WWW.WESTPARKMUSIC.DE WWW.MEXILE.COM WWW.METSATOLL.EE WWW.ZULYA.COM

and ESTONIAN NATIONAL MALE CHOIR

“CURSE UPON IRON”

Shamanic chants, rhymes borrowed from Kalevala, the primeval power of runo-singing. Add some increasingly popular Estonian ethno-rockers, guitar riffs that are interlaced with medivial sounds of bagpipes and kanteles, and add the 54 trained voices of the Grammy Awarded only full-time professional male choir in the world.One summer night in 2006, history was made in Estonia, and with this CD and DVD you can enjoy it all again.

Award-winning Zulya is the leading proponent of Tatar music as well as one of the most versatile and accomplished vocalists on the world music scene today.

----------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist of the Year 2001 (Australian World Music Awards)

World Music Artist of the Year 2002 (Australian LIVE Music Awards)

Album of the Year 2000 for “Aloukie” (Australian World Music Awards)

World Music Album of the Year 2003 nomination for “elusive” (Australian Record Industry Awards, ARIA)

Best Album 2005 for “The Waltz of Emptiness” (National Film and Sound Archive Award)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

“I’m not sure if an Australian band has ever

been nominated for the BBC’s Awards for World

Music, but on the strength of this, it’s about time.“

Songlines (The Waltz of Emptiness)

Languages:T A T A R , R U S S I A N , E N G L I S H

Steve Skaith – the voice of Latin Quarter – back in England with a new album:A MEETING OF BRITISH FOLK-ROCK WITH DIFFERENT WORLD MUSIC FEELS AND INFLUENCES, AS MUCH AFRICAN AS L ATIN AMERICAN.

OYSTERBANDMEET YOU THERE

“... they rediscover the inspiration and energy that made them such a thrilling outfi t in the fi rst place. ... the songwriting is remarkably consistent andthe sound quality magnifi cent“ *fRoots*

“... a reminder that they are still an exceptional band in their own right. This new set involves some of their best-ever vocal work and unexpectedinstrumentation ...“ *Guardian*

“Genuinely thrilling stuff ... with an opulent sound quality to match“ *Netrhythms*

“[songs] suddenly asserting themselves as powerhouses packed with interesting, intelligent uses of instruments, from harmonica to the human voice. Brilliant, angry phrases leapt from the lyrics and John Jones‘s reassuring lead vocals imposed authority ... Normal (that is to say outstanding) Oyster service has been preserved.“ *Daily Telegraph*

WWW.OYSTERBAND.CO.UK

C O N T E N T SFEATURESPage 4 ORIGINAL SPIN � New �

This is a new regular feature where we will introduce a new act that we particularly recommend. They may not be household names, but if justice is done… This month Megson.

Pages 7 – 10 RICHARD THOMPSONWith his first electric album in years (and what a corker!) Colin Irwin plugs into Richard Thompson.

Page 12 JOHN PRINELinking up with Mac Wiseman, a veteran of country and bluegrass, Prine delivers some plain old fashioned tunes.

Page 14 ALISON KRAUSSThe queen of newgrass puts roots music into the top 40.

Pages 16-17 THE BBC JAZZ AWARDSThe annual event gets us into the blue notes. We have some expert guidance on hand and a cracking CD of the nominees from Specific Jazz.

Page 19 FRAUD AND LED BIBEnfants terrible? Punk? Award winning author and Jazzwise regular, Stuart Nicholson thinks there might be more than meetsthe eye.

Page 20 FOLK RISINGThey’re under 30, immensely talented and they play folk music. The new breed will have their day.

Page 21 FREE REED RECORDS30 years of commercial suicide explained.

Page 23 JEZ LOWELinking with Show Of Hands Steve Knightley for the new album is nerve wracking, but ultimately rewarding. Colin Irwin realises the wisdom of it all.

Page 25 NICK LOWESenior service for slightly older now people.

Page 26 LIZANNE KNOTTBob Harris is a big fan and we know why.

Page 28 BLACK HEN RECORDSA new addition to the Rounder stable of labels this Canadian roots imprint in lovingly tendered by Steve Dawson.

REVIEWSPages 5 & 6 FOLK

Some things old, some things new, some things borrowed, no late fines apply.

Pages 11 & 13 COUNTRY / AMERICANAI’m a little bit Memphis and Nashville, with a little bit of Motownin my soul.

Pages 15 & 18 JAZZThe kings and queens of the swingers.

Page 24 BLUESThe killing floor

Pages 29 & 30 REVUE ROUNDUPThe ones that nearly got away.

Don’t forget the competition on page 26. Win more CDs than ever! We have 5winners to date and they all love us. It could be yoooooo…

Contributors:Tony Morly (TM); Sid Cowens (SC); Lewis Robinson (LR); Alan Levermore (AL); Mik Gaffney(MG); Brian Showell (BS); Cliff White (CW); Colin Irwin (CI); Simon Holland (SH); EstherTewksbury (ET); Chris Owen (CO); Jamie Renton (JR); Alan Price (AP); Michael J Channon(MJC), Andy Farquarson (AF), Stuart Nicholson (SN), Nigel Schofield (NS), Jon Roffey (JTR) andTom Druker (TD).

Editor: Simon HollandArtwork: Sarah-May Stanley-Gustar

H E L L OWelcome. Here we are with episode six

So what’s new. Well to start with a few of you though we’d goneinto background overdrive in the last issue. Not wishing tooverload your retina and cause unnecessary trips to theopticians, we’ve taken head and pegged them back a noggin ortwo. We do listen you see.

Musically we once again delight in lifting the lid on Pandora’sbox of specialist music. There’s our cover star, the supremelytalented Richard Thompson, whose latest album offers an objectlesson in the taste/dexterity balance of guitar playing and greatnew songs. It’s just one facet of multi-headed hydra that mightbe labelled folk, or in Richard’s case folk-rock might seem moreappropriate. But then where do you draw the lines?

It’s also the point that we try to tackle with our Jazz features thismonth. Definitions create as many problems as solutions. Thereare after all no precise measures, just opinions and those areboth up for discussion and should be open for change.

We like to think that we are at least offering you somethingdifferent. We don’t pretend to be comprehensive, but then this isan invitation into our world and we hope you take it and areprepared to explore on your own terms, with just a few hintsand suggestions form us. (Well 32 pages worth to be precise!)

So enjoy and get the bloke in the black hat a pint of Landlord.

Properganda 6 3

Proper Music DistributionThe New PowerhouseGateway Business Park, Kangley Bridge RoadSE26 5AN EnglandTel Int ++44 (0) 20 8676 5100 Fax ++44 (0) 20 8676 5169www.properdistribution.comwww.myspace.com/propermusic

4 Properganda 6

roperganda introduces this exceptional folk duo Megson.I can almost guarantee that anyone who sees Megson

live will end the evening with a haunting, bitter-sweet ache.Such is their chemistry: two voices intertwined in a singlehelix and Stu’s guitar or mandola picked and strummed withsuch precision that the very fabric of time seems trappedwithin the notes. Bar chatter is hushed and attention is rapt,with emotional antennae tuned to the stage alone. Relaxedand assured, they also engage easily with audiences betweensongs. Their banter is built on many years of partnership in allsenses and they seem totally at ease with each other, butmore importantly the audience.

It’s no surprise that they have attracted the attention of thelikes of Bob Harris, for whom a session is due to be recordedas I write, Seth Lakeman who has said “For my moneyMegson are amongst the most exciting trailblazers of Britishcontemporary folk”, (brother Sean is involved in the recordingof the new album) and Show Of Hands with whom theyhave formed a strong bond, particularly on the live circuit.

Smoke Of Home is their second full length album, due out onJuly 2nd, it’s the culmination of 3 years of hard work that hassecured their growing reputation since leaving their nativeMiddlesborough for London’s bright lights. Whilst the debutcaused ripples within the media and has sold very well atgigs, if there is any justice at all this album should createmajor waves.

Aided by Ian Goodall on drums and cajon and Ben Nichollson bass, the album represents a significant move on from2005’s debut. The blueprint that works so well live is at thecore, but there’s more instrumental colour here as Stu addsMandolin, fiddle, layered guitars and vocals to build depthand leave hooks dotted throughout. Additional productionand input from Sean Lakeman and Pete Woodroffe workfurther subtle nuances, but there is nothing that sounds selfconsciously modern or contrived and a timeless qualitysuggests this album will still sound great 10 years from now.

The 12 tracks mix folk works with new compositions, threeare traditional, and three of the nine original songs are basedon folklore. As much as the skill of the playing and the cannyarrangements impress, like the title track’s funky faststrummed intro, echoed again in Fell to The Breeze, orthe cunning riff of Durham Gaol, it’s the voices and theirexceptional harmonies that really push the buttons.Deb’s voice is pure and affecting, as befits her classicaltraining. Both of them betray their Teesside roots andaccents, with a pride in their ‘Smoggy’ heritage alsoreflected in the album’s title.

Many of the songs work around a strong narrative threadlike the wanderlust and eventual homesickness of thetitle track.

Lambkin meanwhile reworks a traditional folk tale of revengeas a mason who, after not getting paid for his work, kills hisclient’s wife. Sammy’s Ghost is an old Suffolk story about ayoung boy who dies in a fire but finds that his soul is trappedon earth. Just as the Tide is a traditional courting song, whilstDurham Gaol is taken from a poem written by Durhampitman Tommy Armstrong.

Fell to the Breeze, Flood Water, I Lied and Humanlands, alloriginal songs, are slightly more introspective, elusive andquestioning. Follow it On is a highpoint of both the live setand album. A highly charged song about finding hope indeath and taking the love that you had from that loss torebuild your life, the delivery will bring a lump to your throatand a tear to your eye. Powerful stuff indeed.

The good news for anyone who can’t identify with theopening sentence of this piece, is that they have anotherflurry of live shows booked over the summer and they aregigging regularly. Both the shows and the new CD come withunqualified recommendation. SH

P

Megson

“For my money Megson are amongst the most excitingtrailblazers of British contemporary folk.” Seth Lakeman

Smoke Of HomeEDJ EDJ013

OUT July 2nd

DRA

WIN

G: R

EMI/

ROU

GH

FOLK reviews

and varied, gleaned from between the1600s and 1930s, from wassail songs toAppalachian hymns. The group work ispowerful, driving, emotive and surprising.The dark Windham for example, contrastssharply with the buoyant Christian’s Hope.

Once again, the vocal harmonies are sofull and intricate; when accompanimentis introduced on Emmanuel, in the formof Gabriel’s Horns, the effect is stunning.

These releases, beautifully packaged andre-mastered in such stunning clarity willblow away any complacency thatfamiliarity may have bred and will serveas a reminder of what groundbreakingalbums they were upon release andremain today. TD

“Two solid gold classics.” �����/���� Mojo

“Sound, Sound …(is) an album of suchpassionate intensity you feel strangelywobbly after listening to it” fROOTS

John KirkpatrickMake No BonesFledg’ling FLED3065

After nearly forty years at the forefront ofthe British folk scene, one would perhapsbe forgiven for thinking that this eminentaccordionist may be flagging somewhat.

Not so, as proven by this double albumof new material, which attempts toemulate an evening’s performance andtriumphantly succeeds in its intent,barring of course the between-songbanter and your favourite tipple. Nospecial guest stars (although there couldhave been many should he have sowished), no session musicians - just oneman and his squeezebox. On The Wild,Wild Berry he even forgoes the accordionto sing unaccompanied.

The opening track Saint George sets themood of a full-hearted and non-aggressive national pride that continuesthroughout both discs. Whether on moreobvious tracks like Nelson’s Death or themore subtle Here’s to Coalport China,this pride is the same. Coupled withhumorously odd songs such as TheNutcrackers And The Sugartongs, UncleJeremy’s Winking Rabbit or FredaChucked A Sock/Scraping The Mould OffThe Marmalade, this double albumshows how well Kirkpatrick still holds hisown both live and on record. TD

“Can there by anyone who dislikes JohnKirkpatrick either on a human or musicallevel?” Living Tradition

Andy Roberts and the Great StampedeAndy Roberts And The Great StampedeFledg’ling FLED3064

Andy Roberts has one of the mostversatile CVs a musician could want.Including Roy Harper, Richard Thompson,Roger McGough, Billy Connoly, Pink Floyd

and Spitting Image, there is little hehasn’t done.

On this, his 1973 album he delivers acollection of songs that is no lessaccomplished or surprising than youwould expect from a man of his calibreand credentials. Speed Well rocksproceedings into action, sounding likeone of the best cuts from any of the rocksupergroups of the era. The Floydinfluence can certainly be heard on theintro to the grand space rock of Lord OfThe Groves, which wrong foots thelistener by suddenly jumping into afrankly natty bit of reggae and back again.From country to boogie-woogie, soul andfolk, from gentle to comedic, Robertsdelivers every song in an entertainingmanner free of cliché. On the bonustracks you even get a lovely version ofLost Highway and a reggae cover of SamCooke’s Having A Party for your money.

Sadly lost in the maelstrom that was theGeffen takeover of Elektra Records anddenied a proper release, this classicalbum finally gets the treatment it richlydeserves. TD

“An irresistible package for 70s soft rockfans” ���� Record Collector

Jenny McCormick English Country GardenSquare Peg SPRCD03

This debut from a bright and rising talentin the British contemporary folk scene isas bold and promising as it is gentle andrepresentative of her influences. Hailing from Manchester McCormick isunimposing but unashamed of herregionalism. It is very clear that a senseof home and family is of great importance:She sings in her natural accent andrecorded at home, utilising the talents offamily members Kevin on double bass,additional guitar and mandolin and Annion cover photography.

With almost as many re-workings oftraditional songs as originals, she hasintegrated the interpretations, such as Go From My Window, House Carpenterand a stunning take on Blackwater Side,into the album well, weaving her ownsound around them.

Though her gentle voice may initially strikesome as fragile, it contains a sorrowful,almost mournful quality investing evenupbeat numbers such as A Sailing Songwith a beautiful melancholy.

Drawing comparisons with KathrynWilliams Kate Rusby, Kristen Hersh andthe gentler aspects of Lucinda Williamsthis is a fantastic debut from a talent thatwill continue to grow. TD

“More a breathy gem that glistens withemotion, it shimmers and shines its waythrough the eleven songs with the gentlepower of a summer breeze” BBC Manchester

Kate BramleyLittle Canaan Tantobie Records TTRCD108

At a time when all the fine new youngtalent on the UK folk scene is strivinghard to gain as much “across the board”experience as possible, Kate Bramley isone of the busiest.

A full-time touring singer and musicianwith one of this country’s most popularand hard working bands, Jez Lowe’s BadPennies, she has found time to releaseher second solo project, Little Canaan, togreat acclaim and healthy, round-theworld sales.

The album finds Kate’s talents on fulldisplay, showcasing her dexterity onfiddle, cittern and guitar behind her richand sensuous vocals. The album weighsin with six originals, including Carter’sFair and Tahunanui Bay, that haveproved popular with several UK singers,plus an enviable selection of covers bythe likes of Peter Bond, Jacqui Hanhamand album producer Jez Lowe. Kate hasalso chosen to delve deep into the NorthAmerican tradition for a pair of lesser-known songs that have proved highlightsof her solo concert set. AL

“A persuasive solo artist with much to offer”fROOTS

The WatersonsFrost And Fire / Sound, SoundYour Instruments Of JoyTopic Records TSCD563 TSCD564

Re-released to coincide with A MightyRiver Of Song, this year’s grandretrospective show at the Royal Albert Hall,this double-whammy of albums from keypoints in the Waterson’s career serve toremind us what an important contributionthey have made to English music.

Now rightly regarded as the premierefamily of British folk, back in the 60s theirarrival was nothing short of a revolutionboth in folk and rock circles. Their 1965debut Frost And Fire is a collection ofhauntingly beautiful traditional folk songs,delivered with such passion and gracethat it is easy to forget that the singersare unaccompanied, aside from thesparse drumming on Hal-an-Tow.

In more grand terms it can be seen,along with Martin Carthy’s debut of thesame year, as one of the great stonesthrown into the pool of modern folk,who’s ripples are still felt today. Songssuch as the tragic John Barleycorn orSeven Virgins Or The Leaves Of Life andThe Holly Bears A Berry which bothtranscend their obvious religiousconnotations, remain un-tempered bytime.

In 1977, with Martin Carthy now firmly onboard they presented Sound, Sound YourInstruments Of Joy. Its main intent was toremind people of traditional religiousmusic before funereal Victorian hymnsimposed themselves on the Britishmusical landscape. The selection is wide

Properganda 6 5

KATE BRAMLEY

THE WATERSONS

THE WATERSONS

JOHN KIRKPATRICK

ANDY ROBERTSAND THE

GREAT STAMPEDE

JENNY MCCORMICK

FOLK reviews

Peatbog FaeriesWhat Men Deserve To LosePeatbog Records CDBOG003

Formed in the Isle of Skye in 1994, thePeatbog Faeries have spent the lastdecade melding seemingly disparategenres such as jazz, rock and electronicawith folk music into a cohesive wholeand blazing a trail that many wouldfollow. Although touring the world, fromAustralia to Namibia is a testament totheir success and has definitely informedtheir eclectic sound, they have alwaysstayed true to their Celtic roots. This isevident on their new album.

Opening track The Lock & Rocks Reeljumps through a number of genres injust its first few seconds. Prog-rockguitars give way to soul-like horns and analmost house-like, four-on-the-floorbuild-up before a distinctly Celtic leadblasts over the top. Far from just beingrandom fusion, this is Celtic musicembellished with different styles. This ismade abundantly clear as The InvargarryBlues drops in, its distorted guitar playingCeltic licks and modes in a blues style.From then on funk guitars and jazz hornsmeet progressive trance rhythms andkeyboard squelches to form some of themost forward-thinking but respectful folkmusic of this century. TD

“The highlight of Glastonbury. Mere earthwords can’t do the Faeries justice...” NME

Chris & Kellie WhileToo Few SongsFat Cat FATCD018

Both are renowned artists in their ownright: Chris is famed for her collaborationwith Julie Matthews and Kellie for workwith e2K. Both have sung with the AlbionBand and as a mother and daughterteam, they’ve performed together sinceKellie was 14, return here with a secondrecorded outing. It’s no surprise to findan affinity far above and beyond anystandard collaboration, with voices thatmeld into each other, supporting,complimenting and interweaving in analmost ethereal fashion.

Much like their self-titled first album, TooFew Songs is a carefully selectedcollection of material, immaculatelyperformed with the minimum ofadditional instrumentation. Despite thesimplicity it is still a lush and envelopingaffair that balances their history with afresh, unforced delivery that is onlypossible because of their consummateskill and unique bond. Their choice ofcovers, includes songs by Ron Sexsmith,Richard Thompson, and late periodDylan.

It’s no wonder that Ralph McTell hascommented “They have a synchronicity ofvocal expression that could not havebeen learned.” The proof of that is mostdefinitely in the hearing. TD

“Simply Stunning” Mike Harding - Radio 2

Sharon Shannon With The Big BandLive At DolansThe Daisy Label DLCD018

One of Ireland’s favourite daughters,Sharon Shannon joins forces with the BigBand and special guests on thisspectacular double CD live set. Recordedat Dolans intimate but boisterous club,Sharon and her band are joined by astellar list of guests, including DamienDempsey, Declan O’Rourke, DessieO’Halloran, Jon Kenny, Mundy and Roesy.Alongside the band (featuring RobbieCasserly, Paul Moore, James Delaney, JimMurray, Jack Maher, Richie Buckley), theresult is the ultimate session.

Sharon, the band, the guests and theaudience combine to create a partyatmosphere where everyone isthoroughly enjoying themselves and thetwo-hour twenty show just flies by!

Sharon’s blend of world music, rootsreggae, bluegrass, country, blues soul andgospel with a unique high-energyapproach will appeal to all. Her skills as asong writer and musician are well knownand much admired, but with the releaseof Live At Dolans (which is also availableon DVD) Sharon demonstrates that she isalso a talented producer. MG

“a scintillating and highly individual worldmusic of entirely her own creation” fROOTS

The DurbervillesAlternative Route To AllDestinationsSplidian SPLIDCD007

“Direct from the Batley Delta!” The Durbervilles self-released third albumsees their highly infectious meld of folk-rock, roots and alt-country joined byFairport’s Ric Sanders on violin andChumbawumba’s Jude Abbott on vocals.Together they have produced an explosionof songs that defy you to sit down.

The Alternative Routes of the album titletake in elements of traditional folk,footstompin’ rock ‘n’ roll and in Rain UponThe Road and The Last One, at least twopotential festival power-anthems.

And a fun journey it is too; the bandseems to have captured on record theenergy of their live performance and theknockabout tomfoolery of their regularBBC Radio Leeds broadcasts (Sundays,8pm, 92.4 & 95.3 FM).

Regular favourites on the Yorkshire clubcircuit, hopefully alternative routeseventually will lead them to ALLdestinations! JTR

“..cheeky riffs, catchy hooks and neverending harmonies” Maverick

Steve KnightleyCruel RiverHands On Music HMCD26

As one half of crusading folk heroesShow Of Hands, Steve Knightley hasmade a name for himself as a tirelessmusical ambassador for rural English life.Cruel River, his first solo album since1999s Track Of Words, sees him continuehis talent for creating tales from the pastand present which remain pertinent tothe political and personal arenas ofmodern England.

With his signature raw vocal style and asparse instrumentation in contrast toSOHs recent work, Knightley presents aselection of twelve new and updatedsongs covering a broad range of themesand issues.

Tall Ship Story updates an old legend ofthe ‘Ancient Mariner’ variety, while theonly remembrance on Poppy Day is ofthe lives ruined by drugs in the modernworld rather than wars of the past.

The bleak grittiness is tempered withKnightley’s wry sense of humour - muchto the fore on Raining Again and sheep-rustling ballad Transported – which lendsthe album a sense of hope andhumanity, and the live applause followingthe surprising choice of Dire Straits coverRomeo & Juliet closes the album on abeautifully warm note. JTR

“Steve Knightley’s songs have developedsuch an edge that it’s hard to deny themany longer - this is a big album” ���� MOJO

All Jigged OutWish HillHobgoblin Records HOBCD1004

Being described as ‘celtic boy-band’ may gosomeway to describe their image, butmusically speaking, it’s nothing but a greatdisservice to them. On Wish Hill, their debutrelease, they show a musical maturity thatbelies their tender years. Funk and Jazz,informed by an upbeat pop sensibility andfiltered through Celtic folk all seamlesslyblends into a sound that is at once familiaryet unique. Backed by a rhythm section thatis both supportive and solidly in theforefront, Philippe Barnes’ flute andBenjamin Lee’s Violin weave alternatelytender and driving melodies around TomPhelan’s beautiful piano playing.

On Broken Mirror: Part 2 they highlight thepiano/flute/violin combination to the fullestwith a sad melody, preluding a gentle butdance-y rhythm, which follows the darkbass line of Part 1, underpinning somefrantic jazz-fusion Violin work. It Is veers atpoints close to a post-rock sound beforebreaking into their now familiar andpleasing Celtic-funk, featuring a slap-basssolo that would put Flea to shame.

Don’t be fooled by the ‘boy-band’ tags –from jazz-fusion to Celtic funk, these boysshow that nothing could be further fromthe truth. TD

“A promising debut album” Songlines

6 Properganda 6

SHARON SHANNON

OUT 18TH JUNE

THE DURBERVILLES

ALL JIGGED OUT

PEATBOG FAERIES

OUT 16TH JULY

STEVE KNIGHTLEY

CHRIS & KELLIE WHILE

hy would anyone doing this want toretire?...” It’s not like working in a bank or

doing boring office jobs where you’re dying tobe old. I’m looking forward to getting to 65,though. That’s when you become a livinglegend and your fee quadruples. Fantastic…”

Not a living legend yet then (for the record he’s57) but Richard Thompson is a true British icon.After all, he’s worked with Elvis Costello andBonnie Raitt, he’s covered a Britney Spearssong (Oops I Did It Again), is officially an all-time guitar great (Rolling Stone magazine poll),has a BBC Lifetime Achievement Award,coached Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son at soccerAND he’s met the Queen (“I was disappointedshe didn’t ask me about working with NickDrake…”)

He does now have a box set in his honour (RT:The Life And Music Of Richard Thompson,released by Free Reed) and he’s been part ofthe musical furniture for nearly four decades.So it’s a measure of his enduring charisma,power and thirst for battle that the prospect ofa new album still excites rare outbursts ofcelebration and anticipation from his devotedlegions of admirers.

It’s well justified, too. For the new album SweetWarrior – his first proper electric album for fouryears – sounds thrillingly like classic RT.Choppily savage guitar runs, melodies thatsneak into your head and dance on your brainin elegant shapes and lyrics of such vividimagery you feel like you’ve wandered into themiddle of a movie populated by colourful butworryingly deranged characters.

There are no pipe and slippers on the horizonhere as Richard approaches his seventh decadewith the same ravenous spirit of adventure thatfirst made him such a thrilling talent all thoseyears ago in the hazy, crazy early days ofFairport Convention and have characterised hisjourney as one of the creative godfathers offolk rock and many places beyond ever since.

“Retire?...

Properganda 6 7

W

As Richard Thompson picks up the electric guitar again Colin Irwin plugs in…

Sweet Warrior – his first proper electricalbum for four years – sounds thrillingly like classic RT.

On Sweet Warrior he’s pushing the envelope again. An RT co-production (with Simon Tassano) it features, among otherthings, collaborations with double bass genius DannyThompson and Nickel Creek violinist Sara Watkins, a ska/rocksteady track (Francesca) and his first proper string arrangement(She Sang Angels To Rest). The track already getting people hotunder the collar, though, is the one that might also constitutesomething he’s never really tackled before in all his years as amaster songwriter - a full-on protest song.

“Mmmm protest…I suppose that is one of the things that’s inthere,” muses RT when you mention the song in question,Dad’s Gonna Kill Me, which relates the feelings of a terrifiedsoldier trying to keep the peace in Iraq. “To me it’s not the firstthing on the agenda,” continues Thompson. “I was interested insoldiers’ jargon, especially the language used in the currentconflict in the Gulf. Dad’s Gonna Kill Me is one of theexpressions they use. Initially I wrote the song mostly just usingtheir jargon but that became impenetrable so I adapted it.”

But it’s an anti-war song, right? “Yes, by verse three it becomesobvious it’s an anti-war song and my sympathy is with thetroops. They’re the ones getting it in the neck.”

Unsurprisingly the tone has caused some consternation incertain quarters, and he’s accused of undermining the troops.He’s gratified, however, that these are more than matched bythe messages of thanks from serving soldiers and their families,pleased to find a popular songwriter sensitively articulating theirfears. “Subtle works better than slogans if you have time for it,”he says. “In the traditional canon there are some greattraditional songs that are quite subtle and they’re the oneswe’re still singing. Sometimes you do have to come right outand say it’s time for political action but those songs aren’t goingto hang around for long. I always think metaphors work better.”

So I ask Richard Thompson if he’s happy with his new album,as you do. “Good God NO!” he says rather shockingly. “I’venever been happy with any of my albums yet. There’s alwaysthings I’m unsure about. I think the songs are good then Ispend forever tinkering and I end up driving myself crazy.”

The return to an electric, rockier approach isn’t so much a policydecision as a pragmatic reaction to Richard’s songwritingprocess. “I don’t tend to write in terms of albums. My lastproject was acoustic because when I looked at the availablesongs piling up in front of me they were mainly unplugged. Thistime they happened to be mainly electric.”

The album bulges with the deliciously cinematic songs whichrepresent the hallmark of Richard’s songwriting career. Johnny’sFar Away, for example, opens with the line “Johnny’s joined aceilidh band, they’re known quite well throughout the land, The

Drones” and proceeds to paint a colourful picture of life on theroad – or in this case, a cruise ship. “Just a bit of fun aboutwhat musicians get up to on the road – and their spouses getup to at home,” says Thompson, giggling.

His unexpected plunge into a string section on She SangAngels To Rest reflects less a burning desire to go orchestraland more an instinctive feel for the needs of the song inquestion. “I just felt the track needed a small string section so Igot a trio to play it. It’s the first time I’ve written outarrangements like this so I was a bit nervous – string playersare very fussy, you know! They try to winkle out your naivety byasking impossibly difficult questions, but I think I got away withit. Now I’d like to write for brass quartets!”

Yes, he says, of course he hopes the album sells in enormousquantities. “It’s human nature to want people to like what youdo and you always wonder if the music will communicate itself.But I have faith in the songs so I’m hopeful. I had lowexpectations of the last record (Front Parlour Ballads) becauseit was too introverted. In the UK it was very popular but ittotally bamboozled people in the US.

Maybe this one will do better in America because theyunderstand straight rock’n’roll and jigs and reels, which areclose enough to American forms. But they don’t understand 46verses of Tam Lin, which is their loss…”

At this stage, of course, it’s impossible to know which songs willsprout wings and take off to be covered by a trillion otherartists (like Beeswing and Galway To Graceland), which oneswill become firm live favourites (like 1952 Vincent BlackLightning and Cooksferry Queen) and which will becomemillstones round his neck (like Meet On The Ledge).

“It is a bit strange to write a song in your adolescence at 18 andfind you’re still singing it at 50,” he muses on Meet On TheLedge. It’s vague enough in that classic ‘60s way for people tostill get meaning out of it. I should thank Fairport for keeping italive. It’s so closely associated with Fairport it’s beyond mycontrol, though I do still drag it out from time to time.

“One of the strangest things for a singer songwriter is to berevisiting the past on a nightly basis. But I always try to writesongs that I hope will hang around for a while. You never knowhow people will react to a song. If the audience respondstimidly to what you think is your greatest work it’s no good if itdoesn’t connect with people. That does happen occasionally.”

His energy, consistency and durability is startling. From the earlyyears with Fairport, the productive partnership with his ex-wife

Properganda 6 9

“Like some old geyser thaterupts spectacularly...great” ‘

Pop CD of the week’ ���� SUNDAY TIMES

“...packed with his usualassortment of spiky, sparky

narrative songs andbittersweet laments”

DAILY TELEGRAPH

“...the playing throughout is fabulous”

INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY

“Immaculate accompanimentsand Thompson’s skitteringguitar balance his tendencyto mournfulness and make

for an impressive if notalways comfortable album”

THE OBSERVER

“Intense, precise, imperviousto fashion” ���� UNCUT

“still in rousing, bitter form.He hasn’t brought out his

electric guitar to work with aband on an album of new

songs in four years now, butit has been well worth the

wait.” �����ROBIN DENSELOW, THE GUARDIAN

“...one of his best...an albumthat is intelligent, entertainingand impeccably realised, and

Thompson’s best thiscentury.” ����

ANDY GILL, THE INDEPENDENT

“Possibly Britain’s greatestever guitar player, as a

singer-songwriter the NorthLondon-bred former

Fairport Convention man just gets better”

���� THE DAILY MIRROR

10 Properganda 6

Linda Thompson and a richcatalogue of solo albums datingback to Henry The Human Fly in1972, you wonder how RT hasmanaged to sustain suchexcellence over such a longperiod and still come up with anew album like Sweet Warriorthat has a vigour, ambition andsense of adventure to shameartists half his age.

“I dunno…” says Richard,laughing, in that self-deprecating way of his. “I doget barren periods when Iget writing blocks likeeveryone else but I do have adrive to keep doing it. If I haven’twritten a song for a few weeks orif I haven’t played a gig for a whileI do start getting very twitchy.Writing for me is a pleasure. It’sindoor work without heavy lifting,as Terry Pratchett says.”

This summer also finds himretracing his steps with anemotional return to the annualCropredy Festival in Oxfordshirewhere, 40 years on, he’ll berejoining his old Fairportcomrades to recreate the epicLiege & Lief, still likely to top anyMost Influential Folk Album Of AllTime poll going.

“I think it’s the most importantfolk-rock album because it wasthe beginning of that wholeBritish folk rock movement. Itreconnected the tradition withcontemporary music. I do still playMatty Groves occasionally but Ihaven’t played the rest of thatstuff since 1970 so yeah, I’mlooking forward to it. I’m happy toplay Liege & Lief every 40 years,why not?”

CI

Hen

ry T

he H

uman

Fly

Fled

g’lin

g FL

ED30

45

RT:

Th

e Li

fe A

nd M

usic

O

f Ric

hard

Tho

mps

onFr

ee R

eed

FRQ

CD55

SWEET WARRIORProper PRPCD032

COUNTRY/AMERICANA reviews

Elizabeth CookBalls31 Tigers TOT3101

Taking it’s title from the standout trackSometimes It Takes Balls to be a Woman,which pretty much sums up Cook’sattitude, this is fearless country musicwith a wicked sense of humour. From thebouncing jaws harp and cheekily barbedlyrics on Times Are Tough In Rock ‘n’ Rollto the gentle lullaby Always Tomorrow,Cook’s intelligence pours out alongsideher heart in one of the twang-iest DeepSouth accents around.

A blazing hoedown of fiddles and banjos,the rocking country-bluegrass energy andelectric vibe of the album was capturedlive in the studio. Producer RodneyCowell and tour-mate Nanci Griffith, whoboth appear on the track Down Girl, havelikened Cook to Loretta Lynn, and herbrash, feisty outlook caused NoDepression magazine to hail her as“reminiscent of Dolly Parton or a moreburnished Julie Miller”.

Whether she’s reworking VelvetUnderground classic Sunday Morning orbelting through her nine self-writtentunes, Cook’s bold wit, unique voice andauthentic grass-roots mark her out as atrue star in the rising. JTR

“In an era of fabricated fame, Elizabeth isthe real deal," Rodney Crowell

Adrienne YoungRoom To GrowAddiebelle ABE003

Inspired by Ben Franklin’s ThirteenVirtues and stories from an older andwiser America, Adrienne Young’s musicand politics have always gone hand inhand. Performing uplifting songs thatcould sit easily in the charts, her effortsto draw support and raise funds forvarious agricultural awarenessprogrammes form a crucial part of herartistic output. As an organic farmer andenvironmentalist, land and nature formthe emotional backdrop to many of hersongs, with pilgrims and settlers featuringheavily in the conceptual imagery.

Her self-described “pop-inflected old timemusic” is awash with banjos, fiddles andacoustic guitars backed by a rockingrhythm section. The whole album is alivewith crackling energy and a production asrich as the soil of the New World fromwhich she derives her inspiration.

With the emphasis on well-craftedmelodies and great, sing-along choruses,this bluegrass infused album will cementher reputation as a renaissance womanof remarkable talent.Working with co-writers Will Kimbrough and Mike DSanders, Young has self-produced abeautiful collection of instantly accessibleAmerican songs. JTR

“… a quite wonderful and unique voice thatstands out from all the Nashville Sound-alikes” ���� Maverick

OllabelleOllabelleRounder MMACD1027

After tours with Diana Krall, Ryan Adams,and Alison Krauss and Union Station, this‘multitalented democratic collective’,having already grabbed the attention ofthe great T Bone Burnett, havesubsequently gained many famed fansincluding Bob Dylan Band veteran andproducer Larry Campbell.

To understand quite how they gainedsuch a prestigious following so quickly, allone has to do is listen to this stunningrecord. Opening with the rapturousgospel of Before This Time, song aftersong flows into one another. Thebeautifully minimal slide of Soul Of AMan segues into the deep soul of ElijahRock into the country-soul of Jesus OnThe Mainline. Every song referencessome beloved genre without everallowing a sense of coy or tongue incheek post-modernity to creep in. This istrue, even when genres are consciouslymixed; such as the mean slide meetsfunk clavinet of Get Back Temptation.

Of course the band themselves are nostrangers to famed affiliation, containingone Amy Helm, daughter of Levon. Butlet it not be thought that they are tradingon a name. Everything they have, and willachieve is not just deserving but self-made. TD

“They sing great and they play great, andthey are wonderful people.” T-Bone Burnett

Ron BlockDoorwayRounder ROUCD587

Block has spent well over a decade as alynchpin of Alison Krauss And UnionStation, contributing outstanding multi-instrumental work and many great songs.Having also had his songs recorded byRhonda Vincent, Randy Travis he hasfinally turned his hand to a second soloalbum. Although assistance comes fromTyminski, bassist Barry Bales and AlisonKrauss herself, this is not just a AKUSalbum by any other name.

Singing in a sweet and unpretentiousvoice he displays more than just the‘newgrass’ style with which he issynonymous, as shown on Along TheWay and Be Assured. The title track has adark quality that stands at odds with hisvoice but sounds all the better for it andthe slow but driving Flame shows yetanother side to this versatile songwriter.

Though he makes no attempts todisguise his strong Christian beliefs,whether consciously or not he make youre-evaluate your idea of Christian music.Certainly a must for all Krauss fans, butan album steeped in faith for non-Christians as well. TD

“Through his unmatched musical talent, thisalbum gives us a window into who RonBlock really is.” Alison Krauss

Two Dollar BashTwo Dollar BashCannery Row Records CRR0704

Fresh from their riotous and rapturouslyreceived appearances as this year’s SouthBy South West (Austin) and North ByNorth West (Toronto) festivals, this threeparts Scottish to one part French quartetare ready and raring to continue theirplan to take the roots/Americana worldby storm.

Their blend of folk, country and bluescombined gorgeous three and four partharmonies has won them critical acclaimas well as several prestigious awards. Theband’s constant touring has honed theircraft and the songs featured on thisalbum are ample proof that their time inthe transit van has been justifiably spent.The gigging doesn’t show any sign ofletting up just yet and the band will be inthe UK for some summer festivals,including the Wychwood festival.

There are many highlights but cuts likethe Johnny Cash imbued The Devil AndThe Angel, opener Waiting For TheSunshine, Old Man Train and the oftcovered, Townes Van Zandt penned WhiteFreight Liner Blues burn brightest. MG

“It’s the same kind of original folk creativitythat Bob Dylan had when he started.” BobEverhart, Tradition

Joe ElyHappy Songs From Rattlesnake GulchRack Em Records RERCD001

Perhaps the antonym of the Nashville‘hat’ country scene, the amazingly prolificJoe Ely returns with his 26th album.Opening with the snarling and sardoniccomment on the aftermath of HurricaneKatrina Baby Needs a New Pair Of Shoeshe shows that he’s lost none of the grithe could well have picked up from hisfamed friendship with The Clash all thoseyears ago.

Inspired by his many years on the road,and accompanied by his new book ofroad journals Bonfire Of Roadmaps Elydelivers song after song of wry, cutting,mournful tales filled with lovelorn anddesperate characters. In Ms Bonnie andMr Clyde, he allows himself plenty ofartistic licence; painting himself into thattragic love story in a fine example of oneof his outlaw ballads. In So You Want ToBe Rich he veers towards brass-ledfunk/R&B (with a country twang).Whether stomping country, slow blues orthe Cajun love ballad of Little Blossom,he retains his own distinct voicethroughout. TD

“It’s good to know there are a few menwhose idea of music, rhythm and poetryprecludes the spearmint clichés that havebecome country music’s soul.” Rolling Stone

ELIZABETH COOK

ADRIENNE YOUNGOUT 18TH JUNE

JOE ELY

OLLABELLE

RON BLOCKOUT 16TH JULY

TWO DOLLARBASH

Properganda 6 11

12 Properganda 6

John Prine Mac WisemanTwo venerable veterans of country unite and Colin Irwin raises the flag.

ne thing always guaranteed to make the heart flutter isthe sound of two gnarled old legends getting their teeth

into a crackling bunch of bruised old country songs. ThinkJohnny Cash and Bob Dylan. Waylon Jennings and WillieNelson. Merle Haggard and George Jones. Kris Kristoffersonand Willie Nelson. In fact, Willie Nelson with anyone…

So the arrival of Standard Songs For Average People, a duoalbum involving John Prine and Mac Wiseman is indeedcause for celebration. Prine is one of the true greats, agodfather of Americana who has written a long series ofcolourful, edgy classics dating all the way back to the early1970s and the likes of Hello In There (a harrowing songabout getting old), Dear Abby (the perils of an agony aunt)and Sam Stone (the heartbreaking descent of a Vietnam vetinto drug addiction). Epic story songs all, full of humour,tragedy and everyday life in all its gritty reality, but Prine’swork has also always been imbued with a natural empathyfor the roots of country music (his grandfather had playedwith Merle Travis and Prine had been playing country songshimself from the age of 14).

In 1998 we nearly lost him. Diagnosed with throat cancer, hewas faced with a grim fight for life and even if he won thebattle, the chances of him singing again looked slim. YetPrine confounded everyone, not only by beating cancer butcoming back in 1997 with an album of country covers InSpite Of Ourselves featuring duets with the likes of IrisDeMent and Lucinda Williams. The new gravelly inflections inhis voice, which sound as if it is being massaged withsandpaper, have added immeasurably to the character of hismusic and the notion of an old gunslinger steeped in countrytradition carrying his scars and bruises like a badge of honour.

Team him up with Mac Wiseman, one of the grand old menof folk and bluegrass, and you really do have a duo to makeyou sit up and doff your caps. Wiseman is 82 now, butwhen that still surprisingly rich voice blends with Prine’smore rugged tones, you feel you want to stand to attentionand salute. Here is a guy whose career began singing withVirginia guitarist Buddy Starcher and who spent most of the1940s cutting his teeth with bluegrass legends Molly O’Day,Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs.

He subsequently formed his own band and was widelyadored for his melodic, tenor voice and hisnatural interpretations of a wide variety ofcountry classics, though he only ever achievedone hit single – the entertainingly titled noveltytrack If I Had Johnny’s Cash and Charley’sPride. He must have thought his singing dayswere over until Prine coaxed him out ofretirement to duet with him on Standard SongsFor Average People.

On a shrewd mix of songs that have long beenpart of the American country psyche – OldRugged Cross, the old Jim Reeves hit I Love You

Because, the Johnny Cash/Elvis chestnut I Forgot ToRemember To Forget (once even covered by The Beatles),Kris Kristofferson’s Just The Other Side Of Nowhere and theold Bing Crosby standard Where The Blue Of The Night, notto mention material by Nashville legends Ernest Tubbs andBob Wills – it carries echoes of Johnny Cash’s twilightAmerican Recordings albums where the weight of his world-weary experiences effectively reinvented a series of old songsof almost hackneyed familiarity. The inclusion of Nashvillestudio greats Jack Clement on guitar/dobro and Lloyd Greenon pedal steel adds to the warmth and credibility of whatmust be regarded as an extraordinary project.

The album came out of casual conversations between thecharismatic pair of old friends – Prine is 60 so theircombined age is 142 – when they both wrote a list of thesongs they’d like to sing irrespective of genre. Aftercomparing the lists, Prine suggested they make an albumtogether using some of those choices and the magicalresults are there for all to hear on Standard Songs ForAverage People, surely destined to become one of the

jewels in the crown of John Prine’s Oh-Boy label.Both say they had a grand old time making the album. Prinesays it was an honour and a privilege to record with the stillsprightly Wiseman, who says: “I’ve recorded over 600 songsand I’ve been in a lot of studios but this is a landmark. This wasone of the most pleasurable things I’ve ever done in a studio.”

CI

O

Prine is one of the true greats, a godfather of Americana who has written a long series

of colourful, edgy classics…

“This was one of the most pleasurable things I’ve ever done in a studio.”

and

Standard Songs ForAverage People

Oh Boy OBR038

OUT NOW

PHO

TO: T

AKEN

FRO

M O

FFIC

IAL

WEB

SITE

- P

HO

TOG

RAPH

ER N

OT

NO

TED

.

COUNTRY/AMERICANA reviews

Reed FoehlStoned BeautifulRed Parlour Entertainment RPRF0704

A prolific songwriter, Foehl penned muchof the material on the Acoustic JunctionFool’s Progress albums while still findingtime to compose many songs notintended for the “band” repertoire. In 2001Acoustic Junction split and Foehl launchedinto a full time solo career. The charismaticperformer soon found a devoted audienceturning out for his appearances at well-heeled venues in Boulder, Denver and LosAngeles. He has opened for a number oftoday’s noteworthy recording artistsincluding Patty Griffin, Dave Matthews andmost recently on several shows with RayLaMontagne.

Stoned Beautiful is composed of 11stunning original songs, which are straightfrom the artist’s heart. As Reed himselfstates, “ I think it’s the first record that I’verecorded that comes the closest to a truerepresentation of my music and where Icome from. There was a great vibehappening on these sessions. Although it’sa studio recording all the songs werebasically live takes… there is no fancycover up just the raw, real truth.” MG

“He sings like he feels every note... Eachsong tells a story, all of which he relatesastonishingly well.” The Boston Globe

David OlneyOne Tough TownRed Parlour Entertainment RPRD00705

The prolific David Olney infuses his liveperformances with an intensity thatconverts many new listeners into die-hard fans. Mr. Olney’s intelligentcompositions radiate that same intensityand have earned him a place as one ofthe most respected singer-songwriters inthe world today.

On One Tough Town, Olney is at hisacerbic best; he’s gnarly and edgy andyet there are songs that wouldn’t be outof place on a soundtrack. On repeatedplays One Tough Town yields much morethan a collection of great songs. Themore you dig into this record the morerewarding it feels. This is easily one ofthe strongest Olney releases of recenttimes, if not in his career.

David’s celebrity fan base is enormous.Some of the names to have recorded hissongs include Emmylou Harris, LindaRonstadt, Del McCoury, Slaid Cleaves,Keiran Kane/Kevin Welch/Fats Kaplinamong others. He has released 18albums over four decades, including fivelive recordings, and continues to performworldwide. MG

“Townes Van Zandt, was once asked toname his favourite composers. He listedMozart, Bob Dylan, Lightnin’ Hopkins andDavid Olney.” New York Times

Chris KnightThe Trailer TapesDrifter’s Church DC0010

Constantly compared to Steve Earle andJohn Prine, Chris Knight has won afanatical following over a relatively shortcareer. So popular in Texas that they haveclaimed this Kentuckian as one of theirown, he’s also lauded by the mainstreampress for his educated and intelligenttake on the form.

Recorded back to the beginning in thesummer of 1996, literally in a trailer andjust before his debut on Decca, thisalbum is Starker than any of his laterwork. Full of the anger, heartbreak,bitterness, sorrow, regret and murderousrage of a struggling, hungry and youthfultalent, every song is powerful. Strippeddown, Chris’ guitar drives and his vocalscommand attention for every syllable. Heholds the audience fixed from BackwaterBlues to the sadly ironic Move On all theway to My Only Prayer. These songs setthe template for how he would carve outhis uncompromising and extraordinary career.

As Chris recalls “People talked aboutthese tapes ever since I recorded them.To me they were rough and stark and Inever thought they’d see the light of day.It took a while, but I’m proud of thisrecord.” SC

“Knight displays his keen ability to tellstories, creating imagery that makes it seemlike he is living the song.” CMT

Oh SusannaShort StoriesContinental Song City CSCCD1044

Coming a decade after her recordeddebut, this new set weaves inspirationfrom the Susanna’s extended family with20th Century American literature, matchinguniversal themes of love and destiny.Common threads perhaps, but with herassured, emotive delivery and the excellentaccompaniment of noted Canadiancompatriots there is enough here towarrant a detailed, further exploration.

There are lush moments and soul-laid-bare intimacy. The string swell of MissLiberty has a quiet epic quality that hassoundtrack written right though it, whilePretty Penny is simply staged with banjoand guitar. Elsewhere there are echoes ofThe Band in Greyhound Bus.

Given the literate and slightly elusivequality of her songs, it’s no surprise tofind Dylan listed among many influencesand she does an excellent job of Billy 4,a well chosen cover from the PatGarrett… album that finds an echo in herown Three Shots. It’s produced bySusanna’s, husband and drummer CamGiroux and Blue Rodeo bassist BazilDonovan and each song is set to adeliberate musical framework, distinctand self contained, but then I guess theclue to this is in the title. SC

“... she sounds like the missing link betweenDolly Parton and Sinead O’Connor” Mojo

Various ArtistsAnchored In Love – A TributeTo June Carter CashDualtone 80302012422

Compiled & produced by John Carter Cashin tribute to his mother’s rich musicallegacy and timed to coincide with thebiography of the same name, Anchored InLove is a star-studded celebration ofcountry music’s much-loved wildwoodflower.Featuring legends from the countryconstellation including Ralph Stanley,Loretta Lynn and Emmylou Harris, throughto some familiar voices from the popworld such as Elvis Costello, this albumprovides a respectful memorial.

From Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson’spowerful, upbeat version of If I Were ACarpenter, to actor Billy Bob Thornton’sreading of Road To Kaintuck, the songsmainly stay faithful to the sourcealthough each artist invests a little oftheir own magic into the proceedings.The family is of course represented, asCarlene Carter joins Ronnie Dunn for arousing run through Jackson whileRoseanne Cash contributes a beautifultake on Wings Of Angels.

A talented songwriter as well asinterpreter, half of the 12 tracks here areJune’s original compositions. Anchored InLove is an essential addition to anycountry aficionado’s collection, as well asa great introduction for newcomers. JTR

“Anchored in Love captures the warmth andcharm of June Carter Cash and is a finetribute to a much loved artist.” CMP

Sarah Borges And The Broken SinglesDiamonds In The DarkSugar Hill SHCD4028

Sarah Borges’ debut for Sugar Hill, againbacked by her band The Broken Singles,hits the ground running with the fieryThe Day We Met. For this album the PaulQ Kolderie fills the producers chair,famed for working with everyone fromthe Pixies, Radiohead and Morphine toWarren Zevon and Boston, who not onlyhelped create the beautifully thick soundthroughout, but contributed percussion,clavinet and mellotron.

Fusing hard rock and roll with country andconfessional style vocals recalling the greatfemale 60s singers of yore (the girl-groupstomp of Stop And Think It Over), shemixes sweet melodies with solid anddriving rhythm. Though there are obviousjumps in style, the Parton-famed countryof False Eyelashes being one suchexample, while the minimalist backing ofBelle Of The Bar , the changes just give anopportunity to showcase that voice. One ofthe highlights is a cover of X’s Come BackTo Me who she sights as her favouriteband, showing there is far more to herthan the average country-rocking gal. SC

“This is one performer nobody should miss— she’s the goods.” MSNBC

REED FOEHL

DAVID OLNEY

SARAH BORGESOUT 18TH JUNE

CHRIS KNIGHTOUT 18TH JUNE

OH SUSANNA

ANCHORED IN LOVE

OUT 2ND JULY

Properganda 6 13

14 Properganda 6

t is a truism that royalty do not earn their positions ofauthority but are given them. Perhaps the exception to

prove the rule is A Hundred Miles Or More, a collection ofduets, collaborations, rarities and unreleased tracks spanningthe career of the queen of ‘newgrass’, Alison Krauss. It’s herfastest selling album in the UK so far, notching Rounder’sfirst Top 40 album chart placing, an achievement that puts‘specialist’ music in the mainstream.

If your knowledge of Alison Krauss and the resurgence ofbluegrass and American roots music extends as far as the

O Brother Where Art Thou?, then you betterget yerself ready for some schoolin’.

Over the last two decades,Alison Krauss has quietly

become one of the biggeststars on the Americanmusic scene. She’s stayedtrue to her roots andnever been one for theglitz of Nashville’sRhinestone Row. It’s aphilosophy that haspaid dividends, netting20 Grammy awards forher work as a singer,fiddle player, film andTV soundtrack writerand, increasingly, as a

producer. Her careeralready spans two

decades from herrecording debut at the

tender age of 14. In herown sweet way, she has

kept the traditions alive whileintroducing just a little modern

sophistication, bringing oldsounds to new country listeners.

Alison is quick to acknowledge herinfluences, citing the second generation ofbluegrass as her jumping off point, “That iswhat I grew up with, you know Ricky Skaggsand I’d listen to a lot of Del McCoury and TonyRice.” But she’s found her way back to the oldtimers and is particularly in aweof Charlie Louvin, “He’s writtenthree of my favourite songs ever,songs that really kill me.” Butthese days she is widely creditedwith being at the forefront of herown bluegrass resurgence,teaching Nashville a few licks andtricks along the way.

A Hundred Miles Or More is a gorgeous collection of songsshe has released outside of her usual collaboration withUnion Station with 5 new songs added. Although the U.S.members are dotted throughout the credits, here the focus isdifferent and more about Alison. Some of the songs arespecific commissions, a challenge that she really enjoys. Asshe explains, “You complete something different that kind ofstands on its own.” The challenge with this project comes incompiling a coherent album, for which Alison relies on herfeelings, “I guess it’s more of a mood. So what’s the mood?When do I stop having a feeling of familiarity when I gothrough these tracks?”

Showcasing her vocal collaborations over the past years,such as her guest spot on The Chieftains Molly Bán, thereare tracks familiar and unfamiliar alike. All demonstrate herability to invoke deep and powerful emotional responses inthe listener. Alison recalls recording with the Chieftains as achallenge “It was a stretch, the melody of that tune has aninteresting scale that I had never sung before. Paddy stoodthere singing me the melody. It’s second nature to him andI’m like ‘wait a minute will you sing that again, I have tolearn that.’ It’s such a tragic tale. I loved that. I loved thatfeeling of loss. It means there was something huge to losewhen there’s that sadness.”

From the opening You’re Just A Country Boy, the first of twoDon Williams covers, the songs collected on this album areconnected by an overarching feeling of sorrow andmelancholy, of mourning and remembrance. At the sametime there is catharsis and redemption, although muchseems hard won against the cruel hands of fate. Thepreviously unreleased Jacobs Dream is a perfect example ofhow her beautiful voice weaves a tragic tale about missingchildren and the discovery of their bodies in the woods, dueto the titular Jacob’s dream. It’s only Sawing On The Strings,recorded live at the CMT video music awards that bucks thetrend, delivering Krauss’ high speed bluegrass fiddle andfeaturing Tony Rice in a high octane romp.

Another instantly recognisable example of the power of hervoice is Down To The River To Pray from the aforementionedO Brother… soundtrack. Supported by Gillian Welch and theFirst Baptist Church Choir of White House, Tennessee hervoice shimmers with presence and perfection, it is neveranything less than her song. Her other famed soundtrackwork is also included here, with two tracks from ColdMountain. On You Will Be My Ain True Love she duets withSting, who wrote the track and the haunting The Scarlet Tideshe delivers Elvis Costello and T-Bone Burnett’s bittersweetmelody with tender grace.

Alison is simply a wonderfully skilled interpreterof song, bluegrass or not and whatever itsprovenance. Labels are so limited in the face ofthe power of her voice. It is perhaps her greatestgift to be able to take you through emotionaldepths. Emerging, gulping at the lump in youthroat you realise at once the truth of what youhave and what you hold. Hail to the queen!

SH

I

alison kraussWith a new career spanning compilation Properganda lends an ear to Alison Krauss.

“I loved that feeling of loss. It means there wassomething huge to lose when there’s that sadness.”

PHO

TO: R

AND

EE S

T.N

ICH

OLA

S

A Hundred Miles Or More: A Collection

Rounder ROUCD555

OUT NOW

JAZZ reviews

Mina Agossi Who Wants Love? Candid CCD79855

This recording was recently made at NewYork’s prestigious venue, The JazzStandard. These two nights were part ofMina’s last US tour which saw herperforming in Boston, Cincinnati,Minneapolis, Philadelphia and of courseNew York. Like Mina’s previous Candidrecordings Zaboum! and Well You Needn’t,this follows a similar format with its sparseinstrumental bed.

“Working with bass (Eric Jacot) and drums(Ichiro Onoe) gives me the freedom toimprovise as I wish, not bound by thechords on the piano”, Mina explains andit’s this freedom that allows her to displaythe entirely fresh and original style forwhich she is now widely known. Minaalso had two guest New Yorkers, trumpetplayer Rob Henke and percussionistDaoud David Williams on stage with herat Jazz Standard.

The greatest introduction to the MinaAgossi experience is to witness her performlive. Mina’s music has always been suitedand to some extent, created for the liveenvironment. Who Wants Love? beautifullycaptures the atmosphere and intimacy ofMina’s pioneering live performance. BS

“a mesmeric talent” The Daily Telegraph“one of the most startlingly original voices injazz today” Metro

the affection of legendary broadcasterMichael Parkinson who has beenregularly showcasing tracks from therecord on his increasingly popular BBCRadio 2 programme. TM

“she’s got quite a set of pipes on her” David Bowie

Stacey Kent Collection II Candid CCD79997

The amazing success of artists like DianaKrall and Norah Jones, who interpret songsin straightforward styles bereft of vibratoand pomposity, is now being achievedwith the same understated feeling ofinterplay between lyric and melody byStacey Kent. The award winning ex-patAmerican is rapidly becoming the definitivevoice of a genre. Importantly what Staceydoesn’t do to a song is almost as vital aswhat she does. By placing the art ofsinging in a perfect balance with thegenius of the 11 writers whose songs sheperforms, Stacey has positioned herself atthe forefront of a small group of singerswho have caught the attention ofmainstream media and to whom listenersare flocking in droves.

Truly a stunning ascension of intuitive,intimate singing in a voice as singular asthere is. BS

“A voice as hard and bright as a diamond insunlight” New York Times

Robin McKelle Introducing Candid CCD79996

Newcomer Robin McKelle’s debut album,is already a best seller in the USA andEurope. Produced by Willie Murillo (BrianSetzer Orchestra, Aimee Mann, LeAnnRimes) lntroducing announces the arrivalof the latest songbook interpreter. Shepossesses a remarkable voice; a soul-infused alto tinged with haunting echoesof the postwar jazz greats and whenbacked by a 19 piece big band, the resultsare naturally impressive.

Having shared stages with revered artistssuch as Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter,Terence Blanchard, and others, McKellenow assumes centre stage with a debutsolo album that exuberantly broadens theboundaries of retro-swing. The CDsuccessfully evokes the jazzy spirit of 40’sAmerica, while retaining a contemporaryedge that speaks of a new wartime.Working from a songbook that’s over 70years old, McKelle and producer Murilloworked to invest the recordings with an“up-to-date relevance”.

“As a younger jazz singer, I don’t feel like Icould relate to the lyrics as much,” thesinger says. “There’s so much going on ina song like For All We Know. You have tohave loved and gone through thosestorms to be able to sing that song in away that people will be touched by it.”

Here in the UK McKelle has already won

THE EXCEPTIONAL CANDID VOCAL LIBRARY

STACEY KENT:CCD79737 Close Your Eyes CCD79751 The Tender Trap CCD79764 Let Yourself Go CCD79775 DreamsvilleCCD79786 In Love Again CCD79797 The Boy Next Door CCD79999 Collection I

MONICA VASCONCELOS: CCD79791 Oferendawith NOIS 4:CCD79779 Born Dia CCD79784 Gente

MISHKA ADAMS:CCD79799 God Bless The Child

JACQUI DANKWORTH:CCD79788 As the Sun Shines Down On MeCCD79796 Detour Ahead

JAMIE CULLUM:CCD79782 Pointless Nostalgic

CLARE TEAL:CCD79767 That’s The Way It Is CCD79783 Orsino’s SongsCCD79794 The Road Less Travelled

MINA AGOSSI:CCD79800 Zaboum!CCD79841 Well You Needn’t CCD79855 Who Wants Love?

ROBIN McKELLE: CCD79996 Introducing

LEEE JOHN:CCD79787 Feel My Soul

CORMAC KENEVEY: CCD79846 This is Living

CATHERINE TUTTLE:ZOCD78505 What They Will Find?

MINA AGOSSI

ROBIN MCKELLEOUT 2ND JULY

STACEY KENT

So, here we stand on the threshold. Even acursory sample of the award nomineesreveals music that can be exhilarating,tranquil, epic, intimate, angular, beautiful,cinematic, reverential, but in all caseschallenging. If that sounds a little scary, thenthe stiffest challenge that you actually faceis putting aside your preconceptions andsimultaneously opening your ears. The leastwe can do is offer a couple of signposts toget you on your way.

Neil Cowley

Cowley is quite open about his influencesand the journey that has brought him tothe jazz piano trio outing of Displaced.But this is a tale of journeys end: themasterful piano and the chemistry thatcooks with bass and drums. There are

huge chording trance, skittish pauses, drama andtunes. Yes tunes too, and plenty of them! Nowonder the critics frothed and foamed.

Finn Peters

Most instantly recognisable as a classicinstrumental quintet, Finn Peter’s Finn-tetdeliver Su-Ling. But this is no hard-bopretread. Finn, who is equally at easeplaying anything from hip-hop, dance,classical or jazz, has become one of the

finest flautists and alto sax players in the UK today.He’s circled back to his first love of jazz, and returnsto his roots with this stylish, largely acoustic jazzdebut that has Gilles Peterson hot under the collar.

Fraud

Critics have referred to Fraud as “exotic”,“thrilling” and “intrepid”. “Sounds likeFrank Zappa meets Joe Zawinul... It’s whatthe phrase cutting edge was invented for,and a very impressive debut.” The

Guardian. For a fuller appreciation, read StuartNicholson’s piece on page 19.

Tom Arthurs

Tom Arthurs’ Centripede are part ofLondon’s F-ire collective, and theeponymous CD is influenced by the dancerhythms of global music: from Africa toEastern Europe, contemporary classicaland electronica. Tom has also recently

released the contrasting Mesmer, with pianistRichard Fairhurst on which, the duo conjure somereflective, cinematic music, shimmering withintellect and restraint, but paradoxically free andnaturally flowing.

Abram Wilson

Abram Wilson throws a narrativethread, populated with distinct voices ina work that echoes label mate SowetoKinch. “Wilson handles his narrative andmelodic themes with huge confidenceand generous musical heart.” The

Guardian. Both find a distinct approach. Wilson’salbum gets a fuller critique on page 18.

Soweto Kinch

Kinch is already a multi award winningtalent recognised on both sides of theAtlantic. The ...B19... album is dense,brooding and complex and builds onhis collision of ‘proper’ jazz and hip-hop. The album brings the two genres

closer than ever into a meaningful third art formand showcases Kinch not only as a cutting edge jazzplayer but also as a leading narrative rap artist.Label mate Wilson is one of the guests to augmentSoweto’s stellar quartet.

Partisans

Julian Siegel (sax) is another nominee.For an example of his prowess, look nofurther than the excellent Partisans’album Max, where the power quartet isdriven into frenzy with Jim Watson’sHammond. This band’s ferociously

energetic performances live and on record havebecome the stuff of legend, the music effortlesslybridging the gaps between New York swing, rockand the US jam/groove band scene.

Liam Noble

Liam’s last album, Romance AmongThe Fishes, is another keyboard ledinstrumental feast. Oxford graduateNoble is very highly regarded and hehas proved adept at both freeimprovisation and accompaniment,

sitting in with the likes of Anita Wardell. …Fishes…pairs him with guitarist Phil Robson and the twooftendouble up playing the same lines, as Nobleexplains he likes “the shimmering wobbliness of thesound.”

Gwilym Simcock

One to watch out for, the debut albumis due out on Basho in the autumn.Gwilym is already gathering rave noticesas an exceptional keyboard player andcomposer, treading the lines betweenclassical and jazz and drawing

comparisons with Keith Jarrett. He’s already pickedup ‘Jazz Musician Of The Year’ at the Parliamentaryawards and been chosen by Radio 3 as their firstever ‘New Generations’ jazz artist.

SH

Jazz awards 2007 The BBC’s annual event gives cause to celebrate the state of jazz…

As you cast your eye over these pages, the final list ofnominations for this year’s BBC Jazz Awards will have beenmade public at the launch event in Soho, the epicentre of theCapital’s jazz scene. As always, some will feel vindicated, evenelated and some will neglected or unjustly overlooked.After all awards are rarely perfect and as much as anythinggive pause for reflection and thought. It seems unfair to namean album or a player superior, even when comparing like withlike and the truth of jazz is that like and like are rarely therefor comparison. Take for example two contenders for thepublic vote, the Neil Cowley Trio’s Displaced and TomCawley’s Hidden. Both are albums made by piano trios, butthe listening experience couldn’t be more different. So beforethe gongs are duly dished and the champers finally fogs thecelebrations, we thought a little delving beneath the surfacewas warranted.

Firstly there’s the excellent, official compilation of the runnersand riders on Specific Jazz (SPEC007). The double disc onceagain highlights the wealth of talent coming under the criticalgaze of peers and public and it’s both cracking good valueand a great overview of jazz in its own right. While last year’sset divided neatly into a disc of vocal and a disc ofinstrumental jazz, that simply isn’t possible this time around,demonstrating what a moveable feast jazz is.

Indeed, last year we explored the state of jazz, as othercommentators also lined up to praise the variety ofapproaches loosely associated under its umbrella. The lack ofone clear path or overriding style may seem confusing, butthere is enough bright young talent making the journey,whichever route they chose to follow.

We suspect that if anything, the scene is even more diffuse, sowe sought some expert opinion.

When it comes to awards, Jazzwise magazine are recentwinners in both the Ronnie Scott’s and Parliamentary jazzawards ‘best magazine’ categories. At the same time,Properganda contributor, Jazzwise regular and noted authorStuart Nicholson was also individually lauded as journalist ofthe year at the Paliamentary awards. You can read his latestpiece for us on Led Bib and Fraud on page 19.

“Currently the new jazz scene in the UK and

Europe is the hottest it’s been in decades”

Talking to Jon Newey who has helmed Jazzwise over its 10 yearrise to the top of UK monthly jazz coverage, it’s clear he’s excitedby what is going on. “Currently the new jazz scene in the UK andEurope is the hottest it’s been in decades and is leading the wayin innovation, imagination and excitement. Breakthrough groupssuch as Acoustic Ladyland and Polar Bear have opened the doorfor newcomers such as Fraud and Led Bib who in turn areinspiring other new groups to come forward”.

Jon further cites a groundswell of new blood choosing jazz,“There are more young people turning on to jazz, studying jazzand playing jazz than ever before with a huge increase in thenumber of jazz courses available at universities and colleges.”

It’s a theme that Stuart Nicholson has expanded on in hissixth book, Is Jazz Dead? Or Has It Moved To A New Address.The thesis at the heart of the book goes some way to puttingthe British jazz resurgence in a global context, as Stuartexplains, “These are exciting times for jazz. Not only is there abuzz of excitement across the UK scene but also acrossEurope, where a belief is widely held among European jazzmusicians, promoters and audiences that the evolutionaryzeal that had carried American jazz forward for almost acentury had now burnt itself out, and that task of carrying themusic forward has crossed the Atlantic to Europe.”

“... that task of carrying the music forward has

crossed the Atlantic to Europe.”

He compares this to the birthplace of jazz and concludes,“The main area of American jazz has become conservativebecause of a growing realisation there is much to conserve.But with this preoccupation with its wonderful jazz legacy hascome a failure to acknowledge the music had become so bigit had finally outgrown its country of birth and that itsstewardship is no longer an exclusive American preserve.During the last decade the hitherto unimagined possibility ofthe vanguard of jazz, its cutting edge, no longer resting in itscountry of origin but moving to Europe has become a reality.The UK is very much a part of these exciting developments asa new era of jazz history opens.”

OUT 9TH JULY

Abram WilsonRide! Ferris Wheel To TheModern Day DeltaDune DUNECD016

Arkansas-born, New Orleans-trained andcurrently London-based, Abram Wilson’smusical pedigree spans a multitude ofstyles other jazz artists have dabbled inbut none have woven together with theverve and coherence of Ride! only hissecond album and follow up to 2004’saward-winning debut Jazz Warrior.

Wilson’s dextrous trumpet solos andambitious vocal stylings – part rapping,part singing while skipping betweendifferent characters - are well to the forehere, but this is no vanity project. He’sonly ever guilty of hogging the limelightin his capacity as composer and arrangerfor his exuberant 10-piece ensemble.

Based around the story of Albert, ahungry young musician desperate toescape a life running his family’s jazz clubbusiness, Wilson’s narrative uses a widestylistic palette to evoke the different agesof music and cultural baggage of thestory’s central characters. An old-schoolragtime guitar romp accompanies Albert’sgrandfather’s voice of delta experience inLife Ain’t So Bad, while the temptation ofa heady life on the road with a moderngroup is heralded at points by a clipped,funky brass approximation of hip-hopstyle cut-and-paste textures.

Often the music takes over the storytellingcompletely as on Blow To The Head,where violent horns punch out withoutwarning. Gonna Be Alright is a wickedcocktail of saucy burlesque and Prince-style lewdness, where the instrumentationalone leaves little to the imagination!Inevitably it all goes pear-shaped,although Wilson’s cautionary tale is notquite a modern moral parable. More, it’shis acknowledgement of the priority offamily, music and heritage when weighedagainst the alluring façade and cut-throatworld of celebrity, and the fleeting rewardsof personal gain.

Although it’s not directly referenced on therecord, the effect of hurricane Katrina can’tbe ignored on an album by an ex-NewOrleans resident, and its tidemark is everpresent. Finale After The Storm musicallyties together a host of aspects of theCrescent City’s musical legacy, starting witha lamenting blues riff, taking in dixieland,funky R&B and building to a determined,positive climax.

This is a stirring, optimistic tribute and aforward-thinking, imaginative piece ofwork. JTR

“keeping jazz young and reaching out to anew audience” Jazzwise

“Truly astonishing… a definite hot ticket” TheIndependent

JAZZ reviews

Keith Nichols’ Jazz Artists &Northern Sinfonia Tribute To Paul WhitemanLake LACD245

Recorded live at a sold out concert at TheSage Gateshead in the summer of 2006,with over 20 musicians on stagededicated to re-crating the magic of PaulWhiteman, this album captures thatevening perfectly.

Paul Whiteman was dedicated tocombining the classical and jazz worldsand featured such great jazz and popularartists as Bing Crosby, Bunny Berigan,Tommy Dorsey, Jack Teagarden and, mostof all, the incomparable Bix Beiderbeck.

On this recording Andy Woon takes therole of Bix and his solos throughout are aperfect reflection of the bell-like tone andmellifluous phrasing of his idol. To hearall these musicians actually playingWhiteman’s lush complex arrangementsin a concert hall with such outstandingacoustics as The Sage is an experiencefor which no vintage recording canprepare you. There have been previoustributes to Paul Whiteman but it isgenerally believed, by those lucky enoughto have been present, that this is themost successful. You can now join thoseprivileged fans. BS

“One of the foremost authorities on classicjazz piano styles” Bill Oddie at the 2004BBC Jazz Awards.

Chris Laurence Quartet New ViewBasho SRCD182

This first recording under his own namehas been a long time coming but is wellworth the wait. Chris, now 58, has playedwith just about everybody from SarahVaughan, Joe Williams and JohnnyMathis, to John Surman, Kenny Wheelerand John Taylor, and was for yearsprincipal double bass with the Academyof St Martins in the Fields.

This glorious album, which is sometimesreminiscent of the wondrous GaryBurton, features a band to die for. Apartfrom the sonorous woody sound ofChris’s double bass you can wallow inthe almost telepathic interplay of FrankRicotti’s vibes and John Parricelli’s guitar,supported by the dynamic and sensitivedrumming of Martin France. There is alsothe not inconsiderable bonus of twotracks with vocals by the peerless NormaWinstone, still showing wannabe jazzsingers how it’s done.

This, then, is an album of great beautyand sensitivity but with a steely spinethat can only be supplied by great jazzplayers at the top of their game. BS

“A genuine delight” Jazzwise

Billy Bang Quintet Featuring Frank LoweAbove & Beyond: An EveningIn The Grand RapidsJustin Time JUST208

The life of violinist Billy Bang has beennothing short of incredible, from playingwith school friend Arlo Guthrie toradicalisation through surviving theVietnam war, then returning to pick upthe pieces of jazz shattered by greatssuch as Coltrane and Coleman.Continuing the genre’s evolution towardsthe abstract through his work with SunRa, Don Cherry and his own SurvivalEnsemble, Bang eventually became oneof the genre’s leading lights.

But, as heavy a presence as he has here,this record belongs to Frank Lowe.Released as a promise to the saxophoniston his deathbed, this album wasrecorded on an earlier tour. Amazingly,losing a lung doesn’t seem to havetempered Lowe’s famed fire even slightly.On Silent Observation, the albums 18-minute opening track, he producesunnatural tones and notes ghosted byBilly Bang’s violin before disappearinginto an ether of atmospheric string noiseand exploding again into its openingrefrain. Supported by drummer TatsyaNakatani (laying down breakbeats at onepoint), this album is an enduring legacyto a talented musician and a greatpartnership. TM

www.myspace.com/billybangartistwww.justin-time.com

Jeri BrownNew Wonderland: The Best Of Jeri BrownJustin Time JUST223

Jeri Brown’s track record is something ofwonderment. On top of being aninternationally renowned jazz vocalist andimproviser, composer, label owner andleader of her own inventive classical/Folk/Jazz collective, she has almost asmany ‘extra curricular’ achievements toher name. She’s a civil rights activist,holds degrees in Counselling, Educationand English and has set up her own non-profit artist collective organisation…

She musically puts her mark on all ofthese 13 songs, collected from 16 yearsof solo albums. Whether covers like theNat King Cole classic Orange Colored Skyor her own songs such as NewWonderland and the acid-jazz like FreshStart she displays the improvisationalstyle for which she is famed. Her voiceslips around the soft piano work, jumpingfrom sultry to histrionic, words to noisesin seconds.

A great introduction to a fantastic talentwho has received acclaim from everyonefrom Rufus Reid to the late Jimmy Rowles,who’s Old Orleans is featured here. TM

“Brown’s voice is a true marvel, seeminglyboundless in its range, resourcefulness anddaring” Washington Post

ABRAM WILSON

BILLY BANGQUINTET

KEITH NICHOLS

CHRIS LAURENCEQUARTET

JERI BROWN

Properganda 6 19

hank goodness there’re bands still out there making theworld safe for dangerous music. Fraud and Led Bib are

two London based groups who are connecting with youngaudiences who don’t like their music to come plainly labelledor in neat packages. There’s a buzz about them that’s notgone unnoticed in the mainstream press who rave abouttheir “punk-jazz” style (Time Out) that’s “deliciously uncivil”(Observer Music Monthly) and “non-conformist” (Metro).

In fact, references to punk-jazz crop up quite frequently inreviews, but given how, well, sophisticated some of theirmusic can be, does invoking the Spirit of 77 – The Clash, theSex Pistols and all that – really describe what these bands areabout? “No,” says James Allsopp, co-leader with Tim Giles ofFraud. “I feel it’s a loaded description.”

Equally, Mark Holub, the American ex-pat drummer/composer and leader of Led Bib feels much the same, “I’dhardly say that you’d listen to a Led Bib or a Fraud record andsay, ‘That sounds like the Sex Pistols.’ Nothing against the SexPistols but I surely wouldn’t say they are an influence, so theterm ‘punk’ is limiting. People are hearing one thing –because we play loud we’re not jazz, we’re ‘punk jazz’!”

Certainly there’s no shortage of energy, with Led Bib poweredby Holub’s hyper-kinetic drumming and Fraud boasting twodrummers in Tim Giles and Ben Reynolds. But there’s muchmore to their music than powerful rhythms. “Our new albumis called Fraud and on it we show the quiet parts and thosethings are just as important as the loud bits,” says JamesAllsopp.

As if to underline the point, they insist they’re also fans offilm music and the atmospheric moods they can evoke.“‘Glasses is a very quiet piece,” Allsopp says of one track ontheir new album. “We started with Tim making samples forhis electronic drum pad of wine glasses with differentamounts of water in them, and they fitted into a little scalethen I made a melody to go with that and the whole piece isjust this kind of incredibly eerie texture.”

Fraud are fascinated by evolving, shifting textures and moodsthrough which they weave sinuous and sometimes powerfulimprovisations. The track Linctus on their new album is goodexample, “It’s a piece that ended up turning into a weirdblues because I had a scale that I could make lots of strangedisconnected blues phrases from,” says Allsopp.

Equally, Led Bib’s intriguing instrumental interplay and catchybut effective melody lines, use conventional means to arriveat unconventional ends on their new album Sizewell Tea.

Check out Stinging Nettle, Spring and Chocky for a taster ofhow powerful, but diverse, their supercharged concerts canbe. “Everyone comes from a different musical background,”explains Holub. “Something I tried to do as a group was getall that to come to the fore. For me, that is what modern jazzis about, bringing together different influences under onebanner that is the band.”

It’s an ethos that is echoes by Fraud, “We’re happy to becalled jazz,” says Allsopp. “Provided it’s jazz in the tradition ofbeing something that takes elements of things that you likeand tries to make something different out of them.”

Totally different but united by a fresh excitement that isblowing through the UK jazz scene following the success ofbands like Acoustic Ladyland and Polar Bear, Fraud and LedBib are products of their time. It’s music that’s finding newyoung audiences who are not much interested in jazz butare nevertheless musically curious and want something newand fresh.

“We’re getting into some venues that are not specifically jazzvenues,” says Allsopp. “The music seems to go down wellwith people who just want to listen to some interestingmusic. The number of people who have come up after gigswho were brought by someone else and come up and say, ‘Idon’t like jazz but I really enjoyed that’ is quite amazing!”

As Mark Holub says, “A lot of people today want music that’sa bit different and we’re certainly that! It’s just the beginning.”

SN

T

fraud led bibAuthor and award winning Jazzwise regular Stuart Nicholson

gets to the heart of the new wave of jazz, but is it punk?

“A lot of people today want music that’s a bit differentand we’re certainly that! It’s just the beginning.”

andPH

OTO

: LED

BIB

- M

ATT

CRO

SSIC

K, F

RAU

D -

SU

PPLI

ED B

Y SE

B &

FIO

NA

OUT NOW

OUT

2ND

JULY

20 Properganda 6

lways one of best parts of the annual BBC Folk Awardsis the Horizon category – a sort of politically correct way

of naming a best newcomer. And its had an impressivestrike rate: Previous winners Julie Fowlis, Karine Polwart, JimMoray, Spiers & Boden and Cara Dillon were joined this yearby undoubted future star Kris Drever. As you’d expect withthis sort of lineup, other artists who made the nominees butfailed to take the prize are also quite good: This year’s multiwinner Seth Lakeman for one.

So welcome to Folk Rising. A fairly unoriginal title yes, butthe theory is that it goes beyond the four nominees for theHorizon award and showcases the best talent who meet thecriteria of being a) under 30 and b) basically of the folktradition. Balancing normal folk sensibilities it also drawsfrom all corners of these Isles, from the far South West toShetland via Ireland, Wales, Essex, Teeside and many more.Compiled by the same people that bring you the FolkAwards compilation CD each year, it’s a perfect reposte tothose who continue to think this music is a dying art.

Some names you’ll know: Tim van Eyken and Devil’s Intervalhave already adorned the front covers of magazines. Othersyou may know by association: Jackie Oates, Ella Edmondsonand Jenna for example. Teada along with duos Kipling &O’Kane and Megson are already carving out a profile, JohnSmith too in his recent support slots for John Martyn. Butknown or otherwise, across all 14 tracks this is a winningconcept that has produced a delightful and surprisingalbum. Move on up.

Your cut out & keep guide to the future runs like this:

Devils Interval Studying EconomyThe tradition gets a kick along. Nominated for this years Horizonaward, but this is the best recommendation: “Three musiciansutterly committed to singing the traditional songs of these islandswith an obvious enjoyment of the music and a pride in their ownabilities as musicians.” - Norma Waterson and Martin Carthy

Tim van Eyken Gypsy MaidOne of the better known young folk artists but one whose debutsolo Stiffs Lovers Holymen Thieves would surely have won a hatfulat this years Folk Awards if it wasn’t for Mr. Lakeman.

Shona Kipling & Damien O’Kane Fishing With CalumMulti-talented duo whose second album Box On was enough to getthem onto the Horizon nominations this year alongside the Devil’sInterval.

Megson Follow It OnStu Hanna & Debbie Palmer hail originally from Teeside – their newalbum Smoke Of Home is featured elsewhere this issue. A beautifuloriginal song.

Mawkin Banks of DeeNo Horizon nomination yet but then member David Delarre didreach the final of the Young Folk Awards. Stylish and contemporarybut they didn’t rush into making their first album Fair Essex and it’sbeen worth the wait.

Gwenan Gibbard Dod Dy LawFrom the Llyn peninsula in north-west Wales, Gwenan is at theforefront of the emerging Welsh folk scene, mixing Eisteddford classceltic harp playing with traditional tunes. Could do for Wales whatnative language singers have recently done in Scotland and Ireland.

Jackie Oates Lavender’s BlueSimple but breathtaking take on the famous song. The self titleddebut album, produced by Phil Beer was one of Mojo magazine’stop 10 folk albums of last year.

Rachel Hair Marie’s TuneAnother harp tune this time on the classic clarsach traditionalinstrument. Her album Hubcaps And Potholes is a trip through theGaelic music landscape.

Ella Emondson Breathe Gorgeous original acoustic song from the Dartmoor basedEdmondson. And with production and vocal assistance from JohnMcCusker and Kate Rusby who’s surprised?

Teada Polcai / Ta Dha Ghabhairin Bhui AgamA quintet from Ireland, Teada have already established themselvesas one of the busiest touring acts in the traditional music scene.The tunes may be traditional but the playing is contemporary.

Lauren McColl Graham’s DelightA previous Young Folk Award winner, this is stunning fiddle playing,spellbinding and starkly beautiful.

Jenna Hangin’ AroundAt only 18, Jenna has a wealth of experience includingcollaborations with Show of Hands and Seth Lakeman which resultsin a remarkably mature style & performance. One to watch…

Kerfuffle BoldYoung Folk Award finalists. Midlands based quartet of whom fellowRising artist Tim Van Eyken accurately says: “The tradition is safe intheir hands; but not too safe!”

John Smith Axe MountainAwesome performer who has already appeared alongside JohnRenbourn, John Martyn, Martin Simpson, Jools Holland and CaraDillon. His fast paced original guitar playing has enchanted them all.Even the NME loves him!

SK

A

Folk risingA timeley repost to those that think folk music is a dying art... the under 30s have their say.

Folk RisingProper PROPERFOLK04

OUT 16th July

ree Reed Records…”the little in the red record label”….has been around, off and on, for three and a half

decades. In that time, it has released records ranging fromthe specialist to the exceedingly popular, from the deeplytraditional to the radically groundbreaking, from folk’sbiggest names to the tradition’s great unknowns.

The label has heard the term ‘commercial suicide’ applied toits projects so often that it sometimes seemed like apositioning statement! Yet, boldly going ahead where otherswere reaching for the proverbial bargepole has resulted in acatalogue containing some of folk’s most significant releases,culminating in the Revival Masters series of massive box-sets,of which the head of one major company has said“redefined the benchmarks in the art of the box set.”

The Music Industry has a long history of record labels basedon the vision of one man: Ralph Peer’s work for Victor, SamPhillips at Sun, Berry Gordy and Motown. In the case of FreeReed, that man is Neil Wayne. A concertina enthusiast fromhis days at university, in 1973 he embarked on two majorcollecting projects in collaboration with Bill Leader and TopicRecords respectively: these resulted in the now-legendaryClare Concertina collections, now being released on CD forthe first time as The Clare Set, due to demand fromdevotees of traditional playing. For the increasing companyof fans of Irish traditional playing, these albums representthe root and source of the current revival.

This was another string to the bow (or should that bebutton to the concertina?) of a man who had pioneeredremarkable innovations in the sale of folk music in Britain;mail order, complete catalogue stock, regular newslettersfree of label bias or influence, independent buyer’s guidesto releases in particular genres etc.

Always one to learn from experience, Neil transformed whathe had learned through the production of that series of Clareconcertina albums to expand his record sales business andtake independent control of his own releases, launching witha whopping block release of eight albums! Yet again thedoom-sayers wheeled out the ‘commercial suicide’ cliché.

In the three years that Free Reed were producing vinyl albums,the label included releases by established names (Bellamy,Kirkpatrick, The Dransfields) and those new performers that itfelt were important (The Old Swan Band, Tony Hall and folk

poet Les Barker were among those who made their vinyl debuton the label.) It reflected what was happening on the live musicwith releases by the likes of Flowers and Frolics, the wonderfulMichael Hebbert, and Tufty Swift. It captured (genuinely ‘beforeit was too late’) great names of historic concertina-playing andtraditional song like Tommy Williams, Micho Russell andGordon Cutty.

The vinyl catalogue of Free Reed provides a totally representativecross-section of the best of what was happening on the Englishfolk music scene in the late seventies. Those hugely prized andimportant albums, now reissued in extended and enhanceddigitally-remastered versions on CD, would be sufficient laurelson which to rest. But new technologies bring new challengesand Free Reed was the first label to see that the box set formatwas just as suited to folk music as it was to other morecommercial genres.

Enter Nigel Schofield, ex-Head of Music and folk presenterat Pennine Radio in Bradford. Responding to Nigel’s offer ofsome unreleased Peter Bellamy recordings, Neil made aninstant decision to invite him to collaborate on futureprojects. This led to the breath-taking series of critically-acclaimed and award winning box sets, tracing the careersof artists like Martin Carthy, Richard Thompson, FairportConvention and Dave Swarbrick. This June’s release of theSteve Tilston Box-set carries on the great work.

Free Reed has always believed in quality overcommercialism and talent over fame. Many of the label’sreleases would never have seen the light of day with othercompanies, yet even some of the companies who refusedthem were glad that someone had had the courage of theirconvictions and put out albums whose importance wentbeyond money-making.

To borrow a phrase from John F Kennedy: Free Reed did notlook at an ambitious project or an unknown performer andsay “Why?”; it looked at a challenge and said “Why not?” NS

Properganda 6 21

F

FREE REED: “I think it looks like Wayne”

free reed records“I think it looks like Wayne” Neil Wayne that is, the man with a mission.

Nigel Schofield explores 30 years of Free Reed.

Free Reed has always believed in qualityover commercialism and talent over fame.

Pablo Ziegler- Quique Sinesiwith Walter CastroBuenos Aires ReportSaphrane S62601

After the death of the Astor Piazzola 15years ago Pablo Zeigler has taken hisposition as the rightful successor to the“El Gran Ástor” and the leading exponentof Nuevo Tango.

The album starts with Buenos AiresReport, which lurches into sudden,angular action, lead by Ziegler’s famedcold and metallic piano work. Soundinglike a tango written for a chase scene ina shocking art house movie, this is notthe sort of music you take dance lessonsin a community hall for. Midway throughQuique Sinesi emerges from thebackground and tears into his guitar likean unleashed demon, showing exactlywhy he gets equal billing on thisrecording. Pájaro Ángel is a more soberand sensitive affair, instruments dancegiving each other space.

So the stage is set for rest of the album,which jumps between beautiful andmenacing. Ending on a gorgeous Piazzolatune Libertango, paying tribute to theirspiritual father, the trio finish as stronglyas they started on this alternately sublimeand sinister album. TM

“These guys know how to fan the flames.The heat they generated was intense. Andwhat they created was pure delight.” NY Jazz Report

Transglobal Underground Moonshout Mule Satellite MUL04

17 years and 7 albums into their careerand TGU, the original global dancefloorfusionists, are as fresh and sweaty as ever.If their ethno-techno mix doesn’t sound asoriginal as it did back in the early 90s,that’s only because they’ve spawned awhole army of imitators.

Recorded in London, Paris, Sofia, Prague,Budapest and Lisbon, it features the core ofTim Whelan (guitar/keyboards), drummerHamid Mantu, vocalist TUUP, SheemaMukhergee (sitar/bass), plus percussionistsGurjit Sirha and Ravinder Neiyyar. Togetherthey create a kaleidoscope effect as theirsound moves through dirty Londondancehall to blissed-out Bombay beats, viaBalkan melodies and South African funk.

Original Transglobal vocalist Natacha Atlasreturns to lend her distinctive MiddleEastern wail to Awal, the criminallyunderrated Doreen Thobekile adds Zulusoul to Cape Thunder and the beautifulSpice Garden features traditional Bulgariansinger Yanka Rupkina, whilst a trio ofclosing tracks marry mutant rock ‘n’ roll/BoDiddley beats to the sounds of Bollywoodand beyond. Who else would try such anaudacious mix and make it work so well?

JR

“... finds them on inventive form.” ���� The Guardian

Bole 2 Harlem Volume 1 World Connection WC43063

Bole is the entry point to Ethiopia,Harlem the entry point for contemporaryAfrican culture in the US and this funkynew project aims to build a musicalbridge between the two. Maki Siraj(vocals) and multi-instrumentalist David“Ashagre” Schommer, have fashioned amany layered sound with beats, vocalchants, raps, percussion and imaginativeinstrumentation weaving around eachother.

Traditional Ethiopian melodies andrhythms are a jumping off point for asound they call ‘World Flow’, taking inhip-hop, reggae, jazz, Latin American andAfrican flavours. One minute they’reexploring the connection between themusics of East Africa and Brazil and thenext there’s a Senegalese kora harp andtama drums rippling across the familiarshoulder-shaking Ethiopian grooves andsweet, soulful vocals.

However esoteric the sound gets, there’sa hard rhythmic pulse at the heart ofeach track. Rest assured, there’s neverany danger of vapid New Age-inessspoiling this dance-floor friendly,boundary-busting gem! JR

“The exuberant title track is a slyly confidentmasterpiece— Bole 2 Harlem… put a tight,funky new uptown spin on Ethiopianmodalities.” Sing Out!

Quadro NuevoTango Bitter SweetJustin Time JTR8530

“Our songs- are they sad or bright?Sometimes they’re both… Sometimesthey conform to the mood of themoment”And so Quadro Nuevo sum uptheir bittersweet sound. Clearly informedby Piazzola and the wave of Nuevo Tangothat came in his wake, they take a moretraditional approach, they promote tangoas an international and timeless music.Although the core line up is sax/clarinet,accordion, guitar and stand up bass,having an arsenal of instruments, fromVibrandoneons to bass clarinets addsgreat colour.

Guitars bubble happily in a minor key,maintaining that tinge of sadness in theirexuberance; pianos flit between soft andmenacing; accordions lurch and slide..One of the standout tracks amongstthese originals, covers, rearrangementsand reinterpretations is Gloomy Sunday,which adds an atmosphere of menace tothis already beautifully tragic song. Notfor nothing is this also known as TheHungarian Suicide song. As they pointout- the tango is a sad thought that canbe danced away. TM

“Quadro Nuevo plays with the intensity andfullness of a group twice its size.”jazzreview.com

WORLD reviews

Chingon Mexican Spaghetti WesternContinental Song City CSCCD1043

Best known as the maverick director ofaction films Desperado, From Dusk ‘TilDawn & Once Upon A Time In Mexico,Robert Rodriguez is also a talentedcomposer, scoring the soundtracks to hisown films as well as those of others’,including Quentin Tarantino.

Even lesser known is his talent as aguitarist and songwriter, but that’s all setto change with this, the first album fromhis storming mariachi/rock bandChingon, a group with all the sweep anddrama of an Ennio Morricone scoremixed with the power and punch of astadium encore.Featuring mostly originalfilm compositions, re-worked for anelectric line-up, and with guestappearances from Austin legends DelCastillo and actress Salma Hayek, this isan album that truly merits the term‘widescreen’.

An artist with a wild imagination and apassion for cultural cross-fertilization,Rodriguez employs dynamic vocals,astonishing flamenco/rock guitar fretworkand an over-the-top grandeur to conjureup the Mexican landscape and broad-reaching appeal of his film world. JTR

www.chingonmusic.com

A Moving SoundSongs Beyond WordsA Moving Sound AMS2CD

Shen Don, or A Moving Sound is aTaiwanese-based musical collective andperformance company who specialise ina fusion of Chinese and Taiwanese musicplayed on both traditional and westerninstruments. Lead by singer/dancer/poetMia Hsieh and multi-instrumentalist/songwriter/producer Scott Prairie, theyshow why they should be considered acompany rather than a band. Like a scoreto a play, Market Song explodes withfrenetic action, creating a sonic picturethat encapsulates the hustle and bustleof an Asian market place. Halfway thoughthere is even an argument betweensinger and chorus, highlighting theirtheatrical influence.

Western influences run throughout, withacoustic guitars playing an unmistakablyblues rock riff on Interplanetary Heart.Classical Indian drones underpin Ganesh,widening the influences into a seamlesswhole. Ku-Chin is sublime, sounding likea Taiwanese Arab Strap, with Mia singingan ancient poem over a minimalistbacking that promises to draw a shiverfrom even the most reluctant of spines.In short, this is an outstanding albumthat delivers interesting, inventive andexciting world music. TM

“One of the most original outfits working inworld music today”Tom Pryor, NationalGeographic.com

PABLO ZIEGLERQUIQUE SINESI

WITH WALTER CASTRO

TRANSGLOBALUNDERGROUND

QUADRO NUEVO

CHINGONOUT 2ND JULT

BOLE 2 HARLEMOUT 18TH JUNE

A MOVING SOUND

t was a hell of an experience. It was tough. I had sleeplessnights and everything…” Jez Lowe isn’t the sort ofcharacter who you’d imagine having sleepless nights

about ANYTHING, but it’s strange what music cando…especially when you let someone else get their handson your songs.

In what now astonishingly clocks in at a 27-year careerinvolving 14 albums, the affable Jez Lowe found that evenhis famously laid-back feathers were ruffled during therecording of his new album Jack Common’s Anthem at PhilBeer’s Riverside Studio in Exeter. Jez had met Steve Knightleyof Show Of Hands at the previous year’s BBC Folk Awardsand, long into the night when both parties were feeling nopain, Jez asked Steve to produce his next album. When theirpaths crossed again at Canada’s Edmonton Folk Festival laterthey sealed the deal.

Knightley insisted on complete control in the studio and Jez,who’d always produced his own records, found himselfsuddenly protective of his new material. “I suppose it’s a bitlike Bob Dylan letting Daniel Lanois produce his album andput his own sound on it,” says Jez, laughing as he realiseshow pompous that must sound. “Steve and I never fell out,though we did have a few head to heads. He’d say ‘do it in adifferent key, change the tempo, drop the chorus’ and thingslike that and I did find that difficult. But he really got into thesongs, which is a great compliment coming from anothersongwriter… Steve did a great job and I love the album. Ithink it harks back to my older style but with the Show ofHands touch so it’s got that sparkle to it. It’s like the NorthEast meets the South West!”

The son of a Durham miner from Easington – a communitydevastated by the local pit closure in 1993 – Jez hasconsistently written material inspired by his beloved NorthEast. On Jack Common’s Anthem he’s done it again. Adrinking companion of George Orwell, Jack Common was aspectacularly unsuccessful left wing writer, polemicist andcult hero from Newcastle, who died in 1968. Lowe loves hiswriting and decided such a champion of the North Eastdeserved his own song. Once he’d written Jack’s anthem therest of the album fell into place.

“My songs are all about the communities,” says Jez, “that’sthe key to my songwriting. I don’t write political material inthe way people like Robb Johnson, Leon Rosselson and BillyBragg do, but my songs are about the communities whomostly come from a working class Labour background.”

The new album also includes three songs Jezwrote for the updated Radio Ballads – the 2006version of the legendary Ewan MacColl/PeggySeeger BBC series from the 1950s/60s, whichhad such a profound impact on the early UK folkrevival. Two songs – Taking On Men and BlackTrade address the shipbuilding industry. Thethird, The Miami – which featured in the showabout the troubles in Northern Ireland – is themost painful, recalling the harrowing tragedy ofthe Miami Showband, caught up in a terroristattack in 1973.

Add in an outlaw ballad (Will Of The People), a tribute to poetSeamus Heaney (Heaney’s Finger) and a call for social unity(A Few Frontiers) and you have a deeply impressive album.

Lowe’s songs are shrouded in such irresistible melodies thatthey are prime fodder for cover versions – Taking On Menhas already been recorded by Bob Fox – but not all coversare as satisfying, however. Jez has particularly uncomfortablememories of one of his more left wing songs Old Bonesbeing radically adapted by an American singer, who changedthe lyrics to turn it into a breast-beating pro-George Bushrallying call. “The only lyric he didn’t change was the chorus.He gave me a CDR of it when I played in North Carolina andI didn’t listen to it until I got home. I called him straight awayand managed to stop him in time. He was really upset that Ididn’t want him to release it!

“Half the time people do my songs without even knowing Iwrote them. Once I was in the audience and a guy got upand announced he’d do a song written by FairportConvention and he sang one of my songs. He didn’t believeme when I said I wrote it! The Dubliners have also covered acouple of my songs so they’ve passed into the Irishtradition…”

Jack Common’s Anthem is billed as a soloalbum, though it does feature his regular bandThe Bad Pennies, albeit in a more back seat rolethan usual. They’re a young band, with KateBramley on violin/vocals, Andy May on piano/tinwhistle and David de la Haye on bass – “someof my songs are older than David,” says Jez wryly– and he’s immensely proud of them. “They’re agreat band and playing live is really what I enjoymost,” he says. “Making albums can be a bit of achore but this was something different and I’mvery proud of it. But I think the next one may bea live album…”

CI

“I

Properganda 6 23

PHO

TO: M

ARTI

N W

OO

DH

EAD

Jez LoweJez Lowe talks us through the writing and recording process, Colin Irwin makes notes.

“I suppose it’s a bit like Bob Dylan letting Daniel Lanois producehis album and put his own sound on it,” says Jez, laughing”

Jack Common’s Anthem

Tantobie TTRCD109

OUT NOW

BLUES reviews

With a career spanning 35 years, one only needs to look atthe elements of her output to realise not only JoanArmatrading’s influence but also how relevant she remainstoday. From prolific song writing, astoundingly accomplishedfrom the get-go and cemented on her self titledbreakthrough, to paving the way for countlesssinger/songwriters such as Tracy Chapman and TasminArcher, it is clear she is loved and respected by many. Youdon’t just sell out the Royal Albert Hall without at least a fewfans, after all.

By her own admittance, Into The Blues is an album she hasbeen waiting a long time to write and also ranks among herbest work. On the surface, certainly, this is a blues album.Guitars wail, harmonicas screech and there are blue notes-a-plenty. But this is a Joan Armatrading blues album - written,performed (save the drums), recorded and produced alone.She clearly has no interest in perfect and methodicalrecreations of bygone sounds: she’s just interested in writingblues songs as she writes them.

This isn’t to suggest that it’s just another Joan Armatradingalbum with a few blues licks slapped on top, it’s more themood that she’s after. So opener Woman In Love, Play TheBlues and Into The Blues, though sultry, are more odes to theblues than blues songs themselves. It’s only when she gets toLiza that she jumps to full on blues mode. “I see you lookin’ atme,” she snarls with an arrogance that could put Muddy Watersto shame, before a heavily tremolo-ed guitar drops in over asolid 12-bar backbeat. Halfway through she completely jumpsrhythm to a half speed stomp, before jumping back again.

On a song like There Aint A Girl Alive Joan certainlydemonstrates undeniable blues chops - burning a holethrough its fiery rock ‘n’ roll sound with equally furious licks.Having said that, she constantly manages a powerful level ofrestraint and has a good understanding of the fact that justbecause you CAN find space to squeeze in a few morebends and hammer-ons, it doesn’t mean you HAVE to.

Sometimes silence in between notes can be as important asthe notes themselves: a lesson that is sorely lost on theworld of modern blues-rock. The best example of this wouldbe the closing track Something’s Gotta Blow. The chorusboldly just contains two guitars and one sustained keyboardchord, allowing her voice to carry the passion she builds upto from the sparse verses, mostly just Joan singing over adrum beat with occasional, haunting keyboard work. For asong that is far and away the longest on the album, itdoesn’t drag at all, as it might in the hands of a less skilledsongwriter. This is testament to her beautiful voice and itspowerful subject, the weariness of modern existence. “Theup escalator broken down/The clothes on my back/Look likethey were taken out of the laundry basket” she sings. Truly amodern blues classic, but done Joan’s way.

TD

“Whether she’s singing with the imperiousgrowl of Muddy Waters or playing theguitar squalls of Buddy Guy, she soundsimpressively close to the source.” The Word

Otis Grand Hipster BluesBliss Street BSRCD02

“I wonder how many teardrops are going tofall tonight…” is just about as good a startto a blues record as you can get. Torn fromthe larynx of Reuben Richards and given asound going over by the massed Oh GeeHorns, while further heartache is meted outthrough Grand’s spiky lead lines that have alittle of the BB about them, it sets the partyin motion.

The Hipsters here populate a mythicalswinging blues and jazz club where suitsare sharp, hips are hugged and rugs are cutas the DJ lays a set of stone wall killers oneafter another. Naturally they’re all importsand some of the seven-inch discs are wortha week’s wages. The neon outside buzzes,but not as much as the crowd, as the sweatand smoke fogs the scene.

Grand’s vision is just that, grand. The retrostyling is conscious but not contrived andthis is as fine a set of party blues as youcould wish for. From the opener Three TimeLoser, through Freddy King’s Overdrive tothe epic, minor breakdown Satan’s Blues,with it’s Jimmy Page-like runs, the guitarplaying is superb, the Hammond groovesand the band is cooking with gas. SH

“Otis Grand is back on the scene and firingon all thrusters, with his most diverse CD inyears.” Blues & Rhythm

Chris Whitley & Jeff LangDislocation BluesRounder ROUCD2191

Upon their first meeting in 1993 Australianslide Virtuoso Jeff Lang and Chris Whitley,once described ‘as much Sonic Youth asRobert Johnson’, decided to record together.It took well over a decade and a specificallyplanned tour of Australia for the collaborationto happen, but it was certainly worth thewait. Tragically, this would prove to be ChrisWhitley’s final recording, cutting short anunder-appreciated career.

The result is the aptly titled DislocationBlues. Recorded mid tour in a country so faraway from the birthplace of blues butlending itself so well to it, its yet anotherexample of how nationless this music canbe. The slow burning opening take on theclassic Stagger Lee floats like thick barsmoke, setting the mood for the rest of thealbum. The inclusion of loops gives someindication of their mindset towards theblues - they are not out to preserve anytradition, nor give it a ‘modern’ make over.They’re just a couple of old ‘road dogs’playing together with whatever comes tohand- electric, acoustic, covers, originals.None of that seems to matter, aside fromthe blues itself. TM

“his eerie, bluesy voice and American gothictunes frequently draw attention from the factthat he picks like a pissed off Doc Watsonjacked through a Marshall stack” Rolling Stone

Hans TheessinkSlow TrainBlue Groove BG1620

Like many others of his generation, HansTheessink was entranced with the bluesin the early 60s - a revelation that wouldchange his life. Through his 20-plusalbums he has preserved this earnestlove affair, something that is mostapparent on Slow Train.

The location, a vineyard in Styria, wasselected for it’s natural reverberation anda studio was painstakingly built fromscratch around its eerie presence. It is anidea that has certainly paid off. The titletrack opens the album and couldn’t bemore aptly named, moving beautifully atits own pace.

Katrina fuses his own original composition,mourning his spiritual home with Lil’ LizaJane. Fusing roots and gospel with abiting political commentary on subjectsranging from the current war on terror toMugabe’s regime, showing that he isunafraid to use his music for more thanjust entertainment. Beautifully embellishedby backing singers throughout, this is asober and powerful album. TM

“Hans Theessink is the most creative musicianworking in the blues idiom in Europe” Blues & Rhythm

Joan ArmatradingInto The Blues

Hypertension HYP7255

OUT NOW

Joan Armatrading. An album she’s been waiting to make for some years. The time is right.

joan armatrading

OTIS GRAND

HANS THEESSINK

CHRIS WHITLEY

& JEFF LANG

PHO

TO: J

UD

Y TO

TTEN

hatever Nick Lowe does, his placein the rock ‘n’ roll pantheon is

assured. He has the kind of history thatreads like an alternative Rock Dreamsand has enough been-there-done-that-T-shirts to fill a veritable wardrobe ofachievement. These days, he’s well intohis sixth decade and in keeping with hissilver haired, senior status delights in thesobriquet of ‘the headmaster of rock’. So,when a new album comes along wequite rightly join the class and suggestyou pay attention at the back.

First on our timetable is a little history.As the 60s evaporated into the 70s androck got serious, Nick started to display awilful streak as bassist and vocalist ofBrinsley Schwarz. If they never quite hitthe heights imagined by their somewhatover ambitious manager (more of himlater), their middle ground between TheBeatles and The Band set a template forpub rock. Nick also penned theanthemic What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace,Love And Understanding? for theBrinsleys, which although it failed tochart at the time, has repaid the authorhandsomely since and is arguably pubrock’s most enduring legacy.

It was the Brinsley’s implosion thatunleashed the alter-ego ‘Basher’ as afounding figure, artist in residence (thefirst 45) and in-house producer at DaveRobinson’s (that manager again) StiffRecords. The nickname stuck after heclaimed his production techniqueconsisted of “bashing it down and tartingit up later.” Such technique saw him atthe birth of UK punk rock with theDamned and integral to new wave withthe likes of Elvis Costello (the first fivealbums) and The Pretenders. Artisticallyhe also flourished, working in a semi-official-on-off partnership with DaveEdmonds. He even cracked the UK Top10 with The Sound Of Breaking Glass.

As the eighties kicked in and theproduction work flowed, Nick’s status hadrisen on both sides of the Atlantic andThe Band finally overcame The Beatles ashe started to work with the likes of RyCooder and John Hiatt. He even marriedinto the first family of country whenCarlene Carter (Johnny Cash’sstepdaughter and daughter of June) said“Yes.” His family integration even survivedthe inevitable divorce and he famouslycontributed The Beast In Me for JohnnyCash, who described it as the essence of

his lauded American recordings.

So, having not released an album forsome six years makes At My Age eagerlyanticipated. And it was worth waiting for.Building and improving on the sound of2001’s The Convincer, horns and organpermeate its 12 tracks and he hasretained the services of his steady bandincluding drummer Bobby Irwin,keyboardist Geraint Watkins, andguitarist Steve Donnelly. Also along forthe ride are old friends Chrissie Hyndeand Bill Kirchen (of Commander Cody…fame).

Much like those American recordings,this is a thing of melancholic beauty anddeceptive languor. A Better Man,resplendent with atmospheric organ,lilting piano and horns sounds like anunreleased find by his former father-in-law. The brass spills over onto the nexttrack Long Limbed Girl, a more upbeatnumber that has something of theMemphis Horns to it. I Trained Her ToLove Me is anironic and bitteraffair, Lowe clearlytrying to excisesome demons. He plays the role of anunrepentant misogynist and is perhapsone of his most revealing songs. Itdisplays an amount of self-disgust thatfew songwriters dare approach for the‘break up song’, tending to head towardsthe ‘you broke my heart’ end of thingsinstead. According to Lowe this song isabout being “a complete twat,” adding,“Who I frankly have been in the past, ashave other men”.

Whether up or down beat, the end ofrelationships is the reoccurring theme onthis album - The Club conjuring upimages of a group of miserable, brokenhearted men, rather than an overpriceddrinking and dancing establishment.

People Change, backed with Hynde’scheery vocals is a more hopeful andaccepting take on the subject. Hope ForUs All sees Nick going all Al Green on us,complete with soft, breaking vocal trills,again beautifully embellished by thehorns in full soul mode. Love’s Got ALot To Answer For could be a follow upto The Beast In Me as sorrow, self-pityand self-hatred over a hundred won andlost arguments are invoked. On albumfinale, Faron Young’s Feel Again, Lowedips into big band swing territory, or ashe describes it “a bit like a Dean Martincountry record” on this sweet love song.

Though this album is short, almost allsongs clocking in at under the three-minute mark, it proves that Lowe haslost none of his self-deprecation, wit orear for a beautiful melody. Neither hashe lost his feel for writing “pure pop fornow people”, it’s just that the ‘now’people are a little older.

SH

W

Properganda 6 25

PHO

TO: D

AN B

URN

-FO

RTI

A Better Man, resplendent with atmospheric organ, lilting piano andhorns sounds like an unreleased find by his former father-in-law

nick loweAnother of the 50-something generation still at the top of their craft.

Properganda catches the senior service

At My AgeProper PRPCD030

OUT NOW

Lizanne Knott is one of an increasing number of singer-songwriters that deserve to be household names. A long-standing member of the open mic scene in Philadelphia,Lizanne has been captivating audiences throughout theNortheast and increasingly, coming to the attention ofradio listeners across the globe. Well-known locally for herserene vocals and lyrical juxtapositions, her apparent depthand transcending warmth make for an inviting mix ofmusic, which moves easily from dark poetic ballads tosoulful jazz and folk-driven rock. Under The Burning Sky isawash with quality songs.

The depth of the album is its main strength, as Lizanne’ssong writing takes in many influences. At times it’s uplifting,at others her songs could be the soundtrack for heartbreak.Whether it’s the plaintive title track, the Patty Griffin-esqueShadow In This Town or the western swing of Crazy People,on which Lizanne comes across like Sheryl Crow. ElsewhereA Thousand Words is a pulsating groove with DanielLanois-style slide guitar flourishes and a guest vocalperformance by Lizanne’s touring partner Antje Duvekot.This Always Will Be is a gorgeous duet with Phil Roy(whose vocals bring to mind Dr John) and features adelightfully chilled saxophone solo courtesy of SteveMarcus (Buddy Rich Big Band).

Her take on Paul Simon’s Punky’s Dilemma is faithful andshe’s seems to have fun singing Simon’s lyrics aboutcornflakes and English muffins! Lizanne is also brave

enough to embrace hip-hop with the addition of Kuf Knotzon Seven Stars.

There are so many great moments across the album, buteverything great about Lizanne Knott’s music is encapsulatedin the stunning Angels. On this cut Lizanne’s vocals areexquisite, echoing Rosie Thomas at her most melancholic,yet with an overriding sense of hope when she delivers, “ Idon’t know why we get so angry and say the things we say,or if it’s my own demons that make me walk away, or whydrinking seems so easy yet compassion comes so hard, whywe don’t feel good enough until it’s gone too far, but I knowthat tears like a rainstorm eventually run dry, I know if thereare angels they forgive us”.

With each repeated play, the melodies resonate that muchlouder, the hooks nestle within the brain that much deeperand Lizanne’s insightful, passionate and emotional lyricsconnect that much stronger. As self-confessed fan andcelebrated Radio 2 broadcaster Bob Harris has said, “[This is] absolutely gorgeous music. We’ve rarely had as biga reaction to any artist in recent years that we’ve had forLizanne Knott!” and he is rarely wrong about these things,as his many listeners will testify.

MG

“Absolutely gorgeous music.” Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2Lizanne Knott

Under The Burning Sky

LKR LK58174

OUT NOW

Championed by Bob Harris, “We’ve rarely had as big a reaction to any artist in recent years…”

Lizanne knott

26 Properganda 6

PHO

TO: T

AKEN

FRO

M W

EBSI

TE

jamesHUNTER

as seen on Later With Jools

SEE JAMES HUNTER LIVEJuly 27th Woburn Abbey with Van MorrisonJuly 28th Maryport Blues FestivalJuly 29th Cambridge Folk FestivalAugust 2nd London – Jazz Cafe

Grammy-Nominated People Gonna Talk (ROUCD2187) ALBUM OUT NOW…

“James is one of the best voices, and best kept secrets inBritish R&B and Soul. Check him out.” VAN MORRISON

“It’s the album that many R&B legends never get round tomaking…” MOJO, (#8 Albums Of Year)

“Hunter sounds cool, heartfelt and sexy as Sam Cooke.” THE TELEGRAPH

“It’s a classy, confident and strangely timeless sounding set.”THE GUARDIAN

“Split between hip shakers and the slow and soulful ...LikeRichard Hawley, he somehow channels a lost era of Americanmusic into the here and now.” Q ����

“Remarkably convincing…” UNCUT

“Word is beginning to spread far and wide that the silky-tongued James Hunter is the real deal”. THE SUN

“One of the most congenial records of the year…” WORD

“Timeless yet fresh” ROLLING STONE

“Hunter has taken his influences and crafted something newand devilishly attractive. The sound throughout is fresh and hasa real bite” BLUES & SOUL

“The British blues and soul singer now emerged as a USmegastar in the making… it could make him a star over hereas well.” THE TIMES

“English singer with the slithery soul groove of AmericanRhythm and Blues” NEW YORK TIMES

“A collection of classic and classy singles…People Gonna Talk?Most likely they are spreading the word about how great thisset is…” 10/10 BLUES IN BRITAIN

“This album is a masterpiece of subtlety, taste andunderstatement…a true gem” BLUES MATTERS

“James Hunter is one of those all too rare jewels that moulds,crafts and interprets the true feeling of the songs…” ����

MAVERICK

“Smooth and sublime, Hunter is the soul singer parexcellence…” Top 5 Records Of The Year, MANCHESTEREVENING NEWS

“One of the best blue-eyed soul singers to emerge in the late20th century…” AMG

“A sizzling take on blue-eyed soul” BOSTON GLOBE

“This guy can flat-out sing… back to when vintage soul singerstestified and tantalized” BOSTON GLOBE

www.jameshuntermusic.comwww.roundereurope.com

lack Hen Music was founded by Steve Dawson inVancouver in 96, and is dedicated to producing

and promoting the best in roots, folk and jazz thatCanada has to offer. To date the label has releasedover 25 albums and continues to release CDs that areacoustic by nature but are also unique, original andnot afraid to be sonically adventurous. Accolades forthe label include a whole host of nominations andawards in Canada and although such things may lose alittle in translation over here, there are enough signpoststo alert you to good things to come. The proof as alwaysis in the listening and here are a few recommendationsto get you started.

Steve DawsonWe Belong To The Gold Coast BHMCD917Dawson has evolved into a musicalchameleon, whether solo or appearing in otherguises as musical partner or hired hand. He’ssomewhere on all of these records except CaraLuft’s – well it is his label! On his own WeBelong To The Gold Coast we catch glimpses of

acoustic blues, early Hawaiian jazz and pop music, mixedwith modern sounds and textures. The moods slip andslide with ease and maintains a consistent quality with hisexemplary slide playing as a particular highlight.

John Wort HannamTwo Bit Suit BHMCD957 Hailing from Fort Macleod, Alberta, John WortHannam is know for his blue collar roots music:songs that champion the way things used to be,small towns, the working class and the sanctity ofthe land and those who work it. Here his richvoice is offset by a tight band featuring Dawson

again, adding great guitar lines to these tales of hardship,thrift-store living and smiles in the face of adversity.

Linda McRaeCarve It To The Heart BHMCD952 She first came to our attention as bassist,accordionist and vocalist of Celtic roots rockersSpirits Of The West, with whom she toured andrecorded until 97. But this is Linda’s sophomoreBlack Hen release, and showcases the moreintimate, acoustic sound which she continues to

develop through collaboration with other songwriters.There’s a classic old-timey porch song feel with hints ofmyth, mists and gothic fatefulness lurking in the detail.

Jenny WhiteleyDear BHMCD940 The eagerly awaited second album updates hernatural folk/roots style and instrumentation withcontemporary production. Jenny’s clear andclassic voice takes centre stage in this beautifulrepertoire of strong songs that have hints ofLucinda Williams and Emmylou Harris, alternating

with curios like Banjo Girl and the wry duet with labelmate Jim Byrnes, Other Side Of Life.

Jim ByrnesHouse Of Refuge BHMCD932 Growing up on the north of St. Louis, Byrnes wassurrounded by the likes of Chuck Berry, JohnnyJohnson and Ike and Tina Turner. Over the yearshe has had the good fortune to appear with avirtual ‘who’s who’ of blues history, from FurryLewis and Henry Townsend to Muddy Waters,

John Lee Hooker and so many others. House Of Refugewas recorded live in the studio and fuses gravelly blueswith apocalyptic and redemptive gospel, jazz, swampycountry, bluegrass and folk while the ghosts of theancestors look on.

Cara LuftThe Light Fantastic BHMCD954 A possible star of this first batch, Cara co-founded The Wailin’ Jennys, touring andrecording two albums including the Juno-Awardwinning 40 Days. A very talented guitarist andvocalist, Cara’s music is given sympatheticproduction by Neil Osborne. From the opening

salvo of There’s A Train with its frenzied finale through thevery English folk-rock of Lord Roslyn’s Daughter, Cara findsstrong themes and delivers one powerful performance afteranother. Fans of the aforementioned Jennys will not bedisappointed.

SH

B

28 Properganda 6

black hen musicMulti award winning roots label from Canada joins the Rounder fold.

ALL CDS OUT2ND JULY

REVIEW ROUNDUP reviews

Colin HayAre You Lookin’ At Me?Compass COM44532

From his teenage emigration fromScotland to Australia, fronting 80s popstars Men At Work at the dawn of the MTVage, through to his 90s re-emergence as acharismatic solo performer, Colin Hay haslong been a gifted storyteller with aremarkable story to tell. On this, his ninthalbum, Hay relaxes into his cult-statusrole as a good-humoured, avuncularsinger/songwriter, weaving hisconversational vocal style around lean,bobbing musical arrangements.

With a strong emphasis on maturity andthe passage of time, Are You Lookin’ AtMe? deals with themes of love, death andsobriety in songs that manage to coverweighty subjects in a wry, observational,uplifting way that prevents the albumfrom plunging into melancholy.

Building a brand new, younger audienceas a result of his appearances on Americansitcom Scrubs as well as the acclaimedmovie Garden State, Hay’s profile looks setfor another un-expected shift and true toform, he’ll probably take it in his stride andfind a way of working the change of paceinto his next album. JTR

“Hay’s singularly soulful voice... intoxicatingstuff.” Mojo

The HeptonesSweet TalkingHeartbeat HBCD7828

Of all of the groups that passed throughCoxone’s Studio 1 the Heptones werearguably the finest - although this wouldnecessarily exclude the Wailers) Theycertainly held star status in Jamaica andtheir sweet harmonies survived thetransition from the rock-steady erathrough to the more socially conscious,70’s, roots boom.

The trio came together over a typicallyJamaican street corner sing off challenge:Earl Morgan and Barry Llewelyn were inone band and Leroy Sibbles another.Morgan and Llewelyn prevailed, but wereimpressed by Sibbles lead vocals and thetrio bonded over a shared love ofAmerican groups like the Drifters,Impressions and Platters, whose tightharmony singing became their template.

This superb compilation concentrates onthe years 68-71, when the trio were clearlyat the top of their game. Throwing in rareand unreleased versions and extendedplays, the 17 tracks showcase the sweetvocals, with typically excellent backingfrom the Skatalites and other assortedStudio 1 hired hands. The summer is here(allegedly) and this is one of the reggaereleases of the year. Top Rankin’! JTR

“[The Heptones] cut some of the label’sdefining hits…” Mojo

VariousIn Her Own Words Angelic Music ANGCD003

What started as a competition to highlightup-and-coming female singer/songwritershas ended as something of a phenomenon,with national press coverage including TheMetro and a double page feature in TheGuardian. Launched by Janis Haves, ownerof the Angelic label, the ‘In Her OwnWords’ project was one of many steps tofoster up-and-coming female talent.

Competition winner Rosie Oddie is theone getting all the press, being as she’sthe daughter of TV comedian/ornithologist Bill, and is being touted as‘The Next Lilly Allen’. This is a little unfairas her influences seem to be moreleftfield and wider reaching, rather thanjust into the Trojan back catalogue, asGenni’s Song goes to show.

Elsewhere on the album, familiar namessuch as Janis Ian, Never The Bride andKatie Melua sit along side competitionwinners Abbie Lathe and Maggie pierceand E.J. as well as Liz Simcock whosebeautiful The Sand That Makes The Pearlis a personal highlight on the album. Thisis a wonderful overview and introductionto so many singer-songwriters and also toAngelic Music. TD

www.angelicmusic.co.uk

Gilbert O’Sullivan has had a career spanning some 40years that is packed with surprises. You may know himfor his lilting piano ballads and wry tales, for the pastelknits all emblazoned with a big G and for any one of anumber of huge hits. The older amongst you may evenremember the flat cap and shorts version. With his firstCD of new material for some years finally set for UKrelease, it’s worth a recap.

Born in Waterford, Ireland raised in England, O’Sullivansigned to CBS Records in 1967 but found successelusive, although he gained an unlikely champion inJohn Peel, which almost led to a breakthrough with asong called Mr. Moody’s Garden.

It was with Tom Jones’ manager Gordon Mills’ MAMrecords that the dominoes of success tumbled, as hefinally reached the top ten in 1970 with NothingRhymed. The following 10 years yielded fifteen hitsingles and five top ten albums. Of all these it wasAlone Again (Naturally) that struck the greatest chord,spending six weeks at no. 1 in the US. SomeProperganda readers may know the song as a staple ofMichael Weston King’s set and recent CD. The follow upClair was only kept off no.1 by Carly Simon’s You’re SoVain. So far, so pop star, but then…

The 80’s and to some extent the early 90’s brought moretime in the courts than it did the recording studio, asO’Sullivan, albeit reluctantly, brought action first againsthis manager and former record label and then in theStates, rapper Biz Markie, who had sampled him without

his permission. Both cases were found in the singer’sfavour and set legal precedents for the record business.

Since then, O’Sullivan has kept his own counsel. He hascontinued to make music, releasing a series of albumson his own terms, while touring regularly. He’s alsobeen adopted by Japan where in the mid 90s hit no. 1single with the song Tomorrow Today.

Now it seems as though the rest of the world iscatching up. His music has sound tracked films andtelevision shows from Stuart Little 2, The Simpsons, toSofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides. Most recently AloneAgain (Naturally) featured in the hit BBC series Life OnMars. In 2004 his latest best of compilation (Berry VestOf) saw him return to the top twenty. The music scenehas rediscovered the 70s, while Ben Folds in particularhas been producing the kind of lyrically clever, eloquentpop that O’Sullivan made his own.

So to the new album. Recorded largely in his homestudio in Jersey, A Scruff At Heart, it’s title a typical doseof wry self depreciation, is also typically a chin-outartistic statement. The focus is firmly on O’Sullivan, withpiano and vocals recoded live and loud. Strings andwoodwind offer a striking counterpoint and these toowere recorded live in a church in Surrey. The lyrics areclassic O’Sullivan, as comfortable tackling issues such aswar and school bullying as the condition of the humanheart, all coupled with that unique humour. SH

“an oddly under-celebrated talent” Uncut

Gilbert O’Sullivan. He’s always done it his way. The follow on to the Top 20 best of from 2004.

Gilbert o’sullivan

Gilbert O’SullivanA Scruff At HeartBygum Records BGR115

RELEASED 18TH JUNE

Properganda 6 29

COLIN HAY

IN HER OWNWORDS

CROOKED STILL

PHO

TO: J

ON

STE

WAR

T

REVIEW ROUNDUP reviews

Ken Hensley has enjoyed a multi-platinum career, mainlyduring his stint with veteran UK rockers Uriah Heep in theseventies. With Hensley’s help, Heep took the world bystorm with albums such as Look At Yourself, Very ‘Eavy, Very‘Umble, Demons & Wizards and The Magician’s Birthday aswell as the seminal singles Stealin’, Free Me and Easy Livin’.

Upon leaving Heep in 1980, Ken put together his owngroup and hit the road across America, before getting thecall to join legendary Southern rockers Blackfoot. He stayedto record two acclaimed studio albums and one live recordbefore returning to the UK to continue work on his solocareer.

In between albums Ken has featured on a variety of band’swork album as a guest musician (including a stint withW.A.S.P. on their Headless Children record) and puttogether a band with another Heep alumni John Lawton.

Now, at the age of 61, Ken has put together Blood On TheHighway, the definitive story of his life and times put tomusic. He started with a wish list of singers and musicianshe wanted to use on the project and such is his standingwithin the rock community they all agreed to give their timeto the venture.

Ken’s long time friendship with Glenn Hughes led to theformer Trapeze/Deep Purple/Black Sabbath vocalist beingonly too happy to lend his rich vocals to the tracks What YaGonna Do and The Last Dance, both of which ablydemonstrate just why Hughes is held in such high regardwithin rock circles.

Hensley’s on-going connection with John Lawton continueswith the former Uriah Heep front man adding his powerfulvoice to proceedings. Ken himself sings three cuts andformer Boy George singer Eve Gallagher takes the mic forThink Twice. However, the bulk of the vocals are handledspectacularly by relative newcomer Jorn Lande.

The Norwegian singer has in fact been kicking around therock scene since the early nineties when he frontedVagabond (a band formed from the ashes of the thendefunct TNT). The two albums he recorded with thempropelled Jorn onto the world stage and since then his‘Paul Rodgers meets David Coverdale’ tones have beenutilised by a whole host of bands through out the world.

“Jorn’s voice oozes blues and rock” Hensley is quoted assaying, and on the evidence here, there’s little to contradictthat statement.

To Hensley, Blood On The Highway is a look back at hisown life, a kind of retrospective of an era when music wasstill exciting, when musicians had long hair, bell-bottomsand garish shirts. It’s not a summary of time lost rather acelebration of a truly incredible period in Ken’s life. Toquote Ken, ‘There’s no moral here, this is about a timewhen every musician followed their dream and they did itthe way they felt was right.’ MG

“Ken Hensley wrote the rule book for heavymetal keyboards as far as I’m concerned.”Blackie Lawless (WASP)

Crooked StillHop HighSignature Sounds SIG2004

With an unusual, low-end-heavy coregroup of musicians (double-bass, cello &banjo) and with youth on their side,Crooked Still have been taking thebluegrass world by storm. Combining rockenergy with old-time mountain soul andcreaking, rustic string riffs and singerAoife’s pure, Krauss-y tone, Hop High is aperfect fusion of old-time music buoyed bya shot of new blood. As the bandthemselves put it, they are “on a missionto bend the boundaries of traditionalmusic”, while remaining respectful to their(pre-dominantly) traditional repertoire.

Offering fresh takes on old favourites likeLonesome Road and Shady Grove, theband are not afraid to deviate from thestandards, and the energy of theirvigorous re-workings leap out at everyturn. Although there has been much talkof their “hip, hard-hitting beats” and theirmodern approach to the music,everything here is played acousticallywith a no-nonsense production. This isan album that will appeal to purists,while its accessible groove and theband’s youthful outlook should be agreat magnet for newcomers. TM

“Absolutely wonderful! Not a weak track onthe whole album… I’ve played it over andover again” Mike Harding Radio 2

Simon ScardanelliThat Dangerous SparkleResonator Records RESO107

Conceived on an epic scale this CDproves a real surprise. Once a hit makeras half of pop-rockers Big Bam Boo,Scardanelli has been emersed in seriousmusic study over the past decade,following a period of living in New Yorkcomposing installation works for artevents and scores for experimental films.

He has definitely brought some of thatexperimental flair with him into this newCD,although here it’s used to add textureto what can mostly be described asconventional song structures. The albumsopener, The Valentines, starts with thesound of waves before the acoustic guitarand piano kick the song into life. Simon’dvocals have something of the DavidMcComb about them and The Triffids are agood reference point.There’s also a touchof Scott Walker as the first half of thealbum gives up a series of epic ballads.

In the middle of She Comes the tunesuddenly gives way to clatteringpercussion and soprano sax drenched inreverb and the ground has shifted.Surpise twists follow, with Risky Businessand the folowing It’s Only Life takingserious left turns. This is ambitious stuffthat demands serious attention. SC

www.scardanelli.com

Maria MuldaurNaughty, Bawdy & BlueStony Plain SPCD1319

In the extensive notes for this CD, Mariadescribes leaving home and ending uplooking after two young girls in exchangefor room and board. The significance is theextensive record collection that her hostfamily owned, that gave the 17 year old herfirst taste of the blues in general and BessieSmith in particular. It clearly had a profoundeffect and at the dawn of the 60s, with theradio awash with sanitised, saccharine popsingers so it should have done.

For Maria it launched a passionate,headlong dive into performing the bluesand other roots music, that saw herfronting the Even Dozen Jug Band andcoming under the direct tutelage of one ofblues music’s original grande damesVictoria Spivey.

Fast forward over 40 years and thissalacious collection (all from the woman’spoint of view) are prowling, predatory andpurring, not to mention highly entertaining.The old ‘Orleans style combo isimmaculate through renditions of Up TheCountry Blues (do I need to spell it out foryou?), Handy Man Blues, One Hour Mamaand other coded gems dripping withinnuendo. TM

“Maria Muldaur spices her music withpassion and a voice that’s scintillating,brazen, and lightly burnished.” Blues Revue

Ken HensleyBlood On The HighwayPolitur/Membran 231688

OUT NOW

A who’s who of classic rock sign up for this keyboard wizards life story opus.

Ken hensley

30 Properganda 6

THE HEPTONES

MARIA MULDAUR

SIMON SCARDANELLI

PHO

TO: T

AKEN

FRO

M C

D A

RTW

ORK

The AbyssiniansSatta Massagan

CDHB120 CD

Augustus PabloEast Of The RiverSHANCD45051CD

Augustus PabloKing Tubby

Meets Uptown RockersSHANCD45059 CD

VariousBest Of Studio One Box

HBCD7826 CD4

VariousBest Of Studio One Vol.1

HBCD7801 CD

VariousBest Of Studio One

Vol.2: Full Up HBCD7802 CD

Bob MarleyFrom Ska To Jah: One Love

R2CD4090 CD2

Bob MarleyThe Gold Collection

R2CD4048 CD2

Bob Marley & The Wailers

Gold5X001 CD5

Bob Marley & The Wailers

One Love At Studio One:'64~'66 HBCD7819

CultureTwo Sevens ClashSHANCD44001 CD

Various Deep Ska

PROPERBOX4 CD4

Delroy WilsonBest Of Deluxe Edition

HBCD7723 CD

Delroy WilsonI'm In A Dancing Mood

PVCD111 CD2B

VariousDownbeat The Ruler:Killer Instrumentals

HBCD7803 CD

Alton EllisI'm Still In LoveHBCD7813 CD

Eric DonaldsonCherry Oh Baby

SCCD1010 CD

VariousFeel Like Jumpin'

CDHB7722 CD

Freddie Mcgregor Bobby BobbylonHBCD7815 CD

John HoltI Can't Get You

Off My MindHBCD7794 CD

VariousSka Bonanza: Studio One

HBCD7805 CD2B

The SkatalitesFoundation Ska

CDHB185/186 CD2B

The SkatalitesSeven

PVCD109 CD2B

VariousThe History Of Reggae

5X002 CD5

VariousVersion Dread HBCD7719 CD

summer 2007

pressure drop

Look out for special prices on a great range reggae classics

where available