Bare Necessities
NIGHTCAP
Caballo Rojo 2001
available on Mary Leas website
This is one you might have trouble tracking down but, it is more than worth the effort spent. Just in case you're stuck I found an email -- egaddis@mcimail.com -- A friend of mine was dragged to a concert of English country dance music, it turned out to be, in her words, "an absolutely enchanting evening!" This from a woman whose vocabulary had never included the word "enchanting" in the 30 plus years I've known her. My friend put me in touch with Jacqueline Schwab, the piano player for Bare Necessities (whose solo disc, MAD ROBIN, I like as well as this one). I can't say it was something I was holding my breath waiting for, however I am forced to use that 'e' word, enchanting, to describe the music. Forget the English country dance moniker. Think of beautiful cascading, flowing, lively semi-classical traditional music. Think of being transported to places where the music engulfs and surrounds your whole being, so that you are cocooned from the travails of the world. There is a fantastic lightness in this music that brings to mind the bubbles in a carbonated soft drink, or better yet a bottle of champagne. These bubbles do not fade away upon leaving the music on the player for repeated listening. This is music that will constantly keep you coming back for more, because of the new discoveries that are continually being made in this exploratory and improvisational treatment of these traditional tunes. This is music that is not old and tired it is alive and vibrant. It literally explodes out of the chute, much as a bull explodes from a rodeo chute. It is proud of its alivness, aching to be free.
songs, times, and writers - (assume most of the songs are traditional)
- Ashford Anniversary - 3:31 - Charles Bolton
- Joy After Sorrow - 3:19 - arr. Earl Gaddis
- Grimstock - 2:30
- The Night Cap - 6:53
- Portsmouth - 4:33
- St. Martin's Lane - 3:34 - Henry Purcell
- The First Lady - 3:36 - Fried deMetz Herman
- King of Poland - 3:25
- Heidenroslein - 4:12 - Pat Shaw
- Barney Brallaghan - 4:00
- Chestnut - 5:26
- The Dusty Miller - 3:52
- Barbarini's Tambourine - 3:30
- Pernod - 3:37 - Johnny Cunningham and Michael O'Domnhaill
musicians and instruments -
Mary Lea - violin, viola, percussion
Jacqueline Schwab - piano
Earl Gaddis - violin, viola, and vocal
Peter Barnes - flute, whistle, harmonica
produced by - Pete Sutherland and Bare Necessities