 | | Reviews | | |  ENGLISH ACOUSTIC COLLECTIVE
Ghosts
Ruf Records RUFCD09
"As the musician plays, standing behind them is the ghost of the person they learnt the music from. Standing behind that ghost is the ghost of the player they learnt from, and so on." That's the stratified premise at the core of this grouping of Chris Wood, Robert Harbron and John Dipper as they carry on what is rightly alluded to as 'an unfolding tradition'. To masterclass standard, the tasteful EAC have pulled out all the stops for an exquisitely packaged set. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Harbron there are some beautiful, rangy creations here.
The repertory covers many centuries from Playford's Hare's Maggot to Train Tune via band-composed pieces that sound ancient, viz Mari Lwyd, a moving and gently-wrought tale of the genesis of the Welsh Hoodening Horse ceremony. With yearning fiddle tones from Dipper and Wood on the Morris tune Bonnets Of Blue coupled with the former's Kennington Jig, this is compelling, sinewy stuff. Lambent concertina and occasional bassoon from Harbron counterpoint the others' playing on such as Copernicus, named for the 16th-century Polish astronomer, and a fluttering, pulsing builder of an opening cut.
There are several other moments to hold dear - witness Chris' frisky vocal on Tomcat, contrasting with his almost conversational iciness on the aptly bitter Bleary Winter - and by turns soft, poignant and airy, this trio shows what can be done with understatement and oustanding musicianship. The accent is less on flashy technique and more about textural embellishment around a theme, the whole homogenised by a sublime congress of voice and instruments. A true cooperative in fact. Anyone who cherishes musical adventure with a firm grounding will be enthralled by this intriguing and often profound collection. A thing of beauty.
Clive Pownceby - October 2004
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Folk & Acoustic
