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I remember a lot of ranting when the iTMS first opened about how it
was dominated by the major labels. That was followed by a bunch of
articles about how Apple was planning to let small labels in on the
action. And then silence, perhaps because news of upcoming European
versions of the store got all the attention. And then when they
arrived, complaints about the selection at different stores and price
differentials. (Those damn Canadians! They pay less than we do!
Nobody should pay less than Murrkuns!)
But somewhere along the way some small labels have joined the majors
on the iTMS. As this album demonstrates. When I first listened, I
assumed I was hearing traditional New England music and that this was
a historic recreation. But a little Googling showed me how mistaken I
was. Although all the music on Along the River was written
to accompany contradancing, which I'm told is a longstanding New
England tradition, the tracks themselves were all composed within the
last twenty-five years. Apparently there's a movement around the
country around contradancing. (Movement. Dancing. Funny, no?) And
these folks are at the forefront of creating and performing new music
in an old style.
I should have figured out there was something nontraditional going on
here. I mean,
Double
Chocolate Insomnia Rag? Not quite what an 18th or 19th
century composer would call their work...
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