REVIEW FROM www.livingtradition.co.uk

JEVAN COLE & JAN VAN DIJK - Sins Of A Li’l Later Kiss
Treeskin Music TSK1210

Be honest now, if someone talks about the Australian (non-indigenous) traditional music scene, are there not a few stereotypes that tend to come to mind? Perhaps something to do with the “Bogan”? No? Good, because if there were, this CD would surely destroy them forever. Here we have Jevan on guitar and 5-string banjo and Jan on fiddle and tenor banjo, taking their music gently into places it maybe hasn’t been before, but never letting it (or themselves) lose track of where they’re coming from.

Accompanied by Kellee Green, piano, Wurlitzer organ; Suzanne Hibbs, percussion; Piet Van Dijk, Cello; Joff Bush, piano, accordion, and Ian Haag, Hammond organ, these two very sensitive players have created a richly-textured sound which is layered together to allow every note to have its full place in the mix. The overall feeling is mellow and laid-back, even when they tackle the faster-paced numbers (which they do with alacrity and panache).

Jevan’s finger-picking guitar style sets the ground for Jan’s languid fiddle to make the most of a mixture of tunes which are largely self-composed, but with a fair seasoning of traditional airs drawn from such as the Offord collection from South West England and the Northumberland piping repertoire. No matter the provenance, every track resonates with a sparkling musicianship which indicates a deep understanding not just between Jevan and Jan, but amongst all of the musicians, with some especially pleasing cello contributions by Piet. Top marks to the production and editing crew as well, for turning out such a highly-polished end product.

This sounds great the first time you listen, and just gets better every time after that

Gordon Potter