Squeezer heaven from the dynamic duo, repackaging old glories and unleashing some, if sadly, posthumous new ones.
Release Date: Out now
Label: Talking Elephant
Format: CD / digital
At The Barrier wasn’t around when Two’s Up was first released, back in the mists of 1997, but I am sure we would have leapt at it, were we able, as fans of each of these legendary squeezers. Circumstances meant it has taken a full 27 years for a second volume to become a reality, during which time, sadly, we have lost the second named.
Old buddies from Northampton, or Moulton, to be more precise, each learnt their instrument of choice through involvement with, and in, the local morris side. Care has since been a recurring integral part of the various Edward II line-ups, and his own band, Banter, as well as playing with Ashley Hutchings, with Turner a stalwart of Little Johnny England and of the Phil Beer Band, too also linked in with Hutchings’ morris related outings. Turner became ill in recent years, and, following initial hopes he may have beaten his cancer, succumbed last year. Perhaps goaded on by that spectre, the two chums resolved to come back together and this is the result, with both volumes backaged together as a two-fer. And, if the quality of playing and value for money weren’t enough, and, believe me, it is, all profits from this project are being directed to the hospice where Turner spent his last days.
The older volume of the two discs, differs little in substance from the second, other than by having a slightly different scattering of guests. Off to a breezy squeeze, Streetfayre opens the disc and you will know, instantaneously, if this is for you or not, the two melodeons chugging gleefully into the sort of jolly tune the instrument excels at, bringing a smile to the face and a tap to the feet of aficianados. (If you are not so affected, best now to look away…) A tune by Turner, it is followed by, what else, a pair of jigs, Ecclefechan and Marlin respectively, each by Care. The producer of this first disc, Phil Beer, adds a sparse scaffolding of guitar to help with maintaining an even keel. A trio of morris tunes follow, dancing and squeezing being always inextricably combined, with my knees feeling a wince of recognition.
Unsurprisingly, tunes either player brought to their other projects get a feature, possibly, then, at the time of release, their first airing. Thus, Turner’s masterful Les Mystere Des Box Vulgaire gets an airing, as much credit due for the witty Spoonerism of the title; bear in mind the ladies of the Vox Bulgare were still a big thing in 1997. We don’t get the humorous intro Turner gifted the song at Cropredy, in 2000, on the Little Johnny England live album, but we get the lilting, lugubrious melody. Loose Hornpipe/Mosquito Coast sees the duo attack the first tune in a round, complementing each others play perfectly, ahead moving onto the more heavily orchestrated second, where you will swear you can hear bells.
Rocky Road To Pitsford ups the pace from jaunty to jetski, bodhràn from Garrick Nelson slotting in after one cycle, to provide ballast in the lower end, with little twists of syncopation thrown in, for those still paying attention. Maintaining the switches of temp, The Diggle Stagger may or not be the return journey, refreshment having been taken, being a hopalong swagger, with, this time, snare drum accompaniment. If so spirited, a polka could be done to this one, not least as the rhythmic changes reveal the trad origins of the tune. LIB, no me neither, another from Turner sits alongside, also his, Hayeswood. With Nick Quarmby’s bass and Beer adding guitar, including a nifty solo, this is the closest to a band arrangement thus far. The trad sounding Belltower is then paired with Much Wenlock, an aged and familiar tune, the duo now just themselves.
Too much middle England? Boeuf Francais Gumbo should appeal, then, a cajun stomp with some suitably greasy fiddle careering at the periphery, Beer again, of course. Finally, for this disc, comes the joy, tinged with poignancy, of Jake’s Jig, Turner’s, if you will, signature tune. Simon Care makes a habit of always commemorating his old pal with this tune, a staple of his sets with Banter, as noted here. Quarmby’s bass is back and burbles beatifically around the two melodeons, and it is a cracker.
Moving into this century, Two’s Up Two, and the actually only sign of change, or of anything being amiss, is the relative lesser proportion of Turner originals, although there are still a fair few, some reappearing from other iterations. That apart, it is business as usual, the intervening years hard to comprehend. Morris standard, Princess Royal, capers out first, with judicious fiddling from Nick Ellison. Again, the bells you hear a’jangling, they are your own muscle memory kicking in. Snowchains/Burning Bridges both come from Care, and contain input from LJE’s Guy Fletcher and Banter’s Tim Walker, each fairly inconspicuously.
An audible 1,2,3,4 kicks off a triad of tunes, Brilliant Pebbles, Mampy Moose and Barroom Brawl, the first composed by Rees Wesson, Care’s predecessor in the EII band(s). Contemporaneous EII trombonist, John Hart wrote the second. Fletcher and Walker are a little more apparent this time, perhaps to balance any potential for bellows overload. And if that is beginning to air, no respite yet, with a further brace from the Morris canon to follow, Bonnets So Blue/Upton On Severn. each with fiddle from Ellison. As an erstwhile dancer I can forgive this, suspecting many listeners may be in a similar position.
The Gaslight March is a further song culled from Turner’s back pages, the arrangement here getting an unexpected boost from Walker on trumpet, probably where you would expect P.J. Wright’s guitar to come searing in. I love the increasing presence and acceptability of brass in folk music, the track providing a delightful skip out of the expected. Two more morris tunes, Webley Twizzle/Highland Mary don’t over egg the overall pudding, even if the reader may fear that likelihood; after all, this is the tradition that begat us these two musicians.
This sort of music is always better with Beer, so (groan), Phil Beer returns, with fiddle and guitar, for the next track, being also the author of two of the tunes, his Thomas’ Morris and Chasing The Jack slotting in after Turner’s Goldrush. Beer would know well that tune anyway, it featuring in his own Phil Beer Band repertoire, paired, then, on Mandorock, with Jake’s Jig. The trio of tunes exemplify the power of bellows and strings, cascading from a swift swagger to pell mell and back again. Such is the playing that it has you scouring the credits to see who else is playing, the answer being no-one. Back to basics, for a Border Morris medley, with discreet parps from Walker, adding some (high) bass notes.
We get a couple more of Turner’s greatest hits, with Battle Before Bedtime, paired with A Reel For Kelly. If you hadn’t realised, Jake is Turner’s son, Kelly his daughter. Beer’s fiddle segues in seamlessly, between and behind the two boxes, and, as a standalone track, would be the single one to explain to to anyone melodeon curious as to the appeal of the instrument. Finally, and to close, comes a further paired set. Midnight On The Water, the first of the two, was originally an oldtime Texas fiddle waltz, if penned by an Irish emigré, Luke Thomasson, in the first instance, and recorded by his son, Benny. It translates well to squeeze, and I would have relished hearing more in this vein, with Fletcher and Beer each tagging on, adding some plush to the ride. The second is Eliza’s Waltz, fittingly a final Turner composition, this one named for his grand-daughter. A melancholic air, it is an apt and appropriate end to this memorable commemoration.
This review was originally going to part of a collective round-up, of others still waiting, but, as I listened and re-listened, it shouted out as being too important to be just an also-ran. If you love the sound of melodeons, of morris and more, you’ll want this. If you like any of the bands mentioned along the way, you’ll want this. If you are just wondering why the fuss, buy it, stream it, listen to it and draw your own conclusions. Either way, Cynthia Spencer Hospice will be the richer. and, hopefully, so too will you.
Here’s the delightful closing track, Midnight On The Water/Eliza’s Waltz:
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