The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc – Bonfrost
Independent – 20 November 2020
The relationship between the Scottish and Nordic Fiddle styles has been confined to the Islands off the Scottish coast and their Scandinavian counterparts in Sweden and Norway. The trio of musicians that which comprise the Nordic Fiddlers Bloc features the three main stylistic components, hailing from Sweden, Shetland and Norway. Musically the sound is rich and full with a strong sense of melody and poise but also fused with a dynamic range that fires the collective results into a more rhythmically strident output than many of their contemporaries. This is as much due to the presence of the Shetland influence that propels the musical flair into a more cerebral and earthy aural concoction. The combination of Swedish fiddler Anders Hall whose fiddle, viola and Octave Fiddle mixes freely with Olav Lukesengard Mjelva’s Haradanger and Octave Fiddle and Shetlander Kevin Henderson whose fiddle work provides much of the lead soloing within the group makes for a sound that is high on melody, rhythm and individuality quickly carving out its own collective identity.
The idea of a string-based trio within a Classical framework is a common sight but within the folk arena apart from the Irish fiddle trio Fidil whose sound and repertoire is based strongly on Donegal fiddling and its repertoire, The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc goes in for a wider palette of sounds from the Scottish and Scandinavian fiddle styles and tune repertoires. What gives The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc its unique character is the collective chemistry exhibited therein.
Passion is a word that comes up often in conversation with Henderson, Mjelva and Hall. It’s a word that lies behind the trio’s determination to find exactly the right tunes to play and exactly the right way to play a certain phrase. This dedication to individual and collective perfection shows their dedication and passion for the music itself. Passion for the music they make and dedication to their work makes them endure forty-two-hour flights that should only have taken two – to – three hours to get to a concert rather than let the promoter and audience down.
From the moment Kevin Henderson, Olav Luksengård Mjelva, and Anders Hall of The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc first played together in 2009 they felt a particular chemistry in the sound they created. Some seven hundred gigs later, playing across Scandinavia, mainland Europe, the U.S. and the UK, and two albums their self-titled debut from 2011 and Deliverance, from 2016, that chemistry continues to draw the trio together. Now comes their third album together Bonfrost and for those familiar with their unique style it is an immediate addition to the collection and for new ears, it’s a fascinating introduction to a trio that is both worthwhile and commendable playing music that is artistically successful, rich in melody and tone and highly attractive and addictive once surrendered to.
The musical trawl again encounters the native strains and repertoires of Sweden, Norway and Shetland from the local fiddle traditions and also their own compositions and those of others.
It’s not unusual to find traditional tunes and original pieces combined within the one set as is the case with Kevin Henderson’s Tune for Lukas combined with the traditional Shetland tune Up Da Stroods Da Sailor Goes and the collective mix bounces with life and vitality. This is the sole occasion on the album where traditional and self-penned works are combined.
As well as traditional tunes from Sweden –Bas-Pelles Erika Brudspolska, Norway –Dravbakken and Vrengja and Shetland –Be Nort Da Dykes O’Voe/Deltingside there are other instances in which Olav L. Mjelva and Kevin Henderson compose singular tunes. The latter include Mjelva’s Frygg and Don’t Drink and Dance, a worthy piece of advice as well as a fine tune, and Kevin Henderson’s Adam’s Nightmare along with the title track Bonfrost.
Schottishe Kerlou, a tune composed by Uilleann piper, wooden flute player and composer Calum Stewart, opens the proceedings. Also on the musical menu are compositions from notable Swedish fiddlers including Erik Öst’s Myrstacken and Emit Olsson’s En Konstig Fan. The tunes are infused with rhythmic lift and energy that recalls the North Clare style of Irish traditional music which is more energetic, upfront and livelier than its laid back East Clare neighbour.
The three fiddles involved include the octave and Hardanger native Scandinavian instruments which work as a bass and drone while the regular fiddles weave lead patterns over the lower end bass drones. This adds a pronounced Nordic aura with a Classical and Baroque influence which makes this trio’s music all the more notable and distinctive. The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc’s collective quest for perfection and musical dexterity exists also in their individual playing which features on this album. Each player is a major exponent of their own individual tradition and their solo spots show this command of their local repertoires. These solo spots highlight the players’ individual strengths and the diversity of their particular traditions coupled alongside collective ensemble arrangements where all guns blaze to provide a powerfully compulsive outcome.
What emerges from Bonfrost is that The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc is three fine individual stylists uniting their talents to create a powerfully concentrated and rhythmically entwined result. The music is consistently attractive and buzzes with ingenuity, passion and kinetic energy. Bonfrost is an album that leaps out of the speakers and demands attention, keeping the energetic and creative levels up throughout its twelve tracks. It will be a constant visitor to your ears and heart once you surrender to its many charms.
Order Bonfrost via Bandcamp: https://thenordicfiddlersbloc.bandcamp.com/album/bonfrost-2
Website: http://www.thenordicfiddlersbloc.com/
Photo: Paul Jennings