ffi*W:; - Mariposa Folk Festival

B8
Comin Home to
Stay - Ricky
Scaggs
'dil
Antonio Rose" from the Pen of Bob
Wills sparkles with instrumental
solos.
My favorite from the album are
"Angel on My Mind, Thats WhY I'm
Walkin", and "Home is Where You
Are", a duet with Sharon White. Both
pieces grab your heart and don't let
go - a unique trait of real country
music. In short Comin Home to StaY
is a country music pleasure.
The name Ricky Scaggs has long
been indentified with outstanding innovative
country music. His current
refease Comin Home to StaY, is a
slick, polished set of passionate performances
laced with a distinctive
traditional flavour.
Along with Scaggs, a virtuoso supporting
cast of excellent sidemen
drive the album. The fiddling of
Bobby Hicks is downright glowing;
and the tasteful pedal steel of Lloyd
Green and Terry CrisP commands
attention. Occasional aid is also lent
by Jerry Paiylas on debo, J.P. Grave
on banjo, Mark O'Conner on fiddle,
and even Carl Jackson's sPicY guitar
licks on one one track. Sharon
White's clear tenor and high baritone
singing provides for great harmony
on three numbers.
But Scaggs himself clearlY dominates
the music. With his expressive,
keen vocals and over-dubbed
harmonies, he produces a smooth
glossy blend. This in conjunction
with is Mhmic and articulate mandolin
and accustics guitar-work, create
the overall substance to the
album.
As with prior etforts, Scaggs has
provided his fans with a broad
cross-section of well-crafted music
from some ol the best written available.
The songs "l'm Tired", and
"Lord,
She Sure is Good so Lovin
Me", a Randy Travis comPosition,
are clearly remincient of 50's fiddle
and steel country classics. Scaggs'
rendition of "Hold Watcha Got", the
Jimmy Martin bluegrass original will
most certainly put a smile on even
his critical mouth. "lf Steve Pritchard CKLN.
Andrew Cash:
Time and Place:
lsland-lsl-1 185
Andrew Cash has a knack for writing
songs that are catchy enough to
be radio singles, but have enough
depth and sincerity to stand the test
of repeated listenings. He hasagood
reputation as a socially aware songwriter
and performer from his days
with the popular punk group L Etranger.
The new album will add to this
reputation although it has a more
relaxed and varied pop sound. Cash
performed regularly in a folk setting
over the past year which iS reflected
by an acoustic sound on several
tracks on the album. There are some
excellent tunes from L'Etranger such
as Trail of Tears, Midnight Gone, and
Places as well as strong new materialsuch
as Smile Me Down and Do
Not Adjust Your Set. Lyrics are interesting,
the singing is strong and the
playing by the rest of the band is all
round solid. Good instrumental work
by Guitarist Nichols and Fiddler/
You Don't Believe
The Bible", the one gospel
Accordionist Ediger increase listenaring
pleasure. A worthwile album for
rangement is Poignantly comPle-
anyone interested in finely crafted
mented by the excePtional harmonies
of the entire White FamilY - and inspiring music.
"San
Buck, Sharon and Cheryl;and Reviewed by Peter Jellard.
The Barra McNeils
World Records WRC1 -4689
The McNeils are a family of outstanding
musical abilitY now living in
Syiney Mines, Nova Scotia, The
"Barrra"
in their name is a nod to
their Scottish highland heritage. At
this year's festival you'll be able to
see Sheumas on the piano, Kyle on
violin and mandolin, Stewart, the
lead vocalist, on penny whistle and
bass, and Lucy, age 17, on violin
and bodhran.
While the record is an excellent
demonstration of their technical abilities,
particularly with the instrumental
material, it does not convey the
warmth and sensitivity to the audience
which was evident at their recent
gig at the Horseshore Tavern in
Toronto.
Kyle's Cape Breton sWle violin is
outstanding; while I do not wish to
downgrade the very real contribution
to the group made by the other
members, Ifind itthe "backbone"
of
the album. I find the slower Pieces
such as "The Marquis of Huntly's
Snuff Mill" (great name, eh?) and
"Highland
Queen" to be most demonstrative
of his playing skills.
On the other hand, Stewart's composing
skills are also critical to the
high qualityof thegroup. From "Eating
Bonnach" firmly rooted in the
tradition, through the tune for "Willie
C.", a song aboutthe "passing away"
of a ship, to the jazzY Yet folkY "One
for Jetfy" it is clear that the group's
musical inventiveness owes a great
deal to Stewart's abilities.
Sheumas' piano Playing, while almost
entirely of a very high standard,
occasionallY lapses into a
certain flashiness, most evident in
the faster pieces.
The songs chosen for the album
betray the sentimentality evident in
much Cape Breton material, but do
not become overly mawkish. TommY
Makem's
"No More Good Times" is
given a fine rendering; "Willie C."
recalls Stan Rogers "Jeannie C."