Playing for Time - Terence Blacker
Review by Val Haines
A few years ago we ventured into London, to Cecil Sharp House but not to see anything folkie. One of our favourite bands at the time, The Candle Thieves, an indie-pop duo with an all-age following were appearing on the bill. This duo were young but their sound was reminiscent of the Beatles/Kinks style of quirky, folksy pop which appealed to us and many of our age. Also performing were two young singer songwriters. You know the type, they sing about their journey on the bus here, wonder wistfully why their girlfriend left them, and describe all the time they spend alone writing songs. The young people in the audience loved them but our mid-age and older party tried our best to ensure or yawns were inaudible.
The appeal of Terence Blacker is that he knows about ageing and is determined to write songs and sing about it. Earlier classics of his such as Young Girl with the Ukulele, Sad Old Bastards With Guitars and I’d Rather Be French appeal to a certain generation of middle-class cynics - or sensible realists if you prefer. The appeal of listening to descriptions of being old has resulted recently in Terence teaming up with now older ex-agony-aunt Virginia Ironside. Virginia has made a late career out of describing life for older women in a humorous way. Her show, Growing Old Disgracefully, directed by Nigel Planer, debuted at the Edinburgh Festival in 2012 and sees her sitting in her armchair railing against aches and pains, the pressure to join a book-club or a cruise and anything else that old age throws her way. (Cruises now seem even less attracive than ever!)
We saw her show recently at Diss Corn Hall, a double bill with Terence entitled The Time of our Lives. Both performers reminisced about their formative years as well as cocking a snook at their third age. Terence was also promoting his new CD Playing For Time.
The attarctive digipak CDs cover shows Terence as a young boy with a ukulele, looking I have to say, like a young Paul McCartney. The songs are, as you would expect, finely crafted and produced tracks covering the familiar topics of youth and bitter experience. Recorded in Italy and Suffolk, some of the tracks include lovely band arrangements. The musicians here are Hartmut Saam, accordion, Giovanni Rago, electric guitar, Fortunata Monzo, vocals, Giovanni Crecenzi, bass, Demenico de Marco, drums and percussion, and David Booth, bass, percussion and vocals.
Waterbound is the third full–length offering from the Norwich–based folk trio Alden Patterson and Dashwood (Christina Aiden on vocals and guitar, Alex Patterson on fiddle, vocals and shruti and Noel Dashwood on vocals and dobro guitar). It’s a refreshingly different listen from many similar offerings for one simple reason. The entire album of nine tracks was recorded in a studio in just ten hours. They played every track twice and chose one of them for the album. In only one case did they choose the second recording. There was no editing and no overdubs added. It’s an album stripped down to the basics
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Vicki and Jonny are among the hardest working musicians on the folk scene. In addition to their vast performance schedule (sadly now covid-19 depleted), they have a back catalogue of 10 albums (some with supporting musicians) and eight books of tunes. When not playing the true folk stuff, they can be found in medieval garb at castles, Victorian costume at Christmas markets and in 17th century finery for the Playford experience. Jonny has even done a stint at the Globe Theatre. I’m guessing that for 'contra' they dress in their own clothes.
On my radio show “Strummers & Dreamers” I chose this sea-themed album as one of my favourites of 2019. The title of the album (and of one of its tracks) is taken from the name of a novel by Jack Kerouac. The album has delightful harmonies from the duo David Harbottle and Freya Jonas, along with lovely instrument arrangements for the songs, with the double bass, cello and violin particularly worthy of note.
I selected this fine album by Northumbrian duo The Brothers Gillespie as one of my favourites of 2019 (although technically it was released at the end of 2018). It is an absolute joy, particularly on account of what Sam Lee refers to as “the glorious tones of their blood harmony”: sibling voices totally in synch, singing passionately.
Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!
Review by Les Ray