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Duhks
Duhks
Duhks
Genres: Country, Folk, Pop, Rock
 
  •  Track Listings (14) - Disc #1

Celtic fiddles, Irish reels, old-time banjo, gospel vocals, and Latin percussion forge a common spirit within the uncommonly vibrant fusion of the Duhks (pronounced "ducks"). The young band from Winnipeg casts a wide net o...  more »

     
   
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CD Details

All Artists: Duhks
Title: Duhks
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 1
Label: Sugarhill
Release Date: 2/8/2005
Genres: Country, Folk, Pop, Rock
Style: Bluegrass
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 015891399720

Synopsis

Amazon.com
Celtic fiddles, Irish reels, old-time banjo, gospel vocals, and Latin percussion forge a common spirit within the uncommonly vibrant fusion of the Duhks (pronounced "ducks"). The young band from Winnipeg casts a wide net over traditional influences, breathing fresh life into the age-old balladry of "The Wagoner's Lad," generating a dynamic tension between the soulful depth of Jessica Havey's vocals and Tania Elizabeth's fiddle on a pair of spiritual standards ("Death Came a-Knockin'" and "True Religion"), and keeping the dance floor jumping with their sprightly instrumental medleys. Though the Canadian quintet doesn't feature much original material, they extend their interpretive reach to contemporary songs as well, with the desperate edge of Ruth Ungar's "Four Blue Walls" providing a bracing change of mood, while the bittersweet rendition of Paul Brady's "You and I" (with the songwriter on harmony vocals) carries the musical interplay beyond the traditional realm. (Their attempt at fellow Canadian Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows" represents a rare misstep, lacking both the droll humor and the dark fatalism of the original.) Banjo iconoclast Béla Fleck coproduced the album, championing the Duhks as fellow trailblazers who use traditional elements to create a sound all their own. --Don McLeese

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CD Reviews

Vibrant new acoustic music
twangmon | Nashville, TN USA | 02/11/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hot, young musicians are embracing acoustic music in unprecedented numbers. Mandolinists Andy Leftwich and Chris Thiele, flatpicker Cody Kilby, fingerpicker Kaki King, and banjoist Noam Pikelny are among the brilliant players in their 20s who are pushing the boundaries of the traditional repertoire while paying homage to the greats who preceded them. Hailing from Winnipeg, Canada, the Duhks are the latest members of this acoustic new wave to mix the ancient and the modern in startling and vibrant ways.



The quintet (drummer Scott Senior, banjoist Leonard Podolak, guitarist Jordan McConnell, fiddle player Tania Elizabeth, and lead singer Jessica Havey) weave Appalachian fiddle tunes, Celtic riffs, and French folk music with strands of honky tonk, salsa, reggae, swing, and gospel to create an original, grooving sound. The vocal interplay in the lively "Du Temps Que J'etais Jeune" is delicate and soulful, and the instrumentals "Gene's Machine," "The Dregs of Birch," and "The Magnolia Set" reveal the band's fearsome chops. Havey's voice adds a spunky, sultry magic to the ensemble's inspiring debut."
Excellent Music but why "Enhance" it??
S. Nelson | Oakland, CA | 08/17/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Duhks are amazing live. I caught them several times, most memorably at a late-night performance at High Sierra Music festival (in CA)and they churned an exhausted audience into a jigging frenzy. They pour energy into their performances, with the interplay between Leonard (Banjo) and the audience being my favorite part to watch- it's a contest to see who can grin larger and dance/play faster.

I was happy to purchase the CD and find a well-produced set of songs. So often a live band puts out a terrible studio album or vice-versa.

My only complaint is that the enhancement of the CD makes it impossible to rip the music to Mp3. I have a legitimate right to put my legally purchased music onto my Mp3 player, and Sugar Hill records has ignored that. The supposed extras on the CD have also not worked on my computer."
Wonderful even for Folk-ignorant listeners
greenegret | Phoenix, AZ | 03/28/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't know anything much about folk music, but I really love this. I saw their video on a late-night cable country music channel, loved the song, and looked them up at one of the online music download stores. I was going to buy just that song (Mists of Down Below), but they had more than three that I liked, so I ordered this CD. I'm pleased to say that I love all of it, even the instrumental pieces. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. I love Jessica Havey's voice and the fast, intricate instrumentation. If this folk-ignoramous likes it this much, it has real cross-over appeal."