Deep Musical History
author: Sing Out! Magazine
The liner notes to this album say, “Mighty Squirrel invites you on a journey around the globe and through time. Our blend of international, acoustic folk music with original material inspired by sources closer to home, all featuring bluegrass, old-time and Celtic instrumentation, is a genre we like to call world-time music.”
This statement tells you everything and nothing. It’s all in the musical telling, and it is a masterful one.
Caridwen Irvine-Spatz on fiddle and vocals; David Keenan on mandolin, guitar and vocals; Greg Spatz on fiddle and octave mandolin; and Ivan Rosenberg on resonator guitar and clawhammer banjo. Five of the 10 songs were written by band members and five taken from the deep backstory of musical history.
In other words, you probably won’t hear anything you’ve heard before, nor will you hear it done in a way that you’ve heard before. This is fresh, evocative material presented by talented musicians. The traditional pieces are taken from sources as diverse as a Ladino-Sephardic 13th century ballad, an old English ballad, a traditional Klezmer tune and a 19th century lullaby from Donegal.
This is deep musical history, understood and played at the gene level. What holds all this rich, international (“sqworld” music) and original material together is the intriguing voice of Caridwen and the players’ understanding of the role of each instrument – true ensemble playing at its best.
“Beatrice’s Waltz” by Spatz is a beautifully imagined tune; “Tango Tenebre” by Keenan adds a South American flavor; and Caridwen Irvine-Spatz contributes “Miles and Miles,” which could have been written 60 years ago and played by Bob Wills. Keenan’s “Big Timber” is a very funny take on a lumber song.
The album was beautifully recorded at Rosenberg’s The Schtood in Portland, Ore. Good, concise liner notes by Greg Spatz. I’ve had this playing in my house in heavy rotation, and I’m still hearing new things that surprise and delight.
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Victory Review
author: Victory Review
Very proficient on their instruments and never repetitive in their song choices this album offers a wide ranging spectrum of songs. Mighty Squirrel is adept at all instruments and genres... This cd is well worth the listen!
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Underground treasure!!
author: John Shelton Ivany
The album opens with a beautiful ballad about a fate told in the stars. The Ladino-Sephardic song carries old-country flavor with well-balanced, edgy stringed instrumentation. The first song portends the fantastic quality of the rest of this world-music album, on which tango and klezmer sit comfortably side by side. Reaching from Yiddish to Celtic to French-Canadian to Swiss roots, Spokane, Washington, based Mighty Squirrel unites folk traditions with flair.
Pick up this still-underground treasure as soon as you can. Connoisseurs of old-time music, world music, female vocals, and string instruments must get this album. But all of you non-connoisseur, everyday music people should get it too: it's an all around feel-good record.
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