Earth Tones: Love and Laughter for Litha

column

by Genevieve Williams

It's summertime in the Pacific Northwest, and you know what that means: late sunsets, warm, sunny days, chances to get out and explore. Festivals of every description abound, and there's something doing just about every weekend. Of course, that includes music -- and there are plenty of excellent new recordings to sink your ears into as well.

I was thinking of reviewing the score for Troy, but I have an allergy to James Horner. (That said, the movie itself isn't bad, though it suffers in both its dramatic and comedic dimensions for the absence of the gods; the attempts to make up for this lack fall flat, and Helen and Paris aren't nearly as compelling in Aphrodite's absence.) Instead, we wander further afield, to Galicia (Susana Seivane), Portugal (Mísia), Canada (Harry Manx), Scandinavia (Janne Lehtinen) and Ireland (Susan McKeown). Enjoy!

Susana Seivane hails from Galicia, a region of northwestern Spain. She plays bagpipes, sings and writes songs. If you thought you'd heard everything that could be done with pipes, get yourself out of the British Isles and check out Mares de Tempo (Boa Cor/Colección Do Fol, www.boacor.com). It's easy to forget that Celtic culture once held sway across a far broader region than it does today, and remnants can be found even in places where, like Portugal and Spain, it was supplanted by later arrivals. Mixed in with Mediterranean, Spanish and straight-up Western pop influences, Seivane and company have created a work of intriguing emotional complexity and frequently stunning beauty. Call it Continental Celtic; there are echoes of Brittany and France here, interwoven with cultural influences from all over the European and North African map. Seivane is a gifted piper and vocalist, drawing on long-standing tradition that is familial as well as musical. One can only imagine how lovely it would be to hear her in person on a Seattle summer evening. Until that day comes, we'll have to content ourselves with this CD.

Back in 2002, I reviewed a CD from Portuguese fado singer Mísia. I'm delighted to report that she's back, with the gorgeous and bittersweetly moving Canto (Warner Jazz France). The singer, who the New York Times compared to Edith Piaf, here gives the traditional Portuguese musical form an update with layers of jazz and classical music. In addition to her usual ensemble, she works with French string quartet Camerata de Bourgogne. Canto is a collection of music by legendary Portuguese musician Carlos Paredes; to not only cover this material, but to expand on it stylistically, requires daring. Daring, however, is something Mísia is known for; even before this, she was regarded for her willingness to step outside the bounds of tradition. She definitely has the chops. Her voice, rich and velvety-smooth, reaches an expressive depth only hinted at in her earlier work. Canto has that transitional feel so prevalent in Mediterranean music. Even when you don't know what the songs are about, they brim with dramatic tension. The string quartet accompaniment should appeal to fans of bands such as Rasputina, who use strings to such good effect in their work.

When you pick up Harry Manx's new CD, West Eats Meet (Dog My Cat Records), go immediately to track two and listen to "Make Way for the Living." I don't know what Manx's religious leanings are, despite the strong spiritual component in his work -- when I had the pleasure of meeting him at his Seattle concert on May 1, I didn't think to ask -- but I doubt anyone reading this column will quarrel with this lyric: "There's talk of mysteries and places roamed by poets/Heaven and earth are meeting and fallen tears best show it/Make way for the living/Make way for the living/Bright against a black sky/And the shadow of the moon/Make way for the living." Most song lyrics are stupid (which is why yours truly tends to prefer lyrics in languages I don't actually understand), so when you find someone with such evocative capabilities and such a strong control of vivid imagery as Manx, grab on and give your ears a treat. May Day in Seattle was beautiful this year, and that evening of calm air and golden sunset was a perfect accompaniment to Manx's songs, themselves an intriguing and unusual combination of American blues and Indian raga. The two, as those of you who picked up Wise and Otherwise (Northern Blues) on my recommendation two years ago will attest, go together better than one might think. The result is extremely mellow, which isn't to say that it'll put you to sleep. Rather, Manx's songs have a meditative quality, and are unusual in that it's worth paying attention to the words. There's a lot more going on there than you might guess from a single listen, which makes repeated listens very rewarding.

Of course, it wouldn't be Earth Tones without something northerly in the mix. This time around, it's Janne Lehtinen's Parhaalle Ystävälle ("For the Best Friend," self-released). This collection of low-key Nordic and Celtic tunes is performed on an acoustic guitar, and Lehtinen, who is classically trained, gives the proceedings a genteel air reminiscent of a quiet summer evening. Or perhaps a rainy day; "Täällä Täytyy," with its scarcity of notes dropping one by one from the instrument, mingles perfectly with rain. There are a number of tunes from that most prolific of artists -- traditional -- along with a few names familiar to Celtic music aficionados: Turlough O'Carolan and Bill Whelan. The arrangements here are rather classical, too, so much so that you may not recognize even very familiar tunes. On the other hand, fans of classical music will probably enjoy this CD immensely, assuming they can find it (try www.kolumbus.fi/kistu/), and its meditative-but-not-sleepy quality should go over well with acoustic music listeners of any preference. Lehtinen's technical skill, which is considerable, largely remains in the background, so you get to enjoy the music, not the gymnastics of musicianship. A hidden gem, but a worthwhile one.

Finally, highly-regarded singer-songwriter Susan McKeown is back with Sweet Liberty, her first album with the World Village label. McKeown, who has collaborated with the Klezmatics and Natalie Merchant, brings Mali ensemble Ensemble Tartit and Mexican band Mariachi Real de Mexico on board. Despite this, Sweet Liberty is a spare, elegant, often moody piece of work that features McKeown's vocals front and center. As usual, she concentrates on less well-known material, thereby showcasing the incredible variety and invention of Irish music. Beginning with "The Wee Birds All Have Come and Gone," as fine a tribute to midsummer as you'll find anywhere, McKeown explores a diversity of moods and settings on a musical journey that constantly invites discovery. An adventurous musician herself, she always digs new nuggets out of previously well-trod ground, and Sweet Liberty is no exception.

That's it for this issue. Mark your calendar for these upcoming shows: the Young Dubliners at the Tractor Tavern on June 24, the Gipsy Kings at the Pier on June 29, and a FREE Seattle Opera preview at Town Hall on July 7.

Genevieve Williams is a Seattle freelance writer and drummer. She can be reached at rimrun@drizzle.com with feedback, suggestions or recommendations. Local musicians and Pagan groups are encouraged to submit material for review and show listings.