Malcolm Turnbull – A Little Folk Noir

Malcolm Turnbull – A Little Folk Noir CD Review by John Williams

Don’t worry this is not the Sydney politician. This is the Tasmanian author, teacher, writer (check out some of his articles in Trad and Now back issues) and sometime folk singer who compiled this album. Malcolm was a folk singer back in the sixties in Tassie and Melbourne but, as he puts it, ‘making music subsequently took a back seat to work and “life”. Two decades passed but he has fi nally begun performing again and this third CD is a result of his work in the past few years. It just shows how hard it is to rid oneself of the folkie bug once you have caught it. Malcolm has a lovely, mellow voice which he uses to great effect. He has chosen his own interpretations of other artists apart from one of his own compositions ‘Come on Down’. He should record more of his own work, he has the writing skills after all. I enjoyed Malcolm’s sensitive interpretations of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Bells’ and ‘A Thousand Kisses Deep’. It was also great to hear a real protest song in ‘Were You There’ in which Wendy Ealey’s powerful backing voice adds to the experience for the listener. Wendy does harmony vocals on two other tracks and Marita Hargraves and Maribel Steel also provide vocals on the CD. Harry Williamson is also a major contributor with backup vocals and plays eight different instruments on the CD. The most powerful track for me was Thea Hopkin’s ‘Jesus On The Wire’ which deals with the murder of a young, gay student in Wyoming in the 1990s. That we are still debating these issues twenty years later shows the need for greater tolerance is still something to which the folk movement needs to apply itself.

This is a great CD for when you want to sit and be reflective about life and the joys and tribulations it contains. Malcolm’s vocal interpretations and his reflective, soft voice just adds to the experience I enjoyed it and can recommend it.