Reviews and HTML ¬ Russell W Elliot 1999
All Images ¬ Chesky Records 1994-99
formatted for 800 x 600 or larger windows
Last updated: 19 December 1999
Image ¬ 1994 Chesky Records
With a singing/songwriting career now spanning three
audiophile quality solo albums as well as a recently released DVD, Chesky
Records recording artist Rebecca Pidgeon has demonstrated an uncanny
ability to span a wide range of vocal and song styles. Born in the USA but
raised in Scotland, she is equally accomplished as a motion picture,
theatre and television actress. Singing professionally since her teens,
Rebecca Pidgeon's ability to radiate emotion shines through in the two
albums reviewed here.
The Raven (Chesky Records
JD115) is a lovely and vocally intense album that explores the dimensions
of Rebecca Pidgeon's voice against a light acoustic environment. A studio
recording, this light and airy music is perfectly suited for Chesky's 128x
oversampling high resolution technology production techniques to preserve
the quality of the underlying talent. Rebecca's voice carries the album
with minimal yet very effective string instrumentation. The music has a
light and airy feel building its power from the heartfelt delivery of the
songs. The album's thirteen tracks span lighter singing styles that
illustrate both Rebecca's vocal range and textures she uses to evoke
different emotions. The music is exceptionally calming in its folky,
bluesy or folk-rocky (not new age) approach, almost perfectly suited to a
coffee shop or cafe atmosphere, or for Sunday morning radio.
The light and airy songs ("Kalerka," "You Got Me" and "Heart and Mind")
have effective, yet light instrumentation and are lyrically and vocally
very strong. "The Witch" is the one Celtic-oriented track. Sung entirely
solo, mid-range vocals carry the tune. The title track is sung almost a
capella with very lightЧmostly stringЧinstrumentals. "Seven Hours" is sung
in a similar highly dramatic style with highly effective vocalise and
light percussion used to further establish the mood of the song.
In contrast to the other tracks with more guitar, backing vocals and an
overall lusher tone and a chorus with a hook, "You Need Me There" is a
very nice and slightly more accessible tune. The bluesy numbers on the
album include "Grandmother" and "Her Man Leaves Town" which has some very
interesting electronic keyboards added to the piano and string
accompanyment. The highly enjoyable folk rock tune "Wendy's Style Shop"
has a robust yet light chorus and, like "Remember Me" and "The Height of
Land" features some of the most diverse vocal excursions of the album.
The certain highlight of the album is "Spanish Harlem" which Rebecca
Pidgeon became became renowned for covering. Sung basicall a capella with
only minimal processing and beginning with just light bass and even
lighter piano backing track, it is by far the stongest song on the album.
The instrumental bridge only serves to join the vocal segments of the
track. It is certainly most illustrative of Rebecca Pidgeon's vocal
talent.
As her first solo album,
The Raven clearly illustrates the broad range of talent that the
stunning Rebecca Pidgeon posesses and serves as a wonderful introduction
to this artist's recorded work.
The New York Girls' Club (Chesky Records JD141, 1996) is Rebecca's second solo album.
Here she brought her unique singing and songrwriting to more music lovers.
The recording also helped her understand how important a form of
self-expression her singing and songwriting was.
Image ¬ 1996
Chesky Records
Image ¬ 1996
Chesky Records
The New York Girls' Club is comprised of
twelve tracks that again illustrate the range of Rebecca Pidgeon's talent.
While a flurry of guest musicians contribute piano, organ, saxophone,
synthesizer, guitar, bass and drums, Pidgeon is credited with lead vocals,
vocal arrangements as well as guitar. Songs range from light acoustic
folky numbers to moderate rock tracks. The album is the most accessible of
her three releases to date and is likely to please a broad range of
audiences.
The album's more upbeat and rocky numbers are carried by Rebecca's
vocals with acoustic guitar and keyboards underscoring the melodies. These
tracks include "Address To The Beams," "Underground" (a favourite) and
"Under The Table." Bright folk tunes that include "Jerusalem" (another
favourite but not the classic sung by progressive artists ELP and Pфr
Lindh Project (review),
as well as female vocalists Charlotte Church (review)
and Miriam Stockley) and "The
Penguin" are also carried by Rebbecca's sweet voice backed primarily by
lovely light guitar and bass instrumentation.
The vocally intense heartfelt ballads from the album include "The
Wedding Dress" and the lovely country and western-jazz crossover "The Word
Around Town." Clearly the most symphonic song of the album is "Primitive
Man." Percussion and additional instrumentation give it a unique
depth.
Rebecca's jazzier style comes through in "24 Hours Of Love" and crosses
over into rock and ballad styles in the title track "New York Girls' Club"
with its modern lyrical setting with absolutely stunning, almost ringing,
vocal work. The Sunday morning style returns in "Friday Night Crowd" with
its very light acoustic guitar accompanyment. The album closes with a
sensitive narration and then Rebecca's jazzy rendition of "Auld Lang
Syne."
Image ¬ 1999
Chesky Records
Four Marys (Chesky Records
JD165) is a significant development from Rebecca Pidgeon's first album
with a change in musical direction for the tracks included. Focused
entirely on traditional Celtic music, the album includes fourteen tracks
deeply rooted in Scottish tradition in their storytelling approach. Like
some of Chesky's other albums, the recording was done St Peters Church and
the ambiance has been perfectly captured with Chesky's 96-khz/24-bit
technology and minimal miking techniques.
Although first and foremost a vocal album, some of Celtic music's
finest musicians were recruited to provide backing instrumentals. Johnnie
Cunningham plays fiddle and mandolin while Jerry O'Sullivan plays Uillean
pipes. The vocals are as much Rebecca Pidgeon as they are on The
Raven however the songs are sung in a mix of
Gaelic and English and the instrumentals are by and large mixed further
back in almost all of the tracks. The tracks areЧby designЧexclusively
Celtic folk oriented with flute, strings and pipes establishing the
overall ambiance of the album.
Beautifully packaged, the album contains a comprehensive booklet with
short documentaries on each of the songs to accompany the lyrics. The
centrefold of the booklet has a stunning photo taken during one of the
recording sessions.
Chesky Records actually says it best,"Historical,
philosophical, humorous and tragic, "Four Marys" explores classic tales of
love, infidelity, war and revenge. In the process, Pidgeon's fresh
interpretations of traditional Celtic folk songs like "Fhear a Bhata",
"Black Jack Davey" and "Jock O Hazeldean" blend her unmistakable vocal
style with a distinctive Celtic flavor."
Four Marys songs are indeed largely traditional in their style
and the album is one that will appeal to Rebecca Pidgeon lovers and
traditional (Irish, Scottish) folk fans alike. Certainly another testament
to Rebecca Pidgeon's vocal arrangements, singing talent and songwriting
collaboration, this album is worth exploring, especially by those that
really enjoy traditional Celtic music.
You can listen to soundbites from these albums at the Chesky Records website and other online
sources. The CDs are both available from the label via their website, your
local dealer or at CDNow and other
on-line shops. While visiting Chesky's website, check out their other
artists; female vocalist fans may want to further explore the stunning
album Ephemera by Carla Lother (review).
Rebecca Pidgeon. Four Marys
Chesky Records
Женское пение у кельтов - отдельное искусство. Еще в глубокой древности
одаренность и некоторая эмансипированность кельтских дам резко выделялись на общем историческом фоне. И в современной
ирландской и шотландской фолк-музыке нежные голоса вокалисток - настоящий луч света в темном царстве мужского пьяного угара.
Как гласит расхожая мудрость, если бы ирландцы не пили, они завоевали бы мир. В гордой, несгибаемо католической культуре
этих воинственных и чуточку смешных людей хорошо писали Честертон, англичанин, и Джойс, их соплеменник. Поют они всегда сами.
Песни, которые исполняет красивая ирландская девушка по имени Rebecca Pidgeon, уходят в прошлое на 400-500 лет.
Black Jack Davey, Fhear A Bhata, эти старинные баллады с текстами как на английском, так и на гэлике делают честь всякому,
кто их исполнит. А Ребекка поет их так, как положено - проникновенно, торжественно, со специфическим юмором,
присущим ирландцам. "Подарите этой девушке краски. Она хочет работать по-старому", - вот высшаЯ похвала начинающей
художнице в одном из романов Честертона. Этот комплимент вполне применим к Ребекке - она действительно поет по-старому,
так, как если бы между ней и анонимными авторами песен этого альбома не лежат сотни лет.
На Four Marys не все песни относятся к классическому кельтскому фольклору. Пластинка
записана в Нью-Йорке, и самая лучшая, пронзительная вещь - Texas Rangers - повествует о жизни в Штатах. Марш от Сан-Антонио
до Рио-Гранде, на подходе к станции придется сражаться. Спокойный женский голос, извечные мужские страсти. Когда в кельтском
эпосе описывался мудрейший вождь, непременно следовало прибавление - "единственным человеком, который был умнее его
в этой земле, была его жена".