1.Bo'Weavil Rec. Leaves From Off The Tree : -Meg Baird, Helena Espvall, Sharron Kraus (UK/US,2006)**°°'
Three talents, creative on the edge of folk with their own acoustic inspirations : Meg Baird, guitar, vocals (Espers), Helene Espvall, cello, vocals (Espers) and Sharron Kraus, lead vocals, guitar and on one track with dulcimer, shared time for this project and album of traditional folk. There hasn’t been much work done in making arrangements, but the most heartfelt tracks are darker ballads, which stand out well in their simple-is-essential effort. “Bruton Town” I think is the most successful moment, and is a great version, where the almost broken voice of Sharron Kraus reveals its quality, and where it is used as her gift. (I have the impression most songs were assembled and perhaps also led by Sharron Kraus). There are several parts where the girls sing with folk trio harmonies. On “Barbry Ellen” and some other times this works very fine and beautifully. After a while however, by the time of “Willie of Bransburry” the sparse arrangements become in a fragile way, a bit thin and the contrasts and minimal ideas become to work in a more monotone way, the fragility becomes frail, thin and pale, and I start to miss a bit of contrast in instrumental ideas or in the expressions. The cello by Helena Espvall, on “Nightingale”, just lingers in between a few notes/chords. Strange also is how an American styled folk song, “John Hardy” which I guess could have worked well on steel string, gets in such an acoustic simple-chords rhythm guitar country-folk version, a more derived energy. Funny is how on the Scottish traditional, “The Derry Dems of Arrow” (originally "The Dowie Dens of Yarrow"), once it crossed the ocean, in this version “ploughmen” was replaced by “cowboys”. Last few tracks work again somewhat better.
The songs were recorded on a very spontaneous occasion where Meg and Helena met and were teaching each other some finds in traditional folk music from English and Appalachian sources. After a while Helene Espvall joined to add a few touches. The recording surely captured something of the spontaneous gathering, with a few brilliant moments.
2.Bo'Weavil Rec. Leaves From Off The Tree : -Meg Baird, Helena Espvall, Sharron Kraus (UK/US,re.2010)****
I hoped the trio was going to do another album, because they have much to offer in combining their talents. Sharron Kraus alone has already this quality in her voice of a melancholic-emotional folk voice timbre, together with Meg Baird’s high notes voice arrangements this is more than lovely. Sharron’s voice is beautiful solo and she does lead vocals on many songs, I have already noticed during the time Meg and Sharron were at the radio Centraal studio how beautiful their voices could be acapella, so I’m glad they included “Barbry Ellen” with this approach. Helena Esvpall most often adds simple textures and drones or arrangements, strummed or acoustic guitars are leading most arrangements. The interpretations and great collection of folk songs, even with a few known traditionals of English but also American origin (like “John Hardy”) are inspired and give the feeling they are fresh inspirations. The choice isn’t always obvious. “Fortune My Foe” for instance was also known by Renaissance lutists John Downland and William Byrd, here it returns to a certain folk roots. A great album of the Trio. I thought at first this was a sort of second album, but this is only a second edition of their first and only album. It gave me a second thought and appreciation.
