Brian Peters and Gordon Tyrrall
The Moving Moon
Gaho Music

The Moving Moon is the much-anticipated collaboration between Peters and Tyrrall, whose Clear the Road was a solid success back in 1996. Each brings to the table considerable skills. Gordon Tyrrall is a marvelous, rich vocalist; his turn on "The Santa Fe Trail" is smoothly delivered with gusto. Gordon also serves as flautist and the main guitarist in this duo, a superb partner to Brian Peters' reknowned anglo-concertina (wonderful trills on the aforementioned "Santa Fe Trail") and melodeon work. It is a sheer pleasure to hear Peters sing and play; his voice is of a higher register, and he puts me in mind of some of Martin Carthy's dynamic phrasing, letting the words work their magic. Together with Tyrrall, the harmonies bring their traditional and original fare to life.

"High Barbary"

The instrumental sets are all jewels and Peters and Tyrrall pepper their repertoire with surprises. "Iron Legs/What You Will/Manage the Miser," for instance, captures an early music feel that would make any woodwind or string section proud. It is also worth comparing their "The Green Willow Tree" with the Brass Monkey version of "The Old Virginia Lowlands." Peters and Tyrrall deliver this tale of treachery in a jaunty manner, but they also fully convey the drama, as well, and the two ships of the tale have different roles. There is a beautifully arranged version, timeless sounding and spare, of Les Barker's anti-war poem "Earth," with Brian on guitar and vocals and Gordon on flute. But by far the biggest smile is reserved for the end of the disc, as our heroes tear into the Rolling Stones' "The Last Time," illustrating the sheer vivacity with which Peters and Tyrrall approach great tunes. - Lee Blackstone

Additional audio and CD available at cdRoots

Audio ©2000 Gaho Music
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