Cameroon born artist Blick Bassy dedicated his album 1958 to his country’s anti-colonial struggles. Bassy's band play classical instruments like cello, piano and trumpet mixed with guitar and banjo - but it’s his stunning voice that stays with you: you might recognise him from the ad for the iPhone6 which marked him out as a talent to watch.
Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn show how far the humble banjo can go on their 2019 album Echo in the Valley. The husband and wife duo put some tough constraints on themselves: they won’t record anything they can’t replicate live on stage AND play nothing except banjos.
Auckland raised, Melbourne based troubadour Skyscraper Stan has had top reviews for his album Golden Boy released in 2019. Stan has been honing his skills through years of touring across Australia and is known for giving his audience a very good time but also making listeners think about life in all its messiness.
London cello and violin duo Fran & Flora mix Jewish folk culture with electronica on their debut album Unfurl. Violinist Flora Curzon and cellist Francesca Ter-Bang met through playing in other people’s bands on London’s lively music scene, including Talvin Singh and also Sam Lee & Friends
New York band The Klezmatics began in the 80’s; one of its leaders is trumpeter Frank London, who has also worked with both Fran and Flora. The Klezmatics play across various genres even with names from the classical world like Itshak Perlman and Joshua Bell. We feature a Klezmatics original by Frank London and violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman playing klezmer.
New York band the Klezmatics Photo: the Klezmatics
English folk singer Sam Lee travels the UK learning songs from folk and traveller communities which he brings to life backed by Jews harp, banjo and fiddle. The committed song collector also likes to challenge the boundaries between folk and contemporary music and the assumptions about where folk song is heard.
Music details:
BASSY: Woñi - Blick Bassy (NOFORMAT PROMO1958)
BASSY: Bés Na Wè - Blick Bassy (NOFORMAT PROMO1958)
FLECK: Take me to Harlan - Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn (ROUNDER PROMOECHO)
TRAD: Sally in the Garden / Big Country - Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn (ROUNDER PROMOECHO)
WOODHOUSE: Child - Skyscraper Stan (STAN WOODHOUSE)
WOODHOUSE: Flag of Progress - Skyscraper Stan (STAN WOODHOUSE)
TRAD: Romanian Fantasies - Fran & Flora (Fran & Flora Productions)
TRAD: L’Obreja - Fran & Flora (Fran & Flora Productions)
LONDON: Davenen - The Klezmatics (KLEZMATICS 738956)
STATMAN: Tati un Mama Tants - Itzhak Perlman (vln), Andy Statman Klezmer Orch (EMI CDC 5 55555)
TRAD: The Ballad Of George Collins - Sam Lee (NEST COLLECTIVE 200191)
TRAD: Goodbye My Darling - Sam Lee (NEST COLLECTIVE 200191)
SINGH: Light - Talvin Singh (ISLAND 524559)
