MAARJA NUUT: Une Meeles
MAARJA NUUT Une Meeles (In the Hold of a Dream) Maarja Nuut www.maarjanuut.com Estonia is a Baltic nation that isn’t Scandinavian, but has been controlled by Danes and Swedes (as well as Russia). At … Continue reading →
Rob Weir
Rob Weir is a freelance journalist and a longtime contributor to Sing Out!. He is also a college professor based in western Massachusetts and the author of five books on American history. He's still in shock from an NPR story that called the late Sandy Denny a "virtually forgotten" singer! Oof.
Richard Polenberg: HEAR MY SAD STORY ….
Richard Polenberg HEAR MY SAD STORY: The True Tales That Inspired Stagolee, John Henry, and Other Traditional American Folksongs Cornell University Press 978-0-5017-0002-6 www.cornellpress.cornell.edu In 1966 Phil Ochs remarked, “Before … Continue reading →
JENNA MOYNIHAN: Woven
JENNA MOYNIHAN Woven Self-Released www.jennamoynihan.com I once asked Kevin Burke what kind of fiddlers impressed him. He replied that just about anyone with a moderate amount of talent can play fast; he pays attention … Continue reading →
VISHTÈN: Terra Rouge
VISHTÈN Terra Rouge Plages 05L www.vishten.net If you’ve been to Prince Edward Island or the Magdalen Islands, it makes sense that a band from the former would pay homage to the distinctive red sandstone … Continue reading →
SÉAN Ó HÉANAIGH: The Tides That Bind
SÉAN Ó HÉANAIGH The Tides That Bind Einniu www.tidesthatbind.com With a name like Séan Ó hÉanaigh, d’ye think he might be Irish? hÉanaigh has a distinguished musical pedigree. He was born in Boston to … Continue reading →
GUADI GALEGO: Lúas de Outubro e Agosto
GUADI GALEGO Lúas de Outubro e Agosto Fol 1078 www.boa.es Mention “Celtic lands,” and chances are good few will mention Galicia–a northwestern region of Spain that bleeds into northern Portugal. That is unless you … Continue reading →
BRIAN McNEILL and FRIENDS: The Falkirk Music Pot
BRIAN McNEILL and FRIENDS The Falkirk Music Pot Greentrax 383 www.greentrax.com What is Scottish music? Once one accepts the reality that what is glibly labeled “Celtic music” is more useful for marketers than ethnomusicologists, … Continue reading →
VARIOUS: Rhythms of Labour
VARIOUS ARTISTS Rhythms of Labour Cambridge University Press 9781107000179 www.cambridge.org/large-river-music www.rhythmsoflabour.com Can you imagine it? Noon rolls around and office workers begin to sing: “Boss man called a meetin’ / At a time I should … Continue reading →
KIRSTEN ALLSTAFF: Gallowglass
KIRSTEN ALLSTAFF Gallowglass Self www.kirstenallstaff.com Flautist Kirsten Allstaff was raised in Scotland and now lives in Ireland, where she co-founded the Online Irish Academy of Music. She honors her pan-Celtic perspective with a new … Continue reading →
HALTADANS: EP
HALTADANS EP Haltadans www.haltadans.com Discussions of Shetland Islands fiddling often begin with Aly Bain and proceed to Fiddlers’ Bid, the latter so famed that locals simply call it Da’ Bid. Both Bain and Da’ … Continue reading →