Eros’ Selections
Bright Sunny South (single)
Artist: Tim O’Brien with Lúnasa and Arty McGlynn
Length: 3:49
Composer: Trad
Notes: This single is one of the great collaborations that has come out of 2016. It features the multi-talented signer/multi-instrumentalist Tim O’Brien (who sings and plays mandolin and banjo on this track), Irish guitar legend Arty McGlynn, and the incredible ensemble Lúnasa, which is comprised of members: Kevin Crawford (flute), Colin Farrell (fiddle), Cillian Vallely (uilleann pipes), Ed Boyd (guitar) and Trevor Huchinson (bass).
The single was released in March, which was right around the time of the Lúnasa with Tim O’Brien US tour. The features influences from both the Irish and bluegrass traditions. The two guitars (McGlynn and Boyd) provide fine chordal and rhythmic accompaniment, while Huchinson provides his siganture bass backup. Colin Farrell (who tours with them most of the time, except for summers in Ireland where the band is joined by the founder Séan Smyth) is really good at doing the bluegrassy stuff as well as the Irish style. He goes to mellow background backup while Tim O’Brien sings, and between lines he comes forth with some cool groovy little parts. A highlight of the track fro me is Cillian Vallely’s piping, that surprisingly sounds very pleasing in bluegrass music. Kevin Crawford of course can do anything on that flute of his, including make it sound at home in this music! Tim O’Brien’s signature singing of course is a great highlight, as well as his great mandolin and banjo playing on the track. This stellar lineup has created a great piece of music!
Talons Trip to Thompson Island
Artist: The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc
Album: Deliverance
Length: 3:18
Composer: Kevin Henderson
Notes: The incredible Nordic Fiddlers Bloc has struck back again, with a second album! This tune is the first track on the latest release from the trio of fiddlers: Anders Hall (Sweden), Olav Luksengård Mjelva (Norway) and Kevin Henderson (Shetland). They have once again brought fourth the creative, unique, and groovy potential of all music. This music is certainly some of the most creative, unique, and groovy music I’ve heard this year! Sometimes when I’m listening, I find it hard to beleive that this full and rich tone has been created by just three fiddles! All three fiddlers are incredibly deiverse, and for the bulk of this track each take a different approach to making music that contributes to this tune. For the most time, Anders is playing backup, Kevin is on melody, and Olav adds the textures of the octave fiddle, which is great for backup and melody alike. The music here is full of exiting arrangments everywhere you turn. One minute Anders is doing melody, the next he’s doing backup, and suddenly Olav is doing a completely new riff! The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc has been one of the main culprits of contributing to my love for listening to music.
Reel du Pendu
Artist: Jean “Ti-Jean” Carignan
Album: Volume 1
Length: 2:21
Composer: Trad
Notes: This is one of the older recordings of the fiddle virtuoso Jean “Ti-Jean” Carignan, who played all sorts of music, mostly his native traditional music of Québéc. Reel du Pendu is the Québéçois version of the common old-time tune Hangman’s Reel. Carignan made a number of recordings of this tune with accompaniment, but this is the only version of his that I’ve found of just him playing fiddle and the traditional Qébéçois foot-tapping rhythm. He also plays it here is calico-Bb, a half-step up from the common old-time AEAC# tuning. Carignan plays with a lot of variations in how he bows the tune, which is very common in Canadian folk music. In some parts he goes staccato, and sometimes pizzicato. Jean Carignan plays with such a great understanding and respect for the tradition, and yet also makes the tune his own, which is a very hard balance to master. Carignan has mastered that skill perfectly, and thanks to the modern recording technologies, we will be able to here it forever.
My Horses Ain’t Hungry
Artist: Foghorn Duo
Album: Lonesome Song
Length: 3:06
Composer: Trad
Notes: This is an old-time American song from the only album ever made by the Foghorn Duo. The Foghorn Duo was originally the Foghorn Stringband, but when three of the members left, only Stephen “Sammy” Lind and Caleb Klauder were left, and decided to keep it going with this record. (Soon after Nadine Landry and Reeb Wilms joined, and they are once again the Foghorn Stringband.) Both musicians are not playing their normally main instrument on this track, as Sammy is normally on fiddle and Caleb on mandolin. Here Sammy is on banjo, and Caleb is on guitar. Caleb and Sammy got the song from a 1983 recording of Cullen Galyean and Bobby Harrison, great old-time/bluegrass musicians who also played it on banjo and guitar, and called Your Horses Ain’t Hungry. I can definitely hear the influence from the Galyean/Harrison recording in the Caleb and Sammy recording, but they have also changed the song a bit to make it their own. Cullen Galyean also played the 3-finger banjo style, and Sammy plays clawhammer banjo, which is more typical in old-time. On this selection, the duo demonstrates their fabulous vocal skills. Caleb is doing the lead vocals, but Sammy comes in on a harmony part on the second part of each verse, and takes a banjo solo in between each verse. The song is filled with the same exhilarating energy I experience whenever I see the group live, which proves that Sammy and Caleb have done a fine job with this song.
River’s Selections
The Pilgrim’s Song
Artist: The Gloaming
Album: 2
Length: 6:54
Composer: Traditional arr. The Gloaming
Notes: The contemporary Irish supergroup The Gloaming is known for their impressive arrangements and this track sure demonstrates that. They have taken a traditional song, and they have put an interesting chord progression and descending piano line to it. They also have created a tune that goes along with the progression and is inserted in-between verses and ever under the song. The song builds in energy, starting with a piano intro and other instruments are layered in after that. Iarla Ó Lionaird’s singing is beautiful and carries a lot of feeling, and glides above a bed of piano with other instruments providing textures in the background. When the first time through the tune comes, it is slow, the same pace as the song, and continues the dreamy vibe with Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh’s ten-string hardanger DiAmore providing and airy almost flute-like sound with lovely overtones from the sympathetic strings. The melody continues under the song when Iarla comes back in, and fits very nicely as a counter-melody. about a minute and a half in, the energy picks up when Martin Hayes comes in, and plays the tune double time from the way Caoimhín played it. Denis Cahill joins in the double time, but Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman) continues the old pace on the piano. Then, Iarla comes back with the slow melody of the song, with Martin double-timing the tune counter-melody. The arrangement continues for a few minutes in this general way, steadily building volume and energy. About six minutes in, it all builds to climax, and a G note is extended out, and there is pause… then Doveman comes down with a E flat chord and everything becomes much darker and rather sad for the last bit. A big change from moments before. As Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh wrote, “every note is an adventure, every tune is a rollercoaster,” and this one certainly was.
The Green Fields Of Glentown / The Old Dudeen / McFadden’s Handsome Daughter
Artist: Andrew Finn Magill
Album: Roots
Length: 4:09
Notes: This energetic set of reels ends Andrew Finn Magill’s traditional Irish release ‘Roots.’ It begins with a bouzouki intro from non other than John Doyle, who’s incredibly rhythmic playing carries the track at a quick clip. Soon after, the twin fiddles of Andrew Finn Magill (right channel) and Duncan Wickel (left channel) come in. They are well in sync but one can still appreciate each’s individual style and playing, especially with headphones on, and it is fun to hear the little differences in ornamentation and variations. Tying everything together is John Doyle’s amazing bouzouki playing. He is known more for his guitar playing, but his bouzouki playing is top notch as well. It is very powerful and energetic and is more than capable of carrying an ensemble. It has the sort of raw power of Donal Lunny, while at the same time incorporating lots of tasty little melodic runs and plenty of John’s signature syncopations and strumming patterns borrowed from his guitar playing. A joy to listen to and will surely get your feet tapping!
Dry and Dusty
Artist: Mr. Sun
Album: The People Need Light
Length: 10:19
Notes: Dry and Dusty is laid back Texas fiddle tune, handled here beautifully by Mr. Sun, a multi-generational stringband combining some of the greatest instrumentalists on the newgrass/new acoustic scene today. In typical bluegrass fashion, they state the melody, and trade off on many solos based on it throughout almost six and a half minutes. The playing is sensitive and there is no heavy-handedness involved, which suits the tune well. As well, the musical interplay between the four band-members, is a joy to listen to. To hear all of the little subtle, and less subtle arrangement choices and dynamic changes. To hear all of the complex parts meshing together, all supporting each other, it is an impressive feat.
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