Libraries have a lot to answer for. They are a cultural treasure trove of ideas, experiences and adventure (and libraries should be forever protected). Entirely what the teenage Jack Rutter was thinking when he took out the Veteran record label compilation Down in the Fields: An Anthology of Traditional Folk Music From Rural England from Huddersfield Library is anyone’s guess, for before this, he had been a drummer in punk and rock bands. But there was something in the performance of Northamptonshire folk singer Jeff Wesley on that album that made him fall in love with British traditional folk music. Two decades later, Jack has included a recording of the song he heard Jeff sing, the spirited Ninety Nine & Ninety, on his latest album, There Is Something Constant.
It’s the final release in a trilogy of albums of traditional British folk songs, following 2017’s Hills (featuring Jack solo) and 2019’s Gold of Scar & Shale, which expanded the sound with accompanying musicians. Both are excellent albums, but with This Is Something Constant, Jack has hit his highest watermark to date. The overriding feeling from the recording is of passion and excitement at the material – not an easy thing, considering some of the songs are hundreds of years old.
“It’s a love letter to folk music and the folk scene,” Jack says. “Which, when I think of it, the whole trilogy is really. At the end of the day, I’m just a fan of these songs and this music – it captivates me and makes me happy and helps me make sense of the world.” And that’s a pretty clear summary of what you get here; albeit he’s not just a folk music fan, Jack’s also one of the most enthralling folk singers, guitarists and musicians on the British folk scene today.
And you can judge that by the company he keeps. On this latest release, Jack is joined by pipes, whistles and flute legend Mike McGoldrick and renowned Scottish fiddle and viola player Patsy Reid. It’s their backing, alongside Jack’s dynamic performances, that elevates this album.
There’s confidence and energy in the opening track, Bold Nevison The Highwayman, driven by Jacks’s guitar and harmonica (recorded here for the first time). The driving tune reflects the precarious life of a gentleman of the road. Nevison was a colourful 17th-century West Riding highwayman, and Jack found his story in Holroyd’s Collection of Yorkshire Ballads (1882).
This bold opener gives way to a more tender ballad, Earl Scarslington’s Seven Daughters, a wistful tune which is perfectly accompanied by McGoldrick’s melancholy pipes. The switch in emotion from the opener is marked, but it’s a delightful contrast in an album of many moods.
Many’s the Night ups the tempo again, and this celebratory song of feasting (bread, cheese, ale and wine) features eye-watering instrumental interludes, which allow all three musicians to excel. I suspect it’s a show-stopper when performed live. The whistful Sledburn Fair follows, a more subdued event by all accounts (this song’s menu features ale, puddings, pies and cheese), on which Jack sounds, to my ears, like a young Bob Fox (that’s a massive compliment, by the way, Bob being one of England’s finest traditional singers).
Jack first heard Lord Maxwell’s Last Goodnight being sung by June Tabor. That usually indicates the song already has a definitive version. Wisely, Jack takes his reading in a different direction, at a slightly statelier pace and subtly changing the tune to suit his more heart-on-the-sleeve vocals. It’s also the last in the sequence of food-referencing songs; here, it’s just meat and wine. Wot, no cheese?
After Ninety Nine & Ninety follows an Oxfordshire Morris tune, The Shepherd on the Mountain, collected by Cecil Sharp in 1909 from Charles Tanner of Bampton. It’s a delightfully upbeat song with Jack’s harmonica and concertina matched by Patsy’s fiddle. The twist in this folk tale is that the courting couple live happily ever after. No, really.
But before things get too sunny, the mood shifts again with James Atley and Sir Fenix, which features the treacherous aristocrat blaming the young James for his crimes. Pipes, whistles and fiddle punctuate Jack’s sparse guitar as the song builds to a dramatic conclusion (which I won’t spoil). It’s a perfect arrangement of a little-heard song and one of many highlights. Last up, Upon the Mountains High ends this exemplary collection on a joyous note, the trio once again firing on all cylinders.
Over three albums, Jack Rutter has injected some welcome energy and enthusiasm into British traditional music, alongside his fine choice of material, intricate arrangements, stunning playing and singing. And This Is Something Constant ends the musical trilogy on a delightful high. I’m looking forward to whatever comes next, but in the meantime, we can all bask in this brilliant album.
Order via Bandcamp: https://jackrutter.bandcamp.com/album/this-is-something-constant
For Jack’s upcoming live dates, visit: https://www.jackruttermusic.com/shows