dirty linen

Recording Reviews

John Hartford's Live from Mountain Stage is a collection of three different live performances recorded for this West Virginia Public Radio program over a three-year period. It features of some of Hartford's most well-known songs, including the obligatory "Gentle on My Mind."

What's hard to grasp is what "live" is in this context. The audience isn't lively. The performance seems subdued. Is that an artifact of unknown factors or of the medium? Or just of the moment? Zen koans aside, perhaps the fact that the recording is billed as live shouldn't be such a big deal, especially since it's the music that we want to hear. Here we're getting Hartford banjoing and bowing and doing his soft shoe shuffle, with the help of frequent collaborator Mike Compton on mandolin. Does "Gum Tree Canoe" ever become tiresome? What about "More Big Bull Fiddle Fun?"

A tip of the bowler to Mountain Stage for this compilation, one of two in its series devoted to a single artist. That the other was Bill Monroe speaks volumes. — Linda Dailey Paulson (Ventura, CA)

It was bound to happen. The long-running klezmer revival, which has produced so many interesting and delightful permutations that incorporate straight-ahead jazz, old-timey sounds, and even a little polka, has finally produced a super-group. But sit tight. This super-group, which calls itself Khevrisa, or group, doesn't try to one-up all the other edgy klezmer outfits. These guys do something a wee bit different — they've chosen to play traditional klezmer the way it was heard 200 years ago, or longer. No drums. No clarinets. No electric bass. No keyboards. So what's here? A couple of violins, an old-fashioned bass, and cimbal. Organized by Zev Feldman, who along with Andy Statman helped kick off the revival a quarter of a century ago, Khevrisa also includes Alicia Svigals of the Klezmatics, Michael Alpert and Stuart Brotman of Brave Old World, and Steven Greenman. Their talent and dedication make this disc a superb example of what klezmer must have sounded like in Eastern Europe in the 1700s and 1800s. The arrange ments are simple, but full of emotion. Their ability to switch among styles to convey joy, loss, pain, and hope is exquisite. It's as if we're hearing stripped-down klezmer the way it was supposed to be heard. And it's even easier to appreciate it all with the help of Feldman's extensive liner notes, which neatly synopsize the music's history and development. Anyone who wants a taste of what klezmer was, but can still be, ought to hear Khevrisa.

Finjan, meanwhile, offers an updated version of those old sounds, relying on such familiar instruments as the clarinet. But unlike some of the edgier groups you might hear, Finjan engages a more acoustic approach while churning out a lively selection of freilachs, bulgars, horas, and Hasidic niggunim. They're equally playful, but prefer a slightly more modern sound, provided by the able production hand of Ben Mink, who produced the recent collaboration between The Klezmatics and Chava Albertstein, and is also known for his work with k.d. lang. In fact, he creates an eerie mood on violinist Victor Schultz's tribute to his recently departed wife, a moving and mournful track that serves as a solid foundation for the rest of what is otherwise an uplifting and fun-filled klezmer outing. — Ed Silverman (Millburn, NJ)

Malvina Reynolds
Ear to the Ground
Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40124 (2000)

Rosalie Sorrels
No Closing Chords, The Songs of Malvina Reynolds
Red House RHR CD 143 (2000)

Malvina Reynolds is best known as the songwriter of "Little Boxes," but her legacy is a lasting one that includes numerous politically and socially relevant songs. Hard to believe it would be time to celebrate her centenary. It is, or was, August 23rd. The foremost present to mark the occasion is Ear to the Ground. Lovingly compiled by Rosalie Sorrels, who also provides the liner notes, this collection draws from songs written between 1960 and 1978. Although all the songs are entirely reflective of that era, songs like "Look on the Sunny Side" and "Magic Penny" are just as relevant today as ever. With its exhortations to give up sugar and gas-guzzling cars and its wry humor, "Look on the Sunny Side" is the kind of song you want to sing loudly each morning as you brush your teeth. Some lyrics are guaranteed to redden contemporary Republicans, especially the industrial-strength "Boraxo." (Provided they're astute enough to get it.) The songs are plainly, powerfully sung. Potent stuff. Better yet, in addition to making us reflect on our world, these are uplifting songs that really affirm that we each can make a difference in our world. What better legacy is there?

Sorrels pays tribute yet again with No Closing Chord: The Songs of Malvina Reynolds. This collection repeats songs found on the previous collection, but so what? It's interesting to hear Sorrels' interpretation of "What Have They Done to the Rain" and "On the Rim of the World." Her interpretation of "The Money Crop" is shattering, haunting. This is also a beautifully packaged disc with extensive liner notes. Notable guest appearances — heck, all the musicians are notables — Bonnie Raitt, Barbara Higbie, and Laurie Lewis. The talented Nina Gerber both plays and produces this remarkable collection. These two recordings are not just presents for Reynolds, but gifts to us all. — Linda Dailey Paulson (Ventura, CA)

After two decades and six albums, Ceolbeg is securely on the road to being recognized as one of Scotland's most unique traditional bands. The current lineup features six remarkable talents from Scotland coming together in one band, from the outstanding singing of Rod Paterson to the harp playing of Wendy Stewart and the piping of Gary West. With such a seasoned crowd, it is no surprise that the arrangements and delivery show a definite maturity.

While the Scottish roots of Ceolbeg are deep, the CD nevertheless opens with a jig from Cantabria [Spain] linked to a recently composed pipe tune. There is also a lovely reworking of Ewan McColl's "Shoals of Herring," which starts with a cappella harmonies before moving into a more contemporary syncopated feel. About five of the 12 tracks are trad-based. Several band members contribute their own pieces, such as the quietly meandering title track by Stewart and the stirring pipe lament by West, called "Drumchorrie." Some tracks have a decidedly contemporary sound, derived partly from the band's obvious facility with polyrhythms; one of these, "Working Shifts," was written by West and guitarist Colin Matheson as a challenge to see how many key signatures the pipes were capable of in one tune.

Other highlights of Cairn Water include a wonderful, layered version of the old ballad "Eppie Moray," a stripped-down rendition of Burns' "Oh, Were I on Parnassus' Hill," and a blistering set of reels, including "The Congress Reel" and "The Champion of the Seas." Ceolbeg is a band in great form, without a weak link or a moment of vulnerability. — Ivan Emke (Corner Brook, NF, Canada)

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