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PETE MORTON - The Frappin’ And Ramblin’ Pete Morton

PETE MORTON - The Frappin’ And Ramblin’ Pete Morton
Fellside Recordings FECD261

For the uninitiated, Frappin’ is Pete Morton’s signature Folk rap style of delivery, which is woven in and out of this CD. Some of it can also be summed up as ramblin’, in the sense that his words seem at times like thinking out loud put to mostly familiar folk tunes. Recognised snippets of A-Begging I Will Go and A Farmer’s Boy have cameo appearances and even MacColl’s Manchester Rambler is paraphrased – with care and sincerity. PM always proudly and often courageously nails his colours to the mast and in the current political landscape it is still refreshing to hear such conviction voiced in song. Corporatocracy is a fine example of Morton poetically nailing the greedy bankers (as if we needed reminding…).

Heart Of The Land reminds us that his home town of Leicester has mythical links to the King Lear story. Ghost Of A Sailor is a rap about a haunted pub (a popular place for spirits in anyone’s book). The fellow musical contributors have all got well into the spirit of things – Chris Parkinson’s box playing is a perfect foil to PM’s guitar and harmonica, and it’s nice to hear Maggie Boyle’s flute and vocals on Bedside Song – the most tender of love songs which is begging to be covered extensively.

I know that folk and rap may not be obvious bed fellows in some eyes, but there’s a long tradition of talking blues and storytelling that this is a natural successor to. Some may not ‘get it’ but I’m proud to say that I’ve been bowled over, again.

www.petemorton.com

Grem Devlin

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This album was reviewed in Issue 101 of The Living Tradition magazine.