FolkBlog

The highlights of this next batch of CDs added to the Online Folk Festival are performers from north of the border.

The Duhks - The Duhks

The Duhks are a versatile group capable of playing in a wide variety of folk-related styles, including bluegrass, traditional and Celtic. Their self-titled CD takes on covers of traditional tunes, including fine renditions of “Death Came a Knockin’” and “The Wagoner’s Lad”, mixes in some Celtic flavored instrumentals where they break out the uillean pipes, and then adds some covers of more recent songwriters including Leonard Cohen, Paul Brady and Sting. It’s an impressive accomplishment that they pull this off so successfully.

Enoch Kent - For the Women

Although Enoch Kent has lived in Canada many years, his roots are in Scotland, as easily distinguished by the brogue in which he sings. One of his early bands, The Reivers, played a large part in the Scottish folk music revival of the 50s and 60s, and he has worked with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger among others. After a 36-year recording hiatus, he began recording again at age 70 in 2002. For the Women is his third CD since returning to recording. I’ll let Kent describe his reasons for recording this collection:

In my youth, I thought all working class consg were about Us vs. Them and many were. What I didn’t like was classifying women as “Them.” For over fifty years, I’ve been singing songs that in the main have been “male” songs. The men did most of the drinking and singing but now more women are fining a voice of their own — and equally important, their voices are more and more being heard.

In this collection, Kent sings songs by women or songs about women, whether they are as objects of reverence, of scorn or exploitation. The instrumentation is minimal, with Kent often singing a capella, a wise choice considering just how rich Kent’s voice and interpretive ability are. It is occasionally difficult as an Amehrkan from Ahia to work through the brogue, but it’s worth it. This is the best traditional folk album I have heard in a long time.

Also Added:

Susan Kane: So Long
Rick Lee: That’s What Thoughts Will Do