The Lovers' Waltz
Jay Ungar and Molly Mason
http://members.aol.com/ungarmason
(Angel 55561)
Angel Records
810 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10019
A review written for the Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange
by Marcus Turner (marcus@earthlight.co.nz)
This is a fine CD, of the calibre you might expect from a couple
of musicians with the pedigree and profile of this duo. It works
on three levels.
First, if you listen to the music without reading any of the
liner notes, you hear basically a fiddle album with occasional
vocal tracks - mostly by Molly. Beginning very simply - a waltz
with fiddle and piano - it progresses through tunes from the
northeast, out over the prairies, through the Louisiana delta and
across the sea to Ireland and Finland. Though the styles vary,
cohesion is preserved as each tune is guided by the fiddle,
sensitively recorded and tastefully played in a style which
adheres to that of no particular country or culture, but borrows
from many.
The arrangements become gradually more complex and the numbers of
musicians increase, playing mandolin, triangle, snare, trombone,
clarinet, sax, cornet, cello, accordion, whistles and several
other instruments. The original duo becomes a full band playing
kletzmer music and then swing jazz. Finally, the waltz returns.
This time in a lusher version with bass, guitar and more strings.
All in all, it's a very satisfying journey. It's hard to single
out a favourite track, but listen out for "Legends of the Fall,"
"There's Honey on the Moon Tonight" and Jack Teagarden's "It's
All In Your Mind."
Second, the liner notes present the album as a scrapbook of
memorabilia from the musicians' lives, each song with its own
story. Some are gifts to friends, some were composed for
television, others commemorate particular events. Even the tunes
borrowed from elsewhere come with personal insights and
interesting historical information.
Third, there's the "concept." "The Lovers' Waltz" is a story
which Jennifer Ditsler has written to draw the titles of the
tunes and the lyrics of the songs together into a tale of a
woman's lifelong love for her partner. The music, however, tells
a perfectly fulfilling story of its own, without any need for
such an elaborate, slightly strained fabrication. Also (and I'll
bet this has already caused some wailing and gnashing of teeth
amongst the album's producers), the order of songs in the story
and liner notes doesn't match the order on the actual CD.
When all is said and done, CDs are about music - and the music on
this CD is amongst the finest. It's a very enjoyable album for
lovers of the eclectic who lean towards traditional folk tunes
and swing jazz played on acoustic instruments. A "must have" for
lovers of swing fiddle. It will certainly be played more than
once...
Selections:
1. The Lovers' Waltz
2. The Misty Dawn
3. The Mountain House
4. The Lover's Lament
5. The Contradance
6. Legends of the Fall
7. Prairie Love Song
8. Louisiana Wedding Bells
9. The Montague Processional
10. Give Me Your Hand
11. There's Honey on the Moon Tonight
12. Metsakukkia
13. Chosen Challe Mazeltov
14. Tiptoe Alley
15. It's All In Your Mind
16. The Lovers' Waltz
Edited by Cynthia A. Harney
Copyright 1998, Peterborough Folk Music Society. This review may
be reprinted with prior permission and attribution.
David N. Pyles | (512) 929-3840
Music Alive! | dnpyles@acousticmusic.com
2716 Sweeney Lane | http://www.acousticmusic.com/frames/
Austin, TX 78723 | http://www.acousticmusic.com/frames/fame.htm
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