Celtic Connections
Strings of the World
RSNO Centre
Glasgow
Rob Adams
FOUR STARS
Singing Strings of the World would have been a justifiable title for this concert by musicians from North and South America and India. Fiddles sang, mandolins sang, guitars of varying string configurations and the veena, cousin to the sitar, all sang. Even the drums – and the drummers – sang as veena master Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh’s tabla and mridangam players engaged in a vocal and percussion conversation in a set that showcased depth of expression and fun as well as Kumaresh’s remarkable dexterity and fingerpicking capabilities.
On either side of this came two groups who are carrying on and carrying forward the American string band tradition. Fiddler Jeremy Kittel’s trio with mandolinist Joshua Pinkham and guitarist Quinn Bachand took bluegrass chops on an adventure into contemporary composition, and a Bach partita, with great mutual understanding and a collective sense of enquiry that produced musical surprises as well as superb playing.
In a slightly more traditional format, with songs and hollers added to the instrumental flights, fiddler and mandolinist Mark O’Connor’s family band still produced spontaneous creativity, with O’Connor and son Forrest’s duelling mandolins feature creating sparks and three fiddles, mandolin, guitar and double bass all taking the spotlight with practised choreography.
Which brings us to the dancing, as well as singing, strings of Yamandu Costa. The Brazilian gives every indication of disorganisation bordering on chaos as he pulls sambas and ballads from his seven-string guitar with mindboggling contra rhythms and endless chordal variations. This is music-making beyond virtuosity with a true melodic heart and a tonal range that uses every part of the hand to find colour, attack, tenderness and marvellous warmth of feeling.
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