LET NO MAN EP
Eleanor Dunsdon and Gregor Black
Let No Man is an exquisite offering from Glasgow Conservatoire postgraduate super-duo Eleanor Dunsdon and Gregor Black. Their academic and performance backgrounds are enough to tell us all about their musicianship and knowledge, but it takes a listen or two to their debut EP to fully appreciate what they bring to the table.
Their pairing of percussion (Gregor) and Eleanor’s clarsach – or Celtic Harp – should be enough to tell you that what they offer is something a little out of the ordinary, while the track listing offers some familiarity, there is inventiveness in content and delivery that adds considerable interest. Thus, their arrangement of the much-shared cautionary tale ‘Courting Is A Pleasure’ is paired with folk experimentalist Tia Files’ ‘Castle Cave’ and contemporary Scottish composition is represented by combining ‘Wrong Foot Forward’, by Flook’s Sarah Allen and Brian Finnegan, with another Tia Files tune, ‘Drams in the Field’ – both an entrancing piece of music and a damned fine suggestion – midges permitting.
The 5 tracks are completed by a trio of traditional offerings;; Maggie O’Ham’, ‘Shetland Reels’ and a further cautionary tale – ‘Let No Man Steal Your Thyme’, which once again along with ‘Courting…’ gives Eleanor the chance to sing, which adds to the gentle beauty that is the overall feel of the release.
In many ways, it is a shame that Let No Man contains only 5 tracks, as, the longer you spend in its company, the more you can appreciate the sense of gentle calm with which it is infused. There are both traditional and classical influences throughout, but it is the elements of jazz, supplied by both harp and drums, that create the atmosphere and bring originality and added nuance and dare I say it, cool, to proceedings, musical eddies to a gently incoming tide, mesmeric yet challenging in equal measures.
In conclusion, hopefully, a partnership that will continue, amongst their other commitments – most obviously Eleanor’s membership of the eclectic indie-folkers, Ranagri – a deserving investigation, if you haven’t already discovered them!
