No. 92 Winter 2017-18

OLDThe only UK publication TIME dedicated to American Old NEWS Time Music and Dance

CD Reviews

Joe Newberry & April Verch , this is a varied and couple of sparky paired tunes Yellow Weisberger. April also sings lead on upbeat CD, offering punchy / Jacket and Half Past Four featuring a cover of Doc Williams’ Roses Are duets, poignant and pacy songs, April’s clean crisp fiddle playing and Blooming. My Dear Childhood Days with a dose of step dancing thrown Joe’s impeccable banjo as back-up. But - another Joe/Khan co-write adopts in too! It draws a lot on a lot original it’s later tunes that really stayed with a further reflective vocal tone, with work and also offers some great takes me - April’s self-penned up-beat fiddle sparse fiddle backing. on classic old-time numbers. instrumental Waiting for Joe, which I can However the three songs that made With ten albums under her belt, imagine becoming a session favourite. my ears prick up were two of Joe’s April Verch is well-known as an Plus Back Up and Push/Carleton County compositions - the pulsy Jericho; plus acclaimed Canadian fiddler and Breakdown/John Brown’s Dream, where a favourite of mine, Baby I’m Blue - step-dancer. Joe Newberry, a North April pulls out her step-dancing shoes with its clever lyrics, catchy melody Carolina-based singer, songwriter and and Joe offers a clawhammer banjo solo. and fiddle ‘tears’. The third, a show multi instrumentalist, is becoming New Waltz, is just a super ‘nice’ tune and stopping gospel cover I Can’t Sit the final track of the CD Arcand-Saw Going Home (Slab Town Records) well known to us too. Through Down, has traded vocals with great Transatlantic Sessions, joyful banjo Traveler takes us out in a true finale! presence. Joe Newberry: banjo, , vocals; and vocal harmony workshops at This fiddle/banjo duet rattles along at an April Verch: fiddle, step dancing, Someone wrote that these two clearly SoreFingers Summer School and exciting pace. vocals had a great time recording together, tours with Mike Compton, Joe has As a singer I was drawn to the songs you can really hear that. It’s fun and Yellow Jacket - Half Past Four / I’m earned a place in many of our hearts. on the CD and with skillful guitar and upbeat CD, by two accomplished Going Home / Will You Wait For Me / This is a good quality CD to get to fiddle accompaniment, combined with musicians which celebrates so much Waiting For Joe / MyChildhood Days / know these two stellar musicians. some strong vocals and song writing, about this music. Jericho / New Waltz / Baby I’m Blue / Having performed together many there are some pearls in there. Joe co- Back Up and Push - Carleton County Issy Howie times, it’s their first recording wrote I’m Going Home, which gives Breakdown - John Brown’s Dream / collaboration. I enjoyed the fun and the CD its name, with the amazing Si Available from: Amazon, CD Baby Roses Are Blooming / I Cant Sit Down / exuberance that flowed from my Khan (who wrote the timeless Aragon The Arkansas Travelers speakers, so I look forward to seeing Mill). It’s a reflective ballad, with nice It’s right that these two are billed as them live when they tour the UK fiddle treatment, that will resonate a folk/roots duo. Both are steeped in together in Spring 2018. with all world-weary travellers. Will the folk tradition of their continent You Wait For Me?, has a ‘Carter family The 12 track CD has a few more songs and this CD ‘goes home’ to those feel and old-time spiritual style, and than tunes but, unsurprisingly, the tunes roots. Bringing together old-time and was co written by April with Jon still pack a big punch. It starts with a