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Jon Boden - Songs From The FloodplainNavigator Records

Wonderful, dark, redemptive ‘folkapocalyptica’ from the lead singer of Bellowhead on deluxe CD and vinyl. Read More

Lau - Arc LightNavigator Records

Arc Light is the exciting second album from folk’s Best Group (2009/2008 BBC FolkAwards). Read More

Leo Abrahams - The Grape And The GrainJust Music

“Abrahams is pushing boundaries that most guitarists haven’t even thought about.” Guitarist. Read More

Joyce, Nana Vasconcelos & Mauricio Maestro - Visions Of Dawn

Far Out RecordingsThe original ‘lost’ Brazilian acid-folk album recorded in Paris in 1976 and now rescued and set free after 33 years. Read More

Thin Lizzy - Still DangerousTLP

Produced by Glyn Johns and Scott Gorhan from the live tapes. Recorded at Tower Theatre Philadelphia

20th Oct 77. Read More

Courtney Pine - Transition In Tradition (En homage á Sidney Bechet)

Destin-E World RecordsThe most consistently exciting and groundbreaking

Jazz Warrior at the top of his game. Read More

Subject to availability and change or withdrawal without notice. Terms and conditions apply – see www.amazon.co.uk for details.

CARADILLON

PRESENTING HER NEW ALBUM Hill of Thieves

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Cara Dillon - Hill Of Thieves

Cara Dillon - Hill Of ThievesCharcoal Records

Billed as an outstanding return to her roots Hill Of Thieves has united critics and fans in universal acclaim for her best album yet. There is no doubt that the ‘do it yourself’ approach has been taken to the logical conclusion, with the album arranged, recorded, produced and photographed and designed by Cara and partner Sam Lakeman and released on their own Charcoal Records. The stunning treatments of mostly traditional songs are the perfect setting for Cara’s beautiful voice to weave its magic. Here is a selection of the critical praise…

“Cara Dillon is one of Ireland’s great singers” **** The Guardian

“ It’s an intimate and beautifully recorded set with Cara’s vocals breathing into your ear and touching the very heart of these songs.” **** The Independant.

“this album is a finely-etched, faultlessly delivered set.” **** Daily Mirror

“...Dillon is a singer of uncommon integrity” **** Hot Press

“Her ravishing, crystal-clear vocals are a joy” **** Daily Mail

“Cara is back with the most ravishing songcycle of her career to date.” **** The Sun

“ Dillon has shown she is a musical tour de force to be reckoned with” **** Belfast Telegraph

The CD has also impressed the paying public and has a perfect ***** rating on Amazon. This is what Amazon customers have said…

“ The musicianship is superb, the vocal performance second to none, and above all, the sentiment is heartening: music existed before the industry machine, and as the machine presently crumbles amid the growth of new media technology, real, organic music will survive in this timeless, undated form.”

“ The magic of this album comes of course from Cara’s singing, but also from the outstanding supporting musicians and, very importantly, the superb way in which these songs are arranged by the husband and wife team of Lakeman/Dillon.”

“ I have read in the music press that this is a low key album. Well if that is the case more power to it. It is brilliant and, yes, I agree with other reviewers it is a classic. A beautiful album. Buy it!”

“ If there is a better album by a celtic singer with a more beautiful voice, anywhere in the world, I’d dearly like to hear it.”

“ I could go on, but that would only slow you from making the right decision. Buy it and enjoy it. Mike Harding has described this as the best album in the last 10 years. He may well be right.”

What are you waiting for? Click to buy now.

Tracks: The Hill Of Thieves / Johnny Lovely Johnny / The Parting Glass / Spencer The Rover / False, False / Jimmy Mó Mhíle Stór / She Moved Through The Fair / P Stands For Paddy / The Verdant Braes Of Skreen / The Lass Of Glenshee / Fil, Fil A Run Ó

“First he delighted the traditionalists with his fiddle playing in that much praised duo Spiers & Boden, then he helped to shake up the new folk scene as leader of the massed ranks of that rousing folk dance and brass big band, Bellowhead. Now, just to show what else he can do, Jon Boden has decided to release an album of his own songs…. It’s a work of remarkable confidence and bravery and, for the most part, it actually works. He is a versatile singer, best heard on thoughtful, sad-edged songs... Boden is a man to watch” - The Guardian

Songs From The Floodplain is Jon’s 2nd solo album, the first being the well received, self-released Painted Lady. His other recent albums include the highly acclaimed Matachin with dynamic, fast-rising big band, Bellowhead - and Vagabond as half of the equally feted traditional duo, Spiers & Boden. He has also recorded and performed with Eliza Carthy on both of her Mercury Prize nominated albums.

Songs From The Floodplain follows in a long tradition of post-apocalyptic literature, from The Last Man by Mary Shelley (1826) through Ridley Walker by Russell Hoban (1980) to, more recently, The Road by Cormac McCarthy (2006). This is probably the first time the subject has been seriously tackled in the form of an album, though, it has to be said that Songs From The Floodplain is far less bleak then that of the many novels which examine the subject. You are left to wonder whether what has occurred is a literal flood or a devastating man-made disaster, but the basic fabric of community has obviously survived, despite the collapse of industry, technology.

Although the album doesn’t tell a complete story, there are strong thematic links between all the songs. The ambiguous character of ‘the preacher’ looms large in

the darker numbers (Penny For The Preacher, Dancing In The Factory) whilst the character of ‘the gypsy’s daughter’ dominates the middle of the album as a mocking onlooker to an archaic folk custom in Beating The Bounds and then later, as an object of adoration in The Pilgrim’s Way and April Queen. The notion of rain and of flood is never far away giving Songs From The Floodplain’s vivid narrative, epic proportions. The final track of the album (Has Been Cavalry) brings all the themes together with a defiant hymn-like quality.

Tracks: We Do What We Can / Going Down To The Wasteland / Days Gone By / Penny For The Preacher / Dancing In The Factory / Beating The Bounds / The Pilgrims Way / April Queen / When The Walls Come Tumbling Down / Don’t Wake Me Up ‘Til Tomorrow / Under Their Breath / Has Been Cavalry

Jon Boden - Songs From The Floodplain

Jon Boden - Songs From The FloodplainNavigator Records

His third album for Just Music, The Grape & The Grain sees Leo Abrahams explore instrumental English folk music in this collection of tender and melodic pieces, featuring mainly guitar, but with added instrumentation, including a Hurdy Gurdy which Leo learnt to play specially for this record.

Leo is a hugely respected musician who already has a proven track record playing live, both solo and as a guitarist / multi instrumentalist for many artists including Vashti Bunyan, Eliza Carthy, Kathryn Williams and June Tabor on the Daughters of Albion shows and the Sea Shanty project Rogues’ Gallery with Richard Thompson, Martin Carthy and James Cooke. He has recently performed successful solo shows in across Europe, Russia and the US.

In the studio he has worked with a huge array of artists as both a producer and instrumentalist, including Brian Eno, The Waterboys, Paul Simon, King Creosote, David Holmes, Roxy Music, Nick Cave, Jarvis Cocker, Marianne Faithfull and recently produced the acclaimed album by new folk act Smoke Fairies.

His first album, Honeytrap, was critically acclaimed and explored instrumental acoustic, folk and world music. His second was a series of collaborations with artists such as KT Tunstall, Ed Harcourt & Foy Vance. His new album, The Grape & The Grain, is a more direct collection of English folk pieces.

Tracks: Masquerade / Come The Morning / From Here / Spring Snow / Blind / The Grape & The Grain / New Wine / Ends Meet / A Ghost On Every Corner / The Northern Jane / Daughter Of Persuasion

Leo Abrahams - The Grape And The GrainJust Music

Leo Abrahams - The Grape And The Grain

Lau - Arc Light

January 2009: a freezing-cold shed in North Berwick is visited by the Folk Police… “Allau allau, wot’s all this ’ere then?” Nothing untoward, Officer – just those fiery, multi-award-winning young musos Martin Green, Aidan O’Rourke and Kris Drever putting the finishing touches to their (eagerly-awaited) next studio album (due for release March 28th).

Actually the sounds emanating from the shed’s darker recesses are even more ethereal than we’re used to hearing from Lau, as Martin rushed to explain: “Today we’ve brought in Karine Polwart, Corrina Hewat and Inge Thomson to do some angel-witchy backing vocals for us, like using their voices as instruments almost. But we’ve gone for a more spacey, atmospheric sound generally; and one of the main differences with the new album is, the instrumental tracks are less like sets of tunes strung together and more like unified flowing tone pictures maybe. Another big change is that we’d gigged all the pieces extensively before entering the studio to record Lightweights And Gentlemen, but this time around half, probably more, were only tried out for the first time at rehearsals and so have kind-of-evolved in the studio since last November.”

But does this mean the sublime anarchy of the Lau we know and love from Lightweights and the live CD is now reined in and mapped out? “Far from it! We still play like maniacs, but each piece grows more organically with the spontaneous interaction occurring during rehearsals; it’s more a genuine collaboration, so there’s less individual responsibility for each tune. We’ve also experimented with fresh angles and textures, using some extra colours to enhance (electric piano, guitar effects and such) – things we’d like to do live but just don’t have the spare hands!… And our producer, Calum Malcolm, he’s been like a fourth member of the band, having much more input this time and at an earlier stage in the whole process, it’s been like having another set of ears we could call on!”

Finally, Martin reassured me that despite the ongoing development of Lau’s instrumental repertoire, Kris’s magnificent voice was not being sidelined, for the as yet untitled new album will contain three songs: two of Kris’s own compositions in fact, together with a revisit of Banks Of Marble. So plenty to look forward to, then: certainly the lads themselves were tremendously excited on hearing the mixes for the first time – that sure came through lau-d and clear!

STOP PRESS! The album is called Arc Light and Kris’ songs Wintermoon is the best thing we’ve heard him sing yet.

This interview originally appeared in

Tracks: The Burrian / Winter Moon / Horizontigo / Salty Boys / Banks Of Marble / Stephen’s / The Master / Frank And Flo’s Temple Of Fiddles / Dear Prudence

Lau - Arc LightNavigator Records

“Joyce is one of the greatest stars of Brazilian music… inventive and soulful” The Guardian

“Joyce is a global treasure…she can do moody as well as Amy Winehouse” Daily Telegraph

“One of the greatest singers of all time” Antonio Carlos Jobim

Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1948, Joyce is one of Brazil’s most internationally acclaimed artists. Forever known only by her first name, Joyce recorded her first album in 1968 and has since gone on to issue more than 20 solo albums and tour the world many times over. She is a phenomenal songwriter and one of the great musical treasures of Brazil with more than 300 recordings of her songs by many of Brazil’s most respected singers (Milton Nascimento, Elis Regina, Flora Purim and Gal Costa amongst them). She is a sophisticated urbanite, whose personal musical style was nurtured in Rio’s fertile jazz and samba scenes. Her sound mellifluously combines Brazilian rhythms, jazz harmonies and intelligent lyrics through a beautifully expressive voice.

Brazil’s always been a land rich in great musicians and has no shortage of fine female singers. Yet Joyce stands out for several reasons – she plays guitar, leads her band and writes much of her material. And what a songwriter - since the beginning of her career she has employed a first-person feminine idiom. She was the first female Brazilian composer in the history of MPB (Music Popular Brazil) to express herself in this form. Not that Joyce found the going always easy: “In 1968 my first attempt at recording the song Me Disseram was prohibited by my record company who considered it too bold for a 19 year-old girl to sing, with its so-called ‘feminist’ lyrics.”

Brazil was ruled by a military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985 and the political climate where each song had to be passed by a military censor –– only served to strengthen Joyce’s resolve. In 1975 poet/songwriter Vinicius de Moraes (co-writer with Antonio Carlos Jobim of The Girl From Ipanema amongst others) invited Joyce to join him on an international tour as singer and guitar player. This started a relationship with Europe that continues to this day with London-based label Far Out Recordings for whom she continues to record.

In 2009 Joyce returns to Europe for a full live tour and two nights headlining Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London. Alongside the tour Far Out Recordings will finally set free Joyce’s classic 1976 ‘lost’ Brazilian acid-folk album Visions of Dawn. Joyce’s legendary recording with Nana Vasconcelos and Mauricio Maestro brings this greatest of female Brazilian music stars back to prominence. The relaxed sessions are both testament to the great musicianship of the trio and the thriving artistic backdrop of Paris. It’s been 33 years, but well worth the wait.

Tracks: Banana / Clareana / Metralhadeira / Nacional Kid / Tudo Bonito / Suite: Part 1-Memorias Do Porvir / Suite: Part 2. Visões Do Amanhecer (Visions Of Dawn) / Suite: Part 3: Carnavalzinho (Little Carnaval) / Jardim Dos Deuses / Chegada

Joyce, Nana Vasconcelos & Mauricio Maestro - Visions Of Dawn

Joyce, Nana Vasconcelos & Mauricio Maestro Visions Of DawnFar Out Recordings

Saxophonist Courtney Pine, who was awarded a C.B.E for services to music in the 2009 New Year Honours, is back with his eagerly anticipated 12th studio album and his debut release on his own label Destin-E World Records.

This new work, not only pays tribute to the first great saxophone star Sidney Bechet, but also marks several new forays into sound for the groundbreaking Jazz Warrior.

The music was composed and evolved through a series of shows in the UK during 2007 before Pine brought his band into the studio to document and capture the energy, support and encouragement that only a live audience can give. The result is breathtaking.

Featured on the recording are Guitarist Cameron Pierre, Pianist Alex Wilson, Electric Violinist Omar Puente, Double Bassist Darren Taylor, and Drummer Robert Fordjour, alongside American Vibraphonist/Marimba player Stefon Harris, all of whom have succeeded in creating music that is as deep as the legacy of jazz, and as encompassing as the journey from Africa, the Caribbean, South America and Europe can be - in other words, this is the soundtrack to their cultural journey.

A change in instrumentation sees Pine’s Bass Clarinet take centre stage on many occasions, alongside Harmonium, Castanets and Mandolin and the resulting sound is like no other Courtney Pine record. “Of course I pay respect to the great Bechet by playing a silver soprano saxophone like his, but there are other flavours like my Alto Flute playing on The Tale Of Joe Harriott and of course that Caribbean groove”.

It’s that very groove that gives this album another of its unique elements, as forays into New Orleans 2nd line beats merge into an old school swing beat, a medium tempo swing smoothly flows into a reggae one drop beat, there is a feeling of continuing movement as each track passes from one place to another. “I want to show in these

compositions how our journey as a culture is constantly in transition, things change in one tune musically just as we do in real life. You can hear this movement especially in Creole Swing or the blazing opener Haiti”.

When asked about the South African tinged tracks (Afropean and Au Revoir), that close the album, Pine explains, “Having worked in the 80’s with many of the exiles from Apartheid South Africa, these pieces fitted the project perfectly as it was the changes in 1994, when all-inclusive elections occurred for the first time in South Africa, that inspired me to believe in the notion that this world could be a better place to live in”.

Embracing change and unity, allowing for the transition of tradition.

Tracks: Haiti / New Orleans aka(Crescent City Rise) / Le Matin Est Noire / Transition In Tradition / Toussaint L’Ouverture / The Tale Of Joe Harriott / the Sound Of Jazz? / Creole Swing / Afropean / Au Revoir

Courtney Pine - Transition In Tradition (En homage á Sidney Bechet)

Destin-E World Records

Courtney Pine - Transition In Tradition

This is the raw, unadulterated, untouched sound of Thin Lizzy at the absolute height of their powers on their sell out 1977 Bad Reputation tour.

Thin Lizzy’s seminal double live album Live & Dangerous is consistently featured in polls as one of the greatest live albums of all time. Yet, it is not really a live record at all, featuring overdubs and post production across the album. Still Dangerous captures the classic quartet of Lynott, Downey, Gorham and Robertson on fire at the celebrated Tower Theatre in Philadelphia.

The album features tracks that never made the Live & Dangerous release and all cuts are previously unreleased. The album was mixed by the legendary Glyn Johns (The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Eagles, Led Zeppelin), with contributions from Scott Gorham and Brian Downey.

Still Dangerous is the definitive live statement from one of rock’s most revered and enduring groups and is set to become an essential addition to the legacy of one of rocks greatest ever acts.

“Where Live & Dangerous might represent a full course meal in the grand scheme of a great live document, Still Dangerous: Live At The Tower Theatre Philadelphia 1977 plays more like the sort of tasty appetizer that leaves you hungry for more. For those already aware of Lizzy’s credentials as a great band, this CD will be a nice surprise. For those newer to the band, this is a great place to start.” Blog Critics

Tracks: Soldier of Fortune / Jailbreak / Cowboy Song / Boys Are Back In Town / Dancing In The Moonlight / Massacre / Opium Trail / Don’t Believe A Word / Baby Drives Me Crazy / Me And The Boys

Thin Lizzy - Still Dangerous

Thin Lizzy - Still DangerousTLP