REVIEW FROM www.livingtradition.co.uk

JIM ELDON - Songs And Fiddle Tunes
Stick SDCD012

Jim Eldon is a singer and fiddler who is often accompanied by his wife Lynette, a clog dancer, at live gigs. He spent much of the 1970s travelling the East Riding of Yorkshire collecting folk songs and tunes, many of which make up his repertoire. He also spent 30 years as the fiddler on the Bridlington pleasure boats. Nowadays he plays in sessions and for sword dancing. He has a unique style of playing and singing.

Songs And Fiddle Tunes is exactly what it says on the cover - a mixture of songs and tunes, many learned from singers and musicians he has met. A few have been “made up” by Jim himself, whilst others are from local collections.

What strikes you here is that there are no lavish production jobs on this CD, just Jim singing without accompaniment, or as one of the first singing fiddlers I had the pleasure of seeing live. I love the humour on show here, but each track, many weighing in at less than two minutes, has entertainment written all over it. Some of the tracks, Adieu To Old England for instance, are variations of familiar songs, whilst It Was The Liner Titanic is less well known.

Songs And Fiddle Tunes is a well-crafted piece of work and shows Jim to be the fine performer that he is, with a love and respect for the music he has appreciated for so long. Thanks for sharing it, and more please.

www.jimeldonfiddler.wordpress.com

Dave Beeby