Marisa Anderson: The Anthology of UnAmerican Folk Music review – Harry Smith’s classics reviewed | Music

BBehind the great music of Southeast Asia, Soviet Russia and the Islamic and Arab worlds lies the legacy of two Americans: a 78rpm collector. Harry Smith (whose 1952 Anthology of American Folk Music published folk, blues and country recordings from the 1920s and 1930s) and investigative guitarist. Marisa Andersonwhose previous list contains traditions and corrections. In 2023, he asked to spend time in Smith’s closed archives, getting many hours of non-American music, before learning to sing and share.

Here, Anderson interprets these nine songs, which are taken directly from the areas created by the main US conflicts since his birth in 1970. Opener Quodlibet is beautiful: a small instrument of Uzbek music played on cut it (unstressed lute), while Anderson adds bluegrass techniques to overcome his inability to play quarter notes on his guitar. His rendition of the qawwali song, Hamd, is also a delight, his choppy guitar parts ringing with joy and emotion.

Gisela Rodríguez Fernández adds violin to Sarvi Simin, a shimmering song from Afghanistan during the Soviet era, while a Yemeni song, Zar, about exorcising the sick, sees Anderson and Fernández rework five notes without repetition. Dark legs are also connected in Pair of Duduk, where Anderson transfers the drones of Armenian wood to heavy guitar and bassy music, while the Vietnamese Whistle Song, changed from bamboo flutes to electric piano, the song’s closeness to minimalism is clearly felt. In his writings, Anderson wonders if the composers of modern classical music were influenced by this art: his entire album is always questioning the status of remote musical cultures.

Also this month

Occitan French two pairs Cocainethird album, Flame Folklore (Bongo Joe) and listening intently, restlessly, from his opener Remenanuèch, about women tending dragon (a dragon) known for its changing appearance and deceptive powers. Imagine two early 80s women bouncing around in polyphonic, spoken word tales of resistance and rebellion against gossip he is strings (string drums). It’s delicious. Equally powerful is Charm Lessons (Chamber Music Scotland)The original album is MrAKA sisters Steaph and Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul, who sing 10 songs on harp, accordion and voice, representing native trees from Gaelic oral history. The voice-overs and singing are both fun and engaging. Also amazing is Mrs. Maisery and Jimmy Aldridge & Sid GoldsmithWakefire: A Summer Album (LM Records)A powerful 27-track success full of ballads, radio samples and field recordings that follows the passage from April to September. Highlights are the political, banjo-driven May Day song, and the Latvian summer song, Ligō.