There is an expression that Things Take Time, TTT. When it comes to Chris Wood and Andy Cutting this expression could be slightly changed to Tunes Take Time. On their album Knock John they have the courage to play things slowly and to let the music take its time. There is no stress or hurry in the musical lives of Wood and Cutting.
The CD starts off pretty traditionally with "Bonny Breast Knot/Bonny Kate", an up tempo track in the fashion that you would expect from many mainly instrumental folk albums. But do not let that opener fool you. After that they slow things down, presenting the tunes, letting the develop and grow before changing them. This is best shown in track three. Starting with an almost hypnotic "Down the Wagon Way", turning into a slow song, "Sweet Jayne", and then returning to the instrumental format again with "The North Downes Way" by Wood. It is eleven and a half minutes of real beauty.
The following "Mrs. Lindsay Barker", by Cutting, is an instrumental, with Cutting's diatonic accordion backed by Wood plucking chords on his violin (or is it the viola) like he played a guitar. Without changing the style of his chord plucking, maintaining the same beat, Wood glides into "Spencer the Rover," one of the great English folk songs.
"Attingham Waltz" by Helena Torpy starts with guest guitar player Ian Carr giving us the tune, backed by Cutting, before Wood joins in. The trio gives us five and a half minutes of the tune, in an elaborate workout with harmonies and variations added.
There are two more songs, "The Rambling Comer" and my favourite poaching song "While the Gamekeepers Lie Sleeping", and many more tunes before they round it off with yet another up tempo set, as to thank us for our patience.
The two of them are both lovely musicians, with no need for showing off with flashy additions. They let the music speak for itself. That goes for Ian Carr two, who guests on three of the tracks. In addition to the musicianship, I am also very impressed with Wood´s voice. He is a great singer, able to vary his voice to what the song needs. This is best shown if you compare "Sweet Jayne", which he performs in a low, slow, emotional voice, with "While the Gamekeepers Lie Sleeping", which shows him in a brisker manner.
If you expect the usual jigs and reels or something to get up and dance to, forget this album, but if you want something that holds out to repeated listening, giving you opportunities to discover new things in the songs and tunes every time you put it on, please check it out. And I must say I find it very un-stressing to put on when I come home from a hard day at the office.
I should add that it is a very English album, but what else would you expect from some of the people who a decade ago where among those considered the future of English folk. Well, they were and that future is with us now.
