Breakfast at Fezziwig's - A different dance tradition
An old friend, Craig Johnson, was in town recently to attend NEFFA (New England Folk Festival Assocation) last week. It was a glorious NEFFA year--lots of Yiddish and Klezmer music and dancing and Jewish storytelling. The usual array of other folk traditions, Craig's included, were also represented in glorious profusion.
As inevitably happens, and always to my shame, I was too frazzled with household and family chores to attend the festival. I got a bit of what I missed, however, when Craig dropped off a copy of his most recent English Country Dance CD. The band is called "Bangers and Mash," and the CD, "Breakfast at Fezziwig's," said name derived from the location wherefrom this delightful masterpiece was recorded.
Since fans of English country dance abound locally as, well as abroad, and since this is one of the most pleasant examples of same to come by in a while, I wanted to mention that it is available online from www.bangersandmash.us. Highly recommended. The variety of music ranges from "Zingara Mazurka" to the recently composed "Star of David." Lots of more traditionally-named music such as the ever-pleasant "Riding on a Load of Hay" in between. One number reminds me greatly of the Pachelbel Canon. The band takes a lovely formal dance tradition and plays so well, and covers such a variety of material that the feet are never quiet and the ears are always happy. Shall we dance?