 |
Fiddler Magazine Sing Out! Dirty Linen |
|
Bluegrass Unlimited May 1996 Reviewer: Art Menius Mark Simos calls his instrumental creations "tradiginal orishinal" music. That seems a sufficiently straightforward description of the crooked fiddle tunes what we receive on his fabulous CD "Race the River Jordan." Except for the opening "Sail Away Ladies," the album consists of 20 years worth of original compositions that most of the time glisten with the genuine spirit of traditional string-band music. From the 1993 Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, Wash., Simos whisked off a creme de la creme collection of today's players to record his music. Thus Simos' "friends" prove an all-star team of monster players including Dirk Powell, Molly Tenenbaum, Jere Canote, Daniel Steinberg, David Cahn, and Mark Graham. The match of these artists with Simos's creations has produced my favorite almost all-instrumental record of the 1990s from any genre. Fiddler Simos, who presented a workshop on computers at IBMA a couple of years ago, plays Celtic and country dance music as well as the obviously related old-time sound. Although the southern fiddle tune tradition exerts the most influence, Simos incorporates all these musics into his work. That enriches his compositional skills beyond that of single-genre players. Thus, too, Simos provides an album rich in variety. Just when you think he's fallen into an old-time groove, up jumps Steinberg with a surprising yet appropriate break on flute, melodica, or piano. "Dirk's Escape" even features a didjeridu sample from one of the releases on Alison Brown's Small World label. The liner notes insist authentic North Carolina mountain digital sampling technology was employed. Most importantly, Simos never forgets that old-time string band music is fundamentally dance music. That essential foot-moving rhythmic intensity powers Race the River Jordan from the opening licks of "Sail Away Ladies - Sail Back Home Again" until the CD closes with its only vocal number, the title cut. In between, one delightful tune after another rewards the listener. Simos provides not just exciting new music that uses elements of traditional music, his work continues and gives back to the tradition. These are campground tunes for the 21st century. Experience them now!
Fiddler Magazine Winter 1995/1996 Reviewer: Michael Simmons Mark Simos's new CD release Race the River Jordan is subtitled "New Old-Time Style Fiddle Tunes." Although that is a relatively accurate description of what you will find on this delightful recording, I prefer his other name for this music - "Traditional Music from Imaginary Countries." I think that second phrase does a better job of describing the atmosphere that he and his cohorts conjure up. Simos has been a fixture on the old-time music scene for twenty years and he has recorded and toured with quite a few great musicians over the years, including Mick Moloney, Liz Carroll, Matt Molloy, Sean Keane, Kevin Burke, and Eileen Ivers. He has also written many songs that have been recorded by the likes of Laurie Lewis and Jody Stecher and Kate Brislin. He also wrote the music for a PBS documentary on Tourette's Syndrome with the evocative title of "Twitch and Shout." On Race the River Jordan Simos is joined by a group of some of the finest old-time musicians in the Pacific Northwest, including banjoist Molly Tenenbaum, guitarist Jere Canote, fiddler Dirk Powell, pianist Daniel Steinberg, and bassists David Cahn and Peter Langston. The playing throughout is excellent, and the whole endeavor has the loose, comfortable feel of friends who have played together for years. Simos is a fine fiddler who utilizes a number of altered tunings that give his tunes a haunting, modal sound. I particularly liked the duet "Pony Boy" with harmonica player Mark Graham. On this tune the fiddle and harmonica sounded so much like they were one instrument, I kept wondering how they got the rosin out of the reeds and the saliva off the bow. With the standard old-time instruments (fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, and bass), Simos manages to create a musical world that is both familiar and new. Because many of the tunes are named for special occasions ("Neithammer Honeymoon," Dirk's Escape") or people ("Sandy's Shoes") or places ("Buckeye"), listening to the recording and reading the notes for each song is like paging through a photograph album turned into music. Is there a nicer way to recall friends than through a tune written in their honor? Although I think Armin Barnett ("Armin's Socks") might have preferred to have a tune composed that didn't draw attention to the fact that he has stinky feet.
Sing Out! Vol. 40 #3 Reviewer: Mary DesRosiers Great material, beautiful production, and an all-star cast make this one of the most enjoyable collections of instrumental music I've heard in a dog's age. Mark Simos has been polishing his chops on guitar, fiddle, and piano in various musical environments for more than 20 years now, and this recording represents the first muster of his original tunes. Simos calls these "New Old-Time Style Fiddle Tunes," and many of them do indeed sound like they've been around for ages. Some would be great dance tunes, some are delightfully crooked: all are arranged with a variety and precision that make this a good listen. The arsenal of talent here includes Molly Tenenbaum, Peter Langston, Jere Canote, Dirk Powell, Daniel Steinberg, and David Cahn. Instrumentalists will appreciate Simos' inclusion of the tunings for banjo and fiddle, as they attempt to add some of these gems to their own repertoires.
Dirty Linen #61, Dec. '95/Jan. '96 Mark Simos is an extremely gifted songwriter whose songs have been recorded by the likes of Laurie Lewis, Freyda Epstein, and Jody Stecher and Kate Brislin. As a guitarist, he has developed a reputation as one of the best accompanists in Irish music. On Race the River Jordan, Simos' first solo album, he appears as fiddler and composer of original instrumental tunes with a traditional sound. He is backed by a septet of talented colleagues he recruited from the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, notably multi-instrumentalist Dirk Powell and clawhammer banjo player Molly Tenenbaum. The tunes include the vaguely Celtic "Scotty," the old-time swing of "The Word In Edgewise," and the sprightly hoedown of "Lit Splickety/I'll Sleep When I'm Dead." The slow, elegant "Pony Boy" is a duet between Simos and harmonica player Mark Graham. The album closes with the sole vocal, the stately "Race the River Jordan."
|