CONCERT REVIEW
Anam: Celtic with a contemporary twist
by Seth Rogovoy(WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., Feb. 22, 1998) -- The Celtic folk group Anam got the Clark Art Institute's month-long, world-folk series off to a rousing start on Saturday night with a boisterously entertaining program of traditionally-based music with a contemporary twist.
Introducing one number, vocalist/percussionist Aimee Leonard acknowledged that folk purists might look askance at the group's arrangements. While firmly rooted in Celtic tradition, playing traditional acoustic instruments like button accordion, bodhran, whistle, mandolin and bouzouki, and drawing on the traditional forms and repertoire for at least half of their material, the musicians "tweak" the material to give it a contemporary flair and bounce which, frankly, made for a doubly exciting performance.
Much of the "tweaking" was the work of Leonard, the group's charming, funny frontwoman. Playing the bodhran -- a percussion instrument resembling an overgrown tambourine -- Leonard gave most of the group's material a contemporary rhythmic twist, juicing traditional reels such as "The Last Pint" and "Trim the Velvet" with a bit of Celtic funk.
Only the purest of the pure could object, however, to Anam's tinkering with tradition. These twenty- and thirty-something musicians brought a deep and abiding love and respect for the music's roots to their performance, while at the same time allowing hints of rock 'n' roll drama to creep in and color some of the arrangements.
Over the course of the evening, this played itself out in a show that was as much about versatility as virtuosity. With skillful pacing, musical variety and deftly-wielded dynamics, the musicians kept things moving forward, even eliciting an occasional hoot or holler from the enthusiastic audience. The group, particularly Leonard and singer/guitarist Brian OhEadra, labored hard and successfully to establish a personal rapport with the audience via witty between-song patter and explanatory introductions to most of the songs.
With two vocalists and plenty of instrumental talent to pass around, the focus was shared among the ensemble, which alternated instrumental numbers with songs. OhEadra's rich, plaintive voice was put to good use on the traditional ballad "Siul, A Ruin," which featured bouzouki accompaniment by Neil Davey and vocal harmonies by Leonard, as well as a base of sound set down by button accordionist Treasa Harkin.
Leonard took front and center on a number of songs, including "Sally Free and Easy," which she described as a "'98 remake of a 40-year-old folk song." Her vocals were clear, light, almost too airy, but full of personality, especially on "Lovely Joan," a proto-feminist folk ballad from the 19th century given a bouncy, folk-rock arrangement. Her rendition of OhEadra's "Kjetil's Song," an English-language folk ballad, could easily be a pop hit.
Davey offered several of his own Cornish-based compositions, full of rock-like vibrancy and jazzy expanse. OhEadra featured several of his original folk-pop ballads, including "Fourteen Days," which married a slight Cajun feel to the melody of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken."
Harkin was the only member of the ensemble not heard from directly, but she spoke throughout via her instrument. Her accordion worked overtime as lead, filling in for the absence of a fiddle in the group's lineup. She and Davey worked well together, doubling their melodic lines on the "Sweet Flowers of Milltown" set and the "Last Pint" set of reels.
The group closed its show with "Riptide," a trio of reels that will be the title track of its next CD, to be released here in June on the Green Linnet label. It's obvious why "Riptide" was chosen as the title track, for in its fusion of the traditional and contemporary, ancient and modern and its multiple cultural influences, it embodies the essence of the Anam sound. And it is that very same duality that made Anam the perfect choice to open the Clark's aptly-titled "From the Old World to the New" folk-music series.
[This review originally appeared in the Berkshire Eagle on Feb. 22, 1998. Copyright Seth Rogovoy 1998. All rights reserved.]
Seth Rogovoy
rogovoy@berkshire.net
music news, interviews, reviews, et al.
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