Great Iranian/scottish Player

[Stephen Chambers]

especially for the ballet...

For the ballet?

 

Ballet Rambert, Rambert Dance Company, now simply "Rambert".

 

Jacqueline McCarthy was a member of The Sergeant Early Band who performed traditional music for a contemporary ballet production Sergeant Early's Dream by the London-based Rambert Dance Company. This association goes back to 1985 and has taken her (and the Rev. Ken's concertina) to Poland, Egypt, Greece, Jordan, Zambia, and all over the U.K.

Edited February 4, 2016 by Stephen Chambers

[Daniel Hersh]

 

Perhaps one's perception of what is music is personal ?

 

Indeed. Seems I liked his playing better than some of you, though I also liked some parts less than others. I thought it got rather repetitious toward the end, while I do believe he was playing a tune at the beginning. As I once said to Stuart, I think he's done an excellent job of getting the result he wants, even if it doesn't "speak to" me. And for what it's worth, his technique and style remind me of some of Simon Thoumire's playing, though Simon plays an English and Moshen is playing an anglo. I wonder if they know each other.

 

Mohsen Amini is also being discussed in this thread, including a post from Simon Thoumire himself. I'm reminded of Niall Vallely's playing too, and a little of Padraig Rynne. Echoing with what others have said, I greatly respect Mohsen's technique and like some of his playing, but not the fastest, loudest and most repetitive parts. I wonder if some of this is generational - we're all more than twice his age. (He is 22.)

[ceemonster]

A very able player, obviously But . . .I dunno . . . they all want to be artistes, and their idea of being an artiste again and again turns out to be, trad-flavored/jazzy-flavored scales and/or arpeggios repeated noodle-woodley at hyper velocity until you want to scream.

 

I was reading recently a blurb about a "band" called the Young Irelanders that is supposedly destined to be the most famous Irish trad band in the galaxy. It's an extremely slick product made up of a clutch of young virtuosi who are multiple championship winners and Riverdance alumni. Oh, and . . . conceived, originated, founded, assembled, and, of course, marketed by . . . a producer. They're all very, very good musicians, but what the crowd is meant to go wild, simply wild for, is . . . trad-flavored/jazzy-flavored scales and/or arpeggios repeated noodley-woodley at hyper velocity until you want to scream. with dancers, of course.

 

Great link, Geoff. This week I came across this one, too, Miltown concertina player Liam O'Brien with his mam Brid O'Donohue, and piper Sean Talty. It's posted on his FB page.

 

https://www.facebook.com/liamobrienmusic/?fref=ts

[Peter Laban]

 

 

This week I came across this one, too, Miltown concertina player Liam O'Brien with his mam Brid O'Donohue, and piper Sean Talty. It's posted on his FB page.

 

Liam's playing is wonderfully light and elegant. (I didn't see the video by the way, I was referring to him playing on his own)

[Geoff Wooff]

Mohsen Amini is also being discussed in this thread, including a post from Simon Thoumire himself. I'm reminded of Niall Vallely's playing too, and a little of Padraig Rynne. Echoing with what others have said, I greatly respect Mohsen's technique and like some of his playing, but not the fastest, loudest and most repetitive parts. I wonder if some of this is generational - we're all more than twice his age. (He is 22.)

 

I recall being a fairly 'full on' concertina player in my early twenties and it being suggested publicly that I and the rest of our little band ( which included a pre-duet Ralph Jordan) should 'pull our heads in' and let the music speak for itself. So, yes Daniel ' putting old heads on young shoulders' rarely works.

[adrian brown]

Sorry to be the dissenting voice here, but I really enjoyed this video. Quite apart from the blistering technique, I found his "trad-flavored/jazzy-flavored scales and/or arpeggios repeated noodle-woodley at hyper velocity" very enthralling and compelling and had me hooked to the end…

I also enjoyed the other video, especially the amazing piping solo at the beginning, but after a few minutes, I found myself wondering why real, genuine, authentic, traditional musicians often look so miserable? I understand that degrees of glumness will win you Thomas Hardy Points among enthusiasts, but it makes for quite difficult viewing for the less-committed :-)

Adrian

[Geoff Wooff]

Whatever we individually think of any performance, this particular airing has to be good for the Concertina, bringing it to the fore in the eye of Joe Public. For that Mr. Amini surely deserves our congratulations on his Win.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Geoff Wooff

[JimLucas]

...after a few minutes, I found myself wondering why real, genuine, authentic, traditional musicians often look so miserable?

 

They're practicing that face for the day when they all become concertina players.

Time to "revive" Hexagon Zombies.

[JimLucas]

Agreed, though it's not particularly Scottish.

But I'm not aware of there being any tradition of playing the Anglo concertina in Scottish traditional music either....

No disagreement there. After all, my complaint was that there seemed to be nothing truly "traditional" about the competition.

[JimLucas]

Mohsen Amini is also being discussed in this thread, including a post from Simon Thoumire himself.

Ah, there it is! When this thread started, I was sure I had already seen the video, but I couldn't find what had led me to it. Forgot that it wasn't under his own name or that of the competition/award.

 

Echoing with what others have said, I greatly respect Mohsen's technique and like some of his playing, but not the fastest, loudest and most repetitive parts. I wonder if some of this is generational - we're all more than twice his age. (He is 22.)

Definitely generational, and maybe also cross-cultural if he has Iranian music in his heritage. But isn't that the opposite of "traditional"? In the Talisk videos, the departure from "traditional" style is less radical, but still there. Stylistic elements I've come to associate with "folk rock", "world music", "folk pop", and a trend in some Irish performing groups (maybe also Scottish?) over the past few decades. (Yes indeed, I'm more than 22 years old. )

[StuartEstell]

 

Perhaps one's perception of what is music is personal ?

 

Indeed. Seems I liked his playing better than some of you, though I also liked some parts less than others. I thought it got rather repetitious toward the end, while I do believe he was playing a tune at the beginning. As I once said to Stuart, I think he's done an excellent job of getting the result he wants, even if it doesn't "speak to" me.

 

I respect that approach to listening and appraisal, Jim, and completely agree in this case -- Amini is clearly a very capable player so it seems reasonable to assume that he's thought in some depth about what he does and has put a considerable amount of effort into making music in the way he wants to make it.

 

Also, I'd much rather people were doing things with the instrument that aren't to my taste than not doing anything at all! I'm no great believer in the idea of "how things should be done" as many of you who have listened to my recordings have no doubt realised. Time will tell whether different styles of playing are adopted or not.

[StuartEstell]

I understand that degrees of glumness will win you Thomas Hardy Points among enthusiasts

 

"The Degrees of Glumness" is surely the title of a slow air waiting to be written

[JimLucas]

I understand that degrees of glumness will win you Thomas Hardy Points among enthusiasts

 

"The Degrees of Glumness" is surely the title of a slow air waiting to be written

 

Can one get a PhD in glumness? But such a tune should be for fiddle rather than concertina, since it must have some notes that sag in pitch, no?

 

Meanwhile, there's a town in southern Sweden named Glumslöv ("gloomy leaves"?), but so far I haven't found any tune associated with that name.

[Roger Hare]

 

No, it's not Scottish music...But I'm not aware of there being any tradition of playing the Anglo concertina in Scottish

traditional music either - at least, all the old players that I'm aware of played English concertina.

 

 

I knocked around with several 'weel-kent' semi-pro 'folk' musicans in Scotland for many years, and as far

as I can remember, I never saw a concertina of any kind, anywhere.

 

But I do have criticisms regarding the "Young Traditional Musician" competition itself. I would hardly consider Mohsen's arrangement, style, and tunes(?) "traditional". I also wondered why Mohsen alone was named as the winner, when he was clearly playing with a band. Well, that was clarified when I sampled the YouTube videos of some of the other finalists. They were all playing with the same backup "band"! The Celtic harp and even the piano accordion were joined by those same bodhran, guitar, and grand piano... always playing essentially the same style. Is that the BBC's "traditional orchestra"? Leaves me wondering whether contestants were disqualified if they objected to that arrangement.

 

 

I wondered about the band too - seemed a bit 'twee'?

 

If I've picked things up correctly, this competition was a Radio Scotland award? Radio Scotland is not the be-all and end-all of the

BBC. During that weekend, BBCR3 presented many programmes with a 'folk' slant including a 'Live on Three' concert from Glasgow

featuring Scottish/Irish/American musicians (including Aly Bain) - also part of the Celtic Connections Festival. Good stuff - sadly no

concertina though, as far as I can remember.

 

Roger

[ceemonster]

I've always thought concertina would be marvelous for the modal Middle Eastern or Indian/Pakistani stuff that is essentially melody lines. Would love to hear it in some Iranian classical music or Indian music.

 

Perhaps Tony MacMahon will treat us to some on the button box. Anybody hear that recent radio interview with him from his current domicile in India, where he says his Parkinson's diagnosis was incorrect and he is able to play accordion again with small tinctures of marijuana for his hand tremor? The radio emcee was soliciting volunteers to bring Tony's box to him in India, and they got a Wexford guy on the line who was going for his work in the oil & gas industry and volunteered to take it over. Really a glorious listen, hilarious and inspiring as well. Tony is one of the great Irish trad characters of all time as well as an irreplaceable player.

Edited February 6, 2016 by ceemonster

[Jody Kruskal]

Another recent post mentioned a BBC airing of the band Leveret. The Trio is: Andy Cutting, Sam Sweeney and Rob Harbron. There is a bunch of great stuff by them on youtube including this tasteful rendering of

 

The Rising Sun - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P36U2v05nk4

 

As opposed to the admirable though flashy virtuosity of Mohsen Amini and his back up band, the Leveret trio seems to play as an organic whole of equal improvisers working together to explore and expand traditional music... including a few jazzy chords and modern rhythms tastefully employed. An added bonus is that they look like they are enjoying themselves tremendously. This music is much more to my liking. I might even listen again, it's that good.

Edited February 6, 2016 by Jody Kruskal

[hjcjones]

Leaving aside the merits of Mohsen's undoubtedly impressive technique, that's the first time I've seen a bodhran played from sheet music.

[Wolf Molkentin]

Jody, as I'm reluctant to discuss pros and cons of two very different offerings I confine myself to the remark that IMO "Talisk" neither appears as "backing band" nor are the members not enjoying themselves and their musical companionship, au contraire!

 

As to the impression of "folk pop", they're applying those ascending chord progessions as introduced into Irish folk music in the 1970s or so, not necessarily in terms of "pop" music, rather making a considerable if not worthy contribution to a living tradition as for me...

 

Best wishes - Wolf