 | | Reviews | | |  JED GRIMES
Head On
Blue Guitar Records BGCD022
Fresh from masterminding the illustrious debut of BBC Folk Awards nominees The Hush, Jed Grimes applies the same iconoclastic principles to his own solo album. An accomplished guitarist and producer, this former member of groundbreaking bands Hedgehog Pie and Jack The Lad has tasty vocal talents too. In common with erstwhile Hedgehogs oppo Dave Burland, Grimes' heart is rooted deep in both traditional and contemporary music and Head On fuses songs and tunes with pigeonhole-defying arrangements which offer more at every listen.
While the man himself provides superb genre-crossing acoustic/electric guitar and bouzouki, the core Hush band and guests add luscious layers of instrumentation and choice harmony vocals. Think cool jazz grooves of a James Taylor or John Martyn crack studio band mixed with traditional flavours, world beats and Geordie insouciance and you're getting there.
Album openers don't come any better than the sophisticated, cross-rhythmed Fair And Tender Ladies. Or closers like the sax-fuelled soundscape of Grimes-penned instrumental Across The Water. And in between, the gorgeous swing of A Soldier's Life; an upbeat, percussion-driven Barb'ry Ellen; the somehow unquestionably apt reggae beat of Tally I O The Grinder. Joss Clapp, Ben Murray and Jon Redfern from acclaimed Borders band Tarras feature large on the eastern-flavoured Gaby's Trip To Jarrow segued with a funky Frannie's Jig, and infuse Jug O' This with spiky rhythm, cool harmonica and cheeky bass, while Stewart Hardy's fiddle beautifully underscores the melancholy I Drew My Ship. Major highlight is an electrifying version of Sydney Carter's powerful anti-war lullaby Crow On The Cradle.
Lately - finally - a few young bloods are taking folk music somewhere genuinely new and exhilarating. Freshly outed as the north-east music scene's secret weapon, Jed Grimes carries the same bright torch for the established generation.
Mel McClellan - July 2003
See also:
The Hush: Dark To The Sky
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Folk & Acoustic
