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Grand Harmony Concert - Assembly Rooms, Derby - 4th June 2006

Grand idea that - to bring over from Canada that exceedingly fine (and still criminally unsung) trio Finest Kind, and then garnish certain of their tour dates with appearances from tried-and-trusted harmony ensembles from this fair land...

...Good though the first half was, the second half was stunning - and of course it belonged to Finest Kind. If I had a pound for every time I've heard someone say "who?" when I mentioned the name. but I'm sure the name has been on many more lips since this concert. Finest Kind is a well-balanced little ensemble consisting of Ian Robb (London-born, uncommonly fine singer and concertina player extraordinaire), Ann Downey (from the southwestern US, she of the characterful voice and with a strong background in oldtime and bluegrass as well as folk music) and Shelley Posen (Toronto-based folklorist, excellent singer, versatile multi-instrumentalist and occasional songwriter). Together they present their chosen (and uncommonly wide-ranging) material with real dynamism and a relaxed, unforced sense of humour, bringing a superbly fresh approach to songs you thought you'd heard enough of as well as introducing us to songs we absolutely ought to know. Sensibly-paced delivery, robust and intelligently phrased singing, supremely well thought-out harmonising in a captivating blend that, although finely judged, never sounds contrived or artificial. You can tell at once that their passion and conviction is true, springing directly from their response to the song and not bolted on as a device to impress an audience. They impress as much with the vitality of their reinterpretation of familiar pieces from our English folk culture (Fair Maid Walking, Shepherd Of The Downs, John Barleycorn) as with the gutsy commitment and depth of understanding they bring to slices of folk culture from across the pond whether it's Dylan's Times They Are A-Changin', or a Marty Robbins song, or Fa-Sol-La (Shelley's spirited homage to the shape-note singing tradition). Oh, and though it might seem a little out of place to remark on instrumental prowess in the context of a three-piece harmony group who perform a significant majority of their songs acappella, somehow you don't mind a bit when midway through a set they pick up, say, guitar and double bass and with no fuss (and no tiresome lengthy bouts of tuning!) they pitch straightway nto a Hank Williams number - and proceed to do it better than many a specialist country band! Then later on, Shelley proves he can also turn out an original, classy "doomed industry" song in the best folk tradition (No More Fish); and perhaps only a group of the calibre of Finest Kind could follow that opus with a delightfully rollicking version of Peter Bellamy's Kipling setting A Pilgrim's Way to conclude their enormously varied close-on-an-hour-long set. Throughout which, I must stress, the qualities of the individual and combined voices were a wonder to behold; many folks left open-mouthed (and loaded down with the group's CDs!) and vowing to sign up for another date on the group's frustratingly brief UK tour.

And then, as if that impressive set weren't enough, back onstage trooped the six singers we'd heard in the first half to add their voices to those of Finest Kind for a short series of quasi-impromptu encores (OK, we didn't quite get nine-part harmony, but the effect was often quite stunning and always great fun). First, Bright Shining Morning was given a stirring rendition as a tribute to Swan Arcade's Dave Brady (the news of whose recent tragic death had been announced only days before the concert), then Mick Peat was pressganged onto the stage to add a tenth voice part to a deliciously strung-out version of Bully In The Alley. A "portmanteau" rendition of Only Remembered (bringing together two quite different variants), and then - inevitably? - John Tams' Rolling Home (albeit shorn of a couple of verses) brought the official proceedings to a rousing, hearty close. We couldn't let them go however, and an easygoing singalong runthrough of the Shirelles' hit Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? was an ideal way of playing us out.

What a concert! Before I run out of space though, a final word of praise must go to the guy manning the sound-desk for the excellent quality of the amplified sound in the hall of the comfortably full Darwin Suite, for he really had the measure of the blended and individual voices of all the participants right from the word go. Whatever, this enraptured audience certainly got its fill of superlative, nay exemplary singing - and so will you if you get to catch Finest Kind performing live. Then, the next time mention of Finest Kind elicits the usual response ("never heard of 'em!") you too will be ready to sing their praises! Don't forget, too, that their latest CD Silks And Spices is now available in the UK at long last (on ADA Recordings).

David Kidman

Finest Kind: Silks & Spices
Living Tradition

I already have two albums by this trio from Canada, both of them delightful, so I expected something good from this one. I got it! Finest Kind have scored a hat trick with a skilfully sung programme of songs ranging from the Copper Family to the Shirelles via Marty Robbins, Bob Dylan, and others.

Finest Kind comprise founder-member Ian Robb, English-born singer and concertina player; Ann Downey, American singer/banjo/guitarist, and Canadian folklorist Shelley Posen, singer and multi-instrumentalist. Each one brings something of their individual taste to the repertoire though they do not mix their album material for the sake of variety alone. Their choices seem to me to be well thought out on the basis of creating a balanced, varied, and enjoyable experience for the listener. Not as common as one might think.

The bulk of the songs on this particular album are from English tradition, sung unaccompanied. If that sounds daunting to any of you let me tell you that what you hear here is, in my opinion, the way to sing these songs. The harmonies are close without being cloying, the keys fresh and lively, and the pace chosen for each song is exemplary. All those groups who drag a mournful way through their songs should listen to the way Finest Kind attack theirs. No dirges, no "slowing down to lethargy", but a tempo that allows the text to shine through without losing scope for appropriate harmonising. Furthermore, and top marks in my book, the melody is always clearly defined no matter what clever harmonies are going on.

Each one of the singers is a good soloist, very good actually, and where instruments are used they add to the whole without intrusion. Guest musician James Stephens deserves a tip of the hat for his work on fiddle, mandolin and viola. Rather than picking out individual items I simply recommend every track on this joyous album. Finest Kind give me the feeling that they would sing with as much zest in my kitchen as they might on some lofty concert stage. I like them, and 'Silks & Spices' very much. Please come over here asap.

Roy Harris