Greentrax Recordings

Malinky - Last Leaves (CD)

CDTRAX190 (released February 2000)

category: groups

Malinky formed in October 1998 after vocalist Karine Polwart (guitar, bouzouki) was invited to do a guest spot at Edinburgh Folk Club.

Karine recruited Mark Dunlop (bodhran, whistle) and Kit Patterson (fiddle, mandolin, guitar), and tracked down singer Steve Byrne (bouzouki, guitar).

Other bookings quickly followed and in 1999 Malinky won the Danny Kyle Award at Celtic Connections.

In 1925 the publication of Grieg-Keith's Last Leaves of Traditional Ballads and Ballad Airs provided the occasion for much lamenting over the imminent demise of Scots folksong. Hamish Henderson later noted that these had proved to be only 'the last leaves of a season' and was delighted to find there were 'new leaves on the old branches'.

Almost half a century on, Scotland is home to a wealth of superb young instrumental bands promoting traditional music but there are very few whose focus is song - Malinky are something of an exception. Malinky stood out from their peers by the freshness of their approach to songs, many of which appeared in the the Greig-Keith collection in various guises.

The album consists mainly of traditional song and one set of tunes but there are also two excellent songs by Karine, another by Davy Steele and one from the pen of the late Roy Williamson. Producer Davy Steele.