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Written in Folk Roots issue 150, 1995

JYDSK PÅ NÆSEN
Paa’en Igen!
Helikon HCD 1020 (1995)

PHØNIX
Fra Asken Til Ilden
Phønix NIX CD 1 (1995)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Tværs
DGI DGI-FO951 (1995)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Skagen Festival 25 År
Danmarks Radio DRAa 95 (1995)

Until the last few months Denmark hasn’t had a high output of CDs of traditional, roots, or even identifiably Danish music, but, even since the release by an alliance of all the country’s major musical organisations, ministries and unions of the promotional CD Folk Music From Denmark ’95, the flow has increased, by these four albums and more.

      Jydsk på Næsen is a two-fiddle/button accordion/double-bass East Jutland (Østjylland) dance-music band with a light sensitive fiddle-oriented sound, and variety, articulacy and taste in its tunes, many of which are by fiddlers Michael Sommer and Ivan Bjerre Damgård.

      Phønix’s approach is more overtly progressive, and the bass clarinet instead of bass with its fiddles (three, or two and recorder), accordion and occasional percussion gives it some of the sort of horn-honky sound that in neighbouring Sweden became associated with Filarfolket and Groupa. Whereas those bands drove in a polska frenzy, though, this one here has a light polka bounce in a set of tunes the majority of which, unlike those on the band’s earlier cassette-only releases, are written by band members.

      Six East Jutland dance-music bands, including Jydsk på Næsen, contribute three tracks each, all recorded live without an audience, to Tværs, issued by the Danish Gymnastics and Sports Associations but don’t let that put you off. Some of the musicians clearly represent a mover-and-shaker nucleus in Danish traditional dance music, and play with several of the bands. Two of the fiddlers are in three: Jydsk på Naesen’s Michael Sommer is also in Rasmus (playing music from Rasmus Storm’s c1760 tunebook) and the fiddle quartet Mølposen, his J.p.N. colleague Ivan B. Damgård with Baldrian and Ostinat Expressen.

      Danish traditional music hasn’t been heard much abroad during European countries’ various folk revivals and scares, but has rather had the image of a nett importer of folk-pigeonhole music, particularly from Britain and Ireland, displaying it at folk festivals such as Skagen and Tønder. In honour of Skagen’s 25th anniversary Danmarks Radio, which records there every year, put together and presented to the festival a CD of choice items. Like musicians asked to agree to them, the listener is wise to treat festival compilations with caution, but this one, a limited edition of 1000, is well-recorded and captures some strong performances, not only from imports such as Oysterband, Fairport with Swarb and Cathy Lesurf, Dougie MacLean, the Clancy Brothers, De Dannan, the McCalmans, Phil and Johnny Cunningham, Norwegian Lillebjørn Nilsen, Sweden’s Cornelis Vreeswijk and Danish resident the late Alex Campbell, but also a substantial presence of home-grown songwriters in Lars Lilholt, Niels Hausgaard, Jan Toftlund, Povl Dissing and Benny Andersen, and De Gyldne Løver. And there’s a hot 1994 rendition of Tupelo Honey by Wayne Toups and Zydecajun, who showed up unscheduled (still got a good mix though) and apparently paid $1.45 to get a spot ... no, your guess is as good as mine. Perhaps it was a bribe for a longer soundcheck or more backstage jelly-babies.


© 1995 Andrew Cronshaw
 

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