Van Morrison, Moving on Skiffle, Exile ****

Thank goodness normal service is resumed. Dig out going further back Van's live album with Lonnie Donegan The Skiffle Sessions Live in Belfast released in 2000 as a companion listen for the direct Lonnie-from-Huddie-to-Van chain of command. …

Published: 14 Mar 2023. Updated: 12 months.

Thank goodness normal service is resumed. Dig out going further back Van's live album with Lonnie Donegan The Skiffle Sessions Live in Belfast released in 2000 as a companion listen for the direct Lonnie-from-Huddie-to-Van chain of command.

'Freight Train' is a very big highlight of Moving on Skiffle - and he nails it amid bubbling Brother Ray soaked rhythm. And listen why not to Paul Clarvis, Cathy Jordan and Liam Noble's excellent very recent treatment issued in January mentioned here for added value to luxuriate in the song.

Clarvis goes for the Mose Allison angle on his work pervasively given that he used to play with Mose gigging round London when Mose came over to play places like the Pizza. Van is also influenced by Mose via Georgie Fame. But most of that side of Morrison's artistry is found in other periods of his record-making down the years (for peak Georgie just listen to the pair together on the classic 'Vanlose Stairway', just about any version). For the stirring jangles on 'I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry' dig out Pay the Devil (2006) for more in that vein. That is country. This album isn't.

The most Lonnie-like vocal is 'In the Evening When the Sun Goes Down'. 'Gypsy Davy' is lovable with its slight too-ra-loo quality which if you are a Mike Denver fan, a superb country 'n' Irish crooner, you might like. Gospel as in the African American church and most relatable jazzily of all - because gospel traditions like call and response are everywhere in jazz - here is the holy rolling 'This Loving Light of Mine' and also essential given the interplay with the backing singers and organ.

Van Morrison, photo detail from the cover art

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Eddie Gripper, Home, Ubuntu ***1/2

Gentle and reflective for the most part Home is a striking debut from a talented trio led by Cardiff based pianist Eddie Gripper, a former student of Huw Warren's recorded in Wales in June last year. The double bassist is Ursula Harrison, the …

Published: 14 Mar 2023. Updated: 12 months.

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Gentle and reflective for the most part Home is a striking debut from a talented trio led by Cardiff based pianist Eddie Gripper, a former student of Huw Warren's recorded in Wales in June last year. The double bassist is Ursula Harrison, the drummer Isaac Zuckerman and Home has 7 originals - the album dedicated to Gripper's late grandparents. Bill Evans is clearly a strong influence but not on all the pieces. And you get a sense of the pianist's own playing personality and writing style grounded in the sort of fine trios we have become accustomed to in the last 20 years including Gwilym Simcock's. Stand out pieces are 'Castle' and 'Mum's Best Friend' given their more heightened sense of drama and the skill of these compositions particularly are easiest to grasp and admire. Some of the slower pieces take a little too much listening patience to be completely effective.