Bluesmen's World(Music)

"Where the previous two albums from Leicestershire based A Hawk And A Hacksaw were dark and dusty delights that happily referenced such disparate genres as the Spaghetti Western, Captain Beefheart and Raymond Scott, their new LP 'The Way The Wind Blows' is a far lighter affair that shifts it focus squarely onto folk traditions. Sharing two members with Beirut (Jeremy Barnes and Heather Trost), A Hawk And A Hacksaw explore a similar aural topography - with the opening 'In The River' full of lazy horns, wheezing melodies and waltzing accordion, all of which conspire to create a wonderfully rolling Bavarian folk atmosphere. Partly recorded in a remote Romanian village with members of Fanfare Ciocarlia (recent winners of Best European Artist at the Radio 3 World Music Awards), 'The Way The Wind Blows' really does sound timeless; conjuring up images of dusky mountains and bustling villages. Choosing a dramatic stomp that has a distinctly Turkish flavour, the title track is a rich and rimy affair that juxtaposes an ominous accordion line with some piquant strings which prevent the piece becoming dour or overcast. From here, 'Song For Joseph' introduces militaristic drums to a pathos drenched vocal that will keep pulling you in despite its poignant undertow, 'God Bless The Ottoman Empire' is a jaunty slice of indie-folk that wouldn't sit out of place on college radio, whilst 'GaDJe Sirba' cross-breeds Eastern Europe with Duke Ellington style horns. It works far better in the ear than it does on paper... Closing with the couplet of 'Salt Water' and 'There Is A River In Gailsteo' (the former a brooding piano and string epic, the latter a tender shimmering lament), The Hawk And The Hacksaw have made an album that sticks to its musical ethics doggedly whilst losing not a jot of listenability."

01.In The River
02.Way The Wind Blows
03.Song For Joseph
04.Fernando's Giampari
05.God Bless The Ottoman Empire
06.Waltz For Strings And Tuba
07.Oporto
08.Gadje Sirba
09.Sparrow
10.Salt Water
11.There Is A River In Galisteo

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The CD includes the first recordings by A Hawk And A Hacksaw and The Hun Hangár Ensemble, a group of extraordinarily talented Hungarian folk musicians, brought together with the help of influential Budapest music centre Fonó Budai Zeneház. The songs, both traditional (Hungarian, Romanian, Serbian and klezmer) and A Hawk And A Hacksaw originals, were chosen by A Hawk And A Hacksaw’s Jeremy Barnes to highlight the individual skills of each of the six musician.

The songs were carefully chosen to showcase the individual prowess of each of the six musicians, in ensemble pieces (such as ‘Ihabibi’), duos (‘Király siratás’, featuring violin and cymbalom) and solo pieces (the virtuoso cymbalom of ‘Vajdaszentivány’. Perhaps most impressive of all is ‘Zozobra’, which features only Balázs (cymbalom) and Jeremy (everything else), and sounds like it ought to be sound-tracking Buster Keaton.

1. Király siratás (Trost)
2. Zozobra (Barnes)
3. Serbian Cocek (traditional, with additional melodies by Barnes/Trost)
4. Romanian Hora and Bulgar (traditional) live, somewhere in Europe, 2006
5. Ihabibi (traditional, with additional melodies by Barnes/Trost)
6. Vajdaszentivány (traditional Hungarian melodies)
7. Oriental Hora (traditional)
8. Dudanóták (traditional Hungarian bagpipe melodies)

Musicians:
Jeremy Barnes - various instruments
Heather Trost - various instruments
with
The Hun Hangár Ensemble
Béla Ágoston - Hungarian bagpipes, clarinet, alto saxophone
Ferenc Kovács - trumpet, violin
Zsolt Kürtösi - upright bass
Balázs Unger - cymbalom

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