The Weekend Planet

Our featured album is not at all like last night’s, but does also come from northern Europe. Waltz With Me is an unusual string quartet project, informed by ancient traditions, but novel. Norwegian leader/composer Annbjørg Lien is a virtuoso of the Hardanger fiddle. Mikael Marin from Sweden (and the great band Väsen) plays 5-string viola. Cellist Christine Hanson is from Canada, but lives in Scotland. Bruce Molsky is a master of North American ‘ole-timey’ fiddle music.. and many other things besides. Here, he plays American and Scandinavian fiddles and guitar. Bruce also sings, as does one of Norway’s greatest vocalists - the quartet’s special guest, Kistern Bråten Berg.

Annbjørg Lien’s site:
www.annbjorglien.com

Playlist

HAVING TROUBLE READING OUR PLAY-LISTS?

READ THIS AND EVERYTHING BECOMES CLEAR (WE HOPE!)

Details of each track are presented in the following order:
BROADCAST TIME
TRACK NUMBER AND TITLE
COMPOSER
PUBLISHING AND COPYRIGHT DETAILS
RECORDING COMPANY AND CD NUMBER
( distributor/ source details, in brackets like this, in lower-case)
ARTIST AND CD TITLE
Duration of track
Description of track, in lower-case.
Where relevant, further info links to information, gigs/events/related programs

’THE WEEKEND PLANET’ SUN 25..5. 08

2205
THEME:
(details below, as per the original CD.. This cut is also on these compilations Ketama - ’ Nuevos Medios Coleccion’ - Nuevos Medios NM 15 820
{ in Australia via MGM www.thegroovemerchants.com
worldwide, via: www.flamenco-world.com/noticias/nuevos.htm }
and ’ Jarabi - the best of Toumani Diabate’ (Hannibal 334352 )

CD CUT 1, ’JARABI’
TRAD, ARR TOUMANI DIABATE
HAMILCAR MUSIC LTD
HANNIBAL HNCD 1323
( in Australia, some releases through Stomp Enquiries to: ben@stomp.com.au
worldwide: www.rykodisc.com )
KETAMA, TOUMANI DIABATE, DANNY THOMPSON - ’SONGHAI’
THIRTY SECONDS (EXCERPT)
(retains a stately-Manding air, whilst also embracing flamenco elements. Toumani Diabate’s kora, Danny Thompson’s beautiful double bass and Ketama’ s flamenco guitars )

2207
CD CUT 6, ’WALTZ WITH ME’
ANNBJØRG LIEN, ARR ANNBJØRG LIEN/ BRUCE MOLSKY/ MIKAEL MARIN AND CHRISTINE HANSON
PUB NOT SPEC’
HEILO HCD 7216
( no Australian distributor
www.grappa.no
This is likely to become available worldwide via www.cdroots.com )
ANNBJØRG LIEN - ’WALTZ WITH ME’
2: 46
( A sweet waltz composed by its Norwegian hardanger fiddler, who leads an unusual, multi-national string quartet on her new CD. Her band-mates are 5-string viola player Mikael Marin from Sweden (and the great band Väsen), Scots-resident Canadian cellist Christine Hanson and Bruce Molsky from the USA who plays guitar on this. He elsewhere on the CD also sings and plays both hardanger and conventional fiddles.

LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT {AND SEE} THE HARDANGER FIDDLE?

This is a good place to start:
www.hfaa.org/hardanger_fiddle.html
which leads to this more detaled exposition:
www.hfaa.org/hardingfele/golber_lutherie.html

There is a host of hardanger links, here: www.hfaa.org/internet_resources.html )

SEGUE

2210
CD CUT 13, ’ON MY STREET’
BRUCE MOLSKY
DIELECTRIC MUSIC (BMI)
COMPASS 7 4432 2
( In Australia, through The Planet Company/ MGM
email: info@theplanetcompany.com
website: www.theplanetcompany.com
Worldwide: www.compassrecords.com )
BRUCE MOLSKY - ’SOON BE TIME’
3: 45
(A very deft and genial fingerstyle ac guitar solo, strongly influenced by the Congolese guitar hero Jean Bosco Mwenda (1930-1990). That notwithstanding, it’s a portrait of the Bronx Street in New York where Bruce grew up!

YOU’D LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT JEAN BOSCO MWENDA?
This is a good place to start:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Bosco_Mwenda )

2216
CD CUT 18, ’LINDEHAUGEN’ (SPRINGAR )
(PRESUMABLY) TRAD NORWEGIAN, ARR KNUT HAMRE
NO PUB SPEC
2L 12
( no Australian distributor.
Is available worldwide via www.cdroots.com )
ASE TEIGLAND, KNUT HAMRE, FRANK ROLLAND - ’TRIO HARDANGER’
2: 50
(Knut Hamre, solo - absolutely solo hardanger fiddle - really ’singing’ on a lyrical Norwegian dance)

SEGUE

2219
CD CUT 3, ’FELA’(THE FIDDLE)
KNUT BUEN. ARR ANNBJØRG LIEN/ BRUCE MOLSKY/ MIKAEL MARIN AND CHRISTINE HANSON
PUB NOT SPEC
HEILO HCD 7216
( no Australian distributor
www.grappa.no
This is likely to become available worldwide via www.cdroots.com )
ANNBJØRG LIEN - ’WALTZ WITH ME’
4: 08
( A hymnlike ode to the hardanger fiddle itself, with a lyric written by one of its masters. Ms Lien is the hardanger player and author of the tune, the 5-string viola player is Mikael Marin from Sweden (and the great band Väsen), Scots-resident Canadian Christine Hanson is the cellist and Bruce Molsky from the USA plays guitar and sings in English. The superb female Norwegian vocal is courtesy of the special guest - Kirsten Bråten Berg )

SEGUE

2223
CD CUT 8, ’RUNARVISA/ SONG OF ENCHANTMENT’
TRAD, ARR HALLVARD T. BJORGUM AND KIRSTEN BRÅTEN BERG
PUB NOT SPEC
GRAPPA GRCD 4157
( no Australian distributor
www.grappa.no
available worldwide via www.cdroots.com )
KIRSTEN BRATEN BERG, HALLVARD T. BJORGUM - ’RUNARSTRENG’
2: 21
(Norwegian: Kirsten Bråten Berg’s voice alone, then in duo with Hallvard’s hardanger. A song about destiny as almost all-powerful and music/love as something that proves sometimes even more powerful. It is - more or less - a Nordic version of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice

LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT KIRSTEN BRÅTEN BERG?

She’s a noted silversmith as well as a great singer.
Start here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirsten_Br%C3%A5ten_Berg )

2228
CD CUT 9, ’THE OLD CAR’
ANNBJØRG LIEN, ARR ANNBJØRG LIEN/ BRUCE MOLSKY/ MIKAEL MARIN AND CHRISTINE HANSON
PUB NOT SPEC’
HEILO HCD 7216
( no Australian distributor
www.grappa.no
This is likely to become available worldwide via www.cdroots.com )
ANNBJØRG LIEN - ’WALTZ WITH ME’
3: 46
( A vivid and quirky, bowed-strings depiction of an old car spluttering, surging and staggering. Its Norwegian hardanger fiddler/author leads an unusual, multi-national string quartet on her new CD. Her band-mates are 5-string viola player Mikael Marin from Sweden (and the great band Väsen), Scots-resident Canadian cellist Christine Hanson and Bruce Molsky from the USA who is the other fiddler here - also on hardanger, I think)

SEGUE

2232
CD CUT 3, ’T-MODEL FORD’
TONY ELLIS
MERRYWANG, INC (ASCAP)
FLYING FISH FF 70620
(This may or may not be available, still. If so:
In Australia, through The Planet Company/ MGM
email: info@theplanetcompany.com
website: www.theplanetcompany.com
worldwide through Rounder: www.rounder.com )
TONY ELLIS - ’FAREWELL MY HOME’
1: 41
( the composer’s nimble, twanging banjo on piece which, he says, ’whines and growls and bumps along like an old flivver’. His son Bill { William Lee Ellis} plays the rhythm guitar)

SEGUE

2234
CD CUT 9, ’DADDY’S OLDSMOBILE’
DAVE MALLETT
CONTROL
VANGUARD D 31455
( in Australia through Shock. www.shock.com.au
worldwide: www.vanguardrecords.com )
DAVE MALLETT - ’IN THE FALING DARK’
3: 07
(deep-voiced US male voice w ac guitars, accordion, ac bass, dobro - remembering childhood in shakey circumstances, comforted by the big car and his father’s optimism)

SEGUE

2237
CD CUT 2, ’CAR WHEELS ON A GRAVEL ROAD’
LUCINDA WILLIAMS
WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORP/ LUCY JONES MUSIC/
NOMAD-NORMAN MUSIC
MERCURY 558 338-2 (THROUGH POLYGRAM)
LUCINDA WILLIAMS - ’CAR WHEELS ON A GRAVEL ROAD’
4: 47
(quasi-spoken in parts, female voice w ac guitar, elec guitar, elec mandolin, male harmony, prominent drums - through mind of a child in the ’deep South’: an uncanny song )

2243
CD CUT 6, ’WALTZ FOR KIM’
DAVID ROSS MACDONALD
(PRESUMABLY) APRA/ CONTROL
DRM 0203
( www.davidrossmacdonald.com )
DAVID ROSS MACDONALD - ’SOUTHERN CROSSING: A CELEBRATION OF
AUSTRALIAN HANDCRAFTED GUITARS’
3: 47
(AUSTRAL COMP AND PERF: delicate waltz for solo, fingerpicked
acoustic steel-string guitar. Scott Wise made the guitar: www.scottwise.net )

SEGUE

2247
CD ( DISC ONE ) , CUT 6, ’MCCOURY BLUES’
DEL MCCOURY
PUB NOT SPEC
ACOUSTIC DISC ACD-35
( no Australian distributor.
Worldwide: www.dawgnet.com )
VARIOUS - ’BLUEGRASS MANDOLIN EXTRAVAGANZA’
2: 18
( a vehicle for the relaxed virtuosity of mandolinist Ronnie McCoury, accompanied by his father Del’s acoustic rhythm guitar. As usual, Ronnie’s mandolin was made by an Australian - Steve Gilchrist. It is a 1981 Gilchrist Model 5, here The American player is widely regarded as the greatest living bluegrass mandolinist; His instrument’s Australian maker is widely regarded as the world’s greatest living maker of such mandolins.

ABC RADIO NATIONAL ’PLAYMAKERS’ ALERT
( participants include this mandolin’s maker and the man who made the guitar played on the preceding solo cut)

Into the Music Saturday 31 May, 5.05pm
Repeated on Friday 6 June, 3.05pm

Playmakers
Instrument making is usually a solitary pursuit, but the sense of collaboration and common purpose was palpable in Albany. There, on the south coast of Western Australia, makers gathered to discuss techniques and celebrate their craft. Robyn Johnston spent time with local members of the Great Southern Lutherie and the visiting master makers, exploring their passion for a complex and rewarding endeavour and discovering what happens when amateurs overcome their ’wood fear’ and create something precious.

In this program, the humble player bows to the skills of the maker, puts the instrument in the spotlight and makes it the star. Each of these beautiful objects is a witness to its maker’s long quest in his craft. Built to carry songs and tunes, they also bear courage, commitment and tradition.

Produced by Robyn Johnston and David Le May
Sound engineer David Le May

Into the Music’ with Robyn Johnston
Saturdays after the 5pm news
Repeated on Fridays after the 3pm news

Audio can be demanded from website for four weeks after radio broadcast.
www.abc.net.au/rn/intothemusic )

2252
CD CUT 4, ’SEGUIRIYAS’
NINO RICARDO
PUB NOT SPEC (LIKELY, PUBLIC DOMAIN)
NIMBUS RECORDS NI 7011
( in Australia through Select Audio-Visual Distribution:
www.savd.com.au
worldwide: www.wyastone.co.uk )
PACO PEÑA - ’THE ART OF PACO PEÑA’
5: 58
( flamenco guitar solo - taken from an earlier CD on same label. NI 5093 is Paco’s ’Flamenco Guitar Music of Ramón Montoya and Niño Ricardo.’

PACO PEÑA ON ABC RADIO NATIONAL ALERT

Thursday May 29th on ’The Daily Planet’, Paco will select the music.
He will also bring his guitar and talk with Lucky Oceans.

’The Daily Planet’ with Lucky Oceans airs Monday to Friday at 2.20pm
Except on Fridays, it has a second airing at 11.20 pm

website {includes audio} : www.abc.net.au/rn/dailyplanet

AND
PACO PENA FLAMENCO DANCE COMPANY AUSTRALIAN TOUR ALERT

Depending on where you live, you have already missed it, or you are still in time!
Full details are here:
www.liveguide.com.au/Tours/581142/Paco_Pe_a_and_his_Flamenco_Dance_Company/Paco_Pena_A_Comp_s_To_the_Rhythm )

2258
CD CUT 9, ’BUCKLE UP’
TED VINING
(PRESUMABLY) APRA
BIRDLAND BL014
( www.birdland.com.au
Birdland label releases also available through www.cvibes.com )
BLOW - ’BLUE SUN RED MOON’
0: 40 ( excerpt )
(AUSTRAL COMP AND PERF: jubilant, finale to an upbeat jazz piece. Ted Vining’s drums, Peter Harper’s alto sax, Simon Kent’s trombone, Ian Dixon’s trumpet, Mick Meagher’s bass and Bob Sedergreen’s piano/keys.

BLOW: SYDNEY GIG ALERT

Sat May 31, 8.30 pm at ’The Sound Lounge’ (doors open 8.00pm)
Seymour Theatre Centre, corner City Rd and Cleveland St, Chippendale

Box office tel: 02 9351 7940
www.sima.org.au

BLOW : REGULAR GIGS ALERT (at an Ethiopian Cafe in Melbourne)
Every Thursday

Kooshi Cafe (Ethiopian meals. music from 9pm)
20 Johnston Street, Collingwood

www.thehorn.com.au tel 9417 4670 for bookings )

----
11 PM NEWS
----

2305
CD (DISC ONE) CUT 1, ’AURORA GIAPPONESE’’
ENRICO PIERANUNZI
C.A.M. S.R.L
CAMJAZZ CAM 5023
(In Australia, through Birdland www.birdland.com.au
worldwide: www.camjazz.com )
ENRICO PIERANUNZI, MARC JOHNSON, JOEY BARON - ’LIVE IN JAPAN’
1: 50
( very lyrical prelude. The Italian composer’s piano to the fore, nicely supported by Americans Marc and Joey on ac bass and drums, respectively.

ABC RADIO NATONAL PIERANUNZI TRIO ALERT

Next Sunday - June 1 - the show revolves around this very beautiful double-CD.
More details here: www.abc.net.au/rn/weekendplanet/comingup )

2308
CD CUT 4, ’HOME EAST’
ANNBJØRG LIEN, ARR ANNBJØRG LIEN/ BRUCE MOLSKY/ MIKAEL MARIN AND CHRISTINE HANSON
PUB NOT SPEC’
HEILO HCD 7216
( no Australian distributor
www.grappa.no
This is likely to become available worldwide via www.cdroots.com )
ANNBJØRG LIEN - ’WALTZ WITH ME’
6:15
( Tos and from from ’mysterioso, with an eastern accent’ to ’insistent, Nordic-cum-Balkan throb-dance’. Its Norwegian hardanger fiddler/author leads an unusual, multi-national string quartet on her new CD. Her band-mates are 5-string viola player Mikael Marin from Sweden (and the great band Väsen), Scots-resident Canadian cellist Christine Hanson and Bruce Molsky from the USA. He is the other fiddler here )

SEGUE

2314
CD CUT 5, ’DA DAY DAWN/ GREENLAND MAN’S TUNE
BOTH, TRAD ARR CHRIST STOUT & CATRIONA MCKAY
PUBLIC DOMAIN/ GRIAN MUSIC
GREENTRAX CD TRAX257
( In Australia, through The Planet Company/ MGM
email: info@theplanetcompany.com
website: www.theplanetcompany.com
Worldwide via: www.greentrax.com )
CHRIS STOUT - ’FIRST O’ THE DARKENIN’ ’
5: 52
( Chris’s fiddle, initially alone, then in duet with Catriona McKay’s harp. Shetland tunes on which the connection to Scandinavia is very evident.
The first is a spare, very haunting air. The second is a melodious, dainty dance that is more overtly ’Scottish’)

SEGUE

2320
CD CUT 5, ’MASQUES’
ANNBJØRG LIEN, ARR ANNBJØRG LIEN/ BRUCE MOLSKY/ MIKAEL MARIN AND CHRISTINE HANSON
PUB NOT SPEC’
HEILO HCD 7216
( no Australian distributor
www.grappa.no
This is likely to become available worldwide via www.cdroots.com )
ANNBJØRG LIEN - ’WALTZ WITH ME’
4: 52
( very haunting, recognisably ’Nordic’.. The hardanger really ’sings’, as do all the bowed melody, counter-melody and drone strings. Here, the quartet becomes very much a polyphonic ’choir’ of bowed strings.. They are the Norwegian hardanger fiddler/author, 5-string viola player Mikael Marin from Sweden (and the great band Väsen), Scots-resident Canadian cellist Christine Hanson and Bruce Molsky from the USA. Bruce is the other fiddler, here )

2329
CD CUT 6, ’THE FALLEN WOMAN’ ( AKA ’HYMN OF KASSIANI’ )
KASSIA (AKA KASSIANE/ KASSIANI/ CASIA/ IKASIA/ CASSIA/ KASSIANA/ EIKASIA ) , ARR NICK TSIAVOS AND DEBORAH KAYSER
ORIGINAL IS PUBLIC DOMAIN. PRESUMABLY, ARR IS APRA
ANAN005
(available worldwide via www.indie-cds.com
Nick’s site: www.nicktsiavos.net )
DEBORAH KAYSER AND NICK TSIAVOS - ’THE FALLEN WOMAN’
18: 10
( AUSTRAL PERF AND ARR: Nick’s bowed bass in duet with Deborah’s soprano voice. Intimate, open, spare and passionate rendition of a 9th century Byzantine hymn Overtly, it tells Mary Magdalene’s story. It may also be a disguised autobiographical telling of the unrequited but allegedly deep and mutual love between the Abbess Kassia of Constantinople - this hymn’s 9th century author - and the Byzantine Emperor, Theophilus.

LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE HYMN’S 9TH CENTURY AUTHOR?
( and see an English translation of this hymn)

Go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kassia )

2349
CD CUT 1, ’THE TRAVELLER’
MUSIC BY ANNBJØRG LIEN, ARR ANNBJØRG LIEN/ BRUCE MOLSKY/ MIKAEL MARIN AND CHRISTINE HANSON. THE NORWEGIAN LYRICS WAS WRITTEN BY ARNT BIRKEDAL. THE ENGLISH WORDS ARE AS TRANSLATED BY SHARI NILSEN
PUB NOT SPEC’
HEILO HCD 7216
( no Australian distributor
www.grappa.no
This is likely to become available worldwide via www.cdroots.com )
ANNBJØRG LIEN - ’WALTZ WITH ME’
5: 33
( In part a swirling-throbbing instrumental dance and in part a gracious-pastoral song. Ms Lien is the hardanger player and author of the tune, the 5-string viola player is Mikael Marin from Sweden (and the great band Väsen), Scots-resident Canadian Christine Hanson is the cellist and Bruce Molsky from the USA plays guitar and sings in English. The superb female Norwegian vocal is courtesy of the special guest - Kirsten Bråten Berg )

SEGUE

2356
CD CUT 10, ’MOTHER AND A SON’
ANNBJØRG LIEN, ARR ANNBJØRG LIEN/ BRUCE MOLSKY/ MIKAEL MARIN AND CHRISTINE HANSON
PUB NOT SPEC’
HEILO HCD 7216
( no Australian distributor
www.grappa.no
This is likely to become available worldwide via www.cdroots.com )
ANNBJØRG LIEN - ’WALTZ WITH ME’
5: 00
( Haunting/reverent: unusual string quartet. The Norwegian leader-composer plays hardanger fiddle. Bruce Molsky is the American fiddler. The 5-string viola player is Mikael Marin {best-known as member of Vasen} from Sweden. Scots-resident Canadian Christine Hanson is the cellist )

Presenter

Doug Spencer

Producer

Doug Spencer