- Discover more great music in our Proper Music store, and read about the very best of Proper Music's latest and forthcoming releases in Properganda Issue 19 (online flash version).
Jubilee Offer: Patriotic Classics for £2.50 |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Product Description
Review
Having inspired and influenced legions of players since he came onto the music scene in the 1960s, John Renbourn’s first studio album since 1998’s Traveller’s Prayer shows he isn’t resting on his laurels. This is a relaxed enough selection from a veteran player who doesn’t need to show off, and he’s happy to share his enthusiasm for a good tune.
With its detailed, close-up production, the record provides an intimate portrait that has Renbourn moving beyond the Celtic Connections for which he is probably best known. The title-track and the utterly beguiling Bella Terra take inspiration from Mediterranean sources, with the latter tune doubling as a smoochy, late-night jazzy rumination.
From his work with vocalist Dorris Henderson in 1965, or the collaborations with Bert Jansch, and later with Bert and Jacqui McShee as members of the genre-bending Pentangle, Renbourn has always stood out as a particularly empathetic accompanist.
On this album he is joined by clarinet player, Dick Lee, who takes a soaring lead on three pieces, inscribing the already sparkling music with some smouldering lines. These have sprung from charts written by Renbourn, who ably demonstrates that his ear for combining subtly and surprise remains happily undiminished.
Though suffering slightly from being overly familiar, a remake of Bach’s Cello Prelude in G is nevertheless pretty and accessible, and his take on Satie’s gently circuitous Sarabande recalls American guitar demi-god John Fahey’s enigmatic presence.
Palermo Snow is a confident collection that delights in bringing together a still-formidable technique to exercise and enjoy itself in the company of a good tune. It may be a tried and tested formula but the results are undeniably first class.
--Sid Smith
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
CD Description
One of the pioneers of folk/jazz fusion with Pentangle and one of the world's pre-eminent guitarists draws on recent travels to explore new, more romantic harmonic horizons, blending tradition and originality in brilliant new guitar pieces. From the sounds absorbed on trips to Sicily, strains heard in Jelly Roll Morton’s music, chord voicings from Erik Satie and much more, all put together in lush, romantic arrangements, John Renbourn weaves a spellbinding musical tapestry that make 'Palermo Snow' a must for his fans.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
You have to wait a long time between albums (except live ones) with 10 years between each of the last two but it is truly worth the wait. The standout for me is the title track which is entrancing. I have listened to it about 100 times now and am still getting new nuances. This is breakthrough stuff. Funnily enough, reading the other review, Sarabande is a bit static for me but I love the rest.
As a Pentangle fan, it was always for me about John not Bert. He has never really been anything but immaculate, apart from his very first album back in the 60s that was a bit rough! The Black Balloon, Nine Maidens, The Hermit, Sir John Alot etc stands the test of time. Having seen him about 30 times live or more, I hope he showcases some of this on the upcoming tour- I shall be cheering him on. It would be nice if some nationals picked up the album and were positive. JR interviewed in OK mag.....
As a Pentangle fan, it was always for me about John not Bert. He has never really been anything but immaculate, apart from his very first album back in the 60s that was a bit rough! The Black Balloon, Nine Maidens, The Hermit, Sir John Alot etc stands the test of time. Having seen him about 30 times live or more, I hope he showcases some of this on the upcoming tour- I shall be cheering him on. It would be nice if some nationals picked up the album and were positive. JR interviewed in OK mag.....
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
After (for me) the relative disappointment of his last album, Traveller's Prayer, this is a glorious return to scintilating form for The Professor.
I'm particularly delighted that he's finally recorded Little Niles, a Randy Weston tune which he has been gigging for more years than I can remember. It's an outstanding piece of playing, as is the title track, Palermo Snow.
The playing is as inventive, as varied, and original as ever, with unmistakable Renbourn bluesy nuances in the most unlikely of places. Even the improbably-titled "Weebles Wobble but the Don't Fall Down" (a Renbourn composition that bears no discernable similarity to the jingle) and Blueberry Hill are great.
For me, the only disappointing tracks are Sarabande (Eric Satie) and Bach's Cello Prelude in D. Both are played beautifully, but I've never heard a Sarabande I liked, and the Cello Prelude, while more than competent, is just a pale shadow when compared with a great cello version like Tortelier's.
These minor reservations apart, this is an outstanding CD from one of the inventors and greatest exponents of modern fingerstyle guitar.
It's also worth mentioning that Dick Lee plays clarinet on the title track, on Little Niles and on Ugly James, and is sounding better than ever, adding a new dimension to music when he comes in.
I'm particularly delighted that he's finally recorded Little Niles, a Randy Weston tune which he has been gigging for more years than I can remember. It's an outstanding piece of playing, as is the title track, Palermo Snow.
The playing is as inventive, as varied, and original as ever, with unmistakable Renbourn bluesy nuances in the most unlikely of places. Even the improbably-titled "Weebles Wobble but the Don't Fall Down" (a Renbourn composition that bears no discernable similarity to the jingle) and Blueberry Hill are great.
For me, the only disappointing tracks are Sarabande (Eric Satie) and Bach's Cello Prelude in D. Both are played beautifully, but I've never heard a Sarabande I liked, and the Cello Prelude, while more than competent, is just a pale shadow when compared with a great cello version like Tortelier's.
These minor reservations apart, this is an outstanding CD from one of the inventors and greatest exponents of modern fingerstyle guitar.
It's also worth mentioning that Dick Lee plays clarinet on the title track, on Little Niles and on Ugly James, and is sounding better than ever, adding a new dimension to music when he comes in.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Sadly the world is a deeply unfair and unjust place and while the reputation of the impeccable John Renbourn gently ticks over, Bert Jansch his great sparring partner both within and outside of Pentangle is rightly/regularly namechecked by a the glitterati of rock guitarists as a massive and central influence. Yet Renbourn is by any standards one of the great British guitarists of his generation and friends who particularly love British folk music speak of him in the most hallowed tones with his very distinctive fingerstyle and massive impact on acoustic play. He is a true renaissance man with his musical interests covering a huge musical landscape ranging over classical, folk, jazz, blues to that huge box marked Celtic/Renaissance/Medieval. If you have not had the privilege yet to hear this virtuoso guitarist as a starting point either please check out the great bluesy version of Charlie Mingus's "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" or the absolutely sublime "The Hermit" both to be located on his "Best of" retailing at an obscenely reasonable price on Amazon. Your world will be a better place for it.
While Renbourn has released various live concerts over recent years "Palermo Snow" is his first proper album since 1998s "Travellers Prayer" and what an event it is to have him return and in such style. The old goats sense of humour is firmly intact and frankly I never imagined that a song dedicated to those roly poly toys beloved of a certain generation of children and their theme tune "Weebles wobble but they dont fall down" would figure on a Renbourn album but here it is beautifully played and executed. His cover of "Blueberry Hill" is an equally a lovely bit of mischief with Renbourn showing a style that most guitarists can only dream of as he weaves complex patterns around Fats Domino great classic. That said it is the slower more reflective pieces here which really impress not least the beautifully picked "Sarabande" and a glorious version of J S Bach's "Cello prelude in G" also recently heard on the West Wing played by the great Yo Yo Ma both versions of which bring a rather large lump to the throat. Hopefully then you get the picture, in short if you love the guitar played by an absolute master of the art check out John Renbourn's lovely "Palermo Snow" (its worth it alone for the outstanding highlight that is the seven minute title track) and pay due respect to a master musician whose name your children should sing in praise throughout our villages.
While Renbourn has released various live concerts over recent years "Palermo Snow" is his first proper album since 1998s "Travellers Prayer" and what an event it is to have him return and in such style. The old goats sense of humour is firmly intact and frankly I never imagined that a song dedicated to those roly poly toys beloved of a certain generation of children and their theme tune "Weebles wobble but they dont fall down" would figure on a Renbourn album but here it is beautifully played and executed. His cover of "Blueberry Hill" is an equally a lovely bit of mischief with Renbourn showing a style that most guitarists can only dream of as he weaves complex patterns around Fats Domino great classic. That said it is the slower more reflective pieces here which really impress not least the beautifully picked "Sarabande" and a glorious version of J S Bach's "Cello prelude in G" also recently heard on the West Wing played by the great Yo Yo Ma both versions of which bring a rather large lump to the throat. Hopefully then you get the picture, in short if you love the guitar played by an absolute master of the art check out John Renbourn's lovely "Palermo Snow" (its worth it alone for the outstanding highlight that is the seven minute title track) and pay due respect to a master musician whose name your children should sing in praise throughout our villages.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
An artist a his best
A truly superb offering. John Renbourn's playing is better than ever and his choice of pieces is excellent. I have played this over and over in the short time I have had it. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Music Lover
Palermo Snow
I completely endorse the three other reviews above. Palermo Snow is the work of a master of his art. His approach to composition, according to him, is to ".. Read more
Published 9 months ago by allmag
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
