Reviews
 Live
at the Wharf [Return] |
| For excitement, enthusiasm, musical wizardry
and all-round wonderfulness, this is the album. The irrepressible duo
of Chris (on concertina) and Denny (on guitar and vocals), are joined
here on uilleann pipes by Nick Scott, who amazingly had only had a handful
of previous stage performances with the pair before this live album
was recorded.
What characterises the album are brilliant, individual arrangements of Irish tunes and songs that are full uf character. The album definitely feels live- the music sounds as if it is played to the limit, giving a real edge. The performances are inclusive, drawing you into the circle of the music. You'll feel like picking up an instrument and joining in- if only you could keep up with the deft fingerwork. So, to be specific, on the album are five tunes-'The Collier Reel', 'Jenny's Picking Cockles, 'The Choice Wife', 'Rakish Paddy' and 'The Old Bush'. They're all expertly arranged, with driving rhythms on the guitar and flying fingerwork on concertina and pipes, instruments which at times seem to blend into one instrument above the guitar, while the whole spookily manages to sound as if far more than three people are playing. Denny's vocals are haunting and individual, based on rhythm, with melodies pared down to the bare bones. His performance of 'The Night Visit'is mesmeric, while his version of the much sung 'Do With What You've Got' has a real freshness about it. Another oft-performed song 'Burning Times' here almost seems like incantation, as Chris weaves amazing runs around the melody, while'Gallant Tipperary Boys' shows how Denny likes telling a story. The highlight of the album for me, though, is 'The May Morning Dew', which starts with a slow haunting air on the pipes that will bring you out in goosebumps, and which features Denny singing without guitar , with strength and intensity- a truly hypnotic performance. The one thing that cannot come over on this album is the hysterical
humour in the 'introductions' to songs and tunes at the live performances
and the interactions on stage. For that you'll just have to look out
for the boys, now appearing as 'Last Night's Fun'-a good craic if
ever there was one. For those of you who haven't caught up with them yet, Chris Sherburn plays Concertina and Denny Bartley provides rhythm guitar and vocals and, as a duo they have gained an enviable reputation on the folk scene while Nick Scott has been a much admired uilleann piper having worked with the likes of Show Of Hands. So good credentials all round and as a trio, their instrumental skills could best be summed up as the Bothy Band meets Steve Cooney In fact you could more than likely light Wembley Stadium with the energy they produce! On "The Night Visit", the idea of underpinning the song with a reel (of which the title escapes me) breaks nicely with convention showing some innovative arrangement. Although the recording won't be everybody's cup of tea (not too many
subtle moments here) if you like your Celtic music with rtiore than
a dash of passion, you'd be hard pushed to find a more rewarding album.
By the way, the audience sounded like they had a great time. |