The Beggar Boy of the North

Not a new album, this is actually a reissue of a disc that first appeared in 1978, and which has bounced around under the radar ever since. Focusing on the music of Northwest England collected by Stephens and played by the band, it was a bit of a groundbreaker at the time, with musical roots dating back four centuries. It's sterling stuff -- just listen to "Lonsdale Hornpipe" or the title track for instance. Stephens' research is assiduous, and the music full of life, although it might not be to everyone's tastes -- they can get a little arty at times. With a pair of fiddlers, a multi-instrumentalist, cello, guitar, bass, and Stephens on banjo and mandolin, the lineup is unusual for a traditional album, but on the dance tunes it all comes together well, with banjo and fiddle mostly to the fore. They might have been well ahead of the curve when the disc was first released, but now the music has caught up with them. ~ Chris Nickson|