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Bellevue Rendezvous
Salamander

[Review]

Jill Turner makes a date with: Bellevue Rendezvous, who demonstrate that they are specialists in all styles with their second album Salamander. Original tunes written for theatre productions sit side by side traditional European dance tunes and played seamlessly with a lightness of touch, a skip in their step and a depth of emotion where necessary from this Scottish acoustic trio.

Bellevue Rendezvous, recent participants at this year's Celtic Connections, comprise, Gavin Marwick on fiddle, Camerson Robson on cittern, guitar and jaw harp and Ruth Morris who plays the most complicated and awe inspiring stringed instrument, the nyckleharpa. Its not only their incredible musicianship but the way the instruments interplay to create atmosphere, the bowing of the cittern, the dark grainy effect of the nyckleharpa, the mysteries of the jaw harp. They also create interesting combinations and contrasts, placing darker tunes together with a livlier jig, formality with wild abandon, switching leads, new tunes, old tunes, dark and light together, it makes a fascinating listening experience.

Amongst the airs, klezmer numbers, the frailachs, reels, Breton trance and Swedish dance numbers, there sits a tune written for a Traverse Theatre production, Alexander Salamander, A Tale of a Teenage Pyromaniac, billed as gleefully dark and fiery, it lends the album its name and sums up its character beautifully.

Salamander is released on 25th January on their own label Journeyman, with assistance from the Scottish Arts Council.

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