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Intro: Fairport Convention - Medley: The Lark in the Morning/Rakish
Paddy/Fox Hunter's Jig/Toss The Feathers - Liege & Lief
- A&M Records
TRADarrr - Nottamun-Polly
- Cautionary Tales - Hedge Of Sound www.tradarrr.com/
Hannah James & Tuulikki Bartosik
- Lonesome Woods - Chatterbox - RootBeat
Records www.clogbox.co.uk
www.tuulikkibartosik.com/chatterbox/
Jaywalkers - Bow Down - Weave - www.jaywalkers.co.uk/
The Lilac Time - Babylon Revisited - No Sad Songs - Tapete
www.thelilactime.com/ www.tapeterecords.de/artists/the-lilac-time/
Ben Reel - God's World - 7th - B.Reel
Music www.benreel.com/
Buffy Sainte-Marie - Generation - Power In The Blood - True North
Records www.buffysainte-marie.com/
Smokey & The Mirror - Tulsa 1921 - Rag And Bone - Second String Records
www.smokeyandthemirror.
TRADarrr - Adieu - Cautionary Tales - Hedge Of
Sound www.tradarrr.com/
Hannah James & Tuulikki Bartosik
- Ellin Polkka -
Chatterbox - RootBeat Records www.clogbox.co.uk www.tuulikkibartosik.com/chatterbox/
Jaywalkers - Weave - Weave - www.jaywalkers.co.uk/
The Lilac Time - No Sad Songs - No Sad Songs - Tapete
http://thelilactime.com/ www.tapeterecords.de/artists/the-lilac-time/
Ben Reel - Coming Around Again - 7th - B.Reel
Music www.benreel.com/
Buffy Sainte-Marie - Carry It On - Power In The Blood - True North
Records www.buffysainte-marie.com/
Smokey & The Mirror - Rag And Bone - Rag And Bone - Second String
Records www.smokeyandthemirror.
TRADarrrr: 21st century Folk Rock. "It’s 45 years since Liege & Lief almost single-handedly created the genre
folk-rock. Since then, that simple marriage of traditional music and
electric instruments had been suborned and sidetracked, dissected and
documented, Oystered, Albioned
and Steeleyed. Time for a fresh approach. Enter Trad Arrr. Punningly recalling the assault of the new which
Fairport’s 1969 LP represented, they have reimagined folk rock,
painting from a much larger palette, introducing the tints, tones and
textures of a whole panoply of musical genres. As you’d expect, here
are the precision percussion, searingly tasteful
guitars, melodic basses and fiery fiddles that one associates with the
genre. But in addition, one finds brass in truly British styles – the
dazzling brightness of Purcell, the oomph of Elgar, the emotive richness of
a Yorkshire brass band soloist - but also hints of jazz, trad and modern, and even the occasional mariachi
riff), string sections, and countless astute references to a long legacy of
pop and rock in its many forms. However, this is by no means an
“everything including the kitchen sink”
approach. Elements are used sparingly, tellingly and, most important of
all, appropriately. When less is more, the sound is stripped back –
listen to their almost acapella take on My Lagan Love and no further
explanation is needed. Many of the songs and tunes they perform are
familiar classics. Many are simply gems from the tradition that band
members have always wanted to perform – could there be a better
reason for singing a song?" - Nigel Schofield, Yorkshire, Nov. 2014 Artists'
website.
Hannah James & Tuulikki Bartosik:
"Two women, two accordions, voices and feet. A powerful duo loaded
with female energy and the joy of playing together. There’s a
refreshingly joyful musical relationship at the heart of the new album
Chatterbox, by accordionists Hannah James and Estonian/Swedish musician Tuulikki Bartosik. Two women
known in their respective countries for resisting the confines of musical
tradition, they’ve created a piece of work which is bold, exciting
and completely original. Showcasing the accordion’s versatility
through assured musical interplay, improvisation and new compositions, and
marked by a genuine sense of adventure, this is not like any accordion
album you’ve ever heard. Hannah and Tuulikki
first met in 2011 at a festival in Estonia, where they were immediately
struck by their musical affinity. Determined that they would one day work
together, the opportunity finally came when they were booked as a duo at
the Gower Folk Festival. “Playing with Tuulikki
makes me feel very free as a musician,” Hannah explains. “Our
styles and skills seem to complement each other, and spark some very
interesting - and slightly wacky - ideas!” When it came to recording,
they wanted to find a space that would allow them to replicate the freedom
and natural interplay they’d first found in Estonia – somewhere
that their music could flow naturally. They chose the remote and beautiful Stiwdio Felin Fach in the Brecon Beacons,
where producer Dylan Fowler immediately got what they were about –
and had some interesting ideas of his own. “He took us to a
cave!” Hannah laughs. Though both are used to putting music into
unexpected contexts, Hannah and Tuulikki were at
first somewhat taken aback by the idea – especially when it emerged
that getting there meant trekking across country with their instruments.
But when they arrived, they realised immediately
that the cave’s rich resonances and rhythmically plinking water
created a wonderfully evocative soundscape. “The natural sustain of
the accordion just carried on forever, like an endless breath. It was the
perfect environment for our instruments,” Tullikki
says. The accordions began to speak to each other (hence the name
Chatterbox) and Fowler added subtle accompaniment on guitar and Welsh drum.
The result is four beautiful new improvised pieces that form the
album’s core. Back in the studio, the magical atmosphere carried on
through the remaining 5 days of recording. In addition to the improvised
cave pieces, the album contains several new compositions and traditional
tunes, but through it all shines the musical symbiosis of Hannah and Tuulikki – a vivacity and instinct for
collaboration that sets them apart. Despite the name, Tuulikki
says that the process of making Chatterbox was very much about listening
and responding. “It’s making music in the here and now. There
are no filters or thinking, it is just about what happens in the
moment.”" - Rootbeat Record's website
Jaywalkers: "Recent recipients of Help Musicians UK’s Emerging
Excellence Award, Jaywalkers are new arrivals at RootBeat,
and we're delighted to have them. After a summer that saw them thrill
festival crowds with their unique blend of folk, bluegrass, country and
western swing, their third album promises to do just the same. Produced by
the BBC Folk Award-winning Andy Bell, the album will heavily feature Mike Giverin’s original compositions that take
inspiration from the Lancashire stories that are a part of his heritage, as
well as highlight their excellent musicianship, the powerful lead vocals of
Jay Bradberry, and slap bass of Lucille
Williams." - Rootbeat Record's website
The Lilac Time: "A prose-poem, which Stephen Duffy composed especially
for the release of the new and ninth album by his band The Lilac Time,
contains the lines: "I was a flower child, now I'm a flower man."
It took a long time before one became the other. When viewed from space,
Stephen Duffy's path may well appear labyrinthine, filled with loopholes
and trapdoors. Yet a sober perspective reveals path of a musician and poet
who is independent in the very best sense of the word. Nevertheless: A lot
has happened since the young boy kept his Praktica
camera trained on street scenes in the Birmingham of the Cold War. Back in
1979, an 18-year-old Stephen Duffy was founding member of Duran Duran. Yet he did not board the train to superstardom.
The visionary instinct of the young artist had other intentions. He might
have had Bob Dylan, Nick Drake and The Incredible String Band in mind, but
he himself was not allergic to success. He quickly understood that a
songwriter with an acoustic guitar had little access to the merry-go-round
of the charts in the early eighties. Instead, he emerged as Stephen "Tintin" Duffy, trading his guitar for a
synthesizer and making chic, clever and sparkling POP music in capital
letters. The young man with the melancholy expression even landed two
international hits with Kiss Me and Icing on the Cake. But before the
record company was able to put their plan into action and turn Duffy into
the next Rick Astley, he took flight. He mothballed his pop persona and
founded a band with his brother: The Lilac Time. On their debut in 1987,
they made what Stephen had long dreamed of: Flower Music. The single Return
to Yesterday conjured visions of Simon & Garfunkel. In an era of
slapping basses and smacking snares, the instrumentation was exceptional:
mainly acoustic, with guitars, banjos, fiddles and accordions, all
beautifully arranged by Nick Duffy, who was also responsible for composing
the instrumental pieces on the record. Keep in mind that the New Acoustic
Movement, which brought forth bands like Belle And Sebastian and The Kings
Of Convenience, was still more than ten years away. Often in diametrical
contrast with this melancholy folk pop were Stephen Duffy's lyrics, with
descriptions of suburban tristesse placed
seamlessly alongside biting commentary on the issues of the times and
courageous reports of the singer's moments of excess and aventures amoureuses.
Unfortunately, the studio marathons of their fourth album led to tensions
within the band, and they dissolved as a result. Stephen Duffy continued to
make great records, which were often shamefully ignored by the mainstream,
such as Music In Colors, which was created in collaboration with the star
violinist Nigel Kennedy. But whenever he was accused of apparent failures
by the likes of the sardonic British press, he countered with the certainty
of a free spirit: He felt obliged to make his music, not for a quick buck,
but only for the sake of his ideas. Poetry, not Logic! Thus in 1999 came
the resurrection of The Lilac Time – with brother Nick as well as new
members in Claire Worrall and Melvin Duffy – and the album Looking
for a Day in the Night, a masterpiece of musical restraint, light and clear,
almost white.Robbie Williams also took note of
this album. He invited Stephen to a songwriting session, which led to
Duffy's first Number One single and finally in 2004 an entire Williams
album with Duffy as co-writer and producer. Then Stephen once again focused
on his own projects: 2008 saw the original line up with Claire and Melvin
play the Green Man festival and the release of Runout Groove. 2009 saw
Memory & Desire: 30 Years in the Wilderness with Stephen Duffy &
The Lilac Time, a documentary shown at film festivals around the world and
an accompanying double best of anthology. The Lilac Time waited four years
to begin work on No Sad Songs. Stephen, Nick and Claire, who had also since
become a Duffy, moved to Cornwall and recorded twenty songs, ten of which
appear on the album. Their hypnotic effect is the direct result of the time
and the love that was put into this music. It begins with slow-motion
guitar picking, then a cautious, yet eternally reverberating beat of a
tympani, strings appear, then Stephen Duffy sings more purely and
meaningfully than ever before: "Have I told you that I love you"
an entire five times in a row before adding almost silently… "today". And here, in the very first song, The First
Song Of Spring, the mission of The Lilac Time comes to light. The title
says it all: No Sad Songs. Enough cynicism. The angels have fallen, and
have landed softly. Yet neither the music nor the lyrics have anything to
do with smug sentimentality. The demons are there to be confronted.
"There is no closure, no therapy, there's only the daily fight to be
free" is the message in A Cat on the Long Wave. Slow down, arrive, but
never cease to find new beginnings. Real life is a dream – one that
is in at least 35mm and widescreen. So incredibly powerful and vast, yet light
and transparent is the sound of this record. In The Western Greyhound,
Stephen Duffy sings, "I saw a sign in heaven: Bohemia Forever".
Here they are. The flower people. And perhaps the best version of
themselves, with their best album!" - Francesco Wilking
– Berlin, 2015 Tapete Records website
Ben Reel: "Irish artist Ben Reel released his eagerly awaited 7th
studio album on May 18th 2015 simply titled `7th’ which is a real rock`n’record featuring his great band. Like the
previous album `Darkness & the Light’ in 2013 the new album 7th
was recorded & produced by himself in
his home studio in Co.Armagh, Ireland.
Since his debut back in 1999, each album has gone from strength to
strength, receiving critical acclaim from radio & press from around the
world. Ben’s music has evolved into an honest earthy sound that has
matured like a fine wine, drawing from the well of different styles of
musical influence from rock, soul, blues, alt folk/americana,
country & reggae which fuses all these genres into a melting pot to
create a great sound which has become his own .In the past years he has had
numerous high profile TV & Radio appearances and airplay under his belt
including Bob Harris BBC Radio 2 and has supported names like Jools
Holland, Alabama 3, The Cranberries and has collaborated musically with
such names as Hal Ketchum, the legendary ‘Blockheads’, award
winning saxophonist Gilad Atzmon and co wrote and
performed with some of Nashville's finest, David Olney, John Hadley, Sergio
Webb & Irene Kelley. Over the last 7 years Ben has enjoyed successful
tours in Ireland, UK, Europe & U.S receiving
rave reviews and attracting a growing fan base . His band includes amongst
the finest musicians in Ireland, Michael Black on Drums, Ronnie O’Flynn on bass, Mick McCarney
on guitar and his wife Julieanne Reel on backing
vocals & percussion. With this line up they have built up a loyal
following. The band have previously graced big festivals such as Huntenpop in the Netherlands, Kilkenny
rhythm & roots, Cork jazz festival and have also appeared for the first
time at Ireland’s premiere music festival “Electric
Picnic” in 2014. In 2013 Ben toured in the U.S & UK with Tommy
Womack (Nashville) as a duo. and in 2014 his
band toured as double bill with legendary folk singer/songwriter Eric
Andersen in the UK. 2015 promises to be a big one for Ben Reel with
the release of his new album `7th’." - Artist's website
Buffy Sainte-Marie: "I’ve been traveling around the world for a
long time, finding songs in my head like snapshots of how I feel about what
I see and the people I meet. I’ve had the blues now and then, but
I’ve had all the other colors too; what’s remained consistent
is my conclusion, which has always inspired my songs, that life is
precious, diverse and worth protecting. Power in the Blood is my new album
– I wrote all but two songs – which I recorded in Toronto with
three different producers, who each made choices from my list of songs.
There are 4 love songs, 3 social criticisms, 1 blues rocker, 2 songs positive-uppers,
1 campfire song, and a reboot of the title song off my first album,
It’s My Way! I want to send out huge thank you to my manager, Gilles Paquin, and to Geoff Kulawick
of True North Records, for putting me in touch and supporting my work with
the three producers: Michael Wojewoda, Chris
Birkett and Jon Levine. While each producer recorded with me separately
bringing their respective arsenal of unique musicians, we collaborated on
completing the album, with Michael doing the final mixes to bring together
our various styles. For me, the experience was quite wonderful! My own
fabulous drummer from our touring band, Mike Bruyere
(Muniidobenese), plays on “Not the Lovin Kind” and “Sing Our Own Song.”
~ Buffy - Artist's website
Smokey & The Mirror: Smokey & The Mirror: "is husband+wife duo Bryan and Bernice Hembree
(Fayetteville, Arkansas). The Hembrees
spent 7 years touring nationally as members of folk/bluegrass trio 3 Penny
Acre. Building on the critical success of 3 Penny Acre, Bryan and
Bernice leaned back towards their early rock&roll,
country, and R&B influences to create Smokey & The Mirror. Smokey
& The Mirror recorded a live album with
long-time collaborator Daniel Walker (keys) in November of 2013. The
live album, released by Goose Creek Records, was recorded over three nights
in three venues (Mucky Duck-Houston, Cactus Cafe-Austin, and The Blue
Door-Oklahoma City). In June 2014 they took the same
spontaneous approach into the studio. The Hembrees assembled a band (including
Daniel Walker on keys, Terry Ware on guitar, Nooch
Carnuccio on drums, and Travis Linville on lap
steel) and entered Breathing Rhythm Studios in Norman, Oklahoma for a 3 day
session. The result is the new album "Thin Black
Line". The album was tracked live to 2" reel-to-reel
tape. Smokey & The Mirror tours constantly as a duo, and often with a
full band (Ryan Pickop on drums and Terry Ware on
guitar). The Hembree are also the founders and
co-creators of the Fayetteville Roots Festival (Arkansas)." - Artists'
website
Smokey & The Mirror will be in concert with Little Rock Folk Club
6/6/15
Streaming live Sat 2100h CMT/Sun 0300h GMT at http:
www.kuar.org/
Archives on line at
http://www.littlerockfolkclub.org/FAAB/faabindex.html
Program Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/Fromalbionandbeyond
mail: albion@kuar.org
FAAB
archives
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/Fromalbionandbeyond
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