Hannah James has been a driving voice in the British folk scene over the past twenty years. Singer, accordion player, song writer and clog dancer, James is clearly very gifted and clearly shows a deep knowledge and appreciation of century old traditions of English folk music and dance while able to bring a sympathetic and fresh relevance to the genre in her own compositions.
Currently on tour with an ensemble of musicians from around Europe – Glaswegian Kate Young on fiddle and vocals, Marti Tarn a bassist from Estonia and the Hungarian percussionist Andras Das – James is promoting their new album, The Woman And Her Words, which was recorded in the Budapest Music Centre earlier this year.
The first half of James’ set was very programmatic and included songs that James wrote in recent times that reflect the world around us. I found it fascinating that James so easily blends past traditions with current issues without being preachy nor meretricious.
Three songs in particular from her new album were stunning examples of the folk lexicon written for our times. 'Will We Dance' contains a lightly ornamented theme on accordion accompanied by a subtle drone. The melody is a hauntingly beautiful air that meanders through various sections. This song is about social media and its effect on confidence and self expression but the message is subtle and cloaked in images of the sea and tide creating very beautiful lyrics. The song shifts mood and meanders until it comes back on itself rather like a journey at sea.
'Hush Now' was inspired by and written very soon after the Parkland School Massacre in 2018. James was touched by the language used by defenders of the right to possess a firearm in reaction to this massacre and explored ideas around this. The language she uses in this very beautiful song makes it seem like an old folk song, possibly from the civil war era. There is nothing preachy nor overbearing about this ballad. The melody is well crafted and sounds instantly familiar, allowing the lyrics to resonate deeply. I found it to be very touching and really a very natural song that is both original and traditional.
'The Woman And Her Words' is another beautiful ballad that explores a simple aspect of negative gender stereotype that in true folk form really tugs at the heart strings. It really strikes me that in the past we used our traditional music to address issues of the world around us and allowed man and woman alike to express opinion and emotion in a creative way to the people immediately around them. James uses the musical language of folk to do exactly this with our own contemporary issues in the most natural of ways. Introducing her songs, James leaves no ambiguity about the inspiration or meaning of her compositions but the lyrics paint beautiful pictures. Among her many talents, James is indeed a poet.
Other songs from her new album were also sung, some from previous works as well. Some of these songs segued neatly into hard and soft shoe clog dancing employing traditional steps in her own compositions along with the other musicians. This style of dancing is immensely percussive and her feet create complex music in their own right. A slightly progressive aspect is added through modal use of the bass guitar, which was very subtle, and also through extended structural devices which add a depth to all of the music. James will deftly sing, play accordion, dance and go back to the accordion in one single piece creating a celebration of the arts in her own special way.
Percussionist Des adds a wide palate of colour to the music heard tonight using a variety of percussive instruments including bells tied to his ankles and a metal jug. In that regard, the sound engineer for the night, provided by the Stoller Hall, worked really hard to get all of the sometimes incredibly delicate and subtle sounds from James’ bare feet brushing the floor to the intricate sonorities of the kalimba. Fiddle player Kate Young added a warmth to it all on the instrument and also vocally. Her voice blends really nicely with James’ to create an organic harmony and texture.
This was a really beautiful evening of music in which the pleasant and welcoming James showed a true depth to her creativity and immense talent avoiding completely any of the unwarranted negative preconceptions about traditional English music. Hannah James is an art, craft, talent, showmanship of the past and present and most certainly for the future.
Reviewer - Aaron Loughrey
on - 8/10/19
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