The Afterword

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Bill Leader: The Man Who Paid The Pipers

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Colin H on Bill Leader

One of my ideas when I began writing The Wheels Of The World: 300 Years Of Irish Uilleann Pipers was to include a chapter or appendix on the Irish music aspect of the career of legendary English engineer/producer Bill Leader. Uniquely, he recorded several of the most significant figures in 20th century uilleann piping and during a key point in its history, when it was becoming visible to non-specialist listeners outside of Ireland.

As the book grew in size and scope, however, something had to give and I decided that a full chapter on Bill had to go. Much of the material specific to his recordings with pipers and a little on his general career was used elsewhere in the book (mostly in chapters on Finbar Furey, Séamus Ennis, Willie Clancy and Liam O’Flynn). But a draft of the planned Bill Leader chapter was two-thirds complete and I’ve finished it off, after a fashion, to present it here for the enjoyment, I hope, of Afterworders.

I should also mention that Mike Butler is currently working on a Bill Leader biography and has already created an amazing illustrated Leader discography online at: http://www.dyversemusic.com/2013/01/bill-leader-discography.html

Bill Leader: » Continue Reading.

The Wheels Of The World

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While ChimneySinging has been busy making a film about the New Wave of New Wave I’ve been busy writing a book about the Oldest of Old Waves – 18th century blues: Irish uilleann piping.

‘The Wheels Of The World: 300 Years Of Irish Uilleann Pipers’ is published internationally in September by Jawbone Press. Tomorrow, Monday June 13, I press ‘go’ on the print run. The book is a quarter of a million words and it’s been an adventure. I would never have thought to tackle it, nor thought I had the knowledge to do so (correction: the knowledge as to how to acquire the knowledge), had my friend and co-author, and piping pro, John McSherry not encouraged me.

I believe limited copies will be available, signed, from John and I via the website in the month before general publication. The website is: www.thewheelsoftheworld.com

Your friend and mine, Hannah, was a big help in doing three days of very detailed and rewarding research for me in the larger of the two main British Isles (I live in the smaller one, and plane fares/accommodation expenses are a drag).

The book is written for the interested general reader, by no means just the » Continue Reading.

A Van Morrison Recording Session

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David Attenborough (in hushed tones): ‘And here, indeed, we are priveleged to eavesdrop on something never before captured on film: a rare glimpse into the natural behaviour of a Celtic soul artiste perhaps, indeed, the very last one alive – in his natural environment, the recording studio…’

Celtic Soul artiste: ‘Take me back, take me back, take me way back… take me back to Orangefield an’ the pagan streams, down by Hyndford Street… down by Arklow on a stormy Monday… wakin’ up in TB sheets on Raglan Road, lonely an’ blue, lonely avenue … Take me back, take me way back – Sidney Bechet comin’ through the ether on Voice Of America, Willis Conover an’ David Jacobs, Unle Mac an’ Lord Reith… Hilversum, Radio Athlone, Greenwich Light Vessel, Jelly Roll Morton, Lionel Morten, Lionel Blue, Lionel Blair – listen to the Lionel, listen to the Lionel… St Dominic’s Preview, André Preview, guaranteed a sea view… Down by Avalon, down by Avalon – down by the old bull an’ bush, down by the seaside, down at the doctor’s – Wilko Johnson an’ Lee Brilleaux, pub rock, pub rock, PUB ROCK! – down, down, deeper an’ down – Star of the County » Continue Reading.

Arise, Sir Ashley of Hutchmeister

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English traditional music is celebrated in the Queen’s Birthday Honours as musician, songwriter and bandleader Ashley Hutchings is made an MBE for his services to folk music.

Born in London but now living in Derbyshire, 70-year-old Hutchings was the driving force behind several famous bands including Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and the Albion Band. These groups enlivened the folk scene by introducing rock instruments thereby opening up traditional music to a new and younger audience.

Hutchings said: “I’m obviously very proud of this honour but it’s England’s musical tradition that’s being recognised as much as me.”

Well, okay, it’s an MBE…

Still, here’s what his publicist has to say:

In a career spanning nearly 50 years Hutchings has worked with a host of folk and folk-rock luminaries including Richard Thompson OBE, Martin Carthy MBE, Maddy Prior MBE, Shirley Collins MBE, John Tams and the late Sandy Denny (who described him as ‘one of my biggest heroes; a great man’).

During the 1970s, Hutchings worked with National Theatre director Bill Bryden composing the music to ‘The Mysteries’, ‘Lark Rise to Candleford’ and ‘The World Turned Upside Down’.

Jean Ritchie RIP

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Seemingly Jean Ritchie, godmother of Appalachian music, died this week, aged 92. A photograph in which she appears has been on my mind lately – it’s a striking, enigmatic image featuring herself and Seamus Ennis, taken in Ireland in 1952. I’ve licensed it as a cover image for my book on the history of uilleann piping, but it just never occurred to me that she was still with us. No longer.

Being John McLaughlin

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Another week, another Mahavishnu Orchestra tribute band, you say? Perhaps so. Still, these people strike me as entering the fray and immediately raising the bar.

And Being John McLaughlin does indeed seem to be their name. Although, obviously, they’re not. Recorded at The Royal Room (no idea what continent, guessing its North America) May 14 2015

Tristan Gianola – Guitar Alicia Dejoie – Violin Chuck Deardorf – Bass Ryan Burns – Keys John Bishop – Drums*

(* also guessing it’s not the popular Liverpool funnyman)

The 8th of March 1975

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This fascinating film has just been posted on youtube. It’s 9 mins or so documenting a Sri Chinmoy parade and concert in New York – on March 8 1975 (the November 75 attribution is incorrect: McLaughlin had moved on from Chinmoy by then).

A rare opportunity to see Mahavishnu & Devadip doing their thing on the back of a float and, from 4:50 on, a rare opportunity to hear the singing voice of the Mahavishnu.

Wishbone Ash: they’ve got The Power…

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Having just returned from a splendid (much better than I expected, given the man’s recent health traumas) Wilko Johnson show, I thought I’d share this recent clip of… Wishbone Ash.

Here they are two days ago, near the end of what I understand was a monumentally brutal tour (logistically). But they still have ‘The Power’ – a beautiful track from their best album in recent years, IMO, Power Of Eternity.

I’m looking forward to seeing them in Paris in two weeks, on two of three shows in a bijou theatre filming a new DVD. Should be fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beqKP-Jt6Tc

Jackson Frank: 6LP / 3CD Complete Works

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Just announced at Ba Da Bing records: a lovingly assembled and remastered collection of all the known recordings of the late Jackson Frank – a man who made but one LP and one single in his lifetime (both in 1965), but influenced a lot of people. 67 tracks, 33 unreleased – plus the sample remastering of one of the LP tracks available to compare/contrast via the page/link below sounds fantastic. Interest declared: I supplied notes (as requested, a slight update of my previous notes for a Sanctuary 2CD set) and three unreleased tracks. Well done to the guys at Ba Da Bing for such a painstaking job!

Full info here:

http://www.badabingrecords.com/2015/04/pre-order-jackson-c-frank-the-complete-recordings/

ATM: Escrow transaction advice?

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I may need to make a payment of a few thousand pounds by an Escrow mechanism in a month or two (nothing dodgy but too complicated to explain here). Has anyone here used a UK-based or reputable net-based Escrow account service eg Transpact?

I’m hoping for personal recommendations. Take it as read that no other alternative financial mechanism will work in this particular instance

How to play like Martin Carthy

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First: be brilliant.

Second: use this tuning, CGCDGA.

I’ve used it for about 20 years, with others, and though, as MC says, it imposes limitations, it allows some very beautiful chords to be found and some melodic invention that would be very difficult otherwise. You can also play very simple-sounding classic rock style music with it (within limited keys, of course) – there are some monstrous ‘big’ Kossoff-esque chords to be found as well as lots of sensuous Joni-esque ones.

Have fun!

Wookalily: ‘Black Magic Doll’

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I’ve said it before round here: I’m a huge fan of Wookalily. A fabulous live act with one album (out recently) under their belt and deserving of great things. But it’s a crowded marketplace. Which means I doff my cap at Wook-Adele for creating a promo video from a budget of zero. Here it is…

Andy Irvine: a living legend, touring Britain in April

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What can one say? The man is a genius – like Martin Carthy, it’s astounding that such a repository of vintage magic can be found for £10-15 or thereabouts in modest venues at regular intervals. Do yourself a favour and check him out – not only a wonderful musician and singer but a great entertainer.

Tour details here:

http://www.andyirvine.com/calendar.html

Ariel, 1975

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The 1975 album ‘Rock’n’Roll Scars’ by Ariel has just been reissued in typically deluxe, expanded form nby Aztec Records.

‘Who are Ariel?’ you ask.

Featuring singer/writer/guitarist Mike Rudd, who is an Australian rock legend to this day, they were his second significant band. The previous one, Spectrum – an exquisitely brilliant, distinctive, langourous progressive band – I’ve posted about before at the old place. Bill Putt, he of the outrageous moustache, followed Mike from Spectrum into Ariel, who would be more ‘immediate’, though still inevitably quirky.

Ariel’s 1975 LP ‘Rock’n’Roll scars was, most unusually for an Aussie record of the period, recorded at Abbey Road, with Geoff Emerick engineering, and sounds magnificent – especially in this new remastering by Gil Matthews. It was also released in Britain, on Harvest.

Mike had a concept album idea which was rejected at late notice (it’s on disc 2 in demo and live forms on the reissue) so much of the content of ‘Rock’n’Roll Scars’ would be songs he had previously recorded on Australia-only releases by Spectrum and by Spectrum spin-off band Indelible Murtceps. Yet here, with Ariel’s tighter, funkier style and the fabulous Abbey Road production (and yes, some of it sounds » Continue Reading.

Putney area studio recommendation needed…

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This is the second Help-me-I’m-not-from-London posts I’ve made in a week. But where better to come that the Afterword Directory?

Can anyone recommend a recording studio (of the non Abbey Road-esque budget type) within reasonable distance of Putney in London? I have a very busy jet-setting friend, who’s keen to put a guitar part on a track for me, and he has a couple of days free-ish in Putney in late March. I feel sure we can sort it out…