album name

Chasing The Dawn

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by Jenny Crook & Henry Sears

Chasing The Dawn Cover Art
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about
Jenny Crook: Celtic Harp, Vocals, Guitar
Henry Sears: Fiddle, Low Whistle, Mandolin, Vocals


"Folk music played with such skill and verve is very special indeed" - HRH Prince Charles

"The musicianship is exemplary, and almost every track is a winner!” - Living Tradition

“I was immediately blown away by the sheer artistry of their musicianship.…this is an album well worth having” - Green Man Review

“Excellent reeling and picking… shiversome and sensitive.”- fRoots



"If, like me, you're captivated by traditional and original music written with an eye on a genuine emotional connection, you won't find a finer record this year than Chasing the Dawn.
Sprinkled with discreet touches - notes perfectly judged and elegantly sustained, and self-produced, they wisely keep the sound uncluttered with no stellar list of additional friends helping to flesh out the mix. Crook and Sears understand that sometimes the most meaningful sounds are those that you hear in your head, lurking in the spaces between the notes. Though vocal duties are shared, crafting delicate but indelible harmonies, Jenny takes the laurels for Under The Moon with its theme of abandon and independence and in The Footpath To Farleigh you have a virtual master class in modern songwriting on a traditional theme (disguised lover's return after foreign war) which measures out grief and resignation equally.
The musicianship is exemplary Jen's polished style lifts the more straightforward moments like Jig With No Name beyond the mundane and Henry's atmospheric whistle and then spirited fiddle on the opening Ed Reavey's/Trippping Down The Stairs has a palpable conviction that can hold its own with the best of traditional playing.
You'll gather, I trust, that I liked this CD. Perfectly adding a touch of sunshine to my winter. There are exquisite moments here and you're left with the distinct feeling that here is a Festival main stage act just waiting its turn. Truly wonderful."
- Tradition Magazine

"I've been a fan of Jenny Crook's eclectic harp since she was a Young Tradition Award finalist in 1993.
Her two albums with Cythara both merit a listen. Henry Sears played with Afterhours, another band worth hearing: his performances here on fiddle and whistle are very impressive. The combination of Jen and Hen is captivating, and deserves to be much better known.
So what do they do? Well it's half traditional and half original, but most of their own material is close to traditional idioms, and most of their traditional material is noticeably jazzed up. Henry's fiddle strikes sparks from Irish reels such as The Dawn and Tripping Down the Stairs, and his slightly breathy Chieftain low whistle weaves that Celtic magic on some lovely slower pieces. Jenny's harp is rock solid as an accompaniment, and angelic on the melody line. Her singing voice is perfectly suited to traditional material: eat your heart out, Bill Jones!
The original material includes the catchy slip-jig Joyride, the intriguingly titled reel Jenny Getting Pickled, and two songs which expand the frontiers of the English ballad. The Footpath to Farleigh is a real tear-jerker, taking the Dark-Eyed Sailor story and adding extra pathos: our hero and heroine have been apart for nine years, he was wounded but struggled back to her, and so forth. Under the Moon is a new twist on several stories: young girl is seduced, but revels in it, throwing her clothing to the four winds, and then she refuses the offer of marriage. Both songs are well written and beautifully performed, but you begin to wonder what Ms Crook gets up to in her spare time.
This is a true duo album, with no guests but lots of multi-tracking. Four hands and two mouths produce a surprisingly full sound, comparable to Anam at their best. The musicianship is exemplary, and almost every track is a winner. The sleeve notes are rather brief, and there's not much more information on the website (www.jenandhen.co.uk), but the music speaks for itself. I'm looking forward to seeing the live act.
Alex Monaghan, Living Tradition
credits
released 01 January 2002
tags
tags: acoustic folk singer songwriter. Bath
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