Past Programs
Acoustic - 2008
Juan Carmona
18/11/2008
Juan Carmona was born in France of Spanish Gypsy background. The gift of a guitar for his 10th birthday set him on the path of discovery of his roots which has led to the CD's Caminos Nuevos and Orillas which we feature today.
He blends the expected sounds of traditional and contemporary flamenco ... guitars, singers, hand clapping and percussion ... with the more unexpected textures of a Morrocan orchestra, complete with strings, brass and woodwinds. The result is a fine exploration of the Moorish roots of flamenco.
Kamerunga
13/11/2008
After a decade or two waiting in the doldrums, Australian Bush Music has finally been given the revitalisation and rejuvenation it needed to allow it to return to festival headline status - thanks to a new band from far north Queensland - Kamerunga.
The band and their debut CD The Push are the brainchild of guitarist and singer Tony and multi-instrumentalist Peter Ella, who for many years have toured in the band Snake Gully. Kamerunga takes traditional Aussie songs like South Australia and the Lachlan Tigers as a starting point, adding elements of rock, classical, jazz, reggae and even rap to the mix to make a well-crafted, accessible and respectful synthesis. As well as the usual suspects like mandolin, fiddle and guitar, there's saxophones, bass, drums, keyboards and didgeridoo. The final touch is the production help by former Steeleye Span drummer Nigel Pegrum. It's a lively journey!
Fireside Bellows
11/11/2008
In 2007, Australian Singer/Songwriter Jordie Lane met recently-arrived Canadian musician Tracy Mitchell at a gig in Fitzroy. Over a couple of long days sharing wine, guitar and stories they discovered they could sing together like they'd been doing it for centuries, and so the Fireside Bellows were born.
Their debut CD No Time to Die covers the full gamut of country styles from tragic murder ballad to oh-so-clever love ditties via rockabilly and a touch of western swing. There are some memorable guest appearances from Garrett Costigan (pedal steel), Andy Baylor (fiddle) and the horn section known as the Hoodangers. But the real strength of this CD is the sweet harmony vocals and classic lyrics.
Andy Bey (First Broadcast on 12/03/2008)
23/09/2008
We’ve heard Andy Bey’s incredible four octave voice go from pianissimo to fortissimo before, but on Ain’t Necessarily So he also plays piano with the same unpredictability in a live piano trio.
This session, recorded at Birdland a decade ago, was effectively his first significant New York City residency as a leader. The non-brothers Peter and Kenny Washington are the rhythm section on most of this CD that signalled Bey’s return as a pianist. As New York Times music critic Ben Ratliff said of Andy, ‘When he enters a song, he makes it deluxe, decking it out with cushions and tapestries; arranging all the hangings; he isn’t just making a quick visit.’ And on the title piece, he uses his magnificent voice so that you might not ever be able to imagine anyone else singing the song.
Mic Conway's National Junk Band
01/07/2008
On Mic Conway’s National Junk Band’s new CD, Corporate Chook, mindless consumerism, amoral corporations and ageing hack musicians are all targets for the group’s jug band hilarity.
The playing is great, whether it’s in the jug band, swing or music hall tradition and the songs exhibit the group’s irreverence. Highlights are a portrait of an ageing musical saw player titled (groan!) the Worn Saw Concerto, a cover of John Lennon’s Crippled Inside and Mic’s revision of his live schtick, the race call of the universe into a race call of the conception, birth, life and death of the hapless everyman, Bruce.
Cyril Pahinui
17/03/2008
On He’eia, Slack-Key guitarist Cyril Pahinui channels the musical spirits of his Dad, Gabby Pahinui, Atta Isaacs and Sonny Chillingworth for an excellent CD of mostly traditional Hawaiian instrumentals and songs.
Cyril says that whenever he plays music, he thinks of Gabby, Atta and Sonny and gives thanks for what he learned from them in his younger days. But Cyril’s music is now very much his own, with his use of the 12-string guitar, his emphasis on ‘C’ tunings, his muting techniques, his likeably loose approach and his improvisation. He has a strong voice too, and He’eia (A bay on the Kona side of the big island of Hawai’i) is a beautiful overview of Hawaiian music as played by a modern master.
Martha Tilston
13/03/2008
With her new CD, of Milkmaids and Architects, Martha Tilston uses her pleasingly pure voice to sing her songs, combining the personal with the political, with a subtle acoustic backing.
As the daughter of Steve Tilston and the stepdaughter of Maggie Boyle, she grew up in the UK surrounded by the music of her parents and visitors such as Bert Jansch and John Renbourne. This early intro to folk music gave her an understanding of the importance of music in communities which she has translated to innovative avenues - the wupudupa collective of artists she set up with friends, the musicians she plays with on the Small World Solar Stage, playing ‘under the radar’ around campfires and in people’s houses and releasing an album with her band the ‘woods’ as a free download. Martha funded her debut album on her own label by selling paintings she made of each song on the album. She began writing her songs at an early age, first on piano then on guitar. Martha is touring Australia in March.
Andy Bey
12/03/2008
We’ve heard Andy Bey’s incredible four octave voice go from pianissimo to fortissimo before, but on Ain’t Necessarily So he also plays piano with the same unpredictability in a live piano trio.
This session, recorded at Birdland a decade ago, was effectively his first significant New York City residency as a leader. The non-brothers Peter and Kenny Washington are the rhythm section on most of this CD that signalled Bey’s return as a pianist. As New York Times music critic Ben Ratliff said of Andy, ‘When he enters a song, he makes it deluxe, decking it out with cushions and tapestries; arranging all the hangings; he isn’t just making a quick visit.’ And on the title piece, he uses his magnificent voice so that you might not ever be able to imagine anyone else singing the song.
Pablo Ziegler - Quique Sinesi with Walter Castro
11/03/2008
As a key member of Astor Piazzolla’s quintet, pianist Pablo Ziegler helped reshape tango, adding jazz rhythms and improvisation. On Pablo’s new album, Buenos Aires Report, he’s joined by fine musicians, guitarist Quique Sinesi and bandoneonist Walter Castro, in a live performance of seven of Pablo’s compositions, one of Quique’s and the master’s Libertango.
Pablo has taken Astor’s Nuevo Tango a step further with a touch more jazz and improvisation, and there’s an obvious rapport between him and his playing partner in various line-ups since 1990, the ever-exploratory guitarist Quique Sinesi.
Music Deli Presents Live Recordings From the Port Fairy Folk Festival
06/03/2008
On the eve of the 2008 Festival, we bring you Music Deli Presents: Live Recordings from the Port Fairy Folk Festival.
Produced by Radio National Music Deli’s Paul Petran, it includes excellent performances by Fiona Boyes and the Fortune Tellers, Niamh Parsons and Graham Dunne, Habib Koite and Bamada, and Eric Bibb and Dave Bronze.
Son de la Frontera
05/03/2008
On Cal, Son de la Frontera continue their explorations of the music of Diego del Gastor, with Raúl Rodríguez’ Cuban très guitar adding a new musical colour.
The group also interpret pieces by Diego’s brother Antonio Amaya Flores and some of his contemporaries - Montoya, Sabicas and Niño Ricardo.
Mike Seeger
04/03/2008
Today we feature Early Southern Guitar Sounds, the new CD by Mike Seeger whose folk musicianship Bob Dylan explains was his reason for giving up being a folk singer: ‘In order to be as good as that, you’d just have to be him, and nobody else ...I saw that it could take me the rest of my life to make practical use of that knowledge and Mike (Seeger) didn’t have to do that (Hewasjustrightthere). He was too good and you can’t be ‘too good’, not in this world, anyway.’ (Chronicles, pg. 71).
Folk music’s loss was music’s gain, but Mike has continued playing and researching folk music in the 5 decades since Dylan changed tack. On his new CD, multi-instrumentalist and stylist Mike concentrates on a range of Southern USA guitar styles played on a diverse collection of fine instruments. With Mike playing cowboy, Appalachian, blues, slide and archaic African-American styles, we get an enthusiastic and well-researched overview of a rich field - the work of a lifetime distilled into one album - not surprising given his pedigree - son of folklorists, brother of Peggy Seeger and half-brother to Pete Seeger.
Genticorum
28/02/2008
On Malins Plaisirs (Devilish Pleasures), Montreal traditional trio Genticorum brings a fresh and vital feeling to traditional Québecois music.
All three members explored jazz and other styles before becoming passionate about traditional music. Alexandre de Grosbois-Garand was a funk-latin-jazz composer/arranger and bass player before he started studying wooden flute in 1997. Yann Falquet got a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz before developing a personal guitar style for music inspired by Breton, Scandinavian, Irish and North American styles. Pascal Gemme got degrees in big band arrangements, classical and jazz guitar before taking up the fiddle, inspired by the playing of his grandfather. As a result the trio bring a new, powerful, polished and light-hearted flavour to their all acoustic tunes and well-harmonised songs.
Genticorum tour Australia from 29 February to 30 March: http://www.newsouthfolk.com.au/#genti
