NEWSLETTER #135
Folk Music - American, British Isles, etc.
Martin Carthy ->
Various Artists
| ENGLAND |
MARTIN CARTHY |
Topic TSCD 527 |
Waiting For Angels |
● CD $16.98 |
Newest from Britain's leading interpreter of English song
produced by his talented daughter Eliza who also plays fiddle, melodeon
and harmonium on the album. Other guest musicians are featured including
Donald Hay (drums & percussion), Martin Simpson (slide guitar), Paul
Sartin (oboe), Ben Ivitsky (percussion, viola, trombone and "creaking")
and others. A collection of traditional songs and tunes plus the title
tune which is an original instrumental composition by Martin plus his take
on The Harry Lime Theme. Includes a new version of one of his most
famous songs Famous Flower Of Serving Men plus The Foggy Dew/
James Hartley/ The Royal Lament/ Bold General Wolfe and others.
|
| ENGLAND |
SANDY DENNY |
Fledgling 5002 |
A Boxful Of Treasures |
● CD $81.98 |
5 CD set, 88 tracks, essential
Five CD retrospective of
recordings made by one of the greatest singers and songwriters to emerge
from the British folk scene of the 60s. With a voice of crystalline
purity, Sandy had an innate sense for traditional balladry, making old
songs fresh and meaningful and writing new songs brimming with emotion and
as singable as they come. Her death in 1978 at the age of 30 robbed the
world of a major talent. The first four discs of this magnificent set
traces her recording career chronologically and is liberally peppered with
with previously unissued studio performances, home demos, alternate takes,
unissued live performances. It starts with her first commercial recordings
from 1967 when she was working with Alex Campbell and his friends and
these early recordings reveal that she was already a singer to be reckoned
with including a superb version of Campbell's Been On The Road So Long
and a powerful version of Jackson Frank's You Never Wanted Me.
There are several home recordings from this period including the lovely
original Boxful Of Treasures which she later used as the tune of
Fotheringay recorded with Fairport and a stunning version of the
traditional ballad Geordie. It includes three of the songs she
recorded with up and coming group The Strawbs in 1968 including her first
recording of her all time classic Who Knows Where The Time Goes.
That same year she joined Fairport Convention and both Sandy and Fairport
benefited from the collaboration both increasing in musical maturity and
Sandy was a big factor in moving the group to further explore English
traditional music which culminated in their masterpiece "Liege & Lief".
There are a dozen performances from this period including traditional
songs along with Denny and Richard Thompson originals. After "Liege & Lief,"
Sandy left the group to form a new group Fotheringay with her boy friend
Trevor Lucas and they moved back to doing more contemporary and original
songs though traditional music was still a significant part of their
repertoire and Sandy's version of Banks Of The Nile is a truly
stellar performance.
For various reasons (discussed in the notes)
Fotheringay was ill fated and didn't last very long. Over the next seven
years Sandy released a series of four solo albums - the first two "The Northstar Grassman & The Ravens" and "Sandy" consistently superb, the
latter to "Like An Old Fashioned Waltz" and "Rendezvous" were less
consistent with performances becoming more pop with lush arrangements
including string orchestras which at times diluted the power of Sandy's
vocals. During this period she briefly rejoined Faiport to record the
super "Rising For The Moon". The fourth disc ends with her last studio
recording - a beautiful performance of the Bryn Haworth song Moments.
The fifth disc consists of mostly previously unissued demos - many just
Sandy with her piano and guitar and it's great to hear some of these songs
in their raw form, particularly I'm A Dreamer and Rising For The
Moon. There are also three live performances with Fairport from 1974
including great performances of Dylan's Knockin' On Heaven's Door
and her own It'll Take A Long Long Time. Alltogether there are 26
previously unissued performances and many others that have been long
unavailable. In 1986 Hannibal issued a four LP retrospective of Sandy's
work which was reissued in 1991 as a three CD set. This is not an expanded
version of that set but a completly new compilation and apart from the
previously unissued material this has a lot of material not on Hannibal
set and the Hannibal set has quite a few tracks not featured here so if
you have that set you'll want to hang on to it. One curious feature of
both sets is that neither includes the Fairport studio recording of Who
Knows Where The Time Goes? or the studio recording of John The Gun
which are the most well known versions of these popular songs - I wonder
why? The box includes a 56 page full colour booklet with a biography of
Sandy by Jim Irvin which gives us insight into her character and reveals
the insecurity and self destructiveness that lay behind the sublime and
beautiful songs she wrote. The booklet has a moving forward by Richard
Thompson and tributes and reminiscences from Dick Gaughan, Joe Boyd, John
Renbounr, Jerry Donahue, Simon Nicol, Linda Thompson and many others as
well as full discographical details on all the performances. (FS)
SANDY DENNY (*** = previously unissued): 3.10 To Yuma/ A Sailor's Life
(With FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ After Halloween (Demo)/ All Our Days (Demo
***)/ At The End Of The Day (Alternate Take Without Strings ***)/ Autopsy
(Demo ***)/ Been On The Road So Long/ Bird On A Wire (With FAIRPORT
CONVENTION - Radio Session)/ Blackwaterside/ Boxful Of Treasure (Home
Recording ***)/ Bruton Town (Radio Session)/ Bushes And Briars (Radio
Session)/ By The Time It Gets Dark (***)/ By The Time It Gets Dark
(Alternate Take ***)/ By The Time It Gets Dark (Demo ***)/ Cajun Woman
(With FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ Easy To Slip/ Ecoute Ecoute/ Fotheringay (With
FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ Farewell Farewell (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ Full
Moon/ Full Moon (Full Moon ***)/ Geordie (Home Recording)/ Go Your Way My
Love (Home Recording)/ Gypsy Davey (With FORTHERINGAY)/ Here In Silence/ I
Don't Know Where I Stand (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION - Radio Session)/ I'm A
Dreamer/ I'm A Dreamer (Demo ***)/ It'll Take A Long Time/ It'll Take A
Long Time (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION - Live ***)/ John The Gun (With
FAIRPORT CONVENTION - Live ***)/ King & Queen Of England (Home Recording)/
Knockin' On Heaven's Door (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION - Live)/ Late November
(With FORTHERINGAY)/ Learning The Game (With THE BUNCH)/ Like An Old
Fashioned Waltz/ Losing Game (***)/ Meet On The Ledge (With FAIRPORT
CONVENTION)/ Moments (Final Studio Recording)/ Next Time Around (Alternate
Take Without Strings ***)/ No End (Solo Take ***)/ No More Sad Refrains/
No More Sad Refrains (Demo ***)/ Nothing More (With FORTHERINGAY)/
Nottamun Town (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ Now And Then (Demo)/ One More
Chance (Demo ***)/ One Way Donkey Ride (Demo ***)/ Quiet Joys Of
Brotherhood/ Reynardine (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ Rising For The Moon
(Demo ***)/ Rising For The Moon (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ Sail Away To
The Sea (With THE STRAWBS)/ She Moves Through The Fair (Home Recording
***)/ She Moves Through The Fair (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION - Live ***)/ Si
Tu Dois Partir (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ Silver Threads & Golden Needles
(With FORTHERINGAY ***)/ Sir Patrick Spens (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION -
Radio Session ***)/ Solo/ Still Waters Run Deep (Demo ***)/ Stranger To
Himself (Demo)/ Sweet Rosemary (Demo ***)/ Take Away The Load (Demo)/ Take
Me Away (Demo ***)/ Tam Lin (With FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ Tell Me What You
See In Me (With THE STRAWBS)/ The Ballad Of Easy Rider (With FAIRPORT
CONVENTION)/ The Banks Of The Nile (With FORTHERINGAY)/ The Lady (Demo
***)/ The Lowlands Of Holland (Radio Session)/ The Music Weaver/ The Music
Weaver (Demo ***)/ The North Star Grassman & The Ravens/ The Pond & The
Stream (With FORTHERINGAY)/ The Sea (With FORTHERINGAY)/ The Sea Captain/
They Don't Seem To Know You (Home Recording ***)/ This Train (With ALEX
CAMPBELL & FRIENDS)/ Thro' My Eyes (with IAN MATTHEWS)/ Until The Real
Thing Comes Along (Radio Session)/ Walking The Floor Over You/ What Is
True (Demo ***)/ Whispering Grass (Radio Session)/ White Dress (With
FAIRPORT CONVENTION)/ Who Knows Where The Time Goes (With FAIRPORT
CONVENTION - Live ***)/ Who Knows Where The Time Goes (With THE STRAWBS)/
You Never Wanted Me (With ALEX CAMPBELL & FRIENDS)
|
| AMERICAN FOLK |
RAMBLIN' JACK ELLIOT |
Hightone 8175 |
The Lost Topic Tapes: Cowes Harbour 1957 |
● CD $11.98 |
16 tracks, 43 minutes, recommended
After more than
twenty-five years working in undeserved obscurity, Ramblin' Jack Elliott
resurfaced in the early '90s to reclaim his status as an American folk
music icon. His old followers welcomed his return to prominence and the
recording studios, but time and years of abuse clearly ravaged this great
stylist's voice and musicianship. Some claim that Elliott hit his artistic
peak during the early '60s, but many prefer the youthful 1955-1960 period
when he busked his way across Europe. Of his numerous British recordings,
Elliott's three 10" Topic LPs are usually considered his best. Many
rejoiced when researcher Robert Wylie recently found reels of unused
material from Topic's May 1957 "Jack Takes the Floor" sessions. Topic had
no interest in releasing them, but allowed Wylie to shop the tapes
elsewhere. And now, thanks to Hightone Records, here they are. "The Lost
Topic Tapes: Cowes Harbor 1957" features mostly traditional pieces, three
Woody Guthrie originals and a cover of Grandpa Jones's Old Rattler
(attributed to Ivory Joe Hunter!) The performances reflect the informality
of the sessions, which were reportedly done on portable equipment on a
moored yacht. At the outset it's apparent that Topic skimmed the cream of
these recordings to assemble "Jack Takes the Floor." Seven years later the
label returned to these sessions to expand Elliott's original albums into
a 12" format. What remained - and what Wylie found - were castoffs. Most
are good performances with minor flaws: blown guitar notes, vamping to
remember forgotten words, and so on. Some are technical: tape flutter
affects Black Girl. A few songs are throwaways, such as Freight
Train and a Tom Dooley that did not merit release. But all in
all, this welcome reissue provides a rare opportunity for many to discover
the youthful Elliott. (DS)
RAMBLIN' JACK ELLIOT: Acres of Clams/ Big Rock Candy Mountain/ Black Girl/
Chisholm Trail/ Crawdad Song/ Freight Train/ Hard Travelin'/ Jack of
Diamonds/ Old Rattler/ Rocky Mountain Belle/ Rusty Jiggs & Sandy Sam/
Streets of Laredo/ Talking ColumbiaBlues/ Tom Dooley/ Tom Joad
|
| AMERICAN FOLK |
RAMBLIN' JACK ELLIOT |
Hightone 8176 |
The Lost Topic Tapes: Isle Of Wight 1957 |
● CD $11.98 |
16 tracks, 39 minutes, recommended Though Hightone's title
implies a live recording, this album gathers more of the informal Cowes
Harbor tapes that Robert Wylie recently uncovered. It includes four Woody
Guthrie songs, including Oklahoma Hills and three classic "Songs to
Grow On.” Highlights include T for Texas, a Dave Macon-inspired
version of Ballad of John Henry, a rousing Crash on the Highway,
and a whimsical In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree, which Elliott
later cut for Vanguard. Again, this is not Grade-A material; fluffed
chords, missed meters and tape glitches abound. The Guthrie pieces come
off best; Rock Island Line lacks compassion; and frankly, two Jelly
Roll Morton specialties I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say and
Don't You Leave Me Here should have stayed on the shelf. Elliott's
then-wife Jane joins him on Gary Davis's Candy Man. Anyone familiar
with Elliott's later recordings will be delighted by these early
performances, but longtime fans would be better served by finding the
pricey Japanese imports of the classic original Topics. (DS)
RAMBLIN' JACK ELLIOT: Ballad of John Henry/ Candy Man/ Car Song/ Closing &
Railroad Bill./ Crash on the Highway/ Don't You Leave Me Here/ Howdido/ I
Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say/ In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree/
Oklahoma Hills/ Old Blue/ Rock Island Line/ Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms/
T for Texas/ Why O Way
|
| MISCELLANEOUS |
FAIRPORT
CONVENTION & FRIENDS |
Free Reed FRQCD 025 |
Cropredy Capers |
● CD $74.98 |
Four CD set featuring live performances recorded at the
annual festival organized by and featuring Fairport Convention. The
recordings span the period 1979 through 2003 and features guest artists
like Richard Thompson, Robert Plant, Jerry Donahue, Bob Fox, Cathy LeSurf,
The Dylan Project, Trevor Lucas, Loudon Wainwright III, Maddy Prior and
many more. A total of 65 tracks, most previously unissued. Each CD has a
different theme and each has its own booklet. It also featured a 136 page
full colour book with year-by-year commentary, fan and band recollections
and every set-list plus many photos. In addition there is a 48 page
village guide to Cropredy and a "build your own Cropredy" model of the
festival field.
|
| ENGLAND |
FAIRPORT CONVENTION |
Island (UK) IMCD 308 |
"Babbacombe" Lee |
● CD $18.98 |
17 tracks, 50 mins, very good
Newly remastered and
repackaged rerelease of the 1971 album presents us with an album-length
concept piece detailing the sad life and tragic end of John Lee, "the man
they couldn't hang," a true historical figure of 100 years ago. This was
the abbreviated Fairport lineup of Nicol, Swarbrick, Pegg, and Mattacks
and the sound is admittedly a little thin. Still, using what they've got,
they attack the subject with gusto and Fairport fans will get a kick out
of it. Nobody lives happily ever after in this intricately contrived
succession of ballads and ballad fragments, telling a sad and gruesome
story. And there's not much to hum when it's all over. The two bonus
tracks are from a 1975 BBC TV show on the subject including a vocal by
Sandy Denny on Breakfast In Mayfair (DC)
|
| ENGLAND |
FAIRPORT CONVENTION |
Island (UK) IMCD 309 |
Rosie |
● CD $18.98 |
15 tracks, 56 mins, recommended
Reissue of the groups 1973
album with the three Daves (Mattacks, Pegg & Swabrick), Trevor Lucas on
acoustic guitar and vocals and the brilliant Jerry Donahue on guitar. Most
of the songs are originals by the group with the exception of the lively
instrumental medley The Hens March Through The Midden/ The Four Poster
Bed. I particularly like Lucas's evocative The Plainsmen based
on a traditional tune. Guest appearances by Sandy denny, Richard Thompson,
Gerry Conway and others. The five bonus songs are from a 1973 live show,
four of them live versions of songs from the original album plus Donahue's
exciting version of Jerry Reed's instrumental The Claw. Includes
booklet with new notes by Donahue. (FS)
|
| ENGLAND |
FOTHERINGAY |
Fledgling 3044 |
Fotheringay |
● CD $17.98 |
13 tracks, highly recommended
Reissue of superb 1970 album
- the only one of this excellent band formed by Sandy Denny and her
husband Trevor Lucas after Sandy left Fairport. They joined by outstanding
American guitarist Jerry Donahue, drummer Gerry Conway and bass playerPat
Donaldson. It includes five moving originals written by Sandy, the
glorious and anthemic Peace In The End written by Sandy & Trevor
and alone worth the price of the album, a terrific version of the
traditional song Banks Of The Nile and great covers of Gordon
Lightfoot's The Way I Feel and Dylan's Too Much Of Nothing.
There are four bonus live tracks recorded at the Holland Pop Festival in
June, 1970 which are pretty expendable. A pity, since there is some great
unissued Fotheringay material lurking out there. Still it's great to have
the original album available again. (FS)
|
| ENGLAND |
THE INCREDIBLE
STRING BAND |
Amoeba 2 |
Nebulous Nearnesses |
● CD $14.98 |
61 min, 13 tracks, recommended
After a few "reformation"
dates at the turn of the Millennium, The ISB did what seemed to be
unthinkable - they reformed with all 3 original members, with the
semi-legendary Clive Palmer playing with Robin Williamson & Mike Heron for
the 1st time since their debut LP in '66. They were even going to tour the
US! Yes, it was unthinkable - Robin stopped showing up for rehearsals &
ended up "leaving". Mike & Clive did carry on to some wondrous results.
This set was recorded live at Peter Gabriel's studio & revisited their
first few LPs. There are just 2 of Robin's songs here, including the epic
Ducks On A Pond, sung by Clive, who does one of his own numbers
from the first LP, Empty Pocket Blues. The majority is from the
Heron canon & includes such wonderful tunes as Chinese White/
Hedgehog's Song/ Cousin Caterpillar & ending with the majestic A
Very Cellular Song. Done in their initial ramshackle acoustic guise,
this makes you forget about their waning days trying to be a rock band!
(GM)
|
| IRELAND |
DOIMNIC MAC GIOLLA
BHRIDE |
DMGB 001 |
Saol Na Suailce |
● CD $19.98 |
15 tracks, 60 mins, highly recommended Lovely collection
of traditional Irish songs sung in Gaelic by superb young Gaelic singer
from Donegal. About half the tracks are solo unaccompanied while others
feature subtle accompaniments on mandolin, concertina or uileann pipes. A
couple of tracks feature Doimnic singing with a female choir for a truly
spine chilling experience. Includes booklet with lyric transcripts (in
Gaelic) and notes on the songs (in Gaelic and English). (FS)
|
| ENGLAND |
OYSTERBAND & FRIENDS |
Westpark 87105 |
The Big Session, Vol. 1 |
● CD $21.98 |
15 tracks, highly recommended
Superb set recorded live
featuring the brilliant folk rock group Oysterband joined by guest
vocalists and instrumentalists like Phil Beer, Eliza Carthy, Jim Moray,
James O'Grady, Brett Sparks, June Tabor and others. The music is a mix of
traditional and contemporary and features some stunning performances with
inovative arrangements of songs like John Barley Corn/ Lowlands (a
particularly nice performance by June Tabor with James O'Grady on uileann
pipes)/ Fuse/ The New Jerusalem/ The House Carpenter (a powerful
version with vocals from Americans Brett & Rennie Sparks)/ We Shall
Come Home/ Factory Girls and others. Great stuff! Roll on volume 2!
(FS)
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| ENGLAND |
PENTANGLE |
Hux 049 |
The Lost Broadcasts, 1968-1972 |
● CD $25.98 |
Two CD set with 42 tracks recorded live on BBC radio by
this great folk group. Only a handful of these still existed in the BBC
Archives but research turned up more on BBC World Service transcription
discs with the rest coming from recordings taped off the air by a private
collectors. Mostly versions of songs from their commercial albums along
with a couple not recorded elsewhere. Includes Hear My Call/ Let No Man
Steal Your Thyme/ Every Night When The Sun Goes in/ Orlando/ I've Got A
Feeling/ I Loved A Lass/ Bruton Town/ The Cuckoo/ Moondog/ Train Song/ The
Trees They Do Grow High/ Light Flight and many more.
|
| IRELAND |
PLANXTY |
Columbia (UK) 202 534 |
Live 2004 |
● CD $27.98 |
DVD Approx 2 hours, essential
As wonderful as the CD of this
concert is (see below), this DVD for only a few dollars more has much more to offer.
We get to see the band in action at the concert and there are five
additional performances. The concert is beautifully filmed with the
cameras switching from long views of the band to close ups of them playing
their instruments to the expression on their faces all of it done in a
beautiful and seamless manner which matches the flow of the music. In
addition there is a 30 minute documentary about the group and a series of
extended interviews. This is a must for any lover of Irish music. (FS)
|
| IRELAND |
PLANXTY |
Columbia (UK) 517 391 |
Live 2004 |
● CD $24.98 |
13 tracks, highly recommended
The greatest Irish group of
the 70s reunited in early 2004 to perform a series of concerts and this
superb CD is drawn from one of those concerts. Although the quartet hadn't
performed together for more than 20 years it sounds like they never broke
up with the creative empathy they had as strong as ever. The vocals by
Andy and Christy are as good as ever and the instrumental work from Andy,
Christy, Donal and Liam are a joy. Most of the material is old favorites
like The Good Ship Kangaroo/ Arthur McBride/ The Blacksmith/ As I Roved
Out/ Raggle Taggle Gypsies/ Tabhair Dom Do Lamh and others. A DVD of
this concert is also available with three additional songs and a
documentary (Columbia 202534 - $27.98). (FS)
|
| AMERICAN FOLK |
PETE SEEGER |
Smithsonian Folkways 40152 |
American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 3 |
● CD $15.98 |
27 tracks, 75 minutes, recommended
Even by the early '40s,
Pete Seeger's straight-ahead, driving approach to traditional song stood
apart from such artistically minded folk interpreters as Bradley Kincaid,
Richard Dyer-Bennet, and Burl Ives, among others. A generation of
youngsters discovered folk song through Seeger's simple, unpretentious
Folkways LPs, often from copies borrowed from public libraries. Among his
most popular albums were five volumes of "American Favorite Ballads."
Released during the early '60s, their influence extended beyond
conventional urban folk circles. Doc Watson learned St. James Hospital
from one of Seeger's ballad albums and covered it on his first Vanguard
LP. This volume continues Jeff Place and Guy Logsdon's distillation of
Seeger's "American Favorite Ballads" LPs onto compact disc. Many of these
songs will be familiar to folk enthusiasts, all performed with a loose
spontaneity that reflects producer Moe Asch's "one-take" efficiency. Place
and Logsdon contribute extensive, high-toned notes on the songs and
Seeger's political and environmental activism, but nothing about how these
recordings were made and marketed. Tip: This is a great collection to give
any precocious preschooler who's ready to move beyond Raffi. (DS)
PETE SEEGER: Ain't It A Shame/ Arkansas Traveler/ Boll Weevil/ Deep Blue
Sea/ E-ri-e Canal/ El-a-noy/ Erie Canal/ Golden Vanity/ Ground Hog/ Gypsy
Davy/ Lady Of Carlysle/ My Good Man/ New River Train/ Ni Irish Need Apply/
Old Blue/ Paddy Works Upon The Railroad/ She'll Be Comin' Round The
Mountain/ Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child/ St. James Hospital/
St. Louis Blues/ Swanee River/ The Boys From County Mayo/ The Girl I Left
Behind/ The Titanic/ When I First Came To This Land/ When I Was Single/
Wond'rous Love
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| ENGLAND |
STEELEYE SPAN |
Park 70 |
They Call Her Babylon |
● CD $14.98 |
11 tracks, recommended
After a brief hiatus Maddy Prior is
back with Steeleye (hooray!). Guitarist Bob Johnson has left and has been
replaced by Ken Nicol who was formerly with The Albion Band and proves to
be a very good replacement giving the group a slightly different but very
effective sound. They are joined by ace fiddler Peter Knight, Maddy's
husband Rick Kemp on vocal and bass and Liam Genocky on drums. After 35
years the band still sounds fresh and exciting and Maddy's vocals are a
real joy. The songs substantially revamped versions of traditional
material, often with new tunes and changed lyrics. (FS)
|
| SCOTLAND |
SHEILA STEWART |
Offspring 101 |
... And Time Goes On |
● CD $19.98 |
An excellent collection featuring Sheila Stewart - a
member of the famous Stewarts Of Blair. This collection includes 5 songs (Rosie/
Jock Stewart/ Never Wed An Auld Man, etc) and six delightful folk
tales, usually with a humorous ending (The Parrot/ The Three Wishes/
The Trampman/ Aplley & Orangey, etc)
|
|
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Emergent 591 594 |
Beautiful Dreamer - The Songs Of Stephen
Foster |
● CD $16.98 |
18 tracks, highly recommended
A tribute album that's not
only good but essential, since there's no other contemporary album of
Stephen Foster songs, even though his music lies at the deepest roots of
American music. The performances range from the predictably excellent
(John Prine's My Old Kentucky Home/ Goodnight, Mavis Staples on
Hard Times Come Again No More, Nelly was a Lady by Alvin
Youngblood-Hart) to the surprising (Raul Malo, Suzy Bogguss) to the
literally out of nowhere (Judith Edelman's magnificent No One to Love).
But what most impresses about this set is Foster's melodies, and the way
that he uses the themes of Southern sentimentality and the minstrel show
not to champion slavery or mock blacks but to encompass tragedy and show
how deeply haunting is the quest for freedom. (DM)
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| IRELAND |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Gael Linn CEFCD 184 |
Seoltai Seidte - Setting Sail |
● CD $25.98 |
Two CD set featuring 43 performances originally issued on
78 rpm discs by Gael Linn (the last company in Ireland to make 78s)
between 1957 and 1961. It includes traditional singers singing in Gaelic
as well as great instrumentalists - Sean ac Dhonncha, Seosamh O hEannai,
Tommy Reck, Denis Murphy, Aine Ni Ghallchobhair, Sean de hOra, Willie
Clancy, Vincent Broderick, Paddy Canny, Maire Nic Dhonnchadha, Joe Burke
and others. Includes 96 page booklet with notes on the historical context
of the recordings, notes on the performers and lyrc transcriptions.
|
| ENGLAND |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Gott Discs 011 |
Folk Festival - A Celebration of Music
Recorded At The |
● CD $39.98 |
Wonderful two CD box featuring 35 tracks recorded live
between 1974 and 2000 at Britain's longest running folk festival which has
been held every year at the seaside town of Sidmouth on the South coast of
Devon since 1954. Includes Nic Jones, Coope Boyes & Simpson, Jackie Daly &
Seamus Creagh, Show Of hands, Chris While & JUlie Matthews, Nancy Kerr &
James Fagan, Chris Wood & Any Cutting, June Tabor, Danu, Kate Rusby, Vin
Garbutt, Shirley & Dolly Collins, Roy Harris, Pete Morton, Martin Carthy,
Ray Fisher, Jimmy Cooper and many others. Packaged in handsome 12"x 6" box
with 28 page illustrated booklet with a history of the festival
and
discussion of all the performances.
PETER BELLAMY: The Parson's Peaches/ ERIC BIBB: Saucer 'N' Cup/ MARTIN
CARTHY: Skewbald/ The Rainbow/ SHIRLEY & DOLLY COLLINS: All Things Are
Quite Silent/ COOPE BOYES & SIMPSON: Jerusalem Revisited/ JIMMY COOPER:
The Bluebells Of Scotland/ JACKIE DALY & SEAMUS CREAGH: The Macroom
Lasses-The Rambler In Cork/ DANU: Mary & The Soldier/ RAY FISHER: The
Butcher Boy/ FLOOK: The Calico Set/ VIN GARBUTT: City Of Angels/ ROY
HARRIS: Barbary Allen/ HOME SERVICE: Lili Marlene Walks Away/ NIC JONES:
Barrack Street/ Flanders Shores/ The Bonny Lighthorseman/ NANCY KERR &
JAMES FAGAN: Dance To Your Daddy-The Flaming Drones/ JOHN KIRKPATRICK:
Dennis Crowther's No. 2-Dennis Crowther's No. 1/ RALPH MCTELL: Peppers &
Tomatoes/ Streets Of London/ KEVIN MITCHELL: False Lover John/ PETE
MORTON: John Barleycorn/ KELLY JOE PHELPS: Cypress Grove/ KATE RUSBY: I
Wonder What Is Keeping My True Love Tonight?/ SHOW OF HANDS: Cousin Jack/
Dark Fields/ JUNE TABOR: She Moves Among Men/ JOHN TAMS BAND: Scarecrow/
NORMA WATERSON: There Aint No Sweet Man That's Worth The Salt Of My Tears/
WATERSON : CARTHY: When First I Came To Caledonia/ THE WATERSONS: Dido
Bendigo/ CHRIS WHILE & JULIE MATTHEWS: Even The Desert Bears A Seed/ CHRIS
WOOD & ANDY CUTTING: Hares On The Mountain-Elizabeth Clare/ THE YETTIES:
The Exmoor Hunt Song
|
| MISCELLANEOUS |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Sanctuary SMETD 137 |
Transatlantic Folk Box Set |
● CD $27.98 |
Three CD limited edition 3-CD box set featuring 70 tracks
recorded between 1961 and 1977 for the Transatlantic label and its various
subsidiaries and afilliates. Although there have been many folk
compilations drawn from this label this CD is far ranging and includes a
lot of tracks not previously on CD. It includes traditional songs, topical
songs and original songs. Artists include The Dubliners (a powerful
version of Brendan Behan's Patriot Game), Black Country Three, Alex
Campbell, Josh McRae (a fascinating look at the assassination of John F.
Kennedy in The Ballad Of Lee Harvey Oswald), Bob & Carole Pegg,
John Renbourn, Finbar & Eddie Furey, Hamlish Imlach, Archie Fisher, Bob
Bunting, Mr. Fox, The Humblebums, Unicorn, Dave Cartwright, Contraband
(fine electric Scottish group - several of its members later went on to
form Ossian), Dave Swarbrick, Gerry Rafferty, The Dransfields, Carolanne
Pegg, Ian Campbell Group, Bert Jansch, Young Tradition (their wonderful
Chicken On A Raft), The Grehan Sisters, Silly Wizard, Sweeney's Men,
Royston & Heather Wood, Andrew Cronshaw and many more. Includes eight page
booklet with all too brief notes.
HARVEY ANDREWS: A Most Peculiar Man/ Targets/ DAVE & TONI ARTHUR: John
Peel/ BLACK COUNTRY THREE: Three Ravens/ MARC BRIERLEY: Dragonfly/ BOB
BUNTING: You Gotta Go Down This Way/ ISLA CAMERON: Died For Love/ ALEX
CAMPBELL: Night Visiting Song/ DAVID CAMPBELL: Her Hair Did Not Hang Low/
IAN CAMPBELL GROUP: Rocking The Cradle/ The Circle Game/ SYDNEY CARTER &
SHEILA HANCOCK: Come Down From Aldermaston/ DAVE CARTWRIGHT: Song For
Susan/ CONTRABAND: Rattlin' Roarin' Willie/ ANDREW CRONSHAW: Time To Go
Home/ DECAMERON: Journey's End/ RICHARD DIGANCE: Working Class
Millionaire/ THE DRANSFIELDS: Up To Now/ THE DUBLINERS: The Patriot Game/
The Wild Rover/ ARCHIE FISHER: Open The Door Softly/ MR. FOX: Join Us In
Our Game/ FINBAR & EDDIE FUREY: The Lonesome Boatman/ GORDON GILTRAP:
Lucifer's Cage/ THE GREHAN SISTERS: Henry Joy/ STEFAN GROSSMAN: Little
Sally Walker/ GRYPHON: The Ploughboy's Dream/ OWEN HAND: The Gardener/
JEAN HART: She Moved Through The Fair/ ALAN HULL: We Can Swing Together/
THE HUMBLEBUMS (FEATURING GERRY RAFFERTY): Rick Rack/ THE HUMBLEBUMS
(FEATURING BILLY CONNOLLY): Saturday Rolling About Sunday/ HAMISH IMLACH:
Goodbye Booze/ JOHN JAMES: Morning Brings Light/ Stranger In The World/
BERT JANSCH: Angi/ Running From Home/ THE JOHNSTONS: Both Sides Now/
Marcie/ JOSH MACRAE: Ballad Of Lee Harvey Oswald/ THE MCCALMANS: A Man's A
Man/ Standing In The Rain/ MATT MCGINN: Eternity Will Soon Be Over/ MAE
MCKENNA: Old Man/ RALPH MCTELL: England 1914/ Streets Of London/ LEA
NICHOLSON: God Bless The Unemployed/ WATT NICOLL: Kiss The Children/ BOB &
CAROLE PEGG: Ballad Of The Five Continents/ CAROLANNE PEGG: Open The Door/
BOB PEGG & NICK STRUTT: Starchild/ PENTANGLE: Let No Man Steal Your Thyme/
Light Flight/ GERRY RAFFERTY: Don't Count Me Out/ JOHN RENBOURN: White
House Blues/ LEON ROSSELSON: The Rules Of The Game/ THE SALLYANGIE: Love
In Ice Crystals/ SILLY WIZARD: My Loves In Germany/ DAVE SLESS: Pretty
Polly/ STORYTELLER: Morning Glow/ DAVE SWARBRICK: It Suits Me Well/
SWEENEY'S MEN: Dreams For Me/ Hall Of Mirrors/ STEVE TILSTON: One Man
Band/ UNICORN: I Loved Her So Long/ MIKE & LAL WATERSON: Rubber Band/
ROYSTON & HEATHER WOOD: The Cutty Wren/ SPIKE WOODS: The Big Bird/ YOUNG
TRADITION: Chicken On A Raft/ John Barleycorn
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