FLYNN COHEN
The Lazy Farmer
Lady Hamilton – Black Is The Color –
Cousin Sally Brown – Conversation With Death – Fine Times At Our
House/Falls of Richmond – Neighbor Girl – Younjg Emily – A Sailor Being
Tired – Booth Shot Lincoln/The Hog Went Through The Fence Yoke And AQll –
Carolina Lady – Mathie Grove – A Lazy Farmer Boy
First song on this very interesting CD is an acoustic
guitar instrumental. We’re hearing some nice new licks that originated
in the very fertile area of Macon County, North Carolina. Flynn Cohen
is the acoustic guitarist as well as the lead vocalist. He also plays
sruti box. Matt Heaton plays bouzouki and bodhran, and Danny Noveck
plays mandolin and fiddle, with Liz Simmons on harmony and vocals. The
third song is another delightful instrumental originally a fiddle tune
from Galax, Virginia, played very expertly especially with the prominent
rhythmic syncopation the players use. “Black Is The Color” is not the
Donovan song, but rather a traditional Scottish song popular among
Celtic lovers. I liked very much, Flynn’s short
description….”Traditional music is unique in a new century full of
commercial music devoid of historical and cultural connection. The
majority of sounds consumed in the present musical marketplace….are
actually most ofen the product of salaried song-writing teams, digital
programming and the artifice of sonic manipulation.” Wow, that’s saying
in a few words what is wrong with the music business today. We hear
some more instrumental guitar on ‘Fine Times At Our House’ with the
notation that the creator of the melody was Edden Hammons who played
fiddle. He apparently recorded this particular tune while in his early
seventies, even when his wife pled for him to get a real job, he stayed
with the fiddle and managed to scrape a living together through
‘multiple revenue streams.’ Interesting huh? Flynn does a nice job on
“Neighbor Girl” with his wife Liz adding some very nice traditional
harmony. “A Sailor Being Tired” takes us far into the past when songs
were done about true and sometimes ‘people-take-warning.’ How different
is that from today’s music? The instrument on this song backing Flynn
is the sruti box, an Indian type of drone instrument that fits the song
incredibly well. Much of what I hear in Flynn’s vocalizations take me
back to very early old-time Appalachian Mountain singing. I’m not sure
Flynn would agree with that, but it is a most refreshing opportunity to
hear these old songs done so well. He brings his players back to the
fold with “A Lazy Farmer Boy” good old-time fiddle, guitar, and mandolin
making for sweet backing to Flynn’s mountain voice. The enclosed
booklet describing these many and various old-time songs is not in the
same order as the recorded version, but not a problem. Good luck Flynn,
Matt & Danny, you are doing music that needs to be desperately
heard in America today.
RECORD REVIEW BY BOB EVERHART – www.ntcma.net