Pressworks - WA78.DTP - Devon Folk

ReviewsSCATTER PIPESVicky Swan and Jonny DyerWGS 324 CDVicky Swan and Jonny Dyer are aperfect blendingof musical talents, having been playing together forover ten years both as aduo and as part of SeriousKitchen. Whilst Ipersonally consider Vicky Swanto be the principle exponent of the Scottish Smallpipes‘ south of the border’, she is also anextremely accomplished flautist and double bassplayer. Jonny Dyer exhibits outstanding technicalability in his supporting guitar work and alsotastefully applies his Pigin72 accordion on anumber of tracks.This CD is not just about Scottish smallpiping. It isa CD packed full with musical delights, songs,superlative smallpiping, brilliant guitar and fluteplaying and beautiful innovative compositions. Infact out of the eleven total tracks, only six are ofpure piping. On tracks, 3, 7 and 11, Jonny Dyersings The Hare’s Lament, The Trooper and theMaid, and Seven Little Gypsies respectively. Jonnyhas aclear mellow appealing voice and uses it togive an imaginative and contemporary interpretationto the three songs.Vicky Swan’s piping is everything that one wouldexpect from amusician of this calibre. Her phrasing,gracing of and empathy with the music is ajoyto hear. For me, Vicky Swan’s interpretation of J.Scott Skinner’s Hector the Hero and Jonny Dyer’sThe Willows can only be described as enchanting.Ihave just two small moans. In the first instance,the sleeve notes simply credit Vicky with playingthe Scottish Smallpipes and as far as Iam able todetermine, they are Smallpipes in ‘A’ throughoutthe recording. Iwould dearly have loved to hearVicky play the Smallpipes in ‘D’. Secondly, in thelatter part of track 11, there is an instance ofdouble-tracking over Vicky’s flute playing. Ifeelthat it is not necessary and does not enhance thecharmingly fluid purity of the flute.For those readers with amyopic opinion of pipersand piping The Bulgarian Bandit would be amusical revelation. The Bulgarian Bandit has awonderful Eastern European feel to it with asemi-quaver being missed out in one bar. To quotethe sleeve notes, “Wonderful for bodhran playersto get completely confused.” I, as the reviewer ofthis CD, am lost in admiration for Vicky Swan’stechnical ability.Ken Hinchliffe43EXMOUTH YWCA adENGLISH & BORDER MUSICFORPIPESDavid Faulkner -Border bagpipesSteve Turner -AccordionIf you think all bagpipes sound the same, thenDavid's article and the CDs reviewed on thispage should convince you otherwise.David's album is exactly as described in thetitle -an amazing selection of pipe tunes culledfrom various collections, all fully credited andcatalogued in the sleeve notes, and played onSwayne Border Pipes. There's not much pointin listing titles by name since almost all will beunfamiliar, but there are several 3/2 and 9/4hornpipes, a 9/8 slip jig as well as morefamiliar rhythms.Apiper will no doubt be keen to try some ofthe tunes out -or at least seek out the sources -and some ambitious musicians on other instrumentswill find several tunes an appealingchallenge. The album works very well, however,as relaxing 'mood music, particularlywith Steve's distinctive accompaniment of unusualchordal progressions and short countermelodybreaks.David &Steve both play with the Eelgrinders.Colin AndrewsPDF created with pdfFactory Pro trial version www.pdffactory.com