FolkWorld Issue 43 11/2010
FolkWorld CD Reviews
Star FK Radium "Blue Siberia"
Label:
Own label; 2010
Star FK Radium is an acoustic trio from Washington. On guitar, drums and violin only they recorded nine new compositions. Their music is described as a kind of acoustic rock. I think it goes much further than that. I think the tune Training Wheels reflects the many sides of the band in the best way. Starting with a melodic, almost classical duet between violin and guitar with rocky drum interruptions. Or listen to the more fragile Kamara followed by the, indeed rock inspired, Speedbike. The trio loves playing with the styles and often surprises with some interesting ideas. A nice album with friendly, full sounding acoustic music.
www.starfkradium.com
Eelco Schilder
Deolinda "Dois selos e um carimbo"
Label:
World connection;
WC038; 2010
The new star in the world of Fado music is called Deolinda. Award winning, high chart positions and beautiful critics from all over the world, the career of this band seems to be guaranteed successful for the next few years. The band was raised only four years ago by four young musicians from Lisbon with backgrounds in classical, traditional and jazz music. On this new album fourteen tracks with female vocals, classical guitars and bass as main ingredients. The album has a sunny, fresh sound and the band plays the Fado influenced music in a popular and open way. Without betraying the tradition, Deolinda gives the music a new boost and with this they might win a lot of hearts all over the world. I like the simple, but effective, musical arrangement. Soberness and craftsmanship makes this album very nice to listen to. Sometimes people find Fado an emotional, sad kind of music. Deolinda shows that Fado can be relaxing, friendly and intriguing at the same time.
www.deolinda.com.pt
Eelco Schilder
Irregang "Golias"
Label:
Own label; 2010
In the last episode of Folkworld I reviewed a tribute to the German band Ougenweide [FW#42]. One of my favorite songs on that album was Im Badehaus by the German band Irregang. Only a few days after the review was published the band contacted me and asked if I was interested to review their new album Golias of course I said yes. Although it can be very dangerous to do so, as my expectations were a bit high after hearing them on the tribute album. Irregang is a quartet that brings medieval influenced music on ancient instruments including bagpipes, hurdy gurdy, dulcimer, cittern and percussion. With female and male vocals they create a style that comes very close to a acoustic version of Ougenweide. Listen to Winter and I think you all would have believed me when I told you it was a long lost Ougenweide track. Of course it’s not fair to keep comparing the groups with each other, Irregang has enough quality not to be compared with other groups. Their well played interpretations of the hundreds of years old songs and tunes are both modern and rooted in a century old history. Great is the heavy dance Maireigen with great bagpipe and percussion. Their version of Im Badehaus is also on this album and again I think it’s great. On Ic was ein chint the band shows their harmony vocals, which sound nice but misses the reall ‘irregang’ identity which the instrumental parts have. I think when the musicians focus on this and try to find their own unique style in this, the band will only get better and better. Golias is a strong album with some fabulous music. If the band keeps developing like this, without any doubt they will be one of Europe’s leading Medieval influenced ensembles in a short while.
www.irregang.de
Eelco Schilder
Sherry Austin "Love Still Remains"
Label:
Barking Topiary Records; 103; 2010
The American singer Sherry Austin loves singing since she was in college. But it took her a few decades to start as a recording artist. Now her third CD is just released called Love still remains. On this new album she sings fourteen songs, most of them written by the legendary artist Kate Wolf. Always risky to focus on material by a well respected artist, but Austin did a good job. With her nice, rich voice, she is capable of expressing the feelings of the lyrics. With fourteen guest musicians this album results in a mixture of folk, country, rock and sort like. Sometimes uplifting, sometimes more serious but always convincing. A very nice album that deserves a big audience.
www.sherry-austin.com
Eelco Schilder
Sanda Weigl "Gypsy Killer"
Label:
Oriente musik;
RIENCD 76; 2010
As you probably might understand, I hear a lot of music each year, month and week. Often the music is nice, sometimes terrible and sometimes really good. This album by Sanda Weigl is such an album that, from the first second I heard it, I loved. Weigl was born in Bucharest and was a kind of child star many moons ago. At the age of thirteen she and her family had to move to East-Berlin as the country was no longer safe for them. In her teenager time she became a rock star in East-Germany and even wrote a number one hit. Because of her political activities she landed in West-Germany where she started a career in theater. After moving to the USA she focused on old Weimar cabaret songs and with this album, Gypsy killer, she goes back to her roots with traditional music from the Balkan out of the heritage of Maria Tanase. The album, by the way, was recorded in 2002, but even eight years after the recording an essential addition to any serious (Gypsy) music collection. Her version of Lume lume is fabulous, Trenule masina mica shows the richness of her fantastic voice. The dramatic version of Ciuleandra makes me want to cry, so powerful, so hopeful but desperate at the same time. In Butelcuta her theater background sounds through and ending with the introvert Cintec de leagan she gives time to breath and land back on earth after almost forty minutes of fantastic music. Together with a huge group of respected musician, Sanda Weigl impresses and since the first second of this album I’m a fan. I beg her to come and play in The Netherlands so I can see her live on stage and hopefully get her interested in doing an interview.
www.sandaweigl.com
Eelco Schilder
Čači Vorba "Szcera Mowa"
Label:
Oriente musik;
RIENCD 75; 2010
The band Čači Vorba comes from Poland and the Ukraine. They mix Gypsy with Balkan and Carpathian music, but actually you can hear styles from all over Europe and even a bit beyond on this album. Leading vocalist Maria Natanson impresses with her expressive, strong voice and fabulous violin play. Backed by three fantastic (multi) instrumentalists, this band surprises with fresh, original and well played traditional music. Somehow they capture the original atmosphere of the traditional songs and tunes but sound like a modern folk band at the same time. With sparkling strings, strong accordion solo’s and a percussionist that builds the perfect fundament for his fellow musicians to build their melodic parts on. Poland has another great name to add to the list of strong Folk related bands from the past ten years.
www.cacivorba.pl
Eelco Schilder
Sedaa "Mongolian meets Oriental"
Label:
Broken silence; 11218; 2009
The band Sedaa is a combination of Mongolian musicians with one percussionist from Iran. Their goal is to mix the Mongolian music with all it’s typical instruments and way of singing, with rhythms and melodies from the orient. With this debut album the band shows that it succeeded in this idea, Mongolian meets Oriental is a beautiful album with pure, acoustic crossover music. I love Mongolian music, but somehow the past few years not many bands in this genre surprised me. Happily Sedaa does with their moody, sometimes almost classical, music. Listen to Tal where the two styles mix in a natural way, as if Mongolia has, geographically spoken, always been next to Iran. In Lullaby, a dreamy guitar piece, the music somehow reminds me of Southern European regions. While in Unspoken words the band chooses for a romantic kind of light music, almost like a soundtrack this song creates pictures of landscapes. A more than interesting album with well played crossover music suitable for international ears.
www.sedaamusic.com
Eelco Schilder
Gonnagles "CD II ten Bal"
Label:
Own label; 2010
Gonnagles is a Dutch folk collective with twelve musicians from all over the Netherlands. With music inspired by French and Flemish dance music, the band impresses with a creative, well played and original album. All tracks are original on this second album and it’s great to hear how the musicians play with styles, make interesting combinations and some fabulous solo parts. Starting with a friendly song about a parade of magicians, gnomes, dragons and so on, the band introduce themselves in a convincing way. This song fluently changes into L’orage which is one of my personal favorites. The music in this instrumental piece is centered around the trumpet of Frank van Vliet who is doing a great job here. The Bourree in 3 is a bit calmer and closer to tradition with strong percussion that at the start is hardly noticeable, but is crucial for the strong sound of this dance. Mazurka middernacht shows singer Moes Wagenaar in a sensitive song. Another personal favorite is Rondodrome which starts so gently and suddenly is interrupted by a great electric guitar and (again) this superb trumpet. Although the vocals in this one, and especially the backings, are a bit too sweet, the combination of this sweetness with the more raw instrumental break is perfect. The second part of the album (seventeen songs in total) contains some strong dance music with the over eight minutes long Minimal hanter dro as a nice ending of a sparkling, inventive album. During this second part I sometimes get the feeling some musical ideas which I heard in the first part, return in a different jacket. Not that it matters, the music is still good but not as surprising anymore as the first half. This collective hopefully keeps developing and If they do, their third album will even be better. For now I think Gonnagles is at the top of Dutch folk and hopefully they get the appreciation they deserve not only outside Holland, but inside the Dutch borders as well.
www.gonnagles.nl
Eelco Schilder
Various Artists "Rough Guide to Russian Gypsies"
Label:
Rough Guide/Network;
1214CD; 2010
Tzigani "Budapest"
Label:
Wild Boar;
WBM 21092; 2010
The Rough Guide is known for its books and cd’s with a thematically view on world music of all kinds. The last few albums I got from this label come with an extra CD, no longer they bring together many nice tracks, but also focus on an artist that has an outspoken style in the selected genre. This double album, compiled by Dan Rosenberg and Sergey Erdenko, contains eighteen tracks with music from Russian Gypsy musicians. The acoustic music shows a lot of wild violin and guitars, known and lesser known melodies, older and newer recordings. With artists such as Loyko, Oleg Ponomarev, Gelem and many others, the first cd is a nice introduction to the world of Russian Gypsy music. The second, bonus, CD contains the guitars of the Kolpakov duo and must be a great addition for all fans of gypsy-guitar music.
The second Gypsy album in this review is Hungarian orientated. The band Tzigani invited singer Emilia Kirova to join them on an album with sparkling (Hungarian) Gypsy music. With two Hungarian, one Romanian and a Belgian musician, this group really is an international band. Their repertoire is a bit conservative (not another version of Bregovic’s Ederlezi was my first reaction) But the powerful vocals of Emilia Kirova keeps this song interested. The band plays wild and furious and sound like many people will describe a gypsy orchestra. With the violin, cimbalom, guitar and passionate singer. Not renewing in any way, but nice and well played stereotype Gypsy music.
www.tzigani.eu
Eelco Schilder
Julien Jacob "Sel"
Label:
Volvox music;
1001; 2010
Julien Jacob is a singer-songwriter from Benin, now living in France. This Sel is his fourth album and he continues his career in the same way he left us after his third album. I appreciate his last two albums and was curious with what Jacob would surprise me this time. In a minimal setting he brings his fragile, poetic and beautiful music. With his shy, tender voice, soft guitar play and delicate percussion, Julien Jacob takes you into his peaceful world. This is Benin roots influenced singer-songwriter music with passion. Somehow an album that is hard to write about, as this music has its own style and my best advice is to go to his homepage and listen. You might like his rest giving music, with nice roots elements, as much as I do.
www.julienjacob.com
Eelco Schilder
Uusikuu "Babylonia"
Label:
Broken Silence/Humppa Records;
041; 2010
Saimaa "Taika"
Label:
Herzel Records; 2007
When, quit some years ago, I found a record with old Finnish tango music I was very much surprised. After asking and looking around there turned out to be a history in Tango music from Finland and these two new releases show that this tradition is very much alive. First Uusikuu with the new album Babylonia. Besides Tango this group focuses on other old dances from Finland as well. Starting with a warm, sunny song called Etelän Yössä which gives me images of the ‘white beaches of Finland with palm trees on it’. Yes, it’s that far from the stereotype Finnish traditional music. This album is full of that kind of songs. Inspired by deserts, jazz, romance, old waltzes, war, sunny islands and so on. Uusikuu recorded fourteen well played and sung tracks with a strong atmosphere and the right vibe.
The second album is called Taika and comes from the band Saimaa. This trio’s album with tango and jazzy ballads is recorded in 2007, so a few years old already. Starting with Oli kaksi composed by one of my favorite Finnish singers Tellu Turka. This beautiful song is really well sung by lead singer Anna Katariina Hollmérus, but unfortunately killed by the terrible, kind of electronic-kind of dreamy sound at the background. What a pity and waste of such a beautiful composition and voice. The second song is a more jazzy one with piano, drums and accordion and many jazzy moments follow. I keep loving the vocals and occasionally some beautiful melodies enrich the music. But somehow the album doesn’t land. Maybe it’s the braveness of the musical arrangements? The sometimes bit messy combinations? I don’t know. I just have to conclude that, despite the quality the album has, this is just not my cup of tea. Except for the vocals.
www.uusikuu.com,
www.myspace.com/saimaatrio
Eelco Schilder
Makigami Koichi "Tokyo Taiga"
Label:
Tzadik;
7268; 2010
When a new album by the Tzadik label arrives, I know something special is about to be heard. This time it’s a new album by the Japanese composer, artist, director and so much more Makigami Koichi. Koichi is a known name in Japanese avant-garde style music and this album shows his work in all its glory. With vocal techniques from all around the world, including throat singing, he mixes jazzy trumpets with mouth harp, soft beats and so much more. Sometimes sober and expressive like Chakanzirme, sometimes strange noises like in Tsumuji, fabulous mouth harp pieces like Kakpaporotnik. But often mixing all of this into small masterpieces like the over thirteen minutes long Tundra. The album sounds improvised, but Koichi has everything under control and from the first till the last tone, everything is perfectly balanced. Intriguing album.
www.makigami.com
Eelco Schilder
Elles s’y Promènent "Comme il m’en souviendra"
Label:
Wild Boar;
21090; 2010
Belgium's Wild Boar Music is one of the country’s leading labels in tradition-related music. This new album by Elles s’y Promènent is the debut CD by the singers Florence Laloy and Christine Lurquin. Both are trained by several known names in (traditional) music, including vocal training by Eveline Girardon. The album contains thirteen traditional French, Quebec and French-Belgium chants. Occasionally backed by Luc Pilartz on violin, Philippe Laloy on flute, Franco Delvecchio on cornemuse and Jeanne & Adele Cricx and Zoé Salmon on vocals. The result is an album of very high quality with beautiful solo and harmony vocals. Nice, sober instrumental parts but always the focus on the fantastic vocals of both singers. It shows the richness of the three traditions, their similarities and their differences. It also shows the quality of the singers who can sing like angels, sing desperate, lovely, sacral and in many other ways. But always out of the heart and full of soul. Interesting for all of you who love polyphonic, French and Quebec traditional singing or just traditional music of high quality. This album needs to be in your collection.
www.myspace.com/ellessypromenent
Eelco Schilder
Natacha Atlas "Mounqaliba"
Label:
World village;
479048; 2010
A new album by Natacha Atlas is something to look forward to. In the past she has created some intriguing pieces of music, mixing Arabic and North African traditional elements with modern electronic music. Of course her work with Transglobal Underground is as legendary as her solo work and I’m very curious what her style will be on this ninth album since 1995. Eighteen songs, seventeen original works. The piano plays a central role on the album which gives it sometimes a bit jazzy character. Besides the mentioned styles I hear some South American and French chanson influences as well. I think it’s one of Atlas her more middle of the road styled albums. The music is very easy going and somehow a bit romantic and dreamy. It’s not bad, but the album never surprises me and to be honest her version of Nick Drake’s River Man, the only cover on the album, is a sugar sweet interpretation that doesn’t do the song justice. Atlas is a professional artist, but the sound of this new album is not my sound.
www.myspace.com/natachaatlasofficial
Eelco Schilder
The Taal Tantra Experience "Sixth Sense"
Label:
Ozella music;
027; 2010
The Taal tantra experience is a German-Indian band that mixes the Indian traditional music with Western styles, jazz and modern sounds. The album has ten new compositions mixing the best of both worlds. Strong craftsmanship and a good producer makes this a nice, accessible album for a wide audience. Of course there are dozens of other groups who mix Indian roots with modern music, jazz, rock and so on. But this Taal Tantra Experience is doing a great job with exciting combinations in a beautiful atmosphere of sounds.
www.ozellamusic.com
Eelco Schilder
Karl Seglem "Ossicles"
Label:
Ozella music;
034; 2010
A few years ago I reviewed an album by Seglem for the first time and loved his sound. Now his new album is released called Ossicles and shows his fantastic quality as composer, producer and musicians. Seglem Saxophonist and Goat horn player and on his impressive discography he plays crossover jazz in often impressive ways. With a band including drums, hardanger fiddle, electric guitars, mbira, bass and more, Seglem sounds better than ever before. Strong compositions rooted in the Norwegian (jazz) tradition. Somehow I have the feeling this is his most Nordic orientated album. It might be the wonderful Hardanger Fiddle play by Håkon Høgemo or the bit mythical atmosphere of some of the compositions. A highly recommend album for both lovers of the Nordic jazz and the Norwegian folk tradition. This album gives extra dimension to your collection and you will love it!
www.karlseglem.no
Eelco Schilder
Luc Pilartz & Arnaud Degimbe "Le sac et la corde"
Label:
Wild Boar;
21089; 2010
This album is the result of the cooperation between violinist Luc Pilartz and Cornemuse player Arnaud Degimbe. This Belgian duo plays traditional music from France, Wallone, Galicia and more. Luc Pilartz is probably the best known one. He worked with Urban Trad, Ialma, trio trad amongst others. From his solo work I personally like Musique de Suede, on which he plays Swedish traditional tunes, a lot. This new album is very basic and could be seen as traditional in many ways. The specific sound of the cornemuse is always around and Degimbe is doing a great job on the instrument. But you have to be a lover of the instrument to feel the quality of the album I think. That Luc Pilartz is a master on his violin I already knew, this album only confirms that fact. Nice that they invited guest musicians, Didier Laloy, Bernard Zonderman and Stephan Pougin, they are a welcome addition to the intense music of the duo. Pure music for the happy few who love the sound of the Cornemuse in traditional (French) orientated music.
www.lucpilartz.com
Eelco Schilder
Boréale "Golem"
Label:
Own label; 2010
Diamik "A fet noz"
Label:
Own label; 2010
La Bouline "Mad atao"
Label:
Own label; 2010
Three French folk albums, three with different style and sound and three private releases. The first one is by Boréale, an acoustic trio from the Southern part of France. With an interesting mixture of instruments including cornemuse, harmonica, steel drum, accordion and percussion, the band plays self composed dance music. With influences from all over Europe and many musical styles, the musicians create a modern kind of European roots music. With Balkan styled accordion, dreamy Celtic sounding flutes and French, they often surprise with nice twists and musical arrangements. The result is an uncomplicated album with a friendly vibe. Sometimes the arrangements are a bit predictable and the same structures come by two or three times, nevertheless this trio shows their talent and promise for the future and this is a really nice debut album.
The second album is, same as the first cd in this review, a private pressing by a trio called Diamik. With traditional music from Bretagne and Poitou. With two accordions, male and female vocals and harmonica, Diamik stays close to the tradition. With some fabulous accordion pieces, strong vocals by Brigitte Kloareg and a well chosen repertoire, this trio is a welcome addition to the world of Breton related folk music by three professional musicians who understand that good craftsmanship doesn’t need complicated musical arrangements or artificial tricks to spice up the music.
The third album is by La Bouline and is called Mad atao. This sextet focuses on marine songs and sea shanties from France, England, Germany and self written songs in the same vein. This new album includes a CD and an extra DVD with three chapters. One showing the band during recording, backstage and in real live. The second chapter has some moody pictures and the third chapter is a live registration. With nice harmony vocals, hurdy gurdy, percussion, violin, flutes, strings and much more, the musicians treat us on a feel good mixture of French and other Western European styled songs and dances. In between the richness of the many instruments, some wonderful melodies and solo parts can be detected. The band makes it very clear that they love what they are doing and that technical perfection is not their main goal. I think they succeeded in recording an album which captures the right atmosphere of the band and the DVD is a nice addition.
www.myspace.com/borealebal,
www.myspace.com/diamik,
www.labouline.com
Eelco Schilder
Quadro Nuevo "Grand Voyage"
Label:
GLM;
151-2; 2010
Bassa "Medialuna"
Label:
Flowfish;
2010
Quadro Nuevo is a German quartet that presents itself as the European answer to the Tango. Almost ten years since the birth of the band, awarded and an impressive discography shows the success of their compositions who are deeply rooted in Traditional (European) styles. The album is like a trip around the world and recorded in the past four years all over the world. From Germany, to Tunisia, Estonia, USA and many other places. Some recordings are made in churches, a chalet, a port and studio amongst many other places. Their original compositions show how the composers and musicians let their creativity go free on Balkan, Arabic, German, South-American and many other styles. It’s uncomplicated, relaxing acoustic music with a jazzy smile. The high quality and enthusiasm of the musicians make this album a pleasure to listen to. Bassa is a German quintet that plays a bit in the same vein as Quadro Nuevo. Their music focuses more on tango and on this album I hear a lot of Yiddish and Mediterranean influences. Their new compositions have a more classical approach than by the Quadro Nuevo quartet. With the violin and clarinet in the spotlight backed by bass, percussion and guitar, this light kind of newly created, well played, world music is very friendly to listen to. A bit to decent maybe, but without any doubt a professional album.
www.quadronuevo.de,
www.bassa-welt.de
Eelco Schilder
Hendrik Meurkens Quartet "A night in Jakarta"
Label:
Jawo;
042010; 2010
Walter Lang meets Takuya Taniguchi "Yuujou"
Label:
Jawo;
022010; 2010
Michael Sagmeister "True to the Moment"
Label:
Jawo;
032010; 2010
The Ethel Caffie-Austin Singers "Live in Europe"
Label:
Jawo;
012010; 2010
Four albums from a young, dynamic German studio called Jawo records. Founded by two men with a long history in audio. Their label focuses on jazz, world and the blend of those two styles. For jazz lovers the album by Hendrik Meurkens Quartet called A Night in Jakarta might be the right thing. This highly respected harmonica and vibraphone player brings with his quartet a fine mixture of American classical jazz styles and Brazil influences. Playing his own compositions besides a Gershwin song, his warm sound will be liked by many. It’s in a way conventional ‘late night’jazz, but of the highest quality. I love his harmonica sound, but I adore his really tender vibraphone play.
From this German harmonica player to the more experimental jazz of Walter Lang meets Takuya Taniguchi this is a great example how cultures and styles meet. With the exciting drums of Taniguchi the Japanese percussion tradition gets a new dimension. He mixes traditional rhythms with new, improvised, beats on the Taiko drums. Lang shows his quality as a pianist in many ways. In some songs he goes along with the beating drum and in others, like in Proud Men, he plays melodic and with a nice kind of sadness. In Sakura the focus is on the Japanese traditional music, but in a experimental and refreshing way. Although from two different cultures, this two top musicians managed to create a natural sound with the best out of two worlds.
Michael Sagmeister brings, together with four guests including Hammond organ, drums, bass and wonderful vocals by Antonella D’Orio, a dreamy night at a top jazz club. With songs from composers like Cole Porter, Henry Mancini, Jimmy Davis and others, this guitarist spreads his warm sounds over the globe. Some intense solo parts, great Hammond interruptions and laid back singing of D’Orio makes this a pleasure to listen to. It reminds me somehow of the old records of the fifties and show that this kind of music is timeless. Well, at least when it’s played by the right musicians like on this album.
After three strong albums, the fourth one is probably my personal favorite. The, almost legendary, singer Ethel Caffie-Austin with her vocal quartet blows me away. From the Southern parts of the States, she brings the best of the gospel tradition. With her deep, powerful voice and rhythmic piano play, she worships the lord with all her hearth. Without any false pretentious these singers give a fascinating performance of vocal art. The harmony styles, the texts and the solo’s. I think we all will recognize the typical gospel style, but it’s not often brought in such a direct and intense way as by this Ethel Caffie-Austin singers. What a great label this Jawo is, even for me, not a jazz expert in any way, they make the music attractive by recording with top musicians and making sure their albums are well produce and have a high sound quality.
www.hendrikmeurkens.com,
www.michaelsagmeister.com
Eelco Schilder
© The Mollis - Editors of FolkWorld; Published 11/2010
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