ANNA FALKENAU
Féileacán na Saoirse
Scroll Music 1401
* * * *
The Irish-to-English translation of Anna Falkenau's solo
fiddle album is, roughly, "Butterfly of Freedom," an apt descriptor.
It reminds me of Kevin Burke projects in the ways in which tunes are freed by
putting composition and emotion at the fore instead of virtuosity. The trick,
as Burke once patiently explained to me, is to make the music sound simple and easy flowing–like a
butterfly's flight–even when it's hard to play. Falkenau does precisely this.
Her tone and control are glorious, but the overall feel is that of a late-night
session when the bar patrons have left and the remaining musicians are playing
for each other.
This collection consists mostly of traditional Irish and
American fiddle tunes inspired by the playing of such renowned old masters as
Paddy Killoran, Tommy Peoples, and Pádraig O'Keefe, and recent ones the likes
of Liz Carroll and Bruce Molsky. Aside from a few well-traveled tunes such as
"Sally Coming through the Rye" and "The Jolly Tinker,"
though, Falkenau chooses material suited to her quiet and expressive style
rather than ones that sound familiar. (Over-familiarity can be a curse on solo
projects.) She does let her hair down on several pieces, including "The Coolea
Jig" set, the American old-time selection "Richmond," her tour
de force thump-out with bodhrán artist Johnny McDonagh on "The Little
Cascade," and her note-for-echoing-note duet with accordionist Steve
Sweeney on the wonderfully titled "The Sporting Pitchfork" set. But
among the many things Falkenau does well is mix tempos and moods. "The
House on the Hill/The Leading Role" is lilting and smooth, her take on
hornpipes "Fitzgerald's/Bushmills" is stripped down and raw, and the
lullaby effect of "Ivan's Waltz" is enhanced by her tasteful
collaboration with harper Holly Geraghty. One of my favorites, though, was the
only original on the CD, "Vodka & Chocolate." Falkenau's liner
notes say that it came to her after a Cork session in which she had been overly
imbibing in the aforementioned items. The next morning she fashioned a gorgeous
piece that sounds faintly like a Breton an
dro. Who says excess is a bad thing?
Rob Weir
Here's a YouTube live show performance of the CD's last selection. It's slow for a few
minutes, but stay with it—it's worth it!
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