Ukrainian Village Music

“Wow! Another terrific release from Arhoolie. Again kudos to reissue producer Chris Strachwitz, editor Dick Spottswood and the technicians who cleaned up those musty 78s to give us a crisp, clear window into the past the sound is impeccable. Earlier reissues have featured the `dean' of Ukrainian fiddling, Pawlo Humeniuk (on one cut here), who had classical training. The lead fiddlers on this disc all appear to be self-trained village musicians with a ton of fire, piss and vinegar (they probably were fueled by liquor, as the entertaining notes allude). Most of the bands feature a lead fiddle with fiddle accompaniment (a la Hungarian kontra, chordal backing) and bowed bass. Some also feature the cymbaly (like a hammered dulcimer) and percussion, much like a bodhran. All the two dozen selections excited me but none as much as the three by Josef Pizio (I'd love to hear more of him), as he changed from 3/4 to 2/4 in his Lemko (West Ukraine) numbers. Highly recommended for fans of ethnic fiddling. This has similarities to Polish and Hungarian playing and is a sheer joy.”

(Kerry Belch — Victory Review)

“This recording comprises 77 minutes of fast tunes in cut time. The introduction by Anisa Sawyckyj notes: `Ukrainian folk music can be melancholy or jolly. When it is melancholy it is very, very melancholy. But when it is jolly, it is infectiously so, setting hands a-clapping, feet a-tapping, and all folks a-hopping. The country dance tunes you hear on this disc belong to that latter category.'

Lovers of American old-time down-home fiddling will instantly relate to the ambience and their feet will indeed be tapping. Many of these jolly tunes are in the same jolly key, which can be a bit wearing. The jolly lead fiddlers are almost always accompanied by second fiddle playing ceaseless offbeats and lovely woofy bowed bass on downbeats. When a guitar and mandolin track came along near the end of the recording, I gasped with relief. Other exciting moments were occasional excursions into minor-key passages and some bass lines which seemed to have wandered in off the street, having emigrated from other, incompatible tunes.

Loud huzzahs of appreciation to the techno-wizards whose magic removed surface noise from these old recordings. They did their job so well I listened happily without even remembering how painful it used to be to hear archival collections.”

(Jane Peppler — Sing Out!)

“Ukrainian Village Music”

Various Artists

CD 7030 CD upc: 096297703021

CD 7030
CD upc: 096297703021