June Tabor
June
Tabor is probably the finest female traditional British folk singer of the
late 20th century -- if not the best British folk singer of her time, period.
What links her to Britain's past traditions are the chilling and emotional
qualities of her voice. What links her to the British present is her fine taste
in material, arrangements, and backing musicians, along with a willingness to
try different things and interpret work by contemporary songwriters.
Tabor's
first high-profile project was a duet album with Steeleye
Span'sMaddy
Priorr in the 1970s (the duo dubbed themselves the
Silly Sisters for the occasion). An all-star cast of some of the leading
lights of the British folk scene supported the singers, including Martin
Carthy,Nic
Jones,, and Andy
Irvine. For her own albums and tours she has worked with outstanding
guitarists, most notably Jones
and Martin
Simpson. She's also tread into folk-rock waters with Fairport
Convention (whom she's guested with onstage) and the
Oyster Band (with whom she collaborated on a 1990 album). Her 1994 album, Against
the Stream, found her still at her peak, interpreting both traditional tunes
and efforts by modern-day composers, including Elvis
Costello and Richard
Thompson. Richie Unterberger, All-Music Guide
The Tannahill Weavers
The
Tannahill Weavers, who started as a band 20 years ago, occupy a unique
position among the groups on the Scottish folk scene. Stalwarts Roy
Gullane and Phil
Smillie have surrounded themselves wuith a rotating cast of great musicians.
Their music, which uses the highland bagpipe, flute, and fiddle as its melodic
core, is tighter, more intense, and harder-driven than the Battlefield
Band, Silly
Wizard, or other of their contemporaries. Despite their mostly acoustic
sound, they're the closest thing to a rock and roll band in intensity and
attitude that the Scottish traditional music scene has to offer. Steve Winick,
All-Music Guide
Touchstone
Consisting of Triona
Ni Dhomhnaill, Claudine
Langille, Zan
McLeod and Mark
Roberts, Touchstone
mixed Irish music with bluegrass on two albums, The
New Land and Jealousy.
Fiddle player Skip
Parente joined the group on the latter album. John Bush, All-Music Guide
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