The Old Swan Band - FORTYssimo

The Old Swan Band are celebrating their fortieth anniversary with a cleverly titled album which includes some previously unrecorded material.

They play country dance music with a gentle punch - provided by an unusual combination of instruments. The current line up consists of John Adams (trombone), Martin Brinsford (harmonica and percussion), Paul Burgess (fiddle), Fi Fraser (fiddle), Jo Freya (saxophone and whistles), Neil Gledhill (bass saxophone), Flos Headland (fiddle) and Heather Horsley (keyboard)

There is no doubt that this is music that needs to be danced to, which probably explains why there is little change in texture throughout the album. Of course, changes in tempo and volume are not really practical when playing for dancing!

There is, however, a rich variety of material - from traditional English favourites like Devon Bonny Breastknot and Blued-Eyed Stranger to tunes from across the Channel like La Ouellette and Les Trois Puits. There are even tunes with Australian origins (The Queer Fella’s Schot-ese and Sally Sloane). Aside from these occasional forays overseas, the tunes are a musical tour of the United Kingdom, with Scottish and Welsh tunes appearing alongside the English ones.

The music will make you smile, as it is unashamedly upbeat, so the best way to enjoy this album is to clear some floor space and put on your dancing shoes.