Lilian Vammen and Gitte Vammen
Buestrøg og Bælgtræk – Musik fra en Vestjysk Spillemandsfamilie
Go’ Danish Folk Music Go1910
Traditions are wonderful things, and family traditions even more so – in England look no further than the Copper family, for example. The musical history in Lilian Vammen’s family goes back four generations, and she and partner Gitte keep it going, playing the old repertoire on accordion and piano. Here they offer 31 tunes, typical of an evening of dancing in West Jutland. It’s quite stirring stuff, made for the feet of course, virtually all in 2/4 or ¾, and with some occasional help from a few musicians of the younger generation who’ve been coming to them to learn those old melodies. As a document it’s valuable enough, but as entertainment it’s even more enjoyable. To add even greater lustre, the CD comes with a book that gives the family’s musical history (really only useful if you read Danish) and – here’s the important part – transcriptions of all the tunes on the CD. Kudos for the label for putting this out in such an excellent package, and for caring enough for the past to consider doing this at all.
Wednesday 16 February 2011
Thursday 10 February 2011
New albums from Zenobia and Karen Mose
Zenobia
I Vintermørkets Hal
Go’ Danish Folk Music GO1810
Karen Mose
Vingefang
Go’ Danish Folk Music GO0310
Finally, vocal albums seem to be getting a little less rare in Denmark, and this pair are real gems. The second release from Zenobia is very apt, an album for winter, as soft, drifting and mystical as snow itself, but with plenty of warmth. The trio of voice, accordion and piano is filled out with guests on several cuts, always to excellent effect, whether it’s harmonica blending with accordion on the instrumental “Julepolonaise” or a string quarter offering sublime backing to the gentle “Der Er Ingenting I Verden Så Stille Som Sne.” Across the entire disc the arrangements are wonderful, never a note more than is needed, stripped down yet wonderfully full. There are surprising moments, but always there’s ample beauty. These three women are really used to each other now, and there’s a sense of confidence and adventure in what they do here, which is making something that’s essentially timeless. Many of the words and melodies are old, some have religious origins, but Zenobia moulds them so there’s a sense of the whole, a real flow to the entire album. With this they really fulfil the potential they showed on their debut.
Karen Mose is on the disc, singing backup (with others) on one track. But she takes centre stage with Vingefang, a mix of traditional and more modern material that’s a perfect delight. Working with a relatively small group, there’s ample imagination going on here and some absolutely stellar performances, not least from Mose herself. She’d said in an interview that she wanted to use songs she’d heard growing up, and most of these probably are. But they’re refracted through an adult prism, so “Hamborger Bro,” for instance, is filled out, and has a glorious organ solo as its climax. Even a common song like “Lørdag Aften” is transformed, using just voice and bouzouki. Dobro and pedal steel feature often, to great effect, whether as atmosphere on “Sorgen” or spice on “Blomstrende Jasminer.” The connecting thread is Mose’s voice, a superbly sensitive instrument that’s as effective overdubbed on “Farvel Min Ven” or on the indie-folk sounding “Tåren.” About the only piece that seems slightly out of place is the country song “Sig Mig” – not for the song, but because it seems more grounded than the others, which have a lush, floating quality. That’s nowhere more true than on the opening title track (from Mose’s own pen), an odd melody that becomes quite psychedelic with swopping strings and voice working together over some excellent drumming, and ending up in territory halfway between Mazzy Star and “Lucy In The Sky with Diamonds.” Karen Mose has been an excellent singer for years. The only question is, with this so good, why did it take her so long to make a solo record?
I Vintermørkets Hal
Go’ Danish Folk Music GO1810
Karen Mose
Vingefang
Go’ Danish Folk Music GO0310
Finally, vocal albums seem to be getting a little less rare in Denmark, and this pair are real gems. The second release from Zenobia is very apt, an album for winter, as soft, drifting and mystical as snow itself, but with plenty of warmth. The trio of voice, accordion and piano is filled out with guests on several cuts, always to excellent effect, whether it’s harmonica blending with accordion on the instrumental “Julepolonaise” or a string quarter offering sublime backing to the gentle “Der Er Ingenting I Verden Så Stille Som Sne.” Across the entire disc the arrangements are wonderful, never a note more than is needed, stripped down yet wonderfully full. There are surprising moments, but always there’s ample beauty. These three women are really used to each other now, and there’s a sense of confidence and adventure in what they do here, which is making something that’s essentially timeless. Many of the words and melodies are old, some have religious origins, but Zenobia moulds them so there’s a sense of the whole, a real flow to the entire album. With this they really fulfil the potential they showed on their debut.
Karen Mose is on the disc, singing backup (with others) on one track. But she takes centre stage with Vingefang, a mix of traditional and more modern material that’s a perfect delight. Working with a relatively small group, there’s ample imagination going on here and some absolutely stellar performances, not least from Mose herself. She’d said in an interview that she wanted to use songs she’d heard growing up, and most of these probably are. But they’re refracted through an adult prism, so “Hamborger Bro,” for instance, is filled out, and has a glorious organ solo as its climax. Even a common song like “Lørdag Aften” is transformed, using just voice and bouzouki. Dobro and pedal steel feature often, to great effect, whether as atmosphere on “Sorgen” or spice on “Blomstrende Jasminer.” The connecting thread is Mose’s voice, a superbly sensitive instrument that’s as effective overdubbed on “Farvel Min Ven” or on the indie-folk sounding “Tåren.” About the only piece that seems slightly out of place is the country song “Sig Mig” – not for the song, but because it seems more grounded than the others, which have a lush, floating quality. That’s nowhere more true than on the opening title track (from Mose’s own pen), an odd melody that becomes quite psychedelic with swopping strings and voice working together over some excellent drumming, and ending up in territory halfway between Mazzy Star and “Lucy In The Sky with Diamonds.” Karen Mose has been an excellent singer for years. The only question is, with this so good, why did it take her so long to make a solo record?
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