Scarp

(1994) Silex Y225045

Blowzabella disappeared at the time of perhaps the most intense and original in the group’s career. Here, Paul James and Jo Freya re-appear in Scarp, a new band including the whimsical accordionist Luke Daniels. We must say that the result is experimental, despite the sounds dear to the last Blowzabella, we can not say that this album is brilliant:  creative originality is missing and some pieces are confined in virtuosity. Ambiguous is also the choice of the name ("Scarp" meaning "ravine", "slope") and the choice in artwork cover showing very bright flower colors. The package in general has only few notes and data.

Scomparsi i Blowzabella nel momento forse più intenso e originale della loro carriera, ecco ricomparire Paul James e Jo Freya negli Scarp, una nuova band di cui fa parte l'estroso accordeonista Luke Daniels. Diciamo subito che il risultato è interlocutorio, nonostante le sonorità care agli ultimi Blowzabella non si può dire che questo album sia brillante, manca una originalità creativa ed alcuni pezzi rimangono confinati nel virtuosismo. Per quanto ne sappiamo, la storia di questo gruppo non avrà un seguito. Ambigua è anche la scelta del nome ("Scarp" significa "burrone", "scarpata") e la scelta grafica che presenta in copertina un fiore dai colori molto accesi. La confezione in generale non presenta note e informazioni.

Other point of view (extracts of an article by Alex Monaghan):

“This is lively and original music” delivering “Anglo-French tunes with jazzy bits.... The only thing which is missing is a piper, but that's a lack which is easily remedied these days! [...]

In some ways, Scarp is just one among many jazz-folk fusions, but it is unusual in its lack of Celtic pretensions and its almost completely acoustic sound. Some of the tracks here manage to marry the diverse instruments quite successfully, and when that happens the result is very nice.... So, a very varied sound with some very good bits and some not so good bits. If you like other Anglo-French jazzy groups, you'll probably like this; if you don't, you probably won't; and if you don't know, then Scarp is worth a listen.”

Tracks:

1. Le Pont[3:48], Author/Composer : F.Paris - 2. Dobermann [5:50], Author/Composer : Jo Freya - 3. Goatkiller [6:13], Author/Composer : Paul James - 4. Abbotts [4:25], Author/Composer : L.daniels, H.Dawes, J.Freya, M.Hugues, P.James, V.Nicholls - 5. Bond in Cairo with Culleen [5:59], Author/Composer : P.James, L.Daniels - 6. Meerkat and desert rat [3:30], Author/Composer : Jo Freya - 7. Crows and Les poules Huppees [3:47], Author/Composer : Paul James / Gilles Chabenat - 8. Grin me [2:43], Author/Composer : H.Dawes - 9. Duet 1 [0:41], Author/Composer : L.Daniels, P.Bouffard - 10. Sansonette and skin job [4.03], Author/Composer : D.Forge, V.Nicholls - 11. Duet 2 [2:40], Author/Composer : H.Dawes, P.James - 12. Eight years with bunty and the eagle [3:38], Author/Composer : H.Dawes, J.Freya