Kirk Elliott, Fiddler On The Rocks (Independent, 2006)
Foghorn Stringband, Weiser Sunrise (Nettwerk America, 2005)
Horse Flies, Where the Rivers Flow North (Alcazar, 1994)
Marley's Ghost, Spooked (Sage Arts, 2006)
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Acoustic Capitol, originally released 1994,reissued 2005)
Acoustic music. These days it's everywhere. These are five recent releases that display the true sound of guitars, mandolins, fiddles, and the human voice...even the odd drum beat, in a variety of styles that are linked not only by instrumentation but by inspiration.
First up is the re-release of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's Acoustic album. First released in 1994, it went out of print but was brought back in '05 due to public demand. It features the original version of "Bless the Broken Road" (a tune that was a big country hit for Rascal Flatts last year) sung here by its composer Jeff Hanna. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has a long history of making acoustic music, and colouring it with a rock sensibility which has ended up in some classic albums. Their three-volume tribute to bluegrass and "hillbilly" pioneers (Will the Circle Be Unbroken) is a classic example of what they do. They've been playing their pleasant blend of country/bluegrass/folk rock since the late 60s, and they sure can play.
The songs on Acoustic are originals written mostly by the band members. They all write, guitarists Jim Ibbotson and Jeff Hanna, pianist Bob Carpenter (who also plays bass and accordion) and Jimmie Fadden, drummer and harmonica player. They also sing. Their harmonies are mountain-worthy. This is music for a quiet afternoon. Relaxed and mellow.
Want a little more zip? Try the Foghorn Stringband, whose Weiser Sunrise sounds like a hoedown right off the bat. Fiddler Stephen "Sammy" Lind takes the lead on "Mississippi Sawyer" but everybody backs him up with strong support from string bassist Brian Bagdonas, guitarist Kevin Sandri, Caleb Klauder on mandolin and banjo by the Reverend P.T. Grover, Jr. The liner notes state that this "recording was fueled by cheap energy drinks and Chicago style hot dogs." They grouped themselves into a circle and played just like a picking session, and that's what the album sounds like. The vocals are "Ralph Stanley style" barked out sharplike, with plenty of downhome harmonies. Great picking, great feel. Not mellow at all.
Where the Rivers Flow North is a soundtrack album for the film of the same name. The Horse Flies provide the music: Jeff Claus on banjo, ukulele and guitars, Peter Dodge on piano and accordion, Rich Stearns on banjo, Judy Hyman on violins, John Hayward on bass and Ben Wittman on percussion. Both Claus and Wittman add synths to the mix. As an album it's a bit unfocused, but I saw this film on television a month or two ago, and it provided beatifully atmospheric backing to the images. I notice the release date on this CD is 1994. I'm not sure why it took so long to arrive, but it provides a good soundtrack behind a clicking keyboard and I'm glad to have it.
Kirk Elliott is a Canadian musician whose last album was the guitar-soaked Up From the Ground. I spoke to Kirk on the phone and he told me that he much prefers his fiddle playing. This album, as you might guess from the title, is all fiddle. Well, except for Kirk's guitar, mandolin, keyboards, penny whistle, celtic harp, cittern, bodhran, dulcimer, banjo and some support by a handful of session players. Oh, and there are a couple of tracks where Kirk does not play the fiddle, but instead...the violin. Ah! He mixes jigs with swing, throws in a "sarabande" (for celtic harp) and a couple of reels. All wonderfully played. And the liner notes are fun to read too! Did I say he plays harmonica too? And the spoons?
Finally, we have a new album by Marley's Ghost! It's number eight and it's called Spooked. It comes wrapped in a cardboard sleeve with a drawing by R. Crumb and I have to say...the band looks pretty spooked on the front. But the inside drawing has a comely topless lute player floating by who seems to have settled them down. So much so that they seem to have missed the devil who is playing his red fiddle just over their heads. Gotta love that R. Crumb! The next thing you'll notice is that the liner note is written by Van Dyke Parks, who also produced and adds some of his trademark keyboards throughout.
I love this album. It's found its way back into the CD player more than the rest of the albums reviewed here, and it will continue to do so. It's acoustic, but it has more of an edge. Right from the start with the jew's harp and fiddle lead-in to "Sail Away Ladies" I was hooked. The vocals are high mountain harmonies and the instrumentation is traditional -- banjo, guitar, fiddle, autoharp -- but Marley's Ghost manages to haunt you. No parlour tricks, no 'bits of undigested beef,' just solid musicianship and imagination. They cover Bob Dylan ("Wicked Messenger"), do some traditional tunes, and write their own classic songs that fit the mood perfectly. I especially liked their tribute to the French rocker in "The Ballad of Johnny Hallyday!"
There you go. Five CDs of music played on basically the same instruments. All influenced by bluegrass, Celtic and mountain music, but each one approaching it from a new direction. Each one offers something old, something new, something borrowed and even a little bit of blues.
