The Beguilers - Fred Thomas -
F-IRECD90 (digital-only)
(2015)
buy now

Fred Thomas weaves crafted song-writing into the narratives of poems by William Blake, Emily Brontë, William Shakespeare, James Joyce, Walter Savage Landor and Thomas Carew. Drawing on a wonderfully strange repository of musical influences - English folk, Joao Gilberto, Minimalism, the Aka Pigmies, The Beatles, and the English Madrigal School - Fred Thomas' settings delicately bring the poets' images and metaphors to life with finely wrought harmonies and luscious melodies.


PERSONNEL

Fred Thomas guitars, percussion, piano, bass, bvs, cello, composition, arranging
Ellie Rusbridge vocals
Dave Shulman clarinets
Liam Byrne viola da gamba
Malte Hage electric bass

TRACK-LIST

1
A Dream 2:57
2
The Little Boy Lost 5:02
3
Fall, Leaves, Fall 6:08
4
The Night Wind 2:46
5
Gentle Lady 6:09
6
Lover's Tale 4:21
7
Mother, I Cannot Mind My Wheel 4:29
8
Ask Me No More 4:52
9
Love To Faults is Always Blind 4:38
10
Rest, Sweet Nymphs 5:08
11
Take, O Take Those Lips Away 4:18
12
A Cradle Song 4:55


TECHNICAL INFO

Production Fred Thomas
Mixing Fred Thomas & Alex Bonney
Mastering Jon Astley
Artwork Ted Allen


REVIEWS

“Rose has a touching and pure voice, well suited to the affecting melodies Thomas writes, and Shulman provides just the right amount of textural and tonal variety.” – - Chris Parker (London Jazz)

“Fred Thomas took William Blake’s poetry and wove a rich tapestry of intricate acoustic guitar and clarinet, over which Ellie Rose’s exquisite vocals were allowed to shine....these classic works come to life”
– The Liminal

“It’s the combination of Ellie Rose’s haunting voice with beautiful compositions that give this band its unique and unclassifiable quality – a treat equally for lovers of poetry, jazz, classical music and folksong”
– Peter Slavid (UK Jazz Radio)

“Fred Thomas’ version of Blake’s ‘London’ is the finest setting of the poem that I know – the human ear adorned with manacles more beautiful than any earring”
– Tim Heath, Chair of the Blake Society.


LINKS


fred-thomas.co.uk/the-beguilers