Review: Whistlebinkies 4

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Record Reviews

‘The Whistlebinkies 4’ the Whistlebinkies Claddagh Records cc 43

Having spent some time recording music for film the Whistlebinkies returned to the studio to record this, their fourth album. Stuart Eydmann, one of the band’s fiddle players, told me at the Edinburgh Festival that this experience had helped considerably in the making of the new album, especially as far as sound recording goes — they simply didn’t have to spend so long messing around with microphones trying to get the right sounds on to tape. This helps to account for the consistently good recording quality on this record from a group who already have a very distinguished history of recording behind them.
‘The Whistlebinkies 4’ continues their theme of drawing together the usually separate, yet closely related, aspects of Scottish music-making using a combination of traditional instruments centred around the clarsach (played by Judith Peacock) the pipes (fellow-blown Lowland, or Border pipes and the quieter Scottish smallpipes played by Rah Wallace) and fiddles (played by Stuart Eydmann and Mark Hayward); a fine intention and fine result. The other instruments grouped around this nucleus are the flute and piccolo (played by Eddie McGuire), the Scottish side drum (Peter Anderson) and the bodhran (played by the group’s vocalist Mick Broderick). The Whistlebinkies is a group that may be compared to The Chieftains, or perhaps Milladoiro. both in the expansive nature of their instrumentation, and their consistent high instrumental and arranging skills.
As well as a diverse collection of Scottish instruments, the record also presents a variety of musical forms from Scotland: Lowland jigs, Strathspeys, Hebridean marches, and an enchanting lament from Skye, captivatingly sung by Judith Peacock with a quite magical accompaniment from flute and delicate sounding Scottish smallpipes. There are also some original compositions here, notably some pieces by Eddie, who is already well-established as a composer outside the folk scene. The sinuous contours of his ‘Highland River’, which draws on the rhythms of puirt-a-heul (mouth-music) pulls gently at the formal constraints of traditional music. The rousing collection of Breton pieces entitled simply ‘Breizh’ is the only set on the album that does not have a Scottish origin. however, it sits very happily in this distinguished Scottish setting.

Peter Stacey

Blowzabella The Blowzabella Wall of Sound Plant Life PLR 074
As Paul James has stated (interview in Charter 1/1), Blowzabella has moved on a great distance from being a vehicle for displaying the previously unusual (for this country) combination of bagpipes and gurdy-gurdies as the lead voices of a large group; these days a more unified approach is in evidence and goes a long way towards making this album, their fourth, their best yet.
Several new facets of the band are presented here. Firstly, Ian Luff’s bass guitar, which adds a fullness of texture in a range which was rather lacking in their sound before; secondly, Nigel Eaton’s exceptional hurdy-gurdy playing, more of which later, and thirdly, Jon Swayne’s recently developed half-long pipes.
The half ‘ongs are certainly the most versatile bagpipes that Jon Swayne has so far produced, having a wide range (one and a half octaves) and an expressive tone that seems to vary with the nature of the tune. On ‘Lyke Wake Dirge’ (dedicated to the late Nigel Chipndale) the melody is taken up by the pipes with only a drum accompanying, and such is the strength and emotion of Jon’s playing that it seems the actual notes of the tune are transcended, leaving in their place a voice speaking of sadness and loss. However, the pipes breathe a totally different atmosphere into ‘Glass Island’ a melodically intriguing piece composed by Jon. Excellently arranged to show off the unusual construction of the tune, this item is, for me, one of the high spots of the album.
The other high spot is in the tune medley on the first side. Nigel Eaton’s piece ‘Lisa’, in the style of a 3/8 bourree is played so powerfully and recorded with such presence that one’s only possible reaction is to turn the volume up to maximum and be drawn along with it, hoping it will never end. The pleasure is a sustained one, however, as this leads into an Ian Luff composition ‘Stukka Gruppa’, which allows each member to do a ‘party piece’ solo between the recurring main theme. This main theme keeps the tension at full stretch, producing inspired results from the soloists. Jon Swayne puts the half-longs through their paces and uses their whole range in a free-flowing solo. Nigel Eaton’s brief solo drives the piece on relentlessly, a few moments of pure joy.
An unexpected inclusion is the song ‘Hallowed Ground’. Anathema to the purists, certainly, but a good, solid song, firmly held in check by Paul James’ drumming. The quality of the band’s arranging prowess shows through on this — in lesser hands it might well might well have become an uninteresting thrash. Once again, the hurdy-gurdy shows how effective it can be in any style of music.
The use of saxophones instead of bagpipes as lead instruments is exploited to good effect in the Bulgarian ‘Kopenitsa’, an 11/8 dance tune, although I think that introducing a Bulgarian gaida into the performance would have lifted it onto another level of excitement. Compare the treatment of this with that of the Rtuchenitza on the ‘In Colour’ album with its exhilarating bagpipe playing, and one concludes an opportunity missed.
All the dance tunes on the album are given very strong arrangements which make them eminently listenable while not losing sight of their primary function, and it is this quality which sets Blowzabella apart. A good example of this is the tune set Newbury Jig/Moll in the Wood/Sward Dance/Old Wife of Coverdale, where honours are evenly shared by the band members. The acoustic bass, in particular, is highly effective in this set, and shows what an asset this instrument can be when applied intelligently.