The World is Only Air...
...and a Very Dangerous Hat
Mike Stevens
Borealis Recording Company Ltd.
2001
10 tracks
If it is nothing else, this release is quirky, very quirky. As an enhanced CD with content that can be viewed on computer, it falls just slightly over the edge with sometimes humourous results. The conceit that drives the musical content - a harmonica playing fiddle tunes - is just weird enough to actually work. Even in such an eccentric box, though, this artist seems unable to stay within the lines. The result is an interesting, enjoyable experience.
Put into a CD-ROM, The World is Only Air... presents a documentary about Mike Stevens, produced by Brian W. White. Clearly this bit is intended for Mac users. There is no mpeg version available, so that PC users are forced to download Apple's QuickTime player in order to view the movie. This feature is as quirky as the musical content. It turns out there is no movie but only a series of 22 clips referred to as "channels" or what DVD users will recognize as "chapters" in a commercial movie.
Channels 1 through 10 are unconnected and often disjointed clips from White's documentary. Channels 11 and 14 are colour-bar test-patterns complete with that irritating electronic howl. Channel 20 appears to have signed off, showing only the posterboard message, "Channel 20 / Thanks you for joining us / Please tune in at 6 a.m. for / RAPPIN' BREAKY / with hosts / Muff'inz and T." Channel 24 might be missed by most folk, a shame because it's the most interesting of these clips. Channel 24 presents an oddball music-video of "Grumbling Old Man, Grumbling Old Woman (On Vacation in Jamaica)." The rest of the channels have no content at all.
The performance on this release is of uniform high quality. This is a set of nostalgic old-timey tunes enthusiastically played and certain to get folks out on the dance floor. What adds interest to this set is the concept that drives it. This is a set of old time fiddle tunes where much of the fiddle music is being played by an outstanding harmonica player with support from some equally talented fiddlers. The idea seems to work in spite of itself.
This artist seems to be just eccentric enough that, even when he has a design in place, he can't help but start colouring outside the lines. I'll give a couple of examples.
Although there are only ten songs on this release, rather than have each one be unique, Stevens has included two versions of "Grumbling Old Man, Grumbling Old Woman." Track 5 is a more or less traditional performance with an old-timey feel. Track 10, the one in the video, is a jumpy, drum and bass ridden, somewhat strange arrangement of the same piece. I can imagine this second version being played live in some beatnik haven or a club dedicated to experimental jazz.
One of the songs on this release is the theme from Max Ferguson's old "Rawhide" radio show, "The Clarinet Polka." A fiddle tune? Well, the title might give most of us a clue. Evidence to the contrary notwithstanding, Stevens manages with some dexterity to treat this piece as a fiddle tune anyway.
Taken simply as performance, The World is Only Air... is a breath of fresh air in the sometimes stale world of folk music. Not really traditional, Mike Stevens' treatment of these songs nonetheless brings to this set the joy and vitality of these old time songs. Add in the quirky video presentation and programming of the set, and the whole package is an interesting experiment in traditional music.
Learn more about this Sarnia, Ontario innovator and his music at mikestevensmusic.com. For more information on Brian W. White's documentary, Harmonica Crossing, go here. Unfortunately, clips are not available because White has no place to host the files.
|
|
|
|
Support Sound Bytes |
While you're here, please take the time to check out our sponsors below and on other pages.
on Sound Bytes' Free-For-All Links page... Click Here.
Designed by The Communication Centre (R. D. MacKenzie Associates,
Kingston, Ontario K7K 6T9)
This web site, all pages, original content & images copyright © 1997-2005 R. D. MacKenzie.
Some web site functions developed and provided by Bravenet Web Services.
Review written: March 14, 2005
Page modified: March 14, 2005
Proudly Canadian
Send mail to the Sound Bytes Webmaster
if you have questions or comments about this web site.