Aly Bain, Ale Moller and Bruce Molsky
Album: Meeting Point: Live At The Liverpool Philharmonic
Label: Whirlie
Tracks: 12
Website: http://www.whirlierecords.co.uk

This CD captures for posterity the fortuitous teaming of three of the world's finest folk musicians live on stage at the Liverpool Philharmonic in 2012, during their tour of the UK, and represents both a literal and musical meeting point for their respective folk cultures. It's a safe bet that no UK listener will be unaware of fiddle maestro Aly Bain, whose distinctive, bright, vibrant playing has graced many a Celtic disc and whose keen enterprise (notably with the landmark Transatlantic Sessions) has encouraged many a listener to experience the delights of Americana, old-time and Scandinavian musics and explore the fascinating cross-cultural connections therein. His involvement in a variety of such projects has played a major part in enabling the Meeting Point teaming, even the prospect of which on paper made my ears water - making the eventual appearance of this CD one of the most eagerly awaited of the year. And I've not been disappointed. For the chemistry between them emanates from every bar of music you hear, with their supreme enjoyment of the music when it's "in the moment" that just cannot fail from being transmitted to their audience, who are audibly enraptured and receive the music so enthusiastically that I can envisage the applause that was edited out for this release almost equalling the music itself in terms of playing-time!

But to backtrack slightly: for all that Aly's is a household name on these shores, there will be listeners who haven't come across Ale or Bruce - and my, they've something extra special to look forward to!… Ale is one of Sweden's most accomplished and well-regarded multi-instrumentalists, and here on stage his exceptionally sensitive, moulded mandola work provides a solid yet commendably fluid foundation to the fiddle-rich blend conjured by Aly and Bruce; he also contributes whistle and harmonica to the mix (and very occasional harmony vocals). Bruce is quite simply one of the most consummate musicians on this planet; grounded in the old-time fraternity, with exemplary virtuosity on the humble fiddle and banjo and a dab hand on the guitar, he's also a singer of real note, and the natural-seeming yet often ingenious interpolation of vocal performances within and alongside the instrumental showpieces (on five of the disc's selections in all) brings an extra dimension to the already impressively eclectic combined repertoire of the threesome.

It's not just the truly outstanding, dynamic individual and collective playing, or the engaging, complex intuitive interaction between the three musicians, that makes their show so involving an experience. Another important factor is the imaginative configuration of tunes that lead into and from each other, and the pointing-up of musical kinship between the traditions (especially between Nordic and Appalachian, as on the Hjaltadans/Hunter's Grove medley). Not to mention the real sense of "wow" that they bring to the gear-changes, generating that spontaneous response each and every time. The finely-coordinated opening set, which moves from a lament to a high-speed reel, is an exemplary introduction, while the driving Boll Weevil/Yelling In The Shoats demonstrates the trio's energy par excellence. The utterly breathtaking fiddling on the combined Scandinavian/Appalachian set (track 11) continually leaves me speechless (and I've been playing this one a hell of a lot!); indeed, the twin-fiddle drive and attack is forever goosebump-inducing while there's no lack of passion in the slower-paced items either, like the lovely air Freedie's Tune (composed by Shetland fiddler Freidaman Stickle in the 19th century). Transitions may be smooth, but such is the skill of the musicians that they invariably retain all the necessary spontaneity. In truth, almost every selection would be classed a highlight in isolation the cumulative effect of so much intense and headily joyful musicianship is even more than the already considerable sum of its parts. My only quibble is that I can't believe there's only this amount of music "in the can" from this brilliant trio's live show.

David Kidman