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Folk, piano, Scotland. 

De eerste zin hieronder deed mij mijn oren spitsen. Ik ben het er volledig mee eens. Wat een prachtig werkstuk. Echt genieten. 

“I believe the phrase ‘joie de vivre’ was waiting for its moment. It has arrived.”

Those words are from a supporter of this album on Bandcamp. I quote them here because that is exactly how I feel about this music. And it’s not just that the music is brilliant. There’s more to it than that.

Unless you’re an avid follower of the current Scottish folk scene, it’s possible you’ve never heard of Amy Laurenson. No shame there, as she’s a relative newcomer to the limelight.

Another quote here, this is from her own website:

“Rooted in the traditional music of Shetland, Amy explores the music of her homeland alongside traditional and folk music from Scotland, Ireland and Scandinavia. Growing up surrounded by classical music, she has developed a style which ebbs and flows between traditional, classical, and jazz influence. This diversity of influences has resulted in a vision which challenges the role of the piano as a solo instrument in traditional music.”

Add to that the fact that she won the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year in 2023. And that is why this album, and her music, is so special to me.

Anyone who has been to that competition’s final in the City Halls in Glasgow knows the atmosphere. The young virtuosi, the chosen few, each perform their showcase set, each one brilliant. The audience in the room rarely has one favorite, every young talent is cheered and celebrated.

Rarely have I been so spellbound by a person playing the piano. She painted the entire effin’ hall with colors, emotions, musical depth. She seemed not only to channel music; she seemed to become music as she played.

I was utterly speechless and perhaps even a bit moved by her music. I was not alone: when the winner was announced, the entire hall exploded and I let out a werewolf yelp of sheer excitement and joy. She took the stage visibly stunned, even a bit dazed, to accept the honor. I think she was the only one surprised by the jury’s decision.

So now, when I listen to Strands, I feel the same as I did that day, even though this music was recorded in a studio and comes to me now through several layers of cold digital technology. She simply transcends all that, she and her music.

On the face of it, what she does here can be described deceptively simply: she plays tunes from Shetland, her home isles. Some are traditional, others are written by notable Shetland folk musicians. She is accompanied by acoustic guitar (Miguel Girão), double bass (Rhona MacDonald) and bodhran (Lea Søndergaard Larsen). Miguel and Lea are also Amy’s bandmates in the fabulous Tern, one of the very best young folk bands I have seen live in the recent years.

So it sounds like this might be a good, enjoyable album, right? But, to be honest, it’s not.

Because it’s fantastic, on a galactic scale.

Strands is so brim full of spirit and light, it just makes me fly. The way Amy plays is both very controlled – the classical background her website mentions may be a factor – and very creative and free; an unbeatable combination that comes with mindblowing technical prowess that is always subservient to the tune and expression.

I adore the way she weaves all the jazz and classical elements in her playing. They are there, creating the lights, shadows and colors that enrich the tunes, but she does not flaunt them. I only began noticing all the flourishes and giddily creative phrasings on the second close listening.

The band must also be given special kudos. As Miguel and Lea play with her in Tern, it’s only to be expected their interplay is effortless and powerful. And Rhona MacDonald’s bass performace is a diamond as well.

As you notice, I’m totally in love with this album and picking out a favorite track or two seems pointless. But the incredible five-minute folk-jazz odyssey of Up Da Stroods is amazing. Amy’s solo version of Tom Anderson’s Lament for Lowrie Ida Lea is heartwrenchingly beautiful, and the joyful closing blast of Four Filskettes, another Anderson tune, leaves the listener in energized bliss.

So… whew, this may be the longest piece I have written about an album in this blog. But hey: I was there in early 2023 to witness the miracle of Amy Laurenson. And I am overjoyed to report that the magic is here, on this album, too.

Joie de vivre. Oh yes.

Tracks:
01 - Shetland Reels
02 - Bas-Pelles Eriks Brudpolska
03 - Shetland Wedding Tunes
04 - Da Trowie Burn
05 - Up da Stroods
06 - Maggies
07 - Da Boys o' Da Lounge
08 - Lament for Lowrie ida Lea
09 - Four Filskettes

Staat er compleet op, 10% pars mee gepost. Met zeer veel dank aan de originele poster. Laat af en toe eens weten wat je van het album vindt. Altijd leuk, de mening van anderen. Oh ja, MP3 doe ik niet aan.