The Scrub Jay Orchestra
Postcards Of The Twanging
Ghosts From The Basement (GFTB 7061)
26 July 2023
The Scrub Jay Orchestra sure was well-named! As explained on the sleeve of this limited-edition mini-album: “Scrub Jays are American birds that feed on acorns, the fruit of that very English of trees, the oak. The Scrub Jay Orchestra were definitely English creatures who fed on old American roots!” In effect, The Scrub Jay Orchestra was an expansion of the Southern English duo Hot Vultures, who were ultra-active from their formation in 1973 and through the ’70s: notably hardworking and deservedly rather popular on the UK and European folk and college circuits (eventually leading to a further expansion in the form of The English Country Blues Band in the ensuing decade).
Hot Vultures was the brainchild of the self-confessed failed-folk-singer-songwriter-guitarist-with-blues-tendencies Ian A. Anderson, who had decided to declare upfront his eclectic, anything-goes musical credo and teamed up with Maggie Holland for a free-spirited life on the road, at first primarily across Europe but later returning to Britain to both fuel and soak up the sea-change sweeping through the British scene in terms of an increasing open-minded receptiveness to a myriad of roots music. Technique-wise, Hot Vultures were noted for playing hard and often fast, with a healthy sense of attitude and having great fun yet displaying abundant taste and a true respect for their sources. Their musical appetite was suitably voracious, and their repertoire adventurous and, yes, influential in informing the experience and climate of the folk and expanding roots scene (remembering too that post-Vultures Ian embarked on a long and illustrious stint as editor-supremo of seminal UK magazine Southern Rag – later renamed Folk Roots and fRoots). During those heady years, Ian and Maggie’s thirst for collaboration with other musicians inevitably led to some exciting music-making, and The Scrub Jay Orchestra was the name they adopted when touring in 1979 with “wunderkind” guitarist Martin Simpson, who in 1976 had released his own impressive debut LP Golden Vanity. Although the three didn’t actually release any records under the Scrub Jay name, Martin appeared as a guest musician on the second and third of the Hot Vultures LPs (1977’s East Street Shakes and 1979’s Up The Line), from which are sourced the eight tracks assembled for this release (three cuts from the former LP and five from the latter).
Ian, Maggie and Martin sure made a crack unit, as these tracks demonstrate, and they exhibited an intelligent approach to texture as well as a keen responsiveness to the sung texts. They delivered an unashamed and, in retrospect, distinctly pioneering musical melting-pot drawing on a wide gamut of inspirations, from American roots music of the 1920s and ’30s (old-time, early blues and pre-country) to English traditional music and acoustic R&B, all filtered and focused through a defiantly, compellingly “Anglicised” vision. The eight selected Postcards on this release form a representative sample of the three musicians’ stylistic versatility, their instrumental (and vocal) prowess and ability to absorb and credibly and enthusiastically present their chosen material to a receptive audience. Ian’s always been recognised for his considerable chops as a guitarist (particularly on slide), and there’s plenty of proficiency on display here, with his musicianship effectively binding the threesome. On this collection, Martin brings an early example of his own trademark guitar embellishment to the then-virtually-unknown Tucker Zimmerman song Handful Of Rain, as well as some already definitive banjo work to three tracks (including the trio’s spirited account of the Allen Brothers’ Chattanooga Papa that opens this collection) and reliable acoustic bass on two. The Postcards tracklist also includes an invigorating trip through the Henry Thomas number South Coast Bound, and for closer, there’s a wonderfully energy-fuelled take on Muddy Waters’ I Can’t Be Satisfied. But what I noticed most this time round is how darned good a singer Maggie had become by this time (after her humble beginnings as an apprentice electric bass player!). Her unabashed southern-English-accented singing is a strong force in the trio dynamic, displaying both expressive power and confidence. Her unusual, hybrid-variant version of Pontchartrain is outstanding – and she even turns in a spot of yodelling on Hobo Bill’s Last Ride!
While Postcards Of The Twanging 1977-79 undoubtedly serves as a useful introduction to the ethos and special sound of Hot Vultures, a full CD reissue of the remaining uncomped tracks from the Hot Vultures albums would have been even more valuable, especially for those of us who cherish their copy of the fabulous single-disc Rogue Records/Weekend Beatnik 23-track anthology Vulturama! that came out a whole quarter of a century ago (only two of the Postcards tracks have trickled out here “new to CD”). Nevertheless, this brief collection is welcome for its chance to reassess just how well-matched were the three musicians making up The Scrub Jay Orchestra.
Order Postcards of the Twanging via Bandcamp