The latest releases reviewed
SAM PROCTOR
Natural Progression
Higlet Recordings
****
There's a clarity of tone from Sam Proctor's fiddle, the
product of close listening to the likes of Chris Stout and Gerry
"Banjo" O'Connor. His debut is built on an electrifying partnership
with Tim Edey on guitar, the pair blithely high-stepping it between
the dark pools of the Irish tradition and a world where subtle
jazz-tinged moods lure the listener towards infinity. Proctor can
strip it all down too, as he does on the slow air
Joe's Tune, where his fiddle chisels an uncompromising
route through the tune.
Natural Progressionshowcases a raft of contemporary
tunesmiths, from Finbarr Dwyer to Niall Vallely and Proctor
himself, pairing them with others borrowed from masters of the
tradition, Charlie Lennon and Paddy O'Brien. A considered debut,
this is bare and blustery in most of the right places.
www.samproctor.com
SIOBHÁN LONG
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Natural Progression