422
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Go Forth
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Major Third
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New Numbers
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One
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The Hut People
Reviews
Go Forth: 422
Fellside: FECD237
422 are five young musicians who met through Folkworks. They are Sam Pirt (accordion), Joey Oliver (whistles), Ian Stephenson (guitar and double bass), Sophie Ball (fiddle) and Emily Ball (fiddle and viola). I first came across them as a ceilidh band but this CD, although all tracks are instrumentals, is not a recording of a dance set.
For a southerner, used to the strongly rhythmic style of ceilidh bands ranging from Old Swan to The Committee Band the smooth style of 422 seems to belong to an older generation.
In terms of musicianship and production values there is nothing to fault here. Arrangements are tight and well thought out while the playing is lively and makes easy listening.
The material comes from the usual eclectic mixture of sources that we have come to expect from the younger bands.
All in all this is a fine CD for playing on a long car journey. If you want to dance, however, you will have to see them live.
Buy this online at folkshop.daysofsail.co.uk
Review from Folk London - October 2010
Home Is Where The Hut Is: The Hut People
Fellside: FECD228
The Hut People are Sam Pirt on piano accordion and Gary Hammond on percussion. They began playing together in 2008 after jamming in Sam's 'hut' (studio), hence the name.
Sam is well established in the folk world and has a wealth of experience. Gary progressed from jazz to 'The Beautiful South' via world music. This is a purely instrumental CD and the material seems to have been picked up via recordings from all over the world. Sam is undoubtedly a very fine musician, but he is the only one who plays the melody and unfortunately I found the arrangements dull and rudimentary. More could have been done with the tunes - especially the more familiar ones like Happy One Step (popularized by Sharon Shannon), Napoleon Crossing the Alps and Princess Royal, to make them sound less ordinary and repetitive. The CD though is saved by Gary's superlative percussion. This fills out the sound and makes it sound like a whole orchestra is playing, turning 'The Hut People' into a true duet.
Ivan North
Review from Folk London - April 2010
