| Rock 'n' Reel
A solo album from Hilary James has been a long time coming. Her work with Simon Mayor on his mandolin albums has been that of a side musician with her vocals occasionally creeping in to add to what were very successful instrumental albums. Now she has issued 'Burning Sun' and its an unexpected pleasure in more ways than one.
Using the James/Mayor base of instrumental highlights she has subtly added sax and harmonica to the basic string line-up. With her own sweet voice given free rein its an album which covers a wide range of material. From such diverse sources as traditional English and Scots ballads to their French counterparts to madrigals and straight classical pieces. It also has original material which adds to a fascinating collection. The inclusion of madrigals and the Handel piece 'Lascia ch'io Pianga' are not disparate, as her voice, though folk based, has the range and power to cover these perfectly. It has some wondrous moments like the John Donne inspired 'Busy Old Fool' and the extended trad 'Two Sisters' carrying on where Clannad's verson left off.
The instrumental line up has some deft touches on mandolin and fiddle from Simon Mayor while the sax and harmonica are both used with stunning simplicity and accuracy. The result is a beguilingly charming album that evokes the old Consulate advert 'cool as a mountain stream' and pleasantly refreshing. Beautiful stuff. More please.
John O'Regan, Limerick
Northern Echo
Hilary James is a name that will be familiar to fans of mandolin maestro Simon Mayor, but a new name to many others. This week Hilary releases her first CD "Burning Sun" (Acoustics CDACS016). She has one of Britain's finest voices. The album is an unusual mix of James' originals, traditional tunes and songs and a classical piece from Handel. Hilary's sweet, pure voice is superb throughout, whether vocalising in English, French or Italian, and the music is superb. The multi-talented Simon Mayor supplies stunning mandolin passages as well as guitar, fiddle and whistle and Alan Whetton colours the sound with bursts of saxophone. An intelligent release well up to the standards we have come to expect from Acoustics Records.
Michael Ollier
Folk North West
Wonderful - every track superb. For me, the best album of the 90's so far. Oozes class, with arrangements tailored like Saville Row suits. Take a hammer to the piggy bank and rush to your nearest record store. Buy, buy, buy.
Dave Day
NetRhythms.co.uk
Hilary's debut album, Burning Sun, was originally issued in 1993; it was the first occasion where she stepped out from behind production and promotion duties on her partner Simon Mayor's mandolin records and took the limelight in her own right, and it brought her much deserved acclaim.
The album gets a 15th anniversary remix, remaster and reissue here, and sounds just great: full and detailed, with admirable presence. Of course, Hilary's superbly pure voice is supported by the considerable instrumental skills of the aforementioned Simon (on assorted mandos, guitar, fiddle and whistle), while old friends Alan Whetton (soprano sax), Brendan Power (harmonica) and vocalists Andy Baum and Zoltán Kátai make guest appearances (the latter's rich bass tones especially noteworthy). (I'm not sure that the box credits are complete, otherwise all seems present and correct.)
The selection of material is an appealing and well-balanced one, almost a template for her albums to follow. It combines traditional folk material (the beautiful Bay Of Biscay, together with Seeds Of Love, Two Sisters and a sensitive version of Polly Vaughan) with Hilary's own intelligent arrangements of anything from madrigal to Provençal carol (the beguiling La Marche Des Rois), alongside her own compositions Sail Away and Busy Old Sun (the latter inspired by the opening line of a poem by John Donne).
Hilary also presents a faultlessly crafted rendition of Fauré's Les Berceaux and a nicely-turned Handel lament (complete with mandolin choir!). And I really liked her lively Balkan-bluegrass take on Lonesome Day. Altogether tasteful and lovingly conceived, this is a joy of a record that should easily find appreciation with a new generation of listeners.
David Kidman August 2008
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