Mike Marshall & Darol Anger with Väsen

Mike Marshall (Performer), Darol Anger (Performer), Väsen (Performer)

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 11, 2007)
• Original Release Date: September 18, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Adventure Music America
• ASIN: B000VDDKPS
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #84,481 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Loke's Troubles

2. Skridskolåten

3. Couscous

4. Timo's Jig

5. Penknife Killer

6. Egypt

7. Yew Piney Mt

8. Forslund

9. Misch Masch

10. Os Pintinhos

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Mandolinist Mike Marshall and violinist Darol Anger are musicians who have no respect for boundaries. Former members of the fusion group, Montreux, they've each recorded in wide ranging settings from classical to jazz, South American music to bluegrass. Marshall's Modern Mandolin Quartet and Anger's Turtle Island String Quartet were paragons of eclectic folk classicism. On this album, they team up with Väsen, the equally eclectic Swedish folk band. Collectively, they chart a new kind of folk music that draws on tradition, but finds new trajectories that posit a neoclassical world where bluegrass and polskas (not polkas) dance in aerial pirouettes. The grind of Väsen's nyckelharpa, a Swedish keyed fiddle, against the arcing flights of Anger's violin is a stunning combination. The album mixes tunes from the American duo and Swedish trio in delirious forays that feature intricate ensemble playing and unbridled improvisations. It's a study in contrasts to hear Olov Johansson's nyckelharpa trying to negotiate the swing of "Yew Piney Mt," while Anger and Marshall inject a bit of Appalachia into the Swedish tune, "Penknife Killer," trading riffs with guitarist Roger Tallroth. Anger is part Heifetz, part gypsy, and part Ponty in his improvisations, while Marshall manages an unusually introspective serenity on mandolin. Together with Väsen, they've made a CD that should be a cross-over classic. --John Diliberto

Product Description

This cd reflects the changing face of folk music. When two premier architects of instrumental acoustic music in America, Darol Anger and Mike Marshall, are able to connect with three like-minded new-traditionalists from Sweden, Väsen, you know that you are living in a very different world. It could be that the term folk music may actually need a new definition. All five virtuosos have been pushing the envelope on their respective instruments for over twenty years, and have successfully created a body of work that reflects this never-ending quest for new sounds. All are deeply rooted in the traditional music of their past, while also being hell-bent on composing music that reflects that ever widening influence and access that the new global/musical/digital landscape has opened up to us all.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An impressionistic boundary-stretching presentation , October 28, 2007

By	J. Ross "a-music_fan" (Roseburg, OR USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Playing Time - 50:07. SONGS - Loke's Troubles, Skridskolaten, Couscous, Timo's Jig, Penknife Killer, Egypt, Yew Piney Mountain, Forslund, Misch Masch, Os Pintinhos

Stouthearted musical visionaries are the types of people who are always pushing the envelope, their foresight characterized by an extraordinary ability to discern or perceive new avenues for musical expression. In this particular case, new acousticians Marshall and Anger (The Duo) combine forces with Väsen, three new-traditionalists from Sweden (Olov Johansson, Mikael Marin, Roger Tallroth). They met at the 2004 Lotus World Music Festival in Bloomington, Indiana. Each bringing their own personalities to the table, the sum is one that collaboratively takes instrumental folk and world music in new, innovative directions. Besides exhibiting technical mastery on their respective instruments (mandolin, violin, nyckelharpa, 5-string violino grande and 12-string guitar), the album's impressionistic boundary-stretching presentation is built around a foundation of interpretive melodic twists and enchanting, dynamic arrangements.

These musical colleagues chose a variety of material for their unique set. "Yew Piney Mountain" is a traditional American piece with a winsome old-time fervor. From the traditional Swedish canon, "Penknife Killer" has a quick-paced consciousness that encourages one to jump up and dance. Marshall contributes three original compositions, while the members of Väsen penned four. I'd previously heard Mike's creative cross-cultural tune "Egypt" on his "New Words Novas Palavras" release with Hamilton de Holanda (Adventure Music AM-1029-2), but this rendition of the tune is quite different. The album's closing number, "Os Pintinhos," is a melodic and joyful Brazilian choro that reinforces the concept of transcendent string music with few constraints. I sure hope to hear even more genre-bending collaborations from these string wizards in the future. In Sweden, a listener might be compelled to ask "Vad heter det dar?" (What do you call this music?) Over here in America, the simple answer ties back to the name of Marshall's record label that gives us this rewarding enterprise .... adventure music. While not so hazardous or risky in their approach, these five musicians are certainly daring and bold with their intrepid melodious statements. (Joe Ross)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Vasen up your seat belts, January 12, 2008

By	Alfred Centauri (carrboro, nc United States) - See all my reviews

Anyone who has appreciated Marshall and Anger's past efforts, will be completely pleased with this collaboration with the Swedish group Vasen. At times hard-driving and hypnotic, some of the music reminds me of Phillip Glass. Highly recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Of today, but makes me curious about yesterday, November 13, 2007

By	Pharoah S. Wail (Inner Space) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Though I think the "new acoustic music" scene has been in a lull for a while now, I had to give this album a shot. I'd heard Darol speak of the Swedish stringband scene off and on over the past 5 or 6 years but I'd never searched it out for myself. When this came out, this was as good a chance as any of which I knew. This is a lovely little album. I wonder whether the Swedish tunes have been tailored to an American audience or if they naturally sound quite alot like this. Some people really do not dig music that strikes them as sounding "foreign". If you're one of those people, don't worry. You can be an "American traditionalist" (whatever that really means), and still love this album.

From the anthemic Loke's Troubles to the wintery chamber music of Skridskolaten and the snakey fiddle melody of Penknife's Killer (the one I assume is the most "Swedish-sounding melody" of the whole disc), this is a really nice little album.

Some of the tunes seem to have a section of more modern sounding stuff added to an older sounding melody... something that seems to maybe have been done just to make the music sound newer, though I don't feel it really helps them, emotionally. Feeling like I got a nice intro taste of Swedish string music here, it makes me curious to find some old field-recordings or even compilations of studio sides from the early or mid 1900s. I'd like to hear the real hardcore old Swedish mountain music before the dents were banged out of it. I'd like to hear the Dink Robertses, Clarence Ashleys, Almeda Riddles and Wade Wards of the Swedish world, whoever they were.

This is a perfectly lovely album that I've listened to quite a bit already even though I've only had it for a few weeks. Still, now I'm trying to make my star choices have more meaning. I like this but it's not one of my "5-star Desert Island Classic I'd Never Want to Live Without It" albums...nor do I think it will become one. I had good hopes for this cd, and they were mostly met. By contrast, I had extremely high hopes for The Victoriaville Tape and my hopes were blown apart, as that album is incredible beyond what I'd even hoped! Musically the 2 albums have nothing in common, but there needs to be more than 1 star of difference separating my feelings for them.