Greenman Review of "Passing Time"
Kevin's Celtic...Review of "Passing Time"
Rambles.net Review of Tramps & Hawkers
Kevin's Celtic...Review of Tramps & Hawkers
Celtic Mavericks (Sirens & Lovers) from Greenman Review
Rambles.net Review of Sirens & Lovers
Passing Time
August 2006
Greenman Review
By Peter Massey
The Muses', Passing Time is Celtic music with zing, it says on their logo, the zing coming mainly from Coloradans Matt Gurnsey and Tanya Brody. Although it was recorded in a studio, it has plenty of whoops and yelps giving the effect of a live performance, and it's clear they are enjoying themselves. As the leaders of The Muses, Tanya Brody and Matt Gurnsey handle all the lead vocals very well, Tanya also plays guitar, harp, hammered dulcimer, pennywhistle, bodharan and bones. Matt Gurnsey is also a multi instrumentalist playing Concertina, Mandolin, Bass, pennywhistles and shaker.
Other singers and musicians making up the Muse are Chaz Kemp on Dumbek & vocals, Michi Regier on violin, Keith Spears on keyboards, Kelly Wohford on Djembe Tamborine & vocals, and Roger Gurnsey on Bagpipes drones.
The track list is bright and lively - no dirges here, and it makes for very pleasant listening with songs such as 'Cape Cod Girls', 'Rattlin' Roarin' Willie', 'Haul away Joe', 'The Bonny Ship the Diamond', 'Little Beggarman', all traditional songs punctuated with contemporary works such as 'Sonny's Dream. One song I hadn't heard before turns out to have been written by Tanya and is 'Maiden's Revenge', telling how a young man a bit to big for his britches is cut down to size by young maid. The album closes with a nice fitting song called 'Come for to Sing' by Bob Stuart.
In conclusion, I can recommend this album as a fine example of Coloradan acoustic Celtic folk song, - good easy listening that won't offend anyone.
"Passing Time"
by The Muses
copyright 2005
This review is written by Kevin McCarthy, 6/06
Kevin's Celtic & Folk Music Reviews
Lots of whoops and hollers. Infectious to the degree that it's difficult to remain sedate. A expresso blend of celtic music.
The pattern in these descriptive lines aptly characterizes The Muses' musical style. Not that they don't also intersperse the softer and slower-paced along with the brisk--they do--but boldness is the leitmotif of Tanya Brody and Matt Gurnsey, The Muses.
Combining harp, guitar, pennywhistle, hammered dulcimer, bodhran, mandola and concertina (the primary instruments of Brody's and Gurnsey's repertoire), along with guests adding violin, keyboards and bagpipe drones, all combine for a veritable celtic orchestra.
"Cape Cod Girls," a sea shanty not anywhere near an east coast version of "California Girls," opens the release. Penned by Brody, "The Ballad of Jack O'the Lantern," sounds as traditional as that of anything from a couple of centuries ago. "Jack Haggerty" is among the most enjoyable cuts here, aided by this classic lament from the mouth of a spurned and sorrowful raftsman suitor: "...To cast off the riggings that God was to tie..."
Written by Ron Hynes, the engaging "Sonny's Dream" depicts a would-be sailor landlocked by his allegiance to his mother. "The Bonny Ship The Diamond" is a whaling song most different--it's optimistic with nary a disaster befalling the crew. It's followed by the equally sanguine "Little Beggarman."
Robert Burns' epic masterpiece, "Tam O'Shanter," is given a superb go here. Just sit back and enjoy the imagery framed in these particular lines:
"...gathering her brows like gathering storm
nursing her wrath to keep it warm...
...but pleasures are like poppies spread
you seize the flower, its bloom is shed...
...the carlin caught her by the rump
and left poor Maggie scarce a stump..."
Bob Stuart's calming "Come For To Sing" appropriately concludes the release.
Although certainly still enjoyable and worthwhile, inclusion of the lyrics would be a major plus for following the songs in this release. Do enjoy this collection of songs and the music that surrounds them.
The Muses,
Tramps & Hawkers
(independent, 2004)
by Nicky Rossiter
Rambles.net
20 January 2007
The Muses tell us very little about themselves on the insert. They let the music speak, and it does so with eloquence.
The band appears to be a male and female duo, and they concentrate on producing a wonderful sound using mainly traditional songs.
They open with "Band o' Shearers," one of the lesser-recorded songs of the tradition. The performance is excellent and they maintain the standard over the dozen tracks on offer. The a cappella opening on Tom Waits' "The Briar & the Rose" is hauntingly spine-tingling. They maintain this spell throughout.
They have one self-penned track called "Gypsy Hawk," and it again has the ethereal sound with minimal backing.
Have you ever noticed how a song can disappear for a time and then you hear 100 versions within a few months? The fantastic "Mingulay Boat Song" is a case in point. This duet is very different from the usual rousing group rendition, but it works. The same applies to "Wild Mountain Thyme." For true happiness in the voices of performers, listen to them on Andy M. Stewart's classic "Ramblin' Rover," a song of life that tells of the trials without being maudlin.
I loved the intro on the title track, "Tramps & Hawkers." It sets the tone for a beautiful song well performed. The instrumental riffs are well placed in it. "Health to the Company" features extra verses from the performers, composed separately.
The voices may take a bit of getting used to, but on the whole this is a welcome addition to the folk music collection.
"Tramps & Hawkers"
by The Muses
copyright 2004
This review is written by Kevin McCarthy, 5/05
Kevin's Celtic and Folk Music Reviews
What the listener will notice right away on this release is the vocal interplay and harmonies between Tanya Brody and Matthew Gurnsey, who comprise The Muses. The couple have on-going separate musical careers and this is their first collaboration.
Brody's is the stronger voice, akin in sound and range to Canadian singer Loreena McKennitt. Gurnsey provides the male counterpoint. Throughout the offerings, they trade lead and background vocals, in addition to the harmonies. But it is Brody's voice in particular that lends a delicate, almost classical music sound and element to the recording.
A somewhat eclectic group of songs, plus one instrumental, are presented. All are traditional save for a couple by The Muses and ones penned by Tom Waits and Andy M. Stewart. The theme throughout twists and turns around the vagaries of relationships and wandering the world.
The release leads with "Band O' Shearers." Times have certainly changed as a request nowadays for a loved one's hand with the 'incentive' of performing the extremely hard task of shearing would not bring forth many positive responses. The love theme continues with "The Briar and the Rose." Given such a touching operatic/celtic feel, its authorship by Tom Waits is difficult to believe. "Leatherwing" is a cute litany of animals grousing about the difficulties of love. In "Gypsy Hawk," an innkeeper gets a second chance at amor and goes for it, leaving his sedate life behind.
The gentle rhythm of "Mingulay Boat Song" is as seductive as that of the sailors' memories of home. "Nonesuch" is bursting with nature references, while the old chestnut "Wild Mountain Thyme" sparkles with Gurnsey and Brody trading verses and sharing choruses.
Andy M. Stewart's humorous "Ramblin' Rover" actually has a serious point--that of experiencing most everything life has to offer as being a far better choice than living in a safe cocoon of dull repetitiveness. The traipsing about continues in "Tramps and Hawkers." This is the traditional offering, not the more familiar version adapted by the late Jim Ringer.
And how could any celtic music release be called such without a tribute to the drink? But no, "Whiskey You're The Devil" is not Shane MacGowan's autobiography.
Journeying, adoration and imbibing are all unregrettably combined in the closing cut "Health to the Company."
Overall, it is the vocals and the crisp instrumentation of Brody and Gurnsey here that make this release stand out and apart from others in the celtic genre.
This duo is a veritable two-person band: Brody plays harp, guitar, hammered dulcimer, bodhran, zils and acoustic bass, while Gurnsey's repertoire consists of concertina, bowed psaltery, acoustic bass, bodhran, hammered dulcimer, penny whistle, mandolin, bones, dumbek and bells.
Green Man Review - Feb 2004
Celtic Mavericks
Maverick talents are part of the game in all aspects of music. Those who tend to look at the glass in a different way than others, or who see things from a slightly different angle and add a new perspective to an age-old tradition. Celtic music is blessed with more than a few mavericks, including those who brazenly hit the road less traveled. Here is a bunch of releases from people who have more than once stepped outside the zone marked "Familiar."
Tanya Brody loves bathing herself in semi-gothic trappings. Her CD is titled Sirens & Lovers, and on the CD sleeve she appears submerged within a pre-Raphaelite painting. Likewise, her choice of material leans heavily on the epic ballad with gothic overtones -- 'Maid in Bedlam', 'Thyme', 'Barbara Allen', and 'One I love' included -- so high drama is often the order of the day. Her own material has titles like 'Sailor's Curse' and 'Siren's Defeat', and it fits into the concept of heavy story songs with a gothic slant, complete with all the dramatic trappings.
One would expect a modicum of theatricality to seep through in the application and approach, but thankfully that is not the case. Tanya Brody is a singer and harpist -- the sensibilities of Loreena McKennit also float around occasionally -- and has a voice that is operatic in tone, with exquisite clarity and breath control. One assumes she has had training at some point. Chamber music style arrangements highlight the gothic element, and occasionally she strains to reach notes, although this is more a technical shortcoming than a performance glitch. The album as a whole has a strange beguiling charm that begs one to continue listening, and with its highly ornate arrangements and settings on the right side of ethereal, Sirens & Lovers will definitely appeal to listeners who like their folk music with a pre-Raphaelite tinge.
It is clear that the Mavericks reign supreme and make their various marks using a unique set of chosen skills. The results are challenging, eye opening, out there, and just that little bit different. No matter how familiar a tune sounds, just take it at a different pace or switch around the pieces of the jigsaw and you have a fresh viewpoint on an old standard.
-John O’Regan Green Man Review
Rambles.net
Sirens & Lovers
Review May 2005 by Jean Emma Price
Tanya Brody's latest album, Sirens & Lovers, is a lovely collection of original and traditional songs in a style resembling that of Loreena McKennitt. Her arrangements and her original compositions are both inspired and fun to listen to. The traditional songs have a definite Renaissance flavour to them, which is not surprising since she began singing and continues to sing at various fairs throughout the United States.
Starting with "Maid in Bedlam," a tragic tune about a woman put in an asylum by the parents of her lover, Brody's voice does justice to the pain of the young woman. Following this are three original tunes that together make up a larger story. "Siren's Lament" begins the trilogy with the tale of a spurned siren who sings her false lover to his death. Brody's talented writing gives this song the air of a much older tune. Following this is "Sailor's Curse," which tells the tale from the sailor's point of view, providing an interesting counterpoint, especially since he gets turned into a dolphin. The final installment, "Siren's Defeat," describes the vocal battle over the fate of a ship between the siren and the girlfriend of one of the sailors, who eventually saves the ship. The trilogy is well written and tells a wonderful story. One can hope that it will enter into the repertoire of many singers.
Heading back to the traditional music, Brody provides a lovely rendition of "One I Love," sung simply with minimal backing vocals and a beautiful harp accompaniment. "Barbara Allen" and "Thyme" are both also quite well arranged and performed.
The final track, "Gypsy Hawk," is performed as a duet with Matthew Gurnsey, who is also the writer and now Brody's husband. The song of impossible love made possible is well written and nicely arranged. Gurnsey and Brody sing well together and the creative instrumentation gives the song a nice original note on which to close the album.
The overall tone of this recording is energetic and otherworldly. Brody is a gifted writer, singer and harper. Her backing musicians are equally talented and the arrangements of the songs show this. Brody's voice is lovely...and (this album) would be a wise investment for people who enjoy voice and harp.
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