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Artist description
Jacouse are Arthur and Margo Wilson, a brother and sister who have been singing together and recording as a duo and with bands for over 15 years. They have recently been joined by Andrew Hennessey on fiddle. and the result is an interesting blend of pop, traditional folk and country music.
What makes Jacouse different is that not only are they comfortable playing their own music, but are equally at home playing traditional scottish music or contemporary pop. |
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Music Style
celtic folk, Scottish folk, singer congwriter, accoustic |
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Musical Influences
Richard Thompson, Elvis Costello, Dick Gaughan |
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Similar Artists
Beautiful South, Richard Thompson, Beachboys, Elvis Costello, Eddi Reader |
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Artist History
Jacouse were formed in November 2000 and made their debut at the Prestonpans Civic Week concert in June this year.
They release a sample CD in May 2001 and their "Home from th sea" CD in August 2001. |
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Group Members
Andrew Hennessey - fiddle
Margo Falconer - vocals and keyboards
Arthur Wilson - vocals and guitar |
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Instruments
guitars, keyboards, fiddle, mandolin |
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Albums
100 Towns, Home from the sea |
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Press Reviews
Kelso Folk Club Friday 1th january 2002
We had the pleasure of the first live gig from Scots trio Jacouse at Kelso
on Friday night. A small audience enjoyed some of the best music we have
heard in the town for a long time. Jacouse - Arthur (guitar and vocals),
Margo (vocals, and Arthur's sister which as ever works superbly for harmony)
and Andrew (electric fiddle) - are from Prestonpans and have been preparing
a new CD, and getting ready to look for gigs. We did not know Kelso was to
be their debut with the new material.
First of all, they have an excellent sound system and know how to use it.
While we would usually consider unamplified trio playing quite adequate for
the room, the electric fiddle obviously demands plugged in performance and it's so important to the sound of this instrument. Andrew did, for a jest,
do a quick Hendrix imitation with distorted guitar patch on his FX pedal
unit, but in fact the fiddle was used with subtlety to create a range of
tones from mellow to buzzy, soft to bright. Arthur's flatpicked guitar
benefited to, with a harp-like tone and great separation; it was hard to
believe this wasn't fingerpicking, but indeed it was all straight plectrum
work and very precise in rythm and lefthand synch.
The combination can best be called highly polished. This is a line-up
similar to the John Wright Band instrumentally but the effect is different;
Arthur's vocal range is unusual, running from a soft baritone to a clear
counter-tenor without any break. Because he can reach high notes without
straining he handles Scottish songs as originally written, without needing
to transpose down, and he can weave harmonies round Margo's vocals since she
has a similar wide compass. Their showpiece version of 'Jock o'Hazeldean'
shifts up an entire tone for the final verse, and it's a song which already
requires vocal highjumps.
Andrew's fiddle playing is brilliant, often funny, always set off by his
total absorption - he moves with the fiddle and the tune, and some of the
tunes mean a lot of movement. He claims not to be able to play proper
traditional stuff. Maybe not in style, but his style is so original and
infectious that I for one just sat with a stupid grin on my face when he did
his instrumental solos. He stayed up when I did a couple of songs, and
joined in one of mine he had never heard before - pretty well perfectly. His
idea of getting warmed up is to play fast and furiously for an hour; then
he's just about ready to do the DIFFICULT stuff...
For me, Jacouse's choice of songs was a bonus. I have wanted hear 'The Laird
o'Cockpen' done well, without bouncy piano and schoolmaam singing, for a
long time. They pulled it off. 'Johnny Cope', once as an instrumental and
once as the song, was dynamic. 'Logie o'Buchan' was as beautiful as that
song can be. 'Aye Waukin-o' was duetted superbly. But then was 'There She
Goes' (altered to 'There He Goes') and Coldplay's 'Yellow'... and some Beatles stuff... and Arthur doing the 'Blackleg Miner' with memories of
fundraising concerts (which started Margo and him singing together).
We ended up with Jacouse doing three 'halves' instead of two, doing a
repeated Hazeldean and Johnny Cope by request, and getting universal
approval from the audience. Margo says she does play keyboards and they also
have a complete dance set and a stack of pop standards, all treated to
unique arrangements and Andrew's fiddle. So they are up for something more
than folk club gigs.
Their website is http://www.refreshrecordings.co.uk/jacouse/
and they've got many of the songs I have mentioned at
http://www.mp3.com/jacouse
When dealing with Scottish songs, there tends to be a division of approach.
On the one hand you get the official line from music teachers still using
the awful harmonies and arrangements inherited from 150 years ago, and then you get the DADGAD drone school which takes the bumptious awfulness away by
replacing it with a modal sound and limited vocal compass. What's good about
Jacouse is that they do neither. The whole soaring range of vocal
possibilities is used, and the accompaniment flows or thunders along as
appropriate, with the fiddle weaving a low viola-like counterpoint to the
melody. This is neither shortbread tin music, nor new celtic cellar bar
plainsong. They manage to be totally contemporary without doing anything to
destroy traditional values - and somehow do the reverse with modern chart
material, to add variety.
And, for the record, they all look much younger than their photos!
David
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Icon magazines: http://www.freelancephotographer.co.uk/
Music CDs and tracks: http://www.mp3.com/DavidKilpatrick Personal website: http://www.maxwellplace.demon.co.uk/pandemonium/
email - either iconmags@btconnect.com or david@maxwellplace.demon.co.uk
Please feel welcome to use any of this!
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Additional Info
None |
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Location
Edinburgh, Lothian - United Kingdom |
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