FESTIVAL REVIEW
FESTIVAL MUSIO
FOLK
ACOUSTIC MUSIC CENTRE
There are ortly two more days and long nights in the (‘hambers Street Student I 'nion. renamed. for three weeks of the
I'e~ tiv.il. the Acoustic .\ltisic('cntre. It operates all day with meals. snacks. bars. exhibitions. some drama. poetry and childrens shows. And concerts in the two balls. In the spacious cellar bar area there are organised informal sessions with local musicians. basically the liasy (‘lub. in residence to keep things moving. Adriiission to the (‘oncerts is by ticket from the box office. Admission to the AMC is free tiptill 8pm. when it costs £1.60 per night.
Watch otit for the berg/iron Family. a real family from Dutch South Molucca and Barnsley. who sing and play with incredible verve and togetherness a sort of hybrid folk rock and roll that is unstoppably infectious.
All the other concertsat the A.\l(‘ are by Scots groups. The .\I<‘( ‘ulnimix are a Scottislt institution. Their braiid of tripartite vocal harmony and ftill throated delivery may be old fashioned btit still pulls in the crowds. And they know how to ptit an audience at ease. with charm and cheerful insults.
.S'vumiac/iri' are becoming an annual institution at the venue. Each year they put on a show over a considerable number of nightsand attract good audiences with there straight modern folk group treatments oftraditional Scots. and some Irish. songs and instrumentals. driven along by nifty fingerwork especially that
of the young concertinist.
Off The Tracks is a an Aberdeen group heading offon a different direction. The blues is their bent. and although Janice Clark is from a renowned North Iiast traditional singing family she has a natural swing in company with John (‘arnie and Spider MacKenzie.
ALAN STIVELL
In a packed (‘athedral in Lorieni we watched as harpist and singer Alan Stivell played to the converted. This annual celtie festival held in Brittanys regional centre has many venues btit the architecture of mystic reverance seems to suit this musician whose pan celtic interests go hand in hand with a Breton nationalism. lle adopted his surname. which means ‘source' or ‘spring'. then took his award winning early 7(ls‘ album. Renaissance ()fThe (‘eltic l Iarp. into the record collections of embryo musicians all over the (‘cltic world. A seminal album. it included within its all-instrumental setting. music from old Welin manuscript. (iaelic airs. Irislt dance tunes and. with a confident disregard for the conventions. lieavyish rock fusion settingsofthe material. With Dan Ar Bras on electric guitar the Stivell bands ofthe 7(ls were one of the big draws on the Festival circuit. I Iis messianic pose sometimes falters when. as in Lorient. he garbles tip a more complex harp tune. and. as at the first Fife Aid. concert he gets lost playing a reel on a set of Highland pipes. backed by Run Rig. but he isa wonderful singer in his native language and can project a mesmeric intensity iii his longer harp pieces. This authentic celtic visionary brings a small acoustic group to the Queens l Iall on Saturday
3rd for two concerts. 7.30pm arid lil..‘~tipm. £b.5¢lt£-1.Stll.
DEAF HEIGHTS
Down in the Venue the man in the poncho had the ear of the younger man in the tw eed coat. 'I'im ofthe Deaf I Icights ( ‘ajun Aces. Scotland's ( ‘ajun
rock dance band. and Flaco .limincz. Kiiigot Tex Mex. were talking accordion. The Deaf lleights. a range of hills down ()xton way . have been punching out those hypnotic Louisiana French squeeze Box tunes and songs for years now arid do nothing btit get ever more popular and proficient. Leap otit at midnight. Fringe ('lub. 2nd.
STRIKING
There is just a chance to catch Bt’ll Bur/(m. the astonishing drummer front (ihana. in the percussion experience ofa lifetime. or at least the Iitliiibtirgli Festival. with his International Band down in the Venue. (‘alton Road on the 2nd at 8pm.
[p the (‘owgate to the (iilded Balloon and you'll find a pan galactic orchestra of novel instruments. giant spiral thumb pianos. bongos. calabashes and audience participation. L'sing about sixty instruments.
I Iolland's Timbila play every music known to man and then some as yet undiscovered. A revelation. 2nd and 3rd. 12.30pm. £3 (£2 ).
KIRK SESSION
Two groups who represent the musical culture of their respective homelands present their closing concerts in St Johns at the West land of Princes Street. Downstairs in the cafe the South American group Yuras perform on the indigenous Andean instruments. the music of the Altiplario. the pan pipes and charango immediater recognisable to a British television audience after so many natural history programmes from the continent.
(‘ornerstone 2nd and 3rd. 8pm. £2 (£l .5“).
In the body ofthe kirk. prolific Scots recording group the Whistlebinkies give of their artful arrangements of (iaelic and lowland airs. dances and songs. Tasteful. never strident and. or but. with the irrepressible personality of ‘Big' Mick Broderick. See for yourself. 2nd. b.3Upm. £3.
3rd. lpm and o..‘~tlpiii. £3.
WEEKLY SESSIONS
Back to the usual in the lidinburgh session scene l’laces w here you can hear informal. reliable. and free music are the Scottiin accordions etc. In tlte I'ff/(l/(‘IA Nils, (irassniarkct . on a Monday night. I mien lawn/i. in ilic law nmai ket near the ('astle. has some ofthe well know it traditional tuncsmitltson a'l'tiesday night: the Monday and'l'htirs‘day nights when the (iret'n Tree is shaking in the (iowgtlle.
lantertainment rather than involy ernent cart be had for the pi ice of a pint in Xi'nlt'fl .‘I’It/ RH’. HIT (icorgc l\' Bridge w here they have singer‘sand funny men each night. Friday nights iii f’frlfftfi'fil l. Rutland Street. hay c the clicerftrl North Sea (ias.
JAZZ
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BLUES
ROUND MIDNIGHT
(ilasnost got to the barof The Queens l lall all last week. w hen the organiser of the I lillsi Jazz Festival. and they know how to enjoy themselves in Georgia. set tip camp for the whole of the Round Midnight series. lispecially impressed by the Shades of Keniori orchestra w ithl ee Konitz soloing in his old role. the bcaierof the Soviet jazz banner also enjoyed the last iiiglii w itli the cream linen suits and clean piano and vibes of l HIMIUILs (‘hevalicr Brothers. latest in thc fashiortablc jump
iiy e rev is al. their effective
tenor player looking and mm irig like one of Sgt. Ililko'splatoon on a furlough.
The sprawling Mclzwans festival has been put to bed. hay irig achiey ed considerable success with the ( 'harlie l’arkerdedicated concert. and the .‘yleadowbank Blues Night. new territories for this conservative giant. More oftliose imaginitiyc groupings oi modernists next year please Mr I Iart.
It might seem deathly quiet after so much but some ofthe It trig 1 Hits tlt) continue to the Festival 'l‘erminus. ..
.ictiyity
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OZJAZZ
Atrstralian chart success Kate ('eberano winds tip at the Assembly rooms. Turning to an energetic r'estyled bop era format she seats arid sings throuin a wide range of Iillingtoii to I lendricks and Ross numbers with theatrical enthusiasm and a talented sextet of young out-front Aussie jazz instrumentalists. Assembly Rooms. Sept 2nd and 3rd.
,‘vlidnight ~- I .3llam. £45“ (£3.50).
MEN
'.\lcn‘ is the stibject of .‘ylusicology's WSS’ jazz revtie. Singer and Dublin trained thespian Melanie ()‘Reilly takes the vocals. for the riiosi part written by the Narrator and trombonist Kevin Anderson. in conjunction with guitarist Francis (‘owan. (ilen Meissneron keyboards completes this clever. ftiii late night musical line tip. Netherbow. Iligli St. Sept 3nd and 3rd. llpm—midnight. £3 (£1.50).
BLACK AND WHITE
A thoroughly modern.
' very Iznglish. urban blues. jazz tinged and with an eliptical detached humour is conjured tip by .Ilii'liue/ I’tirkt'rmitl Bueriirigr. who won last year‘s I’erriei' Award with comedian Arnold Brown. In a lot of w ay's this year‘s show has less gas and more bottle. Songs from Black And White. their newly released second album. are the basis of comedy actress Kit lIollerbach's comic constructions. played live by the duo. I le plays clever guitar. she's impressive and affecting on vocals and harmonica. I Ieriot Watt Theatre. (irindlay Street. Sept 3an and 3rd. 7.30—8.45pm. £4 (£3.50).
THE THANG
Iidinburgh's version of the the Louis Jordan style Jump-Jive band. neat stiits and swing
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accompaniments has expanded for the Festival with a brass section. 'l'liai Swing 'I‘liung are in swish surroundings for their last two nights. ('harmed. clever. smiling vocals. carefully tricked otrt. cultish as a Bogart movie btrt smoothly performed and guaranteed to please those brought up on valve radios. I’latform ()ne. (‘aledonian Hotel. West Iind. Sept 3nd and 3rd. 8.3” llpm.
FESTCLUB
Stand in the street and you will hear the band in The Festival ( ‘luh. (lenerally trad and swing jazz with the likes of vocalist Fiona Duncan or Django inspired Swing 88. Last two nights. ('heck for details. ('hanibers Street. 2203278. ltlpm—Iam.
£2.25.
JAZZ FOR FREE
The Barony Bar. in Broughton Street. 557 0546. has coffee. food. snacks and has started earlyevcning jazz sessions. from 5—7.3(lpm then another band
9-] 1.30pm. Thurs Fri. Saturday afternoon and night. and Sunday nights.
L'Attache in the basement of the Rutland Ilotel at Iidinbtirgh's West Iind ptrts on regular younger. modern jazz groups. the Jazz Pool on a Thursday being especially recommended.
(‘oppe rs. in (’ockburn Street proriiises to have jazz most nights dttring the Festival. with a regular input from powerful and imaginative rnodernists. the John Rae (’ollective. and a late. licence.
Basin Street. at llaymarket is the regular. except Mondays. trad jazz bar.
HOT HANNIGAN
Some Like It Hot is stagey and humerous. a stunning swing violin. bowed by Iiithne Ilannigan. back for the second year with Rick Rowland on guitar. I’leasance. Sept 2nd and 3rd.
The List 2 -— 15 September 1988 23