Waillee Waillee

ダルシマー、ハーディ・ガーディ、チター、リコーダーなどを操るニューヨークのマルチ奏者 / SSW、DOROTHY CARTER。1978年に発表したフォーク/サイケ/ドローン傑作『WAILLEE WAILLEE』が、PLATO FLATSより初CD / LPリイシュー!

サイケ / フォーク・ミュージックの要素とミニマルなアヴァンギャルドをKAREN DALTON、LARAAJI、そしてHENRY FLYNTらにインスピレーションを得つつフル・バンドで制作された作品。 DOROTHYのダルシマーとBOB RUTMANの弓弾きスティール・チェロが生み出すディープで神秘的なドローンは格別です。リリースから何年か後にベルリンにあるRUTMANのスタジオにて発見されたマスターテープを元にリマスタリングされた音源を使用。KAREN DALTON、LARAAJI、ALICE COLTRANE、SANDY DENNY、更にはGROUPERに通ずる魅力を持った傑作が待望の再発となりました!

Decades before she achieved fame late in her life as a founding member of British traditional music ensemble Mediaeval Baebes, Dorothy Carter mastered several hammer chord stringed instruments, including the dulcimer and psaltery. She traveled far and wide, spending time in communes as well as conservatories, and she established the experimental group Central Maine Power Music Company with new age pioneer Constance Demby and avant-garde composer Robert Rutman. Carter self-released two albums during the 1970s containing her singular interpretations of Celtic, Appalachian, and French folk tunes. Waillee Waillee (1978) is the second, and the one thats taken on a life of its own as a cult classic, particularly among fans of the freak-folk movement that blossomed during the 2000s. As soon as the opening song "The Squirrel Is a Funny Thing..." comes on, the listener knows theyre in for something unique and powerful. Carters weathered but curious and gleeful voice weaves throughout rapid, interlocked dulcimer patterns, especially making an impact when she hits on resounding low notes. "Dulcimer Medley - Robin Maime," featuring Carters flute playing, is pleasant, spring-like, and relatively straightforward, but "Along the River," based on a James Joyce poem, is a sprawling, ethereal wonder. Carter encountered Laraaji as a busker during the 70s, and its easy to hear how she influenced his style of zither playing. Elsewhere on the album, Rutman contributes bowed chime and steel cello, adding a dimension of otherworldly drone to Carters playing, further enhanced by Gail Edwards shakers and log drums. "Summer Rhapsody" is simply mesmerizing, with a dark, deep undercurrent to Carters tightly wound yet delicate dulcimer playing. "Waillee Waillee," an interpretation of an 18th century Scottish song, features steadily paced drumming and upfront piano melodies, sounding the closest to contemporary folk-rock of the era, but still with a rift of strangeness, not least due to the constant waves of swelling cymbals. Edwards fast, choppy drumming is more prominent during "Autumn Song," bringing to mind some of Moondogs more rhythmic compositions. The raga-like "Tree of Life" is truly mesmerizing, with Edwards tamboura and harp flowing along with Rutmans bowed drones, and Carters reverberating vocals taking on a more devotional tone. Finally reissued in 2023 after the master tapes were found in Rutmans Berlin studio, Waillee Waillee is a timeless, fascinating album that feels both ancient and modern. ~ Paul Simpson