Live at the Grand Pavilion (with bonus DVD)
EDJ Records: EDJ016
This CD was recorded live at The Grand Pavilion Porthcawl, Wales on the seventh of November during the OK UK tour in 2009.
Mabon (meaning autumn equinox) is an instrumental band and the line-up on these recordings was Jamie Smith (accordion), Ruth Angell (fiddle), Calum Stewart (wooden flute), Derek Smith (acoustic guitar) Matt Downer (bass guitar and upright bass) and Iolo Whelan on drums and percussion.
Jamie is the leader and writes the music (apart from the odd trad tune). There’s no doubt he is a very good musician (and I note plays a musette tuned accordion as opposed to the ‘dry’ tuning favoured by many).
The tunes are more ephemeral. They are mainly jigs and reels interspersed with the odd bit of World Music. None stick in my memory after several plays – although the opening tracks The Hustler and Schindig were particularly lively. Several start with a slow introduction (for instance The Buck Rarebit which then livens up). Mazurkas stays at a steady tempo throughout and features nice flute which then melds into equally tasteful accordion.
Being a live CD the audience enters into the spirit with the obligatory whistles and cheers and clapping on the on beat! There is some applause at the end of each track – but no introductions.
The Complimentary DVD was filmed live at Quay Arts Centre Newport, Isle of Wight on the same tour. The set list is slightly different and the audience is less lively! The camera work isn’t too bad – they don’t film the audience reaction for instance - although the camera does jump around. As with the CD there are no intros.
The band tours annually in Brittany and Italy and has also visited Poland, Galicia, Asturias, Ireland, Belgium, Canada and Australia. Back in the U.K. they have appeared at festivals such as Cambridge, Sidmouth, Larmer Tree, Towersey, Warwick, Fylde, Brampton Live, and the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, playing to a seated audience of 1,500 people!
Ivan North Review from Folk London - December 2010
