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Bulletin - November/ December 2009
Folk Music
Dave & Toni Arthur ->
Various Artists

 

 

NEW COMPACT DISCS


ENGLAND DAVE & TONI ARTHUR Cherry Tree 002 Morning Stands On Tiptoe $15.98
17 tracks, highly recommended
Reissue of superb 1967 album recorded for Transatlantic by this excellent duo who were very popular on the folk club scene and recorded a handful of highly acclaimed albums, of which this was the first. Like other folk performers of the era they were not merely performers but also reasearched song sources and many of the songs here were introduced to the folk scene for the first time. Most of the songs are sung as acapella duets and features some lovely harmonies. A couple of tracks feature Dave's concertina accompaniment and Toni accompanies Dave on whistle on his solo performance of Bendigo Champin Of England. Songs include A Maiden Came From London/ Padstow Drinking Song/ Green Grass/ The Blackburn Poachers/ Green Broom/ The Football Match and others. Bonus includes their rare 1965 pop folk single for Fontana of The Cuckoo and A Rich And Rambling Boy which is not particular good but makes for an interesting contrast. Disc comes with 16 page booklet with vintage photos, new notes and original track annotations by dave & Toni. A most worthwhile reissue. (FS)

 
ENGLAND BRASS MONKEY Topic TSCD 575 Head Of Steam $16.98
10 tracks, highly recommended
After five years a new album by this brilliant British folk group featuring the vocal and instrumental talents of two of England's great folk musicians Martin Carthy and John Kirkpatrick with a brass section featuring Paul Archibald, Martin Brinsford and Roger Williams playing trumpets, flugelhorn, saxophone, trombone and more. In spite of the apparent incongruous lineup the result is one of the most exhilarating sounds to have come out of the British folk scene. They perform a superb selection of traditional songs and tunes mostly unfamiliar ones but even a familiar songs like The Trees They Do Grow High or Bold Archer take on a new dimension in this setting. The years of constant touring have taken a toll on Martin's voice but he is still one of the most sensitive interpreters of traditional song anywhere. A real delight. (FS)

 
AMERICAN FOLK WOODY GUTHRIE Rounder 1162 My Dusty Road $79.98
A real treat for fans of this great American troubadour. This four CD set with 54 tracks features recordings Woody made for the Stinson label in 1944. In the past Stinson issues have been noted for their poor quality sound but a couple of years a cache of original Stinson masters was discovered by accident and it turns out that the original recordings were among the most well recorded of Woody's significant legacy. This set is handsomely packaged in a distinctive suitcase shaped box complete with handle and latches. The first disc features some of Woody's most well known songs like This Land Is Your Land/ Pretty Boy Floyd/ Reuben James, etc. The second disc features his versions of traditional songs, cowboy songs and old favorites that influenced him like Stackolee/John Henry/ Worried Man Blues/ Chisholm Trail, etc. The third disc is devoted to Woody as activist with songs like Gonna Roll The Union On/ Hangknot, Slipknot/ Tear The Fascists Down, etc. and the fourth disc is devoted to collaborations with Cisco Houston and Sonny Terry with songs like Guitar rag/ Brown's Ferry Blues/ Ain't Nobody's Business/ Sonny's Flight, etc. The set includes six previously unissued songs and comes with a 68 page full color book with extensive notes by Woody's biographer Ed Cray and Rounder's co-founder Bill Nowlin including rare and unpublished photos, illustrations and illuminated lyric sheets. The set also includes a a reproduction of Woody's KFVD radio station business card, a Florida postcard from Woody written in 1951 and a a People's Artists Booking notices from 1947.

 
AMERICAN FOLK JIM RINGER Folk Legacy 47 Waiting For The Hard Times To Go $16.98
14 tracks, essential
Back in print. This 1972 debut from Jim Ringer is one of my favorite American Folk albums of the 1970s. Ringer was a superb singer with a rich, warm and very melodic voice but with gritty honesty to it. On this superb album he performs a mixture of traditional and contemporary songs. His subsequent albums featured mostly original songs but this only has one original and it's a knockout - the title song - it's one of those honest reflections on life that is as relevant today as it was in 1972. Another significant original contribution from Jim is his setting of the 19th century poem California Joe written by cowboy poet "Captain Jack" Crawford to a beautiful original tune. Among the other superb songs he covers are Otis Pierces Every Bush And Tree, George Jones's Ground So Poor That Grass Won't Grow and two from his good friend and inpiration Bruce "Utah" Phillips including the gorgeous anthemic I Believe If I Lived My Life Again with Phillips contributing harmonica. There are also songs from John Prine, Willie Nelson and Jean Ritchie along with several traditional songs. Jim is given vocal and instrumental support by friends like Mary McCaslin, Jay Ungar, Jon Wilcox and others. This is one of those perfect albums where every song is a gem and, although not a thematic album, each song seems to seamlessly flow into the next. Because of the current economic climate Folk Legacy has decided to reissue this as a CD-R only and if you want the notes with lyric transcripts you will need to send them $2.00 but that doesn't detract from the necessity of owning it. (FS)

 
ENGLAND STEELEYE SPAN Park PRKCD 104 Live At A Distance $19.98
Two CDs/ One DVD - 20 tracks. 14 tracks, highly recommended
Now available domestically at a lower price. 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)

 
AMERICAN FOLK VARIOUS ARTISTS Proper BOX 147 The Little Red Box Of Protest Songs $27.98
3 CD, 1 DVD, 60 CD Tracks, 167 CD mins, highly recommended
Pete Seeger just marked the occasion of his 90th birthday. Some of you might have caught the big B-Day show that was held in New York and aired on PBS; if you didn't yet, you should try and catch it, there were some pretty great performances. So the famous/ infamous Seeger has been on this earth for over nine decades now, and for about 70 or so of those he has been singing protest songs and raising the banner high for the workers of the world. This here box set is an homage to the "Little Red Book of Protest Songs" that the Wobblies (The Industrial Workers of the World) put out early last century, a book of songs that gave the I.W.W. members on the frontlines material to rally their members and then later would be the blueprint for Seeger, Woody Guthrie and others and the causes that they championed. This includes an extensive booklet tracing the history of the songs, movement and principle players, that is almost worth the price of admission by itself. Thankfully there are also three full CDs full of music and a cool DVD with two short films. The films on the DVD are a recent short documentary on Seeger and Guthrie and a brief history of Folk and Protest music, with some nice footage and insightful interviews. The other short film is the bigger treat, being the doc "To Hear Your Banjo Play," from 1947, with fantastic bits with Seeger, Guthrie, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGee, etc. Short but wonderful, Roots music lovers will certainly enjoy. The CDs contain great tracks by the aforementioned as well as Josh White, The Almanac Singers, Leadbelly, J.B. Lenoir, Bob Miller, The Union Boys, Aunt Molly Jackson, and many more, including none other than Carl Sandburg himself with "The Boll Weevil." If you are a Roots music loving lefty like myself, than this is an essential collection (I think every High School history class should have one,) even if your politics aren't as fervent, the historical interest and great music should win you over nonetheless. Power to the people! (JM)

 
ENGLAND VARIOUS ARTISTS Simply 39 Simply Folk $18.98
Four Cds, 60 tracks, highly recommended
A modestly priced compilation of tracks from the catalogue of one of the world's greatest folk labels, Topic. It features recordings ranging from the 1950s through the 1990s. Most of the artists are English along with a handful of Scots and Irish and one American (Jack Elliot). Artists range from traditional "source" singers (Walter Pardon, Harry Cox, Sheila Stewart, etc) to some the giants of traditional song interpreters (Martin Carthy, A.L. Lloyd, Silly Sisters, Shirley Collins, Norma Waterson, Eliza Carthy, Tim Van Eyken, Battlefield Band, etc.) to contemporary singers and songwriters (Lal Waterson, John Tams, E2K, Christine Collister, etc) and more. A great selection and a perfect introduction to a wealth of great music. Includes brief notes on the artists and songs and lists the Cds the tracks are from so you can explore further. (FS)
THE ALBION BAND: Press Gang/ The Road Beneath My Wheels/ STEVE ASHLEY: Everyday Lives/ ALY BAIN & TOM ANDERSON: Jack Broke Da Prison Door, Etc./ BATTLEFIELD BAND: Miss Drummond Of Perth, Etc./ Silver Spear-humours Of Tulla/ BLUE MURDER: Bully In The Alley/ No One Stands Alone/ BRASS MONKEY: Waterman's Hornpipe/ ANNE BRIGGS: Let No Man Steal Your Thyme/ ELIZA CARTHY: The Snow It Melts The Soonest/ Worcester City/ MARTIN CARTHY: Lord Franklin/ The Trees They Do Grow High/ Jacky Tar/ Sovay/ SHIRLEY COLLINS: Spencer The Rover/ The Rigs Of The Time/ CHRISTINE COLLISTER: Ashlands/ Motherless Child/ THE COPPER FAMILY: Come Write Me Down, Ye Powers Above/ Spencer The Rover/ HARRY COX: The Black Velvet Band/ E2K: He Moved Through The Fair/ JACK ELLIOTT: San Francisco Bay Blues/ Talking Dustbowl Blues/ BOB FOX: Peppers And Tomatoes/ DICK GAUGHAN: World Turned Upside Down/ THE HIGH LEVEL RANTERS: Shew's The Way To Wallinton-the Peacock Followed The Hen/ NIC JONES: Courting Is A Pleasure/ JOHN KIRKPATRICK: Arthur Mcbride/ Cheshire Hornpipe/ OLIVER KNIGHT: Emotion/ SAM LARNER: The Wild Rover/ A.L. LLOYD: All For Me Grog/ John Barleycorn/ EWAN MACCOLL: Cam Ye O'er Fra France/ Dirty Old Town/ WALTER PARDON: The Female Drummer/ SILLY SISTERS: Cakes & Ale/ Somewhere Along The Road/ MARTIN SIMPSON: Lakes Of Pontchartrain/ SHEILA STEWART: Blackwaterside/ JUNE TABOR: A Smiling Shore/ Roses Of Picardy/ JOHN TAMS: Safe House/ Whole New Vision/ TARRAS: Rising/ LINDA THOMPSON: All I See/ The Banks Of The Clyde/ TIM VAN EYKEN: Gypsy Maid/ MIKE WATERSON: The Wensleydale Lad/ NORMA WATERSON: Banks Of The Dee/ Barbary Allen/ LAL WATERSON & OLIVER KNIGHT: At First She Starts/ Memories/ WATERSON:CARTHY: Meeting Is A Pleasure/ Midnight On The Water/ THE WATERSONS: John Barleycorn/ Swansea Town

 
MISCELLANEOUS VARIOUS ARTISTS Topic 70 Three Score & Ten- Topic Records: A Voice To The People $74.98
Just arrived. A fantastic seven CD set with 144 tracks celebrating the 70th birthday of Topic Records - the oldest still active independent record label in the world. Originally formed in 1939 by the Workers Music Association - an offshoot of the British Communist Party it put out a range of music over the next dozen years including a number of politiccal items. In the early 50s under the guidance of Ewan MacColl and A.L.Lloyd it recorded more and more folk music - mostly traditional and by 1960 it had abandoned its connections with the Worker's Music Association and became a commercial endeavour recording many traditional folk performers as well as issuing recordings by performers from the burgeoning "folk revival" and over the next forty some years released some of the most important folk recordings to come out of Britain. This set comes as 110 page harbound 11"x11" with the CDs inside the front and back covers. The first and seventh disc features "Treasures" - some of the most highly regarded items from the catalog features tracks by Nic Jones, The Oldham Tinkers, Jesse Fuller, Joseph Taylor, Lea Nicholson, John Tams, Billy Pigg, Tim Van Eyken, Levi Smith, The Silly Sisters and more. Disc two is devoted to English music both original source singers and revivalists including Bob & Ron Copper, Anne Briggs, The Watersons, Fred Jordan, Roy Harris, etc. Disc three features Irish performers (Jackie Daly, John Doonan, Willie Clancy, Hugh Gillespie, etc.). Disc four is devoted to Scotland (Battlefield Band, Kentigern, Dick Gaughan, Willie Scott, etc). Disc five features songs from contemporary songwriters (of the time) featuring Martin Carthy, Bob Davenport, John Kirkpatrick, Vin Garbutt, Bill Caddick and disc six features songs of social awareness including both sides of that first single from 1939 plus songs from Paul Robseon, Louis Killen, Harry Boardman, Richard Thompson, etc. The set includes a number of songs that have not appeared on Cd before. The book gives a detailed recording and social history with profiles of the essential recordings, principal artists and key personages along with hundreds of great illustrations - artist photos, album covers, advertising leaflets, snapshots and memorabilia. I've only just opened a copy of this amazing package but I expect to be spending a great deal of time with it in the future.
ALISTAIR ANDERSON: The Air for Maurice Ogg~Jumping Jack~The Air for Maurice Ogg/ TOM ANDERSON AND ALY BAIN: Soldier`s Joy/ FRANKIE ARMSTRONG: The Crafty Maid`s Policy/ STEVE ASHLEY: Ships Of Shame/ MARGARET BARRY: The Factory Girl/ BATTLEFIELD BAND: Miss Drummond Of Perth~Fiddler`s Joy~Traditional Reel~The Shetland Reel/ DOMINIC BEHAN: The Patriot Game/ PETER BELLAMY: When I Die/ BILLY BENNETT: No Power On Earth/ BLUE MURDER: No One Stands Alone/ HARRY BOARDMAN: The Hand-Loom Weaver`s Lament/ THE BOYS OF THE LOUGH: Padraig O'Keefe`s~Con Cassidy`s/ BRASS MONKEY: The Maid And The Palmer/ ANNE BRIGGS: Blackwater Side/ THE BRITANNIA COCONUT DANCERS: The Nut Dance (part)/ JOHN BURGESS: The Wandering Piper/ BILL CADDICK: Two-Fisted Heroes/ ISLA CAMERON: The Fireman's Not For Me/ WINNIE CAMPBELL: Kempy Kaye/ THE IAN CAMPBELL FOLK GROUP: Peat Bog Soldiers/ The Sun Is Burning/ MARY ANN CAROLAN: The Tinker`s Old Budget/ ELIZA CARTHY: Two Tears/ Worcester City/ MARTIN CARTHY: The Dominion Of The Sword/ Perfumes Of Arabia/ Wasps In The/ THE CELEBRATED WORKING MEN'S BAND: The Weaver`s March/ THE CHEVIOT RANTERS: The Ideal Schottische/ WILLIE CLANCY: The Choice Wife/ SHIRLEY COLLINS: All Things Are Quite Silent/ The Rigs Of The Time/ BOB AND RON COPPER: Spencer The Rover/ HARRY COX: The Bonny Labouring Boy/ CURLEW: Tilley Plump~Auld Foula Reel~Oot And In Da Harbour/ ANDY CUTTING (BLOWZABELLA): Fulmine/ JACKIE DALY: The Rising Sun~The Pope`s Toe/ BOB DAVENPORT: Police Patrol/ Hot Asphalt/ JOHN DOONAN AND JOHN WRIGHT: Gillan`s Apples~The Prize Jig/ CHRIS DRONEY: Burren No. 1~Chris Droney's Favourite/ PACKIE DUIGNAN AND SEAMUS HORAN: Bridie Morley~Duignan`s Favourite/ RAMBLIN` JACK ELLIOTT: Talking Dustbowl Blues/ SEAMUS ENNIS: The Blackbird/ CILLA FISHER: Blue Bleezin` Blind Drunk/ RAY AND ARCHIE FISHER: The Twa Corbies/ THE FISHER FAMILY: Come All Ye Fisher Lasses/ THE FLANAGAN BROTHERS: My Irish Molly O/ JESSE FULLER: San Francisco Bay Blues/ LOUIE FULLER: Hopping Down In Kent/ VIN GARBUTT: The Land Of Three Rivers/ DICK GAUGHAN: Both Sides The Tweed/ Erin Go Bragh/ HUGH GILLESPIE: Dowd's Favourite/ DAVY GRAHAM: Angi/ LEN GRAHAM: The Knight Templar`s Dream/ JOHNNY HANDLE: Dust/ ROY HARRIS: The Methody Parson/ FRANK HARTE: He Rolled Her To The Wall/ JOE HEANEY: Wife Of The Bold Tenant Farmer/ THE HIGH LEVEL RANTERS: Aa`m Glad The Strike`s Done/ THE HOUSE BAND: The Happy One-Step~Green Willis/ THE IRISH COUNTRY FOUR: Roaring Mary~The Old Torn Petticoat/ THE JAUHARAH ORCHESTRA: Nna hamu/ NIC JONES: Clyde Water/ The Humpback Whale/ FRED JORDAN: We Shepherds Are The Best of Men/ RON KAVANA: Reconciliation/ STAN KELLY WITH LEON ROSSELSON: Greedy Landlord/ NORMAN KENNEDY: Wi My Roving Eye/ KENTIGERN: Cullen Bay~Jig O`Slurs~Seagull/ LOUIS KILLEN: The Blackleg Miners/ WILLIAM KIMBER: Country Gardens/ JOHN KIRKPATRICK AND SUE HARRIS: The Rose Of Britain`s Isle~Glorishears/ JOHN KIRKPATRICK WITH BRASS MONKEY: George`s Son/ SAM LARNER: The Bold Princess Royal/ A. L. LLOYD: The Two Magicians/ SEAN MAC DONNCHADHA: Spailpina Run/ EWAN MACCOLL: Dirty Old Town/ Go Down Ye Murderers/ Sixteen Tons/ To The Begging I Will Go/ SARAH MAKEM: The Banks Of Red Roses/ IAN MANUEL: The Gallant Forty Twa/ JIMMY MCBEATH: The Wind That Blew The Bonnie Lassie`s Plaidie Awa`/ GORDEANNA MCCULLOCH: The Dowie Dens Of Yarrow/ ALISON MCMORLAND AND PETA WEBB: The Green Banks Of Yarrow/ THE MCPEAKE FAMILY: Slieve Gallon Brae/ PAT MITCHELL: Sullivan's March/ LEE NICHOLSON: Rawtenstall Annual Fair/ THE O'HALLORAN BROTHERS: The Music In The Glen~The Greenfields Of America/ OAK: Scan`s Polkas/ THE OLDHAM TINKERS: The Lancashire Toreadors/ SEAN O`SHEA AND BOBBY CASEY: The Yellow Tinker~The Humours Of Scarriff/ TOM PALEY AND PEGGY SEEGER: The Girl On The Greenbriar Shore/ WALTER PARDON: The Devil And The Farmer's Wife/ PATRICK STREET: Music For A Found Harmonium/ BILLY PIGG: Skye Crofter`s~The Swallow Tail/ JOHN REA: The Belfast Hornpipe~The Rights Of Man/ VLADO AND NIKOLA ROBANOVSKI: Baranca/ JEANNIE ROBERTSON: MacCrimmon`s Lament/ PAUL ROBESON: Joe Hill/ THE RUSSELL FAMILY: The Heather Breeze~The Traveller/ PADDY RYAN: The Man Who Watered The Worker`s Beer/ WILLIE SCOTT: Herd Laddie O` The Glen/ PETE SEEGER: Talking Union Blues/ THE SILLY SISTERS: Hedger And Ditcher/ MARTIN SIMPSON: Masters Of War/ Never Any Good/ LEVI SMITH: Georgie/ PHEOBE SMITH: Higher Germany/ BOB SMITH`S IDEAL BAND: The Red Flag/ JOHN B. SPENCER: Acceptable Losses/ THE SPINNERS: The Liverpool Barrow Boys/ BELLE STEWART: Queen Among The Heather/ DAVIE STEWART: Boulavogue/ SHEILA STEWART: Young Jimmy Foyers/ DAN SULLIVAN`S SHAMROCK BAND: Johnny, Will You Marry Me?/ ISABEL SUTHERLAND: Dance With Me, Morag/ JUNE TABOR: A Place Called England/ While Gamekeeper`s Lie Sleeping/ REFKI TAHO, HYSEN ZIZOLLI AND AHMET METOLLI: Kaba Vence/ JOHN TAMS: Bitter Withy/ Unity (Raise Your Banners High)/ SEAMUS TANSEY WITH REG HALL: Paddy Ryan's Dream~Mamma`s Pet/ JOSEPH TAYLOR: Creeping Jane/ SCAN TESTER AND RABBIDY BAXTER: Jenny Lind/ LINDA THOMPSON: No Telling/ RICHARD THOMPSON: Time To Ring Some Changes/ THE TOPIC SINGERS AND BAND: The Internationale/ ROZA TSETKOVA: Boi Se Otvori/ PADDY TUNNEY: The Waterford Boys/ TIM VAN EYKEN: Barleycorn/ VESTLANDSGRUPPA: Hamburger - Polka Fra Hardanger/ MIKE WATERSON: Tamlyn/ LAL WATERSON & OLIVER KNIGHT: Stumbling On/ WATERSON:CARTHY: We Poor Labouring Men/ THE WATERSONS: Hal-An-Tow/ Three Score And Ten/ HEDY WEST: Little Sadie/ TOM WILLETT: Riding Down To Portsmouth/ JOHN WRIGHT: The Shaskeen Reel

 

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