Bulletin - May/ June
2010
Folk Music
Alistair Anderson -> Various Artists
+ Book
| CHICAGO FOLK Images Of The
Sixties Music Scene The Photographs Of Raeburn Flerlage
by Ronald D. Cohen & Bob Riesman |
● BOOK $24.95 |
190 pages, paperback, highly recommended, counts as
eight CDs for shipping
Complementing the recently republished collection of Chicago blues
photos ("Chicago Blues As Seen From The Inside" - $22.95) from
Raeburn Flerlage this presents another 200 photos from this
outstanding photographer who passed away in 2002. Ray Flerlage had
been documenting the Chicago music scene since the late 50s and his
wonderful photos have graced many record albums and appeared in
numerous books and magazines. This volume spreads the net wider than
the first volume and in addition to more great blues photos
(Sunnyland Slim, Arvella Gray, Big Joe Williams, Billy Boy Arnold,
Furrry Lewis, Robert Pete Williams, Johnny Shines, Brother John
Sellers, etc.), there are also photos of old time country musicians
(Clark Kessinger, The New Lost City Ramblers, Mother Maybelle
Carter, Buell Kazee, Horton Barker, etc), folk musicians (Frank
Warner, Bob Dylan, The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem, Stu Ramsey,
The Beers Family, etc.), bluegrass musicians (Bill Monroe & The
Bluegrass Boys, The Osborne Brothers, Jim & Jesse, etc) as well as
some of the people behind the secenes who helped make the Chicago
music scene such a vital one (Archie Green, Bob Koester, "Izzy"
Young, Irwin Silber, etc). There also some wonderful photos of
artists performing together (some of them unexpected) including Joan
Baez & Horton Barker, Clarence Ashley and Doc Watson, Hobart Smith &
Bessie Jones, Mike Seeger and Dock Boggs, Mike Seeger & Sam McGhee,
Carl Martin with John Lee Granderson & Big John Wrencher and many
more. The photos include posed publicity shots, live on stage shots
and candid photos informal backstage gatherings. Many of the photos
have never been published before and the book comes with a 14 page
introduction by Cohen. (FS)
|
| ALISTAIR ANDERSON |
Topic TSCD 427 |
Steel Skies |
● CD $14.98 |
9 tracks, highly recommended
First CD reissue of
acclaimed album from 1982 by superb Northumberland concertina and smallpipes player. This album consists of a suite of original
compositions by Anderson drawing on traditional elements but adding
harmonic elements that are not frequently used in traditional pieces.
Alistair is joined by a four other masters of traditional music on
fiddle, flute, whistle, mandlin, fiddle and other instruments. The tunes
are gorgeous, the playing is exceptional and the interplay between the
musicians is stunning - a joy from beginning to end. (FS)
|
| THE DUBLINERS |
EMI Gold 584 489-2 |
The Best Of The Original Dubliners |
● CD $22.98 |
Three CD set, 51 tracks, highly recommended
Fine
collection recorded between 1967 and 1972 by probably the most
popular Irish group of the 1960s and 1970s who were responsible for
introducing Irish traditional music to a wider audience. Featuring
the strident but expressive lead vocals of Ronnie Drew and Luke
Kelly with sterling accompaniments from Barney Mckenna / banjo &
mandolin, Ciaran Bourke/ guitar & tin whistle and John Sheahan/
fiddle and tin whistle their repertoire was mostly traditional
though it also include more recent and often topical songs from Ewan
MacColl, Dominic Behan, Phil Coulter and others. This set includes
three songs that hit the pop charts in the U.K. - Seven Drunken
Nights/ Black Velvet Band and Maids When You're Young Never
Wed An Old Man as well as other Dubliners favorites like
Dirty Old Town/ Whiskey In The Jar/ I'm A Rover/ The Old Triangle
and others. I love their medley of two of my personal favorites -
the tune Battle Of The Somme and the song Freedom Come All
Ye. Luke Kelly died in 1980 and Ronnie Drew in 2008 but The
Dubliners continue to tour and still include original members Barney
McKenna and John Shehan. (FS)
|
| JACK ELLIOT |
Bear Family BCD 16630 |
At Lansdowne Studios |
● CD $21.98 |
A fine collection of early Jack Elliot when he was a
regular vistor to England and the recordings made here in London
between 1958 and 1960 resulted in two LPs and an E.P. of Woody
Guthrie childrens songs. All these are appearing on CD for the first
time and seven tracks are previously unissued including five duets
with his frequent collaborator Derroll Adams. The first LP called
"Ramblin' Jack Elliot In London" are Jack alone with his guitar on a
selection of mostly traditional cowboy songs, "Rambling Jack Sings
Woody Guthrie & Jimmie Rodgers" features him with bassist Jack
Fallon and at times Alexis Korner on mandolin, Danny Levan on fiddle
plus clarinet and trumpet. The childrens songs find him with Korner
and Fallon. All good stuff with superb sound and 42 page booklet
with extensive notes.
|
| JULIE FOWLIS |
Spit & Polish 038 |
Uam (From Me) |
● CD $16.98 |
13 tracks, 50 mins, highly recommended
Gorgeous
collection of traditional Scottish songs sung in Scots Gaelic by
this outstanding young singer who won the BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of
The Year award in 2008. Julie's beautiful vocals are accompanied by
a variety of musicians and harmony vocals in sensitive arrangements
that make sure that the focus is on Julie's vocals. On the version
the old favorite Wind And Rain whe is joined by fellow Scots
vocalist Eddi Reader who sings the English lyrics while Julie sings
the Gaelic ones. This one's a real treasure. (FS)
|
| LOUIS KILLEN |
Topic TSCD 126 |
Ballads And Broadsides |
● CD $14.98 |
9 tracks, highly recommended
Louis Killen is one of
the major figures of the early days of the British folk revival in
the early 1960s. A native of Northumberland, he specializes in songs
of the North Of England though this first album features songs from
all over Britain. Louis emigrated to the USA in 1967 and since then
has become something of a cultural ambassador promoting traditional
British music and is still performing. This CD is a reissue of
Louis's first solo album issued by Topic in 1965 - mostly acapella
with the occasional track featuring Louis's discreet concertina
playing. He is a powerful and expressive singer with a distinctive
voice and this one features superb performances of nine traditional
English songs - Young Edwin In The Lowlands/ The Flying Cloud/
One May Morning/ The Bramble Briar/ The Banks Of Sweet Primeroses
|
| MALICORNE |
Griffe 191272 |
Almanach |
● CD $19.98 |
13 tracks, 49 mins, essential
Available again. The
French band Malicorne was possibly the best traditionally oriented
folk-rock band ever and this 1976 recording was their best. It
consists of a series of 12 traditional songs, one for each month of
the year, most of them with a magical theme. The singing led by
Gabriel Yacoub and his powerful distinctive baritone is complemented
by his wife Marie's fragile soprano and when the rest of the group
join in on the vocal harmonies the effect is spine chilling. The
instrumental work is spellbinding using acoustic and electric
instruments and weaving them together in a complex interplay of
sounds to create powerful and tremendously beautiful music. All this
comes over with crystal clarity on this CD. On Les Tristes Noces
when the electric bass comes in to join Gabriel and Marie's
unaccompanied vocals the sound reverberated through my spine! This
album is one of the greatest folk albums of the 70s and quite
deservedly won "Grand Prix" from the Academie Du Disque Francais.
The beautiful cover illustration by Laurent Lesserre prepares you
for the treasures within and the 12 page booklet has notes on all
the songs by Gabriel (in French) and all the lyrics. An all time
classic! (FS)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Talking Elephant 76 |
The Magic Of Morris |
● CD $24.98 |
Two CD set presenting a wide ranging collection of
music for Morris dancing ranging solo concertina playing of the
great William Kimber recorded in the 1950s to the more recent
synthesizer led rock stylings of Black Pig Border Morris and all
points in between. Also includes Father Kenneth Loveless, The Morris
On Band, Silurian Border Morris Men, The Jockey Morris Men, Grandson
Of Morris On, Crucible, Albion Morris Men, Chris Leslie and others.
Includes booklet with notes on all the artists.
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