HUNTER'S MOON:
"... Rich and varied musical influences. Performing traditional music
and songs from France, England, Ukraine, Turkey and Scotland and giving
them all the benefit of her considerable talents. A superb fiddle
player, and no slouch either on recorder, guitar, cittern and hammered
dulcimer, she is also in possession of a voice of gentle strength that
adapts well to suit the various vocal styling required."
--Rock 'n' Reel
(Cumbria, England) |
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CD BABY
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CHOICE FARE:
(Choice): "A gorgeous new tape, from trad. airs, reels
and ballads to a fine selection of originals from Seattle area
artists... Tania's vocals and multiple instruments are lovely! Highly
recommended!"
(Renaissance Fare): "An elegant,
exuberant collection of songs with a Renaissance flavor, from French
and Italian dance tunes of the period, and the British "Oak, Ash &
Thorn", to ... 3 original songs stylistically in keeping with the
period theme. Tania has a rich honeyed voice & a fine hand with the
varied instruments and arrangements. Favorites include Danny Carnahan's
"True Thomas", and "Chastity Belt" from Banish Misfortune. A touch of
harp and hammered dulcimer are frosting on a very nice cake." --Canadian
River Music (Amarillo, Texas)
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CD BABY
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TANIA OPLAND:
"Tania Opland's fifth album is a refreshingly eclectic mix of
self-penned material, music from several traditions, with compositions
by contemporary songwriters from the Seattle area and elsewhere. Clear
production and taut acoustic arrangements complement her guitar, violin
and dulcimer accompaniment to her vocals, well assisted by some
skillful backing. The breadth of musical ground covered by Opland is
impressive, as she moves from a medley of French Canadian dance tunes,
through Alaskan/Siberian Inupiaq welcome dances, a blues rendition of
"Barbara Allen", and a medley of Nova Scotian fiddle tunes, to a
Russian lament accompanied by Northumbrian pipes. The challenge faced
by the eclectic is always the possibility that the material will jar
and not sit well in the same vehicle. Here, while the interpretations
offered are authentic, the material interleaves well without losing
sense of contrast. Three of the fifteen tracks are originals, to which
one must add the blues arrangement and lyrical adaptation of "Barbara
Allen". Although she eschews the songwriter mantle, her lyrical
compositions are strongly drawn and evocative ("So he packed himself a
bag and he went away/With his scarred and callused hands for his
resume" - Ketchikan), her themes progressing from the 'hard times'
misfortune of "Ketchikan"; to the sense of unease that marks "Last
Call". That said, it is true that her tunes and instrumental
compositions are her foundation; lilting, rhythmic and keenly
controlled. Opland is based in Washington State, and compositions from
the Pacific Northwest, particularly Seattle, feature strongly. Peg
Loughran's wistful "Not Too Late", T.R. Ritchie's droll "Why does love
(make you stupid)". and K.W. Todd's reflection on the settling of the
Northwest "The Oregon Trail", deserve a wider audience. Todd's
composition comes to the fore lyrically, with a keen sense of the
disillusionment that inevitably followed the scent of Canaan ("We lay
down beside them our love for their journey / And with it a curse on
the Oregon Trail"). Robert Head, a fiddler from Portland Oregon oddly
enough, provides what is arguably the standout track on the album,
"Lefty's". Inviting comparison with the widely respected reincarnation
of the Bothy Band, "Nightnoise" - who are also based in Portland -
"Lefty's" will surely enter the universal repertoire of fiddlers in
years to come. The arrangement here, on fiddle, dulcimer, guitar and
tin whistle, is pursued with vigor. However, the musical tour hasn't
finished yet, for Opland has benefited from a prolonged stay in
England, from where she brings Yorkshireman Brian Bedford's "Roads" -
which travels the harder roads - and Welshman Huw Williams' "Rosemary's
Sister" - recalling the terror of the blitz. Viewed in its entirety,
Tania Opland's newest release offers a diverse collection of
interesting music, well chosen and well executed. With full lyrics
provided and brief discussions of each track included in the liner
notes [in the first edition], it weighs in as a substantial step forward in this veteran
performer's diverse career. It deserves to be more widely heard and
appreciated."
by Gavan Tredoux © Three Rivers Folklife Society, 1995.
May be reproduced with prior permission and attribution.
--Folk and
Acoustic Music Exchange |
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CD BABY |
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