Dirty Linen #68: recording Reviews

Here are just a few of the many reviews in the curent issue of Dirty Linen.

The Sabri Brothers
Ya Mustapha
Xenophile 4041 (1996)
Pakistan's Sabri Brothers perform the style of Sufi Moslem mystical devotional music called qawwali. Although the Sabris have been recording internationally since 1958, they are probably not as well known in the U.S. as genre-mate Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, for Khan has many more albums available on American labels. But Ya Mustapha, the Sabri's first U.S. release in six years, will surely raise their profile here. And deservedly so.

After the 1994 death of eldest brother Haji Ghulam Farid Sabri, the ensemble is now led by Haji Maqbool Ahmed Sabri (lead vocals, harmonium, congas, chirya tarang) and Mehmood Ghaznavi Sabri (second vocals, harmonium). They are accompanied by tabla and dholak drummers, and a hand-clapping chorus of six additional singers on an intense, mesmerizing set of four lengthy selections. There is a good deal of chanting by the chorus as well as plenty of call-and-response singing. Lots of activity from all the musicians too. Tempo changes and varying beats-per-minute, not to mention the riveting, inspired vocals, make for a fascinating journey through the 28-minute "Tajdar-e-Haram." The title track adds tastefully-deployed saxophones, and the rhythmically infectious "La Ilaha Il-Allah" features bass guitar. English translations of the lyrics are included. - Al Riess (Buffalo, NY)

Alan Stivell
Brian Boru
Dreyfus FDM 36208-2 (1995)
This modern celebration of Celtdom, from the original pan-Celt, Breton harper, singer and writer Alan Stivell, is named after Brian Boru, who in 1014 lead the Irish in battle against the Vikings in Dublin - and lost. The title song is a Stivell folk-rock tour-de-force, featuring Ronan Browne's wonderful pipes and Maire Breatnach's Irish vocals alternating with Stivell's own Breton lyrics. Throughout this album, Stivell effortlessly fuses electric sounds and eclectic traditional guests, and when it works, which is most of the time, it's a real treat. On the timely "Cease Fire," Breatnach (fiddle), Browne (flute), Gerry O'Beirne (ukelele) and Mel Mercier and Jim Higgins (bodhrán, bones) provide an intoxicating and raucous backdrop to Stivell's Irish words of hope for peace. The harp is to the fore on the contemplative "De' ha bla'," and on great new readings of "Mna na hEireann" and "Mairi's Wedding." Tracey Booth shares the microphone on "Ye Banks and Braes," another winner. Members of Tannas are highlighted on the experimental "Let The Plinn," which borrows a leaf from Welsh innovators Land of My Mothers in its trad/rap tradeoffs. Least successful is "Sword Dance," an overly long rave up on which the Glasgow Skye Association Pipe Band are drowned out by heavy handed guitars and "sound designing." New song "Parliament Lament" restores things to an even keel, with delicate harp, acoustic guitar, Irish pipes and low whistle, backed by the wonderful Welsh choir Côr Y Brythoniaid, before heading into the closing stretch with "Lands of My Fathers" on which the pipe band, the choir and the mass sounds of enthusiastic Welsh rugby fans all conspire. - John C. Falstaff (Atlanta, GA)

Jerry Garcia & David Grisman
Shady Grove
Acoustic Disc ACD-21 (1996)
Jerry Garcia and David Grisman had a friendship and musical partnership that lasted decades, and in the five years prior to Jerry Garcia's untimely passing, Garcia and Grisman made quite a number of recordings. Grisman's "Dawg Studios" was the location for these recordings, some of which include members of Grisman's Quintet who add fiddle, percussion and bass. Grisman has released this album as the first of a series of recordings grouped by musical genre culled from those sessions. The 13 cuts on this album represent the traditional genre and feature Jerry Garcia on vocals, guitar and banjo. David Grisman contributes mandolin, mandola, guitar, banjo, and the rarely heard mandolin-banjo. Garcia's vocals on this album may be some of the better available recorded performances of his lifetime, evoking a warm, unstrained feeling; the rough edges of his voice complement the material. Garcia and Grisman are both renowned for their instrumental prowess, playing, to borrow a phrase from Frank Zappa, "statistically dense" music; neither of them engages in gratuitous instrumental excess here.

There are five duets, among them is a superb version of Mississippi John Hurt's "Casey Jones." Grisman's mandolin weaves through and expands the tune beautifully, adding melodic bits, fills and rhythmic figures to Garcia's steady, loping guitar part and strong vocal. Also outstanding is the striking interplay in the five-string banjo duet, "The Sweet Sunny South," a Civil War era minstrel show tune.

Special guests include Brian Bowers, whose autoharp accompaniment on "Dreadful Wind and Rain" gives the song an ethereal quality. The tune may be familiar to Garcia fans from his more earthy Acoustic Band version. (Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band Almost Acoustic [Grateful Dead Merchandising GDCD4005 (1988)] Will Scarlett, known to many for his work with Jorma Kaukonen's Hot Tuna, provides a homey, "cowboy campfire" harmonica on the sentimental "Down in the Valley." The production work on this album is very well done, the sound is full and natural, the mixes allow all of the instruments and voices to be heard clearly. For those that like to read while listening, the included booklet has substantial liner notes and a full set of lyrics so that one can read along with the themes that made folk music great - murder, intrigue, tragedy and women who dress like men. For those that appreciate surprises, let the CD run after the final listed track and see what happens. - Andy Allen (Baltimore, MD)

Sibèba
Hijaz del Sol
Intuition/Nubenegra INT 3178 (1996)
Piruchi Apo Botupá and her niece Paloma Loribo Apo are the Spain-based vocalists and songwriters called Sibèba (formerly known as Hijaz del Sol). Originally from the Atlantic Ocean island of Bioko (part of the West African nation of Equatorial Guinea), the duo is cognizant of the importance of maintaining and preserving their endangered ethnic culture. They sing traditional songs of their heritage, and write original compositions that both celebrate and reflect their cultural identity. Botupá and Apo began as a cappella performers who use lots of harmonizing, and while there are a few tracks here free of instrumentation, most of the 15 selections are backed by guitar (electric or acoustic) and plenty of West African percussion. The part-traditional, part-original a cappella "Sibèba" features some inspired close harmony singing, and has lyrics that translate into "We are the natives of this town/ We must give life to our traditions/ God will help us so that they don't die." "A Batyo Bö Lökò" ("People From Here"), a spirited, original piece with electric guitar and multi-layered percussion, speaks of the importance of working to strengthen their island's traditions and culture. Other selections range from a new song about preventing AIDS to a traditional fertility rite. All tracks are sung in Sibèba's native language of Bubi except for the final one; on "Tirso de Molina," done in Spanish, the ladies express their feelings about being strangers in a land far from home. The impressive booklet includes English translations of the lyrics and informative notes on the vocalists and their culture. Sibèba delivers a sound fresh in spirit, rich in texture, vibrant in feeling. - Al Riess (Buffalo, NY)

Brave Combo
Mood Swing Music
Rounder CD 11574 (1996)
Brave Combo with Lauren Agnelli
Kiss of Fire
Watermelon CD 1058 (1996)
Although never a group to be pinned down to a single style, these two releases emphasize Brave Combo's lounge tune and mood music sides. Mood Swing Music is a collection of odds and sods the group recorded from 1988-1995, most of which were previously in limited (or hopelessly obscure) release. Among the most notable of the 20 tracks are "Skin," an Ernest Noyes Brookings poem set to salsa-inflected music by Combo leader Carl Finch, an irreverent version of Strauss' "Tales of the Vienna Woods," and "Three Ducks," a group of originals rendered here in four different styles: waltz, polka, ondo, and cha-cha. Also included are some unusual collaborations, including a version of "Volare" sung by Japanese vocalist Kikusimaru and the version of the Beatles' "Girl" that was the title tune of the group's recent collaboration with the late Tiny Tim.

Kiss of Fire, cut with ex-Washington Squares singer Lauren Agnelli, is a torch album originally released only in Japan (where BC is huge). The album's 12 moody pieces mix standards like "I Could Have Danced All Night" and the title tune with complementary originals written by Agnelli and/or Finch. Agnelli proves an adept torch singer, and Brave Combo provides spirited, if sometimes campy, accompaniment. - Michael Parrish (St. Charles, IL)

Koerner, Ray & Glover
One Foot in the Groove
Tim/Kerr TK96CD137 (1996)
Some 30 odd years after making their first recordings, Koerner, Ray and Glover have finally gotten around to making another album. This time they opted for a live album recorded at the Bryant Lake Bowl in their hometown, Minneapolis, with an audience of invited friends. The performance has the relaxed, loose feeling of a back-porch jam session by very talented musicians. Standout performances are the folky-blues rendition of "Way Back Down Home," as well as Isaiah Ross' "Terra Mae," which has a fine vocal by Dave Ray. Other standouts are the bluesy-folk of the traditional "Deliah's Gone" and Spider John Koerner's own "I Ain't Blue." - Andy Allen (Baltimore, MD)