Elizabeth Nicholson and Stringed Migration are a quintet made up of some of the most well-balanced and talented musicians hailing from Portland, Oregon. They are multi-instrumentalists who’ve trained in styles from jazz, to Indian, to Paraguayan. What they all have in common, though, is their mastery of Celtic-style music and that’s what shines throughout this album.
The range of instruments that were used to create this release is phenomenal. There are the easily recognizable sounds of instruments like drums, guitar, bass and violin mixed with the captivating sounds of instruments like the harp, bouzouki, and the fiddle. Although these instruments all have their histories rooted in different countries and styles of music, Elizabeth Nicholson and Stringed Migration brought them all together to create a modern take on classic Celtic music that was influenced by living in a country like America where musicians, and all people, can be exposed to the music of uncountable cultures.
The highlight of the album, for me, would have to be the title track, Fly Not Yet, where Nicholson is able to show off her wonderfully powerful, but not dominating voice by singing the words of the Irish poet Thomas Moore.
The strings work beautifully throughout this album to create interesting and enchanting melodies that sound harmonic beside the raw and natural sounds coming from the percussion. Mix that with Nicholson’s voice, which is a whole other instrument in and of itself, and you’ve got an album that’s both fascinating and a pleasure to listen to.
TRACKLISTING
- Lebanese Melody / The Unquiet Grave
- Paddy Fahey’s / Cape Breton Reel
- Fly Not Yet
- La Rotta / Waltz From Orsa
- Paddy’s Rambles / Funky Reel
- Lord Thomas
- St. John’s Jig / The Barn Swallow / Mt. Tabor Reel
- The Dewey Dens Of Yarrow
- Romanian Hora / Galway Bay
- And I Am Born To Die
