lee@rochester.UUCP (05/05/84)
music reviews for the following folk albums: Andy Statman/Klezmer Music De Danann/Song for Ireland Derek Bell/Carolan's Favorites John McCutheson/Howjadoo John Roberts & Tony Barrand/Eat Bertha's Mussells Josh White, Jr./Almost Alone Mike Cross/Caroline Sky Seldom Scene/At the Scene Skara Brae/Skara Brae Tony Rice/Church St. Blues Andy Statman/Klezmer Music (Shanachie) Would you believe that this jazzer is a klezmer, too? This record is yet another entry in the Klezmer music revival of the last few years. Over all, the album has the right feel-- unlike the recent Klezmer Conservatory album which strikes me as very commercial. Recommended for fun. De Danann/Song for Ireland (Sugar Hill) Not as great as some of their previous records but it still has some good tracks. Derek Bell/Carolan's Favorites (Shanachie) Bell, who is harpist w/ the Chieftains, goes solo. This album takes the already classical sound of the Chieftains much farther. A very beautiful album for folk or classical fans. John McCutheson/Howjadoo (Rounder) An album for kids of all ages. Includes a fun monologue on eating peanut butter and a song about the life of whales. A little more pop sounding than his previous albums. John Roberts & Tony Barrand/Eat Bertha's Mussells (Front Hall) These two drunkards are at it again. This is a live recording of of new and old drinking songs. Some people find their voices grating but you can't consume as much as they do an not expect something to get affected. Josh White, Jr./Almost Alone (Eagle) I really like this guy's voice. I only wish he would make it. Perhaps he is living under the shadow of his father. This album is JW accompanying himself on guitar. One curiosity is a song this is covered on both this album and the Tony Rice album reviewed below. Mike Cross/Caroline Sky (Sugar Hill) Versatile contemporary folk singer. Strong voice, ugly face, good album Seldom Scene/At the Scene (Sugar Hill) Yet another album from this ever popular bluegrass group. Good tunes. Skara Brae/Skara Brae (Shanachie) First album from this Irish group. The songs, all in Gaelic, are quite soft and beautiful. Recommended. Tony Rice/Church St. Blues (Sugar Hill) TR shows us his folkie side. Not incredibly exciting but still a fine album. -- = lee@rochester rochester!lee =
brenner@aruba.DEC (05/09/84)
[space, the final frontier] Regarding your comment about the Klezmer Conservatory Band (embedded in the review on Andy Statman's klezmer album): my mother had a similar reaction to the KCB. She generally thought they sounded *too* professional! The klezmorim she grew up listening to in the Lower East Side apparently had all sorts of folkisms and rough edges that she missed in the KCB--especially in the latter's vocalist and clarinettist. She also felt that the singer didn't really know Yiddish--that she must have asked someone how to pronounce all the tough words but got the simple ones wrong! Now I love the KCB and the klezmer revival in general, but I have to bow to the observations of someone who actually was there. Maybe it's inevitable that revivals never capture the way things actually were, but the younger generation's idea of how they were, filtered through our current musical tastes and ear-training. On the other hand, I understand that Henchas (sp?) Netsky, leader of the KCB, is the son of a professional klezmer. Who knows? Who cares to comment? P.S. I'll try out the Andy Statman album on my mother at some point, just to see. Ellen Brenner ...decvax!decwrl!rhea!aruba!brenner