Perpetuating playful spirit of itinerant colonial musicians
J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 02/02/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Resonant hammered dulcimer, flighty pennywhistle, and wailing fiddle combined with some pleasant vocals and a solid rhythm section characterize the Itinerant Band's second project of traditional acoustic Celtic music. The seven musicians from southeastern Virginia draw their repertoire from a standard collection of oft-heard classic tunes that are common at Irish sessions (jams). They make me want to jump right up and grab a mandolin or concertina to play along. The hour-long set also includes a few original surprises. I enjoyed the medley of "Red Joke (Lads of Dunse)/ Black Joke/The Young Widow," and this CD's 12-page booklet and copious liner notes explain that there were numerous popular "joke" songs in England and America, with titles referring to the hair color of the songs' subjects. I'm left wondering, however, what the bawdy lyrics are that accompany these kinds of songs. Dulcimer-player Bob Clark composed the stately "McPherson's Farewell to Creag Dhubh," as a tribute to the beauty of the Scottish countryside and his family's ancestry. Flautist Susan Lawlor's original "The Eighth of August" has no particular historical significance other than the fact that she wrote it one August afternoon while hanging out at the Oak Grove Music Festival. It's one of the best moments on the album because it is presented as a simple and lean respite with just flute and harp as a prelude to "O'Farrel's Welcome to Limerick." The album closes with Bob Clark's "The Road Out of Town," a reel that was inspired by an early map of the town of Norfolk from the late 1600s on which today's St. Paul's Boulevard was called "the road that leadeth out of town." The Itinerant Band gets their inspiration by the playful spirit of the itinerant colonial musicians. Full of mirth and merriment, their dance medleys gallop along from one tune to the next, often with minimal arrangement. Performing in period costume, the band would be especially entertaining live at an arts festival, craft faire, public house, contra dance, Highland games, Robert Burns Night, or historical reenactment. The full ensemble consists of George Bame (guitar, vocals), Paul Brockman (fiddle, vocals), Bob Clark (hammered dulcimer), Susan Lawlor (flute, whistle, recorder), Dave McNew (bodhran, bones, Appalachian dulcimer, vocals), Mary Normand (Celtic harp), and Marsha Wallace (guitar, mandolin, vocals). It's clear that these musicians enjoy what they do, and one of their goals is to have a good time doing it. Grab a pint of stout, and prepare yourself for some good craic (gaiety) as they say in Ireland. The traditional music of colonial America was a music of the people, and it still very much is. Passed down from generation to generation, folks like Virginia's Itinerant Band are keeping it fun, vibrant and alive. Their repertoire will especially thrill and appeal to those who aren't familiar with these tunes. My hope is that their next project digs even deeper for more esoteric, erudite material and original songs and tunes. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)"
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1