Music from a Small Island Simon Mayor - CD review Quotes from the press - short takes fRoots BBC Website Another scintillating and accomplished A welcome return to CD for the master of collection from this abundantly stringed instruments and his smooth- talented master-of-all-things-mando and his voiced partner-in-bass, featuring inspired, partner. Brings together music from intricate compositions and tunes from the England and Scotland, played on mandolins, British traditions. guitar, bass and fiddle, with three English songs sung beautifully by Hilary. An Folk & Roots Reviews absolute winner on every count." His arranging skills are without doubt some of the most thought provoking and Folking.com intricately balanced pieces of musicianship ...listen to the musical masterpiece and you you will experience will be blown away. ... Hilary’s beautiful soaring vocals ... out-of-this-world mandolin playing... were it a piece of art it would happily hang ... superb playing, soothing vocals, brilliant alongside a Picasso. harmonies and amazing arrangements I can’t think of a finer purveyor of the ... one of the greatest folk arrangers/ mandolin musical instrumental masters of our time. Back On The Tracks Folk Diary Scintillating multi-instrumental magic from ... his playing is crisp and light and he plays mandolin maestro. with the confidence and clarity that marks Every time I hear Simon Mayor, I'm blown him out as a master musician. away. There are parts of this CD that set my heart racing, parts that make me laugh with delight and parts that make me feel The Daily Telegraph wonderfully mellow. I can't imagine that ... the folk record of the year... evocative there's a more entertaining or impressive virtuosity... faultless singing... deliciously mandolin player alive anywhere in the uncool world. I'd love to be proved wrong, but I'm not sure my heart could stand it. Rock ‘n’ Reel Mayor's artistry... is breathtaking... dazzling Folk Radio UK musicianship that has become his calling Amazing musical arrangements which set card. this album apart from any other in this field. Acoustics Records, PO Box 350, Reading RG6 7DQ, England. +44 (0)118 926 8615 www.acousticsrecords.co.uk www.mandolinquents.com Music from a Small Island Simon Mayor - CD review Rock ‘n’ Reel The Daily Telegraph His first CD since 1998 sees mandolin Youthful innovators turned 2006 into a maestro Simon Mayor once again enlisting vintage year for folk music and its compatriot Hilary James for another offshoots, partly for the sounds they collection of stunning performances and produced but mostly for one arrangements. groundbreaking achievement: making other young people want to listen. Mayor's artistry on various members of the mandolin family, as well as violin and Yet, amid all the excitement about Jim guitar, is breathtaking. Combining the Moray, James Thorkston and graduates of refined qualities of classical music in a folk the Newcastle University folk degree setting on 'Three English Songs' - 'Rosebud course, the older generation was refusing In June', 'The Hunt Is Up/Bold Reynard' and to settle into slippers and rocking chairs. 'Linden Lea' - for which Hilary James adds Bob Fox and Show of Hands made career- her sublimely beautiful voice to best albums and, arguably, the folk record proceedings, the set amply displays why the of the year came – late and almost duo are as in demand vocally as they are unnoticed – from another veteran, Simon instrumentally. Mayor. Mayor's own compositions also feature After plugging away for years to boost the predominantly on 'The Wharfedale Suite', image of the mandolin, Mayor's musical where his instrumental genius has all the odyssey from Dorset to Scotland has space it needs to impress and sparkle. everything the discerning listener craves: thoughtfully mixed material, evocative The musical excursion around Britain also virtuosity and (from Hilary James) faultless takes in their 'Scottish Collection', which singing. gives them a chance to demonstrate their mastery of the Celtic music medium, a Instrumental folk music does not get more perfect example being the version of cultured than the Wharfedale Suite, Burns's 'Such A Parcel Of Rogues', whilst inspired by Mayor's love of Pennines final track 'The Middlesmoor Waltz' walking, and his Scottish Collection. provides further confirmation of Mayor's compositional skills, demonstrating superb But a deliciously uncool and politically control and the dazzling musicianship that incorrect peak is reached with the hunting has become his calling card. medley, a perky tune embracing James's exquisite interpretation of Bold Reynard. 5/5 Sean McGhee (Editor) Colin Randall Acoustics Records, PO Box 350, Reading RG6 7DQ, England. +44 (0)118 926 8615 www.acousticsrecords.co.uk www.mandolinquents.com Music from a Small Island Simon Mayor - CD review Back On The Tracks Eddie Lang and Joe Venuti in full flight. Some of Mayor's speedier passages in Scintillating multi-instrumental Coming Down The Moor are hard to magic from mandolin maestro believe but he never lets his astonishing nimble-fingeredness run away with him. Every time I hear Simon Mayor, I'm blown away. I'm not someone who is easily The Scottish Collection gives Mayor an impressed by flashy instrumental virtuosity opportunity to indulge his love of tartan- because, all too often, it can be employed tinged tunesmithery, and has a somewhat to hide a lack of real musical content. No more baroque feel than much of the rest of matter how wonderfully a musician plays, I the disc. Such A Parcel Of Rogues features get restless very quickly if the music a multi-tracked fiddle trio, demonstrating doesn't seem to be going anywhere, or again that Mayor's abilities are by no means seems to lack structure. (Yes, I know that confined to the mandolin. At times it doesn't explain why I love drifty ambient seems unreasonable that one bloke can be music that goes nowhere but, hey, we're all so gifted on so many instruments. The allowed the occasional lapse of logic.) sprightly Barren Rocks Of Aden features the disc's only guest appearance when This CD is a musical portrait of the British guitarist Frank Kilkelly gets the opportunity Isles, starting out with the rollicking swing to trade harmonised licks with Mayor's jazz romp Midnight In Manchester, ending mandolin and more than holds his own. with the stately Middlesmoor Waltz (it's in the Yorkshire Dales) and visiting Linden There are parts of this CD that set my Lea, Beamsley Beacon and Drumblair along heart racing, parts that make me laugh with the way. Mayor is accompanied on all delight and parts that make me feel tracks by Hilary James on mandobass, wonderfully mellow. I can't imagine that double bass or bass guitar, and she also there's a more entertaining or impressive sings with a beautiful clarity and sensitivity mandolin player alive anywhere in the on several cuts including Linden Lea world. I'd love to be proved wrong, but I'm not sure my heart could stand it. The 12 tracks on the album are arranged by the geographical locations they deal with, so The Wharefdale Suite, for example, includes three scintillating BBC Website instrumentals based on places in the valley of the River Wharfe. The violin and A welcome return to CD for the master of mandolin duet on The Strid (it's a narrow stringed instruments and his smooth- stretch of the Wharfe near Bolton Priory) voiced partner-in-bass, featuring inspired, is an unalloyed delight, all the more intricate compositions and tunes from the impressive when you realise that Mayor British traditions. played both instruments and yet managed to make their interplay seem as natural as Acoustics Records, PO Box 350, Reading RG6 7DQ, England. +44 (0)118 926 8615 www.acousticsrecords.co.uk www.mandolinquents.com Music from a Small Island Simon Mayor - CD review Folking.com Folk & Roots Reviews Mandolin, mandola, mandocello, violin, I’m reviewing this latest CD from Simon guitar, double bass, bass guitar…simply and Hilary wondering at the majesty of the reading the sleeve notes for ‘Music from a mandolin and just how suitable it is in a Small Island’ portrays the tremendous ‘mock’ Tudor style. In the hands of a talent this long-established duo have to ‘British’ troubadour such as Mr Mayor offer; but go on to listen to the musical particularly on the track “Rosebud In June” masterpiece and you will be blown away. there is the refined beauty that you would expect and plenty more besides. This is Simon Mayor’s first CD release since the ‘New Celtic Mandolin’ in 1998 His arranging skills are without doubt and is a reflective musical journey from some of the most thought provoking and Dorset via his native Yorkshire to Scotland; intricately balanced pieces of musicianship combining ‘Midnight in Manchester’, Three you will experience and like other ‘folk’ English songs ( featuring Hilary James’s bass artists of his ilk such as Alistair Anderson, and soothing vocals), The Wharfedale Suite Andy Irvine and Chris Newman his (inspired by recent summers spent there), recordings should be required listening for The Scottish Collection (a selection of any scholars of one of the most delicate traditional Scottish folk songs) and to finish instruments of the acoustic ‘string’ family. ‘The Middlesmoor Waltz’ . The addition of Hilary’s beautiful soaring vocals would give Maddy Prior something The entire album has a definite warming to think about and if I were to admit it I’d nostalgic feel to it, listening conjures images say it’s probably the most scintillating track of wild windy mountains and traditional I’ll hear this year! Tudor English dances taking place around great wood burning fires; an England long- Avoiding the stereotypes of a selection of gone.