Thursday 15 December 2011

Basco - Big Basco

Basco
Big Basco
Go’ Danish Folk Music GO0811

Basco has grown since their last album – literally. The energetic four-piece has added three brass players to fill out and change their sound. Although there’s still the great glee of writing in several traditions (for a Danish band there’s only a small amount of Danish influence on this album), the brass adds deeper resonance and possibilities, bringing extra solemnity to “Hymn,” for instance, and upping the romping, jollity factor on the traditional “Jacky Tar,” making it reminiscent of a Bellowhead outing – the lineup is bound to invite comparisons – although without the forceful central personality of Jon Boden. But then again, Bosco don’t want to by copyists; they’re forging their own sound, and a thrilling one it is too. The brass enhances every piece, and the tunes are exceptional throughout, with a special mention for the gentle, lush closer, “Lova Lova.” Given an interest in bigger bands in Danish folk music (think Habadekuk), this might be a trend. There’s great music here, and you could think of Bosco as having moved several steps along – and don’t forget the wit that’s part of the package, either.

Saturday 6 August 2011

Beginner's Guide to Scandinavia

It's not Danish, I know, but a few Danish artists are included...

Various Artists
Beginner’s Guide to Scandinavia

Nascente NSBOX079

This 3-CD budget collection really does make a very fair introduction to modern Scandinavian music – that’s Scandinavian in the inclusive sense, adding in Iceland, Finland, Greenland and the Faroe Isles. Each of the discs has a theme – Pop & Contemporary, Folk & Roots, and Jazz, Experimental & Atmospheres, but the borders between them are very fluid – Valrav could easily be in folk rather than pop, for instance, while Kimmo Phojonen might just as easily have fitted in Experimental. The pop disc is nowhere near as fluffy and vapid as it could have been, with Lars Demian sounding Serge Gainbourg weary on “Alkohol” and Cornelis Vresswijk channelling inspiration from Jacques Brel on “Samba For Pomperipossa.” There’s no Robyn, sadly, one of the best pop stars to come from the region, but there is the sweet acoustic indie sensibility of Pascal Pinon, the foiktronica of Valravn and Pohjone’s barely contained strangeness.

The folk disc does offerme moderately well-known names – Värttinä, Maria Kalaniemi, Annbjørg Lien and a couple of others, But it does also shine a spotlight on others, such as Eivor, who deserve more fame for their adventurous work, as well as Morild, Hedningarna and BOOT. It goes some way to showing the range of Nordic folk music being produced, and the fact that roots music has enjoyed a real resurgence is some of the countries thanks to university degree programmes (Finland and Denmark), while other countries, like Norway and Iceland, are still lagging behind in delving into their folk traditions, at least on a more global stage.

But its disc three that holds the greatest adventures, the music that tends to defy easy definition. From Benny Anderssons Orkester (yes, the former ABBA man) to the joiking of Wimme and Mari Boine, it’s a lesson in possibilities. Nordic jazz has long show a different, more abstract, sensibility than its American counterpart, and you can hear that in the piece by Karl Seglem, where sax mixes in new, ornate ways with folk music (Gjermud Larsen draws from folk in similar ways, too), or the excerpt from the beautiful, breathless “Judas Bolero” from Lars Danielsson or the voice and ice instruments used by Terje Isungset. It’s perhaps apt to end with a pair of Samí tracks, a people whose nomadic ways have taken them across many of the Nordic countries. Both Mari Boine and Wimme have been relentlessly experimental, and the tracks here highlight that, as well as the innate beauty of the joik. Put all together, it’s a fascinating primer on Nordic music, one that stays clear of the main highways and focuses on the smaller, less-driven roads – but the scenery there is always more interesting.

Wednesday 29 June 2011

A Kristian Bugge Fest

Habadekuk
Hopsadaddy
Go’ Danish Folk Music GO1710

Impuls Trio
Bugge, Bæk & Vinther
Go’ Danish Folk GO0711

Jensen & Bugge
Hav og Land – 10 År med Dasnk Traditionel Musik
Go’ Danish Folk Music GO0611

Dwight Lamb & Jensen & Bugge
Live in Denmark 2010
Go’ Danish Folk GO0411

It’s a bit of a Kristian Bugge fest. For now at least, he’s the hardest working man in Danish folk. Habadekuk is certainly the more adventurous of the discs here, featuring not only Bugge’s fiddle, but also accordion, guitar, bass, piano, drums and three brass players. The nearest analogy might well be Bellowhead, although this is all instrumental. It certainly offers another, kicking take on the Danish tradition, whether stomping on Proptræken or offering something slow and melodic like Spilledåsen. It’s more straightforward than Bellowhead, but still wonderfully exciting, with superb arrangements that often build to a roar and make full use of having the brass section in this nine-man outfit. They do look to the repertoire of Æ Tinuser, one of the seminal Danish bands that featured trombone. But this is definitely music for dancing – hard to keep still, in fact.

The Impuls Trio disc is much more low-key, mixing fiddle with guitar (and mandolin) as well as accordion from Phønix’s Jesper Vinther. The focus here is on rare old tunes, and the sources are carefully noted. These pieces are well worth discovering, and the playing is delicate and exquisite. Not every tune here is ancient – some date from the middle of the 20th century or later in the case of Læsø Rejlænder. There are a few guests (sparing use of trombone, drums and double bass) and the arrangements are exquisite, making full use of the different tones of the instruments and setting them against each other, melodically and rhythmically. The trio are very evenly matched, and there’s huge joy in the music making here, with a real sense of playfulness. It’s a very different kind of treasure to the big band, but that doesn’t mean its treasures aren’t every bit as rich.

Bugge has been playing in a duo with accordionist Mette Kathrine Jensen for a full decade now, although they’ve known each other since childhood. That easy familiarity translates into the music here, whether it’s just the two of them or the full band (clarinet, guitar, double bass). This is (mostly) traditional dance music – they play many dances – performed not only with great vigour, but absolute pleasure. The sources are from all over the country. There’s a huge amount of skill here; this isn’t raw music from the country, but refracted through some highly sophisticated musical sensibilities who just happen to love, and have the feel for, traditional dance music. It makes for a fabulous, lively disc, and the clarinet brings an interesting, almost exotic tone to the band tracks.
Finally there’s the real trump card in the Kristian Bugge pack. It features Jensen & Bugge (along with guests – pianist Vagn Dahl Hansen and older accordion player Karl Skaarup) but the real star of the show is accordion player Dwight Lamb, from Iowa. He’s the great grandson of Danish musician Kræn Jerup, who left Vendsyssel in Denmark for the US in the 1800s. The old music – played very much in the old style – was handed down, making Lamb a repository of tunes otherwise forgotten. The three of them have played together periodically over the last couple of years, and brought Lamb to Denmark in 2010 to see the mother country – and play a few shows. This is the result, and it’s wonderfully stirring. It’s definitely old-time music, Danish style. Still ineffably Danish, but with the patina of history on the notes. It’s to J&B’s credit that they’re happen to take back seats and let the real tradition shine

Tuesday 7 June 2011

Fiolministeriet

Fiolministeriet
Fiolministeriet
Go’ Danish Folk Music GO0511

One of the great beauties of Danish folk music is its malleability. In large part this is because the music is largely instrumental, so the framework of the song can be forgotten. The Fiddle Ministry (which is how the band’s name translates) has a wonderful time turning Danish folk into neo chamber music (along with a couple of original pieces). The lineup – two violins and a cello – gives them plenty of scope for their purpose, and the background that all the players have in folk music means this isn’t dilletantism at all. The pull from some well-known manuscript books for their material, including the wonderful work of Rasmus Storm, back when English music was a great influence on Denmark (in fact they take “Storm/Engeliska”). They can play with great delicacy when needed and then push up the passion and even add nice touches of humour to the proceedings. By offering such a different take on traditional music they open it up to a new audience (no bad thing) and expand the possibilities for the music in the future (also no bad thing). Danish music continues to be the most exciting prospect in Europe, and Fiolministeriet adds to its glory.

Monday 6 June 2011

Trio Mio

Trio Mio

Love & Cigars

Go’ Danish Folk Music GO0111



Considering Denmark’s Trio Mio began as a vehicle to play the compositions of violinist Kristine Heebøll, they’ve certainly grown over the course of several albums. Now they’re the equal of any Nordic band, bringing greater depth and complexity to the music, with all three members contributing tunes and adding more instruments to give even more richness to the sound. It wouldn’t work if they weren’t all superb musicians, wonderfully in sync with each other. Their grounding is still in folk music (and there’s one traditional piece, Stormen, which is all gussied up in a superb arrangement), but the rest all comes from the band. It’s a delight to hear Jens Ulvsand using guitar as well as bouzouki, and it’s apparent on this disc that the atmosphere of a piece – what’s between the notes as much as what’s played – is vital. They can put a little Western twang into the title cut or make Mette Maries Menuet quite Mozartian, and do it all with great delicacy and style. At this point their albums have graduated to vital listening, not just for those interested in Danish or Nordic music, but for anyone who loves excellent adventurous music, period

Thursday 3 March 2011

Habbadám

Habbadám
Still Young
Go’ Danish Folk Music GO1510

The second outing from Danish trio Habbadám find them widening their scope from the island of Bornholm. With a lineup of fiddle/vocals, guitar/harmonica/jews harp/vocals and soprano and alto saxes/vocals, their coloring is a little different from many outfits, but it all works together so well, in large part because there’s a great deal of sympathy and empathy between the musicians. That both songs and instrumentals come out of this with flying colours is a testament to the quality of the group, and their originals carry real power, especially the solo guitar piece "Til Maren-Jette" from Sigurd Hockings. He’s an understated player, and it’s only on close listening that you realise just how good he is, and how subtle all the musicians are. They bring in guests very sparingly. With this disc, coming after many gigs, they seem to have found the ideal balance, while sticking keeping one foot firmly in their Bornholm roots. There’s real excitement in the music and yes, youthfulness, too. Danish music of the very highest order.

Wednesday 16 February 2011

Lilian Vammen and Gitte Vammen

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.

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?