Description
The Wise Family Band – Sweet Child
CD review by Tony Smith – TN178
TN244-39 – $25
The photo on the album sleeve from 2002 tells the story.
Here are Scott and Louisa Wise with Ruth, Lucy and Rowena, all contributing their musical skills to these 13 tracks.
Take five talented musicians and an assortment of stringed instruments such as fiddles, mandolin, cello, ukulele and guitar, and percussion such as bodhran, spoons, shaker and triangle and throw in a harmonica for variety, and you get arrangements that are interesting well beyond any expectations you might have.
The paper doll figures are quite deceptive as this is music of some sophistication.
The five musicians take various roles playing instruments and providing lead vocals or singing harmonies.
The standard is uniformly high and it would be unfair to praise one song over another.
However, it is important to point out the tracks which add variety to the presentation.
For example, Scott leads the singing on the blues ‘Papa Wants a Cookie’ (Scrapper Blackwell & Leroy Carr), which also has strong bass backing, and the cakewalk ‘Daddy Take a Nap’ (Louden Wainwright III).
The opening track ‘Winder Slide’ (Joe LaRose) is an instrumental featuring all four girls on fiddles and Scott on guitar.
In ‘Swimming Song’ (Louden Wainwright III), the format is similar except that Louisa leads the singing and the girls add vocal harmony.
Scott plays mandolin as well as guitar.
‘Nancy’s Waltz’ (Chris Romaine) featuring Scott’s harmonica, has a nice minor feel to it.
‘Vals de Billetdoux’ (Traditional) is another enjoyable instrumental.
The younger voices are appealing as they take the lead: Lucy in ‘The Brandy Tree’ (Gordon Bok), Ro in an a cappella arrangement of ‘Jenny Jenkins’ (Traditional Scottish) and Ruth in ‘Wind and Rain’ (Traditional).
This is perhaps an adventurous choice, given that the song belongs in the murder ballad genre and concerns jealousy and violence between sisters.
Nevertheless, the tune is presented beautifully here and the chorus is a definite ear worm.
Other songs, all enjoyably presented, include ‘Shortnin’ Bread’ (Traditional USA) and the title track ‘Sweet Child’ (Traditional USA) straight from the Appalachians clog dancing songbook.
It is good to see Louisa Wise’s own composition ‘Rainbow Song’ included.
Fiddle, voice and vocal harmonies are sweetly arranged.
‘Menacing Ska Waltz’ (Bob Brozman) makes an interesting conclusion and the fiddle tremolos are slightly suggestive of Halloween.
The songs are mainly from the USA.
Louisa has a background in American folk music, and her experience in the form shows through.
However, the songs are all chosen for their suitability for young voices, and the three Wise girls, Ruth, Lucy and Rowena, perform like professionals.
Indeed, their careers blossomed, which is not surprising considering the wonderful start they were given by Scott and Louisa.
Ed. Wise Family Band have one album available for sale from the Trad&Now website.
Louisa Wise also has an album for sale
Tracks from both of the albums may be heard from time to time on Trad&NowLive!
