What a nice traditional album! When music radio people meet and discuss an album, they don't really say things like "It's stunningly brilliant, with the varying tides of tradition percolating through a strong sequence of North American tradition." They are more likely to just say, "That's a really nice album." Silks and Spices is a really nice album.

The biggest voice on this three-part Canadian harmonic percolation of tradition is Ian Robb, who some may recognize from writing a column in Sing Out! and whom others may recognize from his solo work on old Folk Legacy LPs and with The Friends of Fiddlers Green. Ian has a really nice baritone and a great British accent. Shelley Posen sings the tenor part, and Ann Downey sings altoish. Some songs are acoustically acompanied and some are sung a capella. The group cites a number of influences in their "close" harmonies, such as sacred harp, barbershop, and most noticeably the Copper Family. The harmonies sound straighforwardly traditional; Finest Kind leaves the acoustic bebop sound to other jazzier groups.

There are 15 songs here, with a moderate amount of variation in song origin, though the harmony remains relatively similar from song to song. My own favorite is an old, familiar, cheerful British song, "Jack the Jolly Tar"; Jack pulls the string and she mistakenly lets him in, so to speak. Ian Robb sings lead and plays concertina and James Stephens' viola and Anne's banjo help out as well...the concertina and its pals really make the song, but the vocals are outstanding too. An attitudily related song is another jolly British-Irish-French title, "The Ten Dollar Bill"; this is the one where the serving maid gives the guest back his change as a baby boy. The liner notes indicate that this has been called a dirty song by at least one person!

Also included is a regal version of a former Canadian national anthem, followed by a quite paced and pretty "As I Roved Out," one of the nicest for a capella harmony. Dylan's "The Times They Are A Changin'" almost brought tears to my eyes as I listened to it in these days of the endless Iraqi War, well sung, but its contemporaneous irony tore at me. Anne leads "The Blackest Crow," a pretty minor-key Appalachian ballad with a nice banjo led accompaniment. She sings nicely, but neither she nor Shelley are as strong singers as Ian.

Though there are two contemporary tunes, Dylan's and Carole King's "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," Silks & Spices is recommended highly for folk generalists and traditional music folks.

gennett at gorge dot net

The Columbia Gypsy