Bradenton Herald Review

Wade Tatangelo Bradenton Herald Staff Writerwww.newsjournalonline.com

“One Kind Favor”
(BirdsTale Records, 2005)

 

TAMMERLIN OFFERS FRESH, INVENTIVE MUSIC

Contemporary folk music that sounds fresh while still adhering to the properties of the genre is difficult to find.  Tammerlin, the name of husband and wife team of Arvid Smith and Lee Hunter, accomplishes this with smart, original lyrics and memorable melodies mixed with innovative reworkings of obscure traditional fare. 

Even when the Jacksonville-based act covers a well-known standard blues number like Blind Lemon Jefferson’s “See That My Grave is Kept Clean,” the result is inspired thanks to an invitingly original arrangement. 

“It was Lee’s idea for the percussion and my idea to us a bluegrass dobro,” Smith said during a phone interview. 

The song, which is found on Tammerlin’s latest release “One Kind Favor,” also features violin, mandolin, upright bass and drums swelling around Hunter’s cool, haunting vocals.

Just as Tammerlin’s recasting of “See That My Grave is Kept Clean” smacks of inventiveness, so does the entire album, which melds elements of Delta blues, Appalachian mountain , jazz and jangle-y rock ‘n’ roll across a solid folk music bedrock. 

Hunter attributes her eclectic taste to being raised with wonderful broadcasts. 

“I grew up in Washington, D.C., listening to this incredible radio station (old WMAL) that played everything,” Hunter said during the same phone interview.  “That was my biggest influence.  That’s why I like everything.”

Whereas Hunter is the duo’s primary vocalist and songwriter, her husband excels on slide and acoustic six and 12-string guitars.  Enhancing songs with his fluid finger-picking style, or adding a rush of rock attitude to the anti-war message “Another Road,” which Hunter wrote. 

A natural musician who started playing guitar at age 12, Hunter went much of her adulthood without penning a song.  Tammerlin formed in 1989, but didn’t start performing original material until they’d been together several years. 

“I didn’t start song writing until Tammerlin formed and people kept coming up to us at concerts and saying ‘You need to write your own songs,’” Hunter said.

“One Kind Favor” is equal parts originals and interpretations.  Hunter said she mostly finds obscure folk songs, such as the album’s chilling murder ballad “Naomi Wise,” from other performers, or the ancient song books she owns.

The disc closes with a seven-minute plus version of the obscure Bob Dylan fan favorite “Blind Willie McTell” that should impress even the most dedicated of Dylan’s followers.  On it, the couple trades verses and harmonizes on the chorus.

“People were responding really well to it at our shows so we decided to record it,” Smith said.

Wade Tatangelo, features writer/music critic,can be reached at 941-745-7051 or wtatangelo@HeraldToday.com. His blog, “In Tune with Wade,” can be found at http://blogs.bradenton.com.