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A Production of The Folk Life ( Inc. 1976)
John McLaughlin and Jamie Downs, Editors
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CD Reviews: “Roots & Wings,” (dba The Digital Folk Life. Org)
Record Review: Alex Hodgson, Jeelie Jars n Coalie Backies (Greentrax Records).
Since the passing of the late, sadly-lamented Davey Steele, there's been a hole in Scottish singing that Archie Fisher can't fill all by himself. Now here's help, From Davey's old stomping grounds (Prestonpans), a musician who'd been performing right under the nose of Greentrax Records for a number of years - Alex Hodgson, whose new recording - on Greentrax - Jeelie Jars n Coalie Backles is as folkie as Steeleye Span's first jazzing-up of the old CHild Ballads - some trad songs on here, but also Alex's own compositions (Favorites: "Willie's Gaun Tae Melville Castle" - set to a boogie-woogie piano and heavy on the drums - "Isobelle" - a tribute to his wife, very definitely Davey-Steele-style ballad - and "Witch Hunt" - a thunderous condemnation of the Scottish Inquisition and its focus on alleged women soothsayers and actual midwives). Hard to praise this one enough, for carrying on the neo-traditional and the traditional alike.
John McLaughlin, PhD
Host/Producer, Roots & Wings