Both of these albums can be filed under what I call Real Folk Music. Streets Of Fall River was first released independently by Jed Marum in 2000. On the album Into The West: Celts in Texas we find him performing as a duo with Michael Harrison, recorded live at the Pocket Sandwich Theatre in Dallas, Texas. Judith Gennett has reviewed Jed’s latest album Soul of a Wanderer.
Listening to Streets Of Fall River it’s possible to detect a hungrier Jed Marum before he achieved a modicum of fame, and from what I can hear, it is fame well deserved. On this album is a performer singing his favourite songs with a delivery that comes straight from the soul. Good honest folk music, as it should be, no guest musicians, just the man accompanying himself on his guitar or banjo. I did detect some double tracking on a couple of the songs, but it is not overdone and doesn’t spoil the overall sound.
Most of the songs are written by Jed, who is of Scottish and Irish descent and now living in Dallas. A lot of the subject matter relates to stories passed on from his parents and grandparents about their emigration to America, ending up working in the textile mills of southern New England. It is from here that the title track ‘Streets of Fall River’ takes it’s theme as Jed’s grandfather remembers Fall River in it’s heyday when ‘cotton was king’ and the economy boomed. But sadly it is different now. In order to make the album that bit more entertaining, Jed adds fine renditions of some old favourites ‘When You and I Were Young Maggie’, ‘Grace’ and a song you don’t hear very often, John Calhoun’s ‘Peter Amberlay’. The gem on this album, for me, is the first song ‘Look Ahead Tommy’ an Irish immigrant song. As with most of Jed’s own material it’s a beautifully simple song that makes it easy for other to copy and this is it’s strong point.
Some of the songs on Into The West: Celts in Texas are also found on his other albums. As it is recorded live, the repertoire has a patriotic American flavour — he is after all playing to a live audience in Dallas. A couple of songs I liked very much, in particular ‘The Battle of New Orleans’ and ‘Red River Valley’ reminded me of the late Lonnie Donegan. Jed demonstrates his ability to play to the audience with the last three songs on the album. ‘Remember The Alamo’ is a classic song made famous by the Kingston Trio that aligns very well with the next song ‘San Jacinto Tutie Tatie’ leading to the closing song ‘Come to the Bower’, which is a really powerful song that provides a great finish to the album.
It is a very subjective thing, but I like this kind of recording, for this is how the artist really sounds at a live gig. You can almost feel the atmosphere; it is as though you were there. Nowadays modern studio techniques can make an artist sound much better, and I know this can be pleasant to listen to, but this live disc is the real thing! With this in mind, I recommend you listen to the album before purchasing if possible. The only thing that I did not like about the album is the printing and graphics on the back cover. The colours and fonts make it almost impossible to read, even with my specs and magnifying glass!
(Jed Marum, 2000)
(Jed Marum, 2002)
