I first heard Four Shillings Short a few years ago. It was almost by accident. It wasn't well-publicized; they were playing in a bookstore, and I'd figured them for a new local act that I could catch another time if I missed them. Luckily, I listened to that nagging inner voice that said to go see them, for they were neither new nor local. Though based more or less out of the Bay Area, Four Shillings Short are truly itinerant musicians ("You've heard of people who smoke other people's cigarettes? Well, we live in other people's houses!"), constantly on the move. Constantly on the move also applied to their live performance; bobbing, weaving, swaying, changing instruments mid-song.

They were an energetic duo: Aodh Og O'Tuama on whistles, Renaissance winds, and percussion, and Christy Martin on hammered dulcimer, mandolin, and sitar. Both were strong singers, and had a personable stage presence that made the audience members feel like old friends. Thoroughly enjoying the performance, I bought a couple of their CDs and went home.

Reaching home, I decided to listen to Kelptic OddYaSee, so titled, I was told, because "it has a song about kelp...and it's odd, ya see?" I popped the disc in the changer....wait a minute! This wasn't the same group I'd just listened to! I wouldn't even say they sounded similar. The core group on the recording was a quartet -- the two folks I'd heard live, plus Kristoph Klover on guitars, mandola, and oboe, and Jeff Buenz on bass.

Once past my initial shock, I found that I rather liked the recording. With the mix of traditional acoustic instruments, electric guitar and bass, and drums, it would be easy to lump the whole recording under the folk-rock category. If you listen more than casually, though, you'll find that it isn't that simple. "Peace In Erin" and "Priosun Chluain Meala" each merge an Irish song with an Indian form. If you can imagine a Caribbean jig, it would have to be "Kelptic Dulaman", which combines new English lyrics, an Irish song, and steel drums. Even the standards "Oh Susannah" and "Hard Times" get run through some jazz chord progressions. My favorite track just might be "Internet Blues", a Martin original, an urban blues tale of love found and lost on the Internet ("my mother told me not to play on the Internet highway").

The Boggy Spew puts more emphasis on the duo of Martin and O'Tuama. Klover and Buenz are still present on most tracks, though -- Buenz plays a wonderfully creepy intro to "I Am Stretched On Your Grave". Like the previous recording, The Boggy Spew is a lesson in musical diversity. The disc kicks off with a Latin-tinged jazz fusion version of "Raggle Taggle Gypsies". From there it moves on to such arrangements as Irish/calypso ("I Know My Love"), urban blues ("Wayfaring Stranger", with haunting new lyrics and some lovely scat-singing), and straight-ahead rock ("The Jolly Beggar") complete with electric guitar rave-ups. If there's one tune that stands out from the rest, it might be "Port na bPucai", an Irish air given a raga-like treatment with sitar and gemshorn.

There's a hidden bonus to both of these discs; Aodh Og O'Tuama writes some hilarious liner notes. I'll say no more on that. You'll just have to read them to find out.

Recently, I got to see Four Shillings Short live once again. It was a small venue, standing room only, and I missed a portion of the show because I was busy setting out more folding chairs. As before, they were dynamic, and mobile; both musicians moved in a sort of dance as they played, except when using sitar (Martin) or dumbek (O'Tuama), when they were required to sit. Again, their manner was neighborly, cracking jokes, or explaining what a rauschpieff is. They garnered a standing ovation from the small, crowded audience.

As I drove home, I listened to their latest realease, Of Labour And Love. After several listenings of previous Four Shillings Short recordings, I was no longer taken off guard by their experiments. Instead of "Huh? What?", my reaction was now "Yes. Very nice." There's another Euro-raga, this time the English song "Ramble Away", but also a segment of an actual Indian piece, "Raga Pahari Dhun". There are several Irish tunes, mostly dance tunes, hewing close to the tradition, along with a Great Lakes shantey, and a 13th century Spanish tune. Contemporary songs are present as well, ranging from funny ("Have A Nice Day"; "You're Not Irish", where Cork-born O'Tuama can be heard adopting a nasal pan-North American accent), to bitter (Jez Lowe's "Spitting Cousins"). Guest musicians are used sparingly, for the most part, and this disc gives the most accurate feel of how the group sounds live. Of course, it wouldn't be a Four Shillings Short recording if it didn't have something unexpected, in this case the childrens' choir on "Common Thread".

 Be sure to visit the Four Shillings Short Web site. There you'll find a history of the band, pictures, and of course, a tour schedule so you won't miss them when they come through your town.