundrels of one sort or another,
and the sea does feature prominently in these collected Irish songs.
Milner, a fine singer and suited to the material, has done his homework
researching these songs in various forms, sometime reaching back
centuries, and the booklet notes are all the more interesting for it. Fans
who frequent the celtic section of their local record store (whether made
of bricks or electrons) might be pleased to know that Susan McKeown adds
her vocals to The Ballad Of O Bruadair / Out On The Ocean,
Granuile, and Get Up Jack, John Sit Down /Miss Thornton's. That
last track also features vocals by the Johnson Girls. Milner performs a
striking acapella version of The Flying Cloud, a song listeners may
remember from a Ewan MacColl version. Nicely done all around. (JC)
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| AFRICA-MALI |
THE RAIL BAND |
Sterns 3043/44 |
Belle Epoque 3 - Dioba |
$16.98 |
The Rail Band, which was formed in 1970 and funded by
Mali's Ministry of Information, was the country's top big band for many
years, and they were (and still are) the house band at the Buffet de la
Gare in Bamako. The group, an ever changing line up of musicians (some
famous alumni include Salif Keita and Mory Kante), are known for tailoring
traditional music (made with traditional instruments) for a modern pop
audience. This collection is the third volume in a series of double CDs
documenting the group's first 13 years, from 1970 to 1983.
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| ENGLISH FOLK MUSIC |
STEELEYE SPAN |
Park PRKCD 104 |
Live At A Distance |
$36.98 |
Two CDs/ One DVD - 20 tracks. 14 tracks, highly
recommended
An absolute delight - a superb set of live performances recorded between
2002 and 2008 by this brilliant English folk rock band. Although the band
had gone through a number of changes throughout the years the version of
the band featured here were together for quite a long time featuring the
magnificent Maddy Prior on vocals with Peter Knight on fiddle, Maddy's
husband Rick Kemp on bass, Ken Nicol on guitars and Liam Genockey on
drums. They revisit songs from throughout their more than three decade
career ranging from The Blacksmith that was on their first album in
1970 to the lengthy five part original ballad Ned Ludd from their
2006 album "Bloody Men." The arrangements of the songs are frequently
different from those on the original albums and after more than 30 years
the group,s singing and playing still sound fresh. Other songs include
Who's The Fool Now (a stunning acapella rendition)/ The Neck Belly
Reel/ Gone To America/ Saucy Sailor/ Edward/ Bonny Black Hare/ The Song
Will Remain, etc. The DVD filmed in 2006 features many of the same
songs as on the CDs though there are several different most notably a
truly spine chilling rendition of Betsy Bell And Mary Gray with
Maddy's vocals accompanied only by Peter chilling fiddle playing which
really brings home the tragic nature of the song. Please note that the DVD
is in PAL format so may not play on all U.S. DVD players. (FS)
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| AFRICA-BENIN |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Analog Africa 065 |
Legends Of Benin |
$24.98 |
14 tracks, 80 mins, highly recommended
The latest compilation of obscure 70's African music from Analog Africa
tackles four composers from the country of Benin: Antoine Dougbe, El Rego,
Honore Avolonto, and Gnonnas Pedro. All of these tracks are funky and
danceable in the extreme, but each man has his own approach to the funk.
El Rego is often a James Brown wannabe, Dougbe's work is powered by guitar
and percussion and punctuated by fierce brass, Pedro favors a more poppy
approach refracted through Cuban jazz, while Avolonto favors supple
grooves mixed with big band jazz. These tracks, recorded between 1969 and
1981, are super rare (according to AA) and each has its own distinctive
sound. As always, the packaging is excellent with a 44 page booklet that
tells a story worth hearing. (GMC)
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| AFRICA-MALI |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Gallo VDE 1244 |
Mali - Hunter's Songs |
$19.98 |
9 songs, 59 mins, recommended
This 2008 collection is part of an ethnic music series that was recorded
over a ten year period in Malian villages and in the Ivory Coast town of
Bouake. Carefully recorded and documented, the focus is on bands that
perform the rituals of the hunter brotherhoods especially the Maninka
parts of the repertoire, which features the simbi-a metal stringed
hunters' harp. It is this music that inspires the Mandingo griots and,
directly or indirectly, influences contemporary Malian pop music. These
recordings were made between 1998 and 2008 and show us a different side of
African music than that of Nigeria and Lagos (this music is more spare and
centered on vocal chants), which is nonetheless fascinating. (GMC)
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| AFRICA-WEST AFRICA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Honest Jon's 38 |
Marvellous Boy - Calypso From West Africa |
$18.98 |
18 tracks, 53 mins, highly recommended
This latest collection from the archivists at Honest Jon's follows the
course of West African Calypso music, from Sierra Leone in the late 1940's
through Ghana and Nigeria over the ensuing fifteen years or so. The roots
of this music runs back to 18th century Britain and beyond, while this CD
serves to illustrate that Calypso didn't originate in the Caribbean as has
often been thought. Decca Records recorded the early West African Calypso
artists, Ebenezer Calendar and Famous Scrubbs, who are featured here.
Decca also organized the first Calypso recording session in Ghana with The
Tempos (who, along with its spin-offs, The Black Beats, The Red Spots, and
The Rhythm Aces, dominated the scene). Honest Jon's has presented a fine
overview of the scene and has given us a further window into the unsung
influence of West African music on the world; when one listens to Steven
Amechi and His Empire Rhythm Skies it's easy to see where the likes of
Harry Belafonte got their sound from in the first place. This CD is
educational and enjoyable. (GMC)
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| ENGLISH FOLK MUSIC |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Island (UK) 531 834-1 |
Meet On The Ledge - An Island Records
Folk-Rock Anthology |
$35.98 |
3 CD, 44 tracks, recommended When the English use the term
"folk-rock" they aren't talking about the Byrds, the Mamas and the Papas,
or the Turtles-which is what an American would bring to mind upon hearing
those two words. No, to the British, folk-rock is the music of Fairport
Convention, Sandy Denny, John Martyn, the Incredible String Band and
others playing a blend of British folk music and rock and roll, which come
to think of it, is very much what their American cousins also did in the
mid-60's. This box set strives to give a decent overview of that era of
British rock covering the period 1967 through 1977 (plus a version of
Meet On The Ledge by Fairport from 1987) and drawn from recordings
made for Chris Blackwell's Island label which was home to many of the
pioneers of the genre. This set features the above named artists as well
as Richard Thompson (with and without Linda), Nick Drake, Dr. Strangely
Strange (Incredible String Band imitators), The Albion Band, Claire Hamill,
and more. There are also a few artists included that are a bit
questionable like Jethro Tull and Cat Stevens but Traffic's rendition of
the traditional song John Barleycorn Must Die is an all time
classic. Long time fans will have most of the best tracks here but if
you're just starting out this makes a fine introduction with lots of fine
music accompanied by an attractive 32 page booklet with notes by David
Suff, nuemrous photos and full discographical information. (GMC/ FS)
ALBION BAND: Hanged I Shall Be/ AMAZING BLONDEL: Spring
Season/ The Siege Of Yaddlethorpe/ BRONCO: Time Slips Away/ SANDY DENNY:
Bushes And Briars/ I'm A Dreamer/ Late November/ NICK DRAKE: One Of These
Things First/ Things Behind The Sun/ FAIRPORT CONVENTION: A Sailor's Life/
Dirty Linen/ Matty Groves/ Meet On The Ledge (12" single version)/ She
Moves Through The Fair/ Sir Patrick Spens (Live At The LA Troubadour)/
FOTHERINGAY: Banks Of The Nile/ CLAIRE HAMILL: The Man Who Cannot See
Tomorrow's Sunshine/ BRYN HAWORTH: Darlin' Cory/ MIKE HERON: Flowers Of
The Forest/ ASHLEY HUTCHINGS: Upton Stick Dance/ Haste To The Wedding-The
Triumph-Off She Goes/ THE INCREDIBLE STRING BAND: Black Jack David/ Dear
Old Battlefield/ RONNIE LANE & SLIM CHANCE: Stone/ JOHN MARTYN: Cocaine/
Eibhli Ghail Chiuin Ni Chearbhail/ May You Never (BBC-John Peel Show,
1977)/ Over The Hill/ Seven Black Roses/ Spencer The Rover/ JOHN &
BEVERLEY MARTYN: The Ocean/ MORRIS ON BAND: The Nutting Girl/ CAT STEVENS:
On The Road To Find Out/ DR. STRANGELY STRANGE: Strangely Strange But
Oddly Normal/ THE SUTHERLAND BROTHERS: Sailing/ RICHARD THOMPSON: Calvary
Cross (Live)/ Poor Ditching Boy/ RICHARD & LINDA THOMPSON: Dimming Of The
Day-Dargai/ The Sun Never Shines On The Poor/ Withered And Died/ TRAFFIC:
John Barleycorn (Must Die)/ Withering Tree/ JETHRO TULL: Living In The
Past/ ROBIN WILLIAMSON: Dark Eyed Lady
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| AMERICAN FOLK |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Righteous Babe 065 |
Singing Through The Hard Times - Tribute
To Utah Philli |
$15.98 |
2 CDs, 39 tracks, 2 hours, 15 min., highly recommended
When Bruce Duncan "Utah" Phillips died in 2008, he left behind an
impressive history of aligning himself (in song and in deed) with labor
unions and all forms of progressive social, economic, and political
protest. He also left behind a world of folk singers ready to show their
debt to him by offering a cover of one of his songs for this tribute
album. The compilers (this is issued on Ani DiFranco's label) report that
they could have filled a dozen CDs, if money were no object, which it
always is. Many of the most names in folk music contributed tracks as well
as many lesser-known performers. Most of the songs were written by
Phillips, but some, such as the traditional Hallelujah! I'm A Bum
(performed by Mick Lane), are merely associated with Phillips. Tom Paxton
offers a moving version of I Remember Loving You, Emmylou Harris &
Mary Black perform Green Rolling Hills Of West Virginia, Pete
Seeger cuts his own Or Else! (One Of These Days) for which Phillips
is surely applauding, wherever he is. Other contributers include Jean
Ritchie, Gordon Bok, Si Kahn, Finest Kind, Ani DiFranco, Rosalie Sorrels,
Mark Ross, Sparky And Rhonda Rucker, Caroline Paton, Cathy Fink, Kat
Logan, Elizabeth LaPrelle, Bruce Brackney, Jay Peterson, Emma's
Revolution, and many others. A fine collection of folk music in and of
itself, and a fitting tribute to a legendary figure. (JC)
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| AFRICA-GHANA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Soundway 03 |
Ghana Soundz: Afro-Beat, Funk And Fusion
In 70's Ghana |
$16.98 |
14 tracks, 77 mins, highly recommended
This sophomore set picks up where Vol. 1 (Soundway 01) left off: more
smokin' hot ultra rare and previously unreleased tracks of Afro-Beat, Funk
and fusion from Ghana in the 1970s. Many of the same artists that were on
the first volume are back, such as Oscar Sulley, Ebo Taylor, the Ogyatanna
Show Band, and K. Frimpong, but there are also some worthy newcomers like
Joe Mensah, the African Brothers (who prove once again just how pervasive
James Brown's influence was during the 60's and 70's), and Bob Pinado &
His Sound Casters (whose mind-bending Me, You, One (Means I Love You)
needs to heard to be believed). These tracks, released between 1970 and
1978, show more western funk influence than the tracks on the first disc:
indeed James Brown and Funkadelic loom large as sonic blueprints. Which is
no bad thing, because these musicians are perfect examples of artists who
use their influences are jumping off points rather than merely creating
carbon copies. Bottom line, if you dug Vol. 1, then you need to own Vol.
2. (GMC)
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| AFRICA-ALGERIA |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Sublime Frequencies 045 |
1970s Algerian Proto-Rai Underground |
$16.98 |
This is a collection of "Rai" music, created in Wahran,
Algeria, which is a form of modern music that is derived from Bedouin
music and has roots in Egyptian classical, Flamenco, and Parisian cabaret.
The genre reached its full flowering during the 1970's, and it is this
time frame that is the main focus of this CD. With influences of Rock,
Reggae, and Bollywood soundtracks making their way into the music, artists
like Bellemou & Benfissa, Groupe El Azhar, and Boutaiba Sghir (all
represented here) setting the standard for this music.
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