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Reviews

Recent comments from the Media and Promoters

"Breathtaking flute, cello, violin, guitar and voice interpreting some great songs from Britain and Ireland, and melodies old and new, from near and far. Featuring local session movers and shakers, and musicianship of an extremely high standard." - Jazz on the Square, Bristol

"This five piece band are truly extraordinary and have blown us away here at our annual Peace Festival" - Harri Richards, promoter of the Wild West Wales Campaign for Peace and Justice Music Festival.

"Bath's folk/roots community is at it's strongest
for decades. Marick Baxter's energy is one of those reasons-his own band are an up and coming example of the strength of the scene" - The Bell, Bath November 2004.

"This Bath based group are taking the folk world by storm with their excellent music" Chippenham folk festival

Bristol Evening Post when we supported Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick at the Bristol Folk House

THERE are few people quite so revered by the traditional folk music world as Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick.

When they first got together well over four decades ago their contemporary and innovative approach to traditional British folk music rocked the music world. Ever since then there has hardly been a British folk singer that hasn't owed a big debt to their groundbreaking work.

And when they put aside their own solo careers to join together for occasional duo tours you can always be sure that they will be playing to packed houses.

We had to wait patiently for them to take the stage however because there was a support act. Not that this was a problem as the opening band were the Bath-based five piece Inu, a class act that never fails to win over audiences with their mellow blend of British and Irish music fused with the rhythms of Eastern Europe.

Singer Louise Baxter's clear melodious voice was given full rein on the delightful Lovers and she tackled the difficult Lady Franklin's Lament, aided only by the cello of the always-dependable Beth Porter, with real skill.

Album Reviews

Inu's Debut Album has now been released and it is being well recieved by the Press and the Public alike. Here are a few things that have been said about it.

album.jpg

 Irish Music Magazine

 

Take five established musicians from England’s west country and be entertained by them as they travel on a musical ‘Thousand mile Journey’ through the Celtic landscapes and further afield with to gather Eastern Influences and encapsulate them into a production within the band that is Inu.

The Band includes Marick Baxter on Whistle and flute, Louise Baxter on vocals and guitar Mike Rule on Mandola, Bethany Porte on Cello and Bodhrán percussionist Breda Horgan.

First thing that strikes are the arrangements on ‘Janni’s’ set. The three tunes are in different rhythms and hail from Romania, Macedonia with the last one being taught to them by a Hungarian fiddle player. These tunes display their individualistic talents on a musical level with Horgan’s Bodhrán entering with a well paced deep toned Rhythm that enhances rather than drowns.

Horgan carries this awareness of the tunes through the Slower ‘Sunset’ and combined with Marick Baxter’s spirited flute playing excels on the within a mile of Dublin set with a resounding and well toned accompaniment throughout. The set, which includes the title track ‘The Thousand mile Journey’ is the highlight of the CD with each instrument combining with empathy building up to an exciting tempo. There is a story behind every song on the CD and Louise Baxter tells the tale in her own distinctive style. ‘Lady Franklin’s Lament’ Tells the story of John Franklin’s ill fated journey into the North West passage and vivid imagery is painted in Kate Rusby’s ‘The sleepless sailor ‘.

Each member of Inu is an expert in their own particular field and when they combine these talents the results are compelling and evocative. Let’s hope they journey on another thousand miles as we may be pleasantly surprised again.

"Topping the bill on Friday are Marick's own lively young folk band Inu whose inventive mix of traditional and contemporary songs and tunes draws inspiration from the Celtic and Balkan traditions but is refreshingly different. Using flutes, whistles, guitars, voice, mandola, banjo, cello and bodhran - Marick Baxter, Louise Baxter, Mike Rule, Breda Horgan and Bethany Porter produce a focused sound that fuses the beautiful melodies of Irish traditional music with the haunting tunes and rhythms of Eastern European roots. Their eagerly awaited debut album,The Thousand Mile Journey, is being released to coincide with the gig on 13 June and as a result there is bound to be a party mood at the club. An advance copy dropped through my letterbox this week and it makes good listening with an excellent balance between songs and tunes. There are some delicious tunes all played with considerable flair of which The Sunset, The Messenger and Within a Mile of Dublin work particularly well. These lively tunes result is a jaunty, fun-filled sound to perfectly balance the darker songs and ballads that are a feature of this album. These, however, are perfectly suited to Lou's powerful and wide-ranging voice. They include an individual and beautifully sung interpretation of the tragic Lady Franklin's Lament, undoubtedly my favourite track. Kate Rusby's The Sleepless Sailor could so easily have been a straight copy but Lou makes it all her own, as she does with Adrian Mannering's Lovers. Overall this is an album well worthy of listening and certainly worth making the less than thousand mile journey to Widcombe Social Club to hear them live and buy your own copy!"

Rosie Upton-The Bath Chronicle

The name Inu comes from the word inua of the Inuit tribe of North America and means soul or high spirit. This may have formed the basis of what initially attracted the Bath based group to their name, however, like their music, fresh perspectives are continually cropping up.

This is their inaugural release giving us a good overview of the group's inspirations and passions. And with material spanning the centuries from 1400 right up to today, there aren't any goalposts in sight. However, despite their different backgrounds, and eclectic tastes, the group do share a love of Celtic sounds, especially all things Irish.

The meticulously researched jigs and reels that predominate the album are nothing short of beckoning in their execution. Played with all the muscularity and fluidness that these chosen melodies require, it's certainly the group's main strength. Some will be familiar - 'The Mist Covered Mountain' or 'The Marry Harriers' - whilst others, sourced from The Balkans, not so obvious. A majority are played with Marick Baxter's flute playing to the fore whilst Louise Baxter's guitar picking alternatively mirrors and harmonizes. But they are capable of all moods with mandola, bodhran and cello regularly joining the mix.

The evergreen Lord Franklin is given a gender twist and presented as 'Lady Franklin's Lament' to emphasis his wife's turmoil and the financing of the fateful voyages that were sent in search of the admiral. It's one of the stronger non-instrumental tacks along with Louise's heart wrenching paean to her great-grandfather, 'John's Mermaid,' which delicately details the circumstances of his drowning in World War Two.

The eloquently written notes that accompany the CD show just how enthralled the group are with this stirring music. If they sustain their level of wide-eyed wonder, Celtic music will remain safe in their hands.

David Kushar - Spiral Earth   www.spiralearth.co.uk

Made of Musician’s central to the Bath folk scene, Inu play what is essentially Celtic music – Mainly Irish but with lots of English and Breton influences, mixing songs and Tunes in Equal parts.

The Usual suspects of the Bath Music circuit (Leon Hunt and Josh Clarke) were heavily involved in the recording and production of the album which guarantees its high quality.

The band’s material ranges from sources such as Kate Rusby (“The Sleepless sailor”), The Boys of the Lough’s Cathal O’Connell (“The Sunset”) Traditional Material (The unquiet grave”) as well as original songs and tunes. Well sung and played, and includes some excellent singing and superb ensemble playing.

 

4 stars (out of 5) Tony Slinger – Venue Magazine

Inu

Thousand Mile Journey

Inu is a traditional British folk ensemble headed by Marick Baxter, a very fine

Flautist and irrepressible force for not just traditional music, but music of all kinds

on a community level in and around Bath, UK.

Inu, with five members, is much more than just Marick. Louise Baxter sings with a

High, clear and melodious voice and plays guitar; Mike Rule plays mandola; Breda

Horgan contributes gentle bodhrán beats and Bethany Porter lovely cello.

The mandola is a beautiful, resonant instrument, lower in pitch than the mandolin,

And because of that, helps imbue this collection of mostly traditional tunes with a

Mellow ambience that will please many listeners. Beth Porter’s cello reinforces that Ear-pleasing ambience to great effect; it may not be a strictly traditional addition, but her cello playing is beautiful and augments quite organically.

As mentioned, the music is mostly traditional Irish with the insertion of a few

Originals and a few “contemporary traditional” songs (e.g., the Sleepless Sailor by

Kate Rusby) but it all falls together seamlessly as a whole.

I have to reinforce what a mellow sound is achieved throughout, even on blistering up tempo pieces.

Marick’s wooden and silver flutes come across as deep and resonant, luxurious even with the rest of the instruments in perfect balance. For those who recoil from the Stereotype of strident Irish folk music, have no fear; this nothing but beautiful.

Credit must go to recordists Josh Clark and Leon Hunt (who also did a masterful job on Jenny Crook’s excellent recent cd) and Henry Sears for another perfect

Production.

Review by Charley Dunlap www.charleyspace.co.uk/reviews.


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