Tom & Ben Paley
Album: Paley And Son
Label: Hornbeam
Tracks: 16
Website: http://www.hornbeamrecordings.com

There are some artists who should need no introduction, and Tom's one of 'em: a cultural icon who's shared the stage with legendary figures such as Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie, and who's been responsible for bringing indigenous traditional music to the forefront of our consciousness, not least through his extensive collecting activities in the '50s and sojourns into far-flung regions with the New Lost City Ramblers.

Revered by peers and contemporaries alike, Tom's achieved the status of true statesman; a veteran at age 87, in superbly strong, vigorous voice and with guitar skills undiminished (he's still a dab hand at the banjo and fiddle too!). To have made just one record in his octo-decade would've been something to celebrate, but the superlative Roll On, Roll On (2012) has now been succeeded by Paley & Son, recorded between 2013 and 2015 (again) in company with his son Ben, fiddler extraordinaire who's widely recognised as a maestro in his own right, and a small coterie of musicians (Robin Gillan, Jonny Bridgwood and Dave Morgan), with mates B.J. Cole and Rob Mason helping out a little too. The whole record is an absolute delight; Tom's abundant relish is there in every note he plays and every word he sings; which just sparks deliciously with Ben's own joie-de-vivre. What a team they make (and have done for over two decades now, believe it or not)! The winning combination of expert musicianship and a deep (unrivalled) understanding of (and respect for) the tradition is laced throughout with sheer bonhomie and the most infectious brand of country humour imaginable, and it's a humour that doesn't ever pall even on many subsequent hearings.

Tom's chosen repertoire rejoices in songs "pulled from the seemingly bottomless well of American vernacular music". New meaning is imparted even to the most hackneyed of songs: songs that you'd almost never expect to want to hear again are made over afresh here by Tom and Ben and their comrades, and with just the right touch of irreverence and loads of fun. There's jokey adaptations, involving delicious paraphrases and extra words, of such warhorses as Didn't He Ramble and This Train - the latter sporting a choice guest vocal from Cerys Matthews! - alongside lesser-known comic curios like Follow The Band and particularly fine versions of Little Sadie and Louis Collins. As well as the songs, Tom and Ben treat us to a good number of unpretentious instrumental selections: typically wild, thrilling, lonesome old-timey tunes from the tradition. Tom and Ben in twin-fiddle mode on Turner Smathers' Waltz and the Mississippi Medley prove a real joy, spine-tinglingly glorious, and those cuts are unashamed disc highlights, but the uproarious Glory In The Meeting House medley and storming opening fiddle showcase Yew Piney Mountain run them close and the guys' playing throughout the disc conveys nothing less than total authenticity with the added bonus of an as-live feel and displaying unerring pacing, telling dynamic and melodic variation and a brilliant sense of individual and partner timing. And the musicians' complete intuitive empathy is consummately captured by producer Dave Morgan.

The final layer of icing on this rich cake of simple and perfect musical pleasures is provided by the exemplary Hornbeam package, proof that even in the digital age a physical disc is still desirable and unbeatable, for this CD is an absolute delight to own in every other way too. Beautiful design (Ski Williams) and photography (Laurie Lewis), complementing the perceptive and informative notes (Robin Denselow and Mike Gavin). This release is the real deal in every way - you really couldn't wish for anything more.

David Kidman