| CD Reviews
Another Threshing Day
-
Jim Low, Folk Australia Website, www.folkaustralia.com
April 2008
In my humble opinion, Chloe and Jason Roweth are
one of the best things to happen to Australian folk music
in the last decade. If you are not familiar with their accomplishments,
their latest CD “Another Threshing Day” is a fine place
to start.
They again dive into the rich, often overlooked, wealth of this
country’s traditional music to surface enthusiastically with
a choice selection of songs, ballads and tunes. The songs are peopled
by bushrangers, bullock drovers, gold diggers, farm hands, sailors
and the like. As very proficient interpreters of traditional song,
the Roweths are ever conscious of the importance of the words and
the narrative they tell. The tasteful and thoughtful musical arrangements
give the stories a chance to come alive, thereby increasing their
drama and interest. Songs like the tragic “The Nightingale”
and the beguiling “The Dark Eyed Gypsies” are fine examples
of this. Their skill as interpreters of song gives new life and
interest to familiar songs like “Little Fish”, “Gentle
Annie” and “The Kelly Gang”.
The collection ends with a bonus three songs, two from previous
CDs and a newer version of “Salvation Jane”, the Roweth’s
outstanding, original song that commenced their CD “Songs
of the Bush and Beyond”.
As usual in the CD notes, careful consideration and acknowledgement
have been afforded the composers, singers and collectors who have
all assisted in keeping these songs and tunes alive for performance.
Recorded again in their home at Milthorpe, in country New South
Wales, “Another Threshing Day” continues to demonstrate
the Roweth’s high standard of musicianship. Jim McWhinnie’s
accomplished bodhran playing sensitively completes the Roweths’
sound. This latest CD adds to Chloe and Jason’s growing body
of recorded works, a more than worthy contribution to Australian
music.
Spring
Grove (formerly Daisy Hill)
- Sing Out! Summer 2006 Vol. 50#2 (U.S.)
Chloe and Jason Roweth of New South Wales have
undertaken the long-over¬due task of collecting some of the
old Australian colonial ballads and tunes from still-living source
singers and dance musi¬cians. Daisy Hill is their second collection
of traditional songs, and goes a long way toward proving their mettle
as carriers of the tradition. Included here are some very dark ballads:
"Daisy Hill" tells of a faithless lover; "Jack's
Last Resting Place" is a la¬ment for a drover killed in
a fall; "Farewell to Greta" is a story of a sad parting.
And, of course, there are songs of convicts, trans¬ports and
badly-used miners. There's a lighter side to this music too, in
the music hall bounce of "You Can't Change It" and the
sweetness of "The Indian Lass." Many of the ballads segue
into tunes from the rep¬ertoires of well-known NSW dance musi¬cians.
"Charlie Kyle's Mazurka" is particu¬larly lovely,
as is the unusual setting of "Blackberry Blossom." The
Roweths ac¬company their fine singing with mandolin, bozouki,
guitar and bass. Their arrangements are spare, as befits the music
- they aren't afraid to let these stories stand alone. I was fascinated
by the variants of songs from the Anglo-Irish repertoire that appear
here, like "The Red Rose Top/When I Was in My Prime" and
"The Wild Colonial Boy" - which by most accounts began
its life in Australia and migrated back. This collec¬tion is
a great introduction to the balladry of Australia, and a great continuation
of the Roweths' work. - MD
Spring Grove (formerly
Daisy Hill)
-
Bob Bolton, Mulga Wire
This CD is yet another gem from Chloë and
Jason Roweth, (who seem not to be known as Us Not Them … so
much, these days). The CD is dedicated to Jacko Kevans, a fine "Irish-Australian"
musician we lost far too early, this year.
Chloë and Jason draw this set of songs and dance tunes entirely
from the collections of a wide range of recent and contemporary
field collectors … drawing on well-known old singers and musicians
… as well as some fine traditional singers many of us have
never heard of. All this is drawn together, reforged in the fire
of Jason & Chloë’s love of traditional music and
polished with their fine musical skills … and the outstanding
voice of Chloë!
Many of the songs, such as the title track, will be unfamiliar …
often only brought to the light by researchers (such as David De
Santi and Jane Brownlee, with their 2004 research fellowship, granted
by the National Library of Australia) but they are all presented
with consummate confidence, musical skill and the confident clarity
of Chloë’s voice. The stories run from the perennial
favourites of love and courtship (if not always on the smoothest
paths) … through the standbys of colonial life (convict era:
The Isle of France / immigration: Sixteen Thousand Miles from Home
/ bushranging: a Wild Colonial Boy … complete with radio era
"Outside Broadcast" report on the shoot-out! Kelly’s
Farewell to Greta … and the Maryborough Miner / the wandering
life: I’ve Been a Wild Boy (one of my favourites, from Sally
Sloane), The Broken Down Digger and Reedy Lagoon. The risks of the
bush life are well represented with Jack’s Last Resting Place
and His Epitaph, while the casual approach to courting we saw in
Daisy Hill is the background to the longer version Chloë does
of Sally Sloane’s Red Rose Top (Let No Man Steal Your Thyme)
and an odd immigrant in The Indian Lass … a song said to have
been very popular with indigenous Aboriginal women of the New England
region!
In case this all sounds a bit too gloomy (it isn’t –
with these singers!) there is also humour, as in You Can’t
Change It – their father’s song, which the Baulch Brothers
, of Kerang, sang to John Meredith and Rob Willis … and, throughout
the CD are sprinkled tracks, or tags, of beautiful instrumental
tunes collected from a fine collection of traditional players like
Joe Yates, of Sofala (NSW) – Simon McDonald of Creswick (Vic)
- Stan Treacy of Limerick (NSW), Charlie Kyle of Nulla Nulla Ck
(NSW) and Bill McCoy of Ulverstone (Tas).
This CD is tour de force of what can be done with nothing much more
than musical skill, wonderful voices, finely chosen material and
an unshakeable faith in the quality of the tradition.
Spring Grove (formerly
Daisy Hill)
- Jim Low
On their latest CD Daisy Hill, Chloe and Jason
Roweth perform a selection of sixteen songs and tunes drawn from
Australia’s traditional music collections. Their selection
of known as well as unfamiliar songs and tunes makes for a truly
interesting listen. Recorded in country New South Wales where they
reside, their performance is intimate and highly engaging.
Farewell to Greta, a conversation song between Ned Kelly and his
sister Kate, is sung to a gentle, haunting tune. There are beautiful
interpretations of The Isle of France, Red Rose Top and The Reedy
Lagoon. The comic, music hall feel of You Can’t Change It
is an example of the variety evident in their choices.
There is a great rendition of The Maryborough Miner. Forgetting
questions over its traditional credentials, this is just such a
good song, riddled with many Australian place names. This “good
old timer” is just one of the many interesting characters
we are introduced to on the CD.
Their choice of tunes, as musical tags to complete the songs Daisy
Hill and The Indian Lass, is both subtle and innovative. The CD
finishes with a reflective poem His Epitaph, set to a lovely tune
of Bob Rummery.
The enthusiasm of Chloe and Jason for the music they play and sing
is evident. They expertly play all instruments on the CD, mandolin,
guitar, bouzouki and bass. Their thoughtful musical arrangements
are a delight to hear. They seem blessed with the ability to ornament
their musical settings with wise restraint, giving the song lyric
its due importance. The CD comes with an attractive booklet containing
coloured photographs, all song lyrics and clear acknowledgement
to the collectors of the material. This CD is truly worth a listen
… actually, it is deserving of many listens.
As
Good As New
- John Dengate, Cornstalk Gazette
"Better than New" Chloe and Jason Roweth
[US NOT THEM] are joined by Lindsay Martin, Jim McWhinnie and Mike
Martin on this very special CD. Jason and Chloe are two of my favourite
people and favourite singers and musicians. The arrangements on
all tracks are tasteful, appropriate and well-balanced and the singing
clear and true. The dance tunes, which include Harry Axford’s
Schottische, Ali’s Quickstep and ’Sofala Cuckoo’
are played with great empathy, verve and skill. The songs cover
a broad spectrum of Australian music from the traditional ‘
Kate Kelly’ and ‘Moreton Bay’ to Bill Scott’s
classic ‘Hey Rain’ and ‘Harry Robertson’s
‘Time for a Laugh and a Song’. Along the way are lovely
renditions of Mike O’Rourke’s ‘T.I. Woman’
and Clive Kelly’s ‘ My Home in the Valley’. Jason
does a beautiful job on ‘The Sleeper Cutter’s Camp’,
Dan Sheahan’s W.W.1 poem set to music by Denis Kevans.
This is the sort of C.D. that you could play every night and enjoy
more with each listening. There are no silly, pseudo- American accents,
no frenetic guitar bashing and no gratuitous pyrotechnics. Just
good songs beautifully sung and accompanied, and good dance tunes
beautifully played by people who love the music and are very highly
skilled in presenting it.
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As Good As New
- Graham McDonald
Definitively Australian
without cliches
FOLK - CANBERRA TIMES 17 FEBRUARY 2003
There are not many CDs of definitively Australian folk music, and
it is good cause for some celebration when two good ones come out
within a month of each other. Close on the heels of Dave de Hugard's
recording is this one from Orange-based Jason and Chloe Roweth,
known as Us Not Them. They are joined by Mike Martin and Jim McWhinnie,
two other members of Collector, a band based around Bathurst, and
fiddler Lindsay Martin.
The disc is a mix of rearranged collected material such as is found
in the National Library's Oral History Collection, settings of Lawson
and other poets, more recently written songs and some old-time dance
tunes.
The songs and tunes show a welcome commitment to seeking Australian
material that has been seldom recorded up to now. All are imaginatively
but simply arranged without overdoing it.
Chloe's voice is one of the best on the folk circuit, strong and
confident with a sense of connection to the material. This CD is
proof that there is plenty of scope for exploring Australian folk
material without resorting to cliched songs about sheep.
It fondly looks back at an older Australia while keeping a connection
to the present, and should be in the collection of anyone with an
interest in Australian folk music.
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As Good As New
- Jim Low
Many years ago I sat for several hours in a paddock
on a hot summer’s day and sketched an old water tank. The
CD cover is graced by a photograph of a water tank. It reminded
me of the old water tank I drew and I again found myself reflecting
on the water tank image after listening to the CD. At first sight,
there seemed nothing extraordinary about the particular water tank
I chose to draw. It was only when confronted with the prospect of
representing the tank on paper, that I was quickly appreciative
of the tank’s intricate and subtle details. In the same way,
a cursory glance at the song and tune titles of this CD could lead
one to assume that this is just another collection of traditional
musical offerings covering predictable content, with a few cover
versions of more recent writers thrown in for good measure. Nothing
could be further from the truth. This new CD is just further evidence
that Chloe and Jason Roweth continue to enrich Australian folk music
by their exceptional performance.
It seems unfair to highlight individual tracks since this implies
reservation about those omitted. Let me preface the following comments
by saying that no such reservation exists.
The collection begins with the song used to title the CD. Originally
a poem by Henry Lawson, Chloe and Jason have fashioned a beautiful
melody to create a song that easily ushers us into the timeless
quality of what they have in store for us on their CD.
They have a wonderful version of Ye Sons of Australia, under the
more accessible title of Kate Kelly. The song is a fine example
of Chloe’s ability to make a story come alive in song through
clear, meaningful and expressive diction.
My Home in the Valley by Clive Kelly and Woodbine Hill by Billy
Redmond are delightful inclusions and highlight the sensitive, sparing
and subtle arrangements that distinguish the Us Not Them sound.
The latter song is further enhanced by an elegant musical tag in
the guise of Fair, Fair With Golden Hair.
Although Chloe usually takes the lead vocals, two exceptions in
this collection are A Man Was Killed in the Mine Today and The Sleeper
Cutters’ Camp. This works really well with Jason singing with
honesty and strong conviction. It also reminds me again what I like
so much in their performance Chloe and Jason sing in their natural
voices.
The versions of Bill Scott’s Hey Rain and Harry Robertson’s
Time for a Laugh and a Song are delights. These are no run-of-the-mill
fillers but rather demonstrate Chloe and Jason’s ability to
add new dimension and interest to familiar songs. In their version
of Harry Robertson’s song, the musical possibilities which
they have discovered in the song make it more than a fitting conclusion
to the CD.
With each new listen to this CD, my regard and listening enjoyment
increase for the wonderful musical interplay of these talented folk.
Oh, and did I mention that I still have a fondness for water tanks?
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As Good As New
- Dieter Bajzek, Folk Alliance Australia, March 2003
Interesting traditional Australian music, that's
what this album is mostly about. Chloe & Jason Roweth have been
involved in collecting, arranging and performing traditional music
(and some of their own) for quite some time now, having released
several CDs in their own name, as well as having been part of many
others. Belonging to the "younger generation" of traditional
folk musicians, they have already become an inspiration to many
other young people. This CD manifests their standing with an interesting
collection of traditional ballads, some dance tunes and a few newer
songs for good balance. The accompaniment is acoustic and subtle
on this recording, with the duo being assisted very nicely by Jim
McWhinnie, Lindsay Martin and Mike Martin. Some of the songs that
stood out for me on first hearing were a nice rendition by Chloe
of "TI Women" (by Michael O'Rourke), the sweet "country"
song "My Home in the Valley" (by Clive Kelly), and the
dramatic ballad "A Man was killed in the Mine today".
Another fine contribution to the OZ musical traditions by Chloe
& Jason.
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As Good As New
- Steve Baker, www.barfly.com.au
- Cairns, Nth QLD
Chloe and Jason Roweth, known as Us Not Them,
have been amassing an impressive body of work since Wailing Bizarre,
their first recording in 1995. They have a close association with
the famous Wongawilli Band of The Illawarra.
Us Not Them have become important to the preservation of traditional
Australian music. They are also blessed with a great big dollop
of sensitivity and they perform their material beautifully.
Unlike some of Us Not Them’s previous albums, which were themed
around particular musicians, As Good As New draws from a variety
of sources including Henry Lawson, Bill Scott and Joe Yates. It’s
a fine collection of music.
Clive Kelly’s gentle waltz My Home In The Valley is a highlight,
as is Billy Redmond’s sweet lament called Woodbine Hill. Kelly
and Redmond were both Aboriginal musicians.
Probably the highlight of the album for me though was The Sleeper
Cutter’s Camp, with the words written by a Digger in the First
World War.
He’s lying in a trench in the mud and says that he’d
“sell (his) chance of Heaven for five minutes … Where
the red bull’s chewing nut grass by the sleeper cutter’s
camp.” The poem that provides the lyrics is sublime and sad,
and the melody delightful. Jason’s mellow voice suits the
song perfectly.
Then there’s a lovely version of a favourite North Queensland
song, Bill’s Scott’s Hey Rain.
Both Jason And Chloe have fine voices. Jason plays guitar, Chloe
mandolin. Their arrangements are restrained and thoughtful and their
interest in our heritage is infectious.
Infectious too is a lively dance tune called The Black Cat Piddled
in the White Cat’s Eye. That would have to rate as one of
the best dance tune titles I’ve ever heard. The tune is from
Cape Barren Island Tasmania. It’s also great to listen to.
Four Flys
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As Good As New
- Bob Bolton, CD Reviews Mulga Wire / Singabout April 2003
Over several years of listening to Chloe and Jason
Roweth – us not them – either as a most accomplished
duo, or as part of several larger groupings (Jindi, Wongawilli,
Collector, &c), it has become increasingly clear that they form
a group that can not be easily assigned to any tidy little pigeonhole.
As I look over the CDs, I see a strong base of their own compositions,
a feeling for the good Australian elements in the best of Australian
country music … all working against an increasing delight
in the traditional songs – and singers – being recorded
by field collectors.
This CD definitely advances the last aspect of their multi-facetted
skills. The eleven songs extend right through the tradition, from
Frank the Poet’s Moreton Bay, through a version of Ye Sons
of Australia, learned as Kate Kelly, from Maroan Band, on through
settings of poems by Lawson – or Dan Sheehan – mixed
with ancient songs like Molly Baun Lavery, sung by Sally Sloane,
but with the supernatural elements washed away in the clear light
of Australia.
Other songs come from the closer end of a continuing tradition:
Bill Scott’s paean to tropical weather, Hey Rain; Harry Robertson’s
1950s tales of the last days of whaling or Michael O’Rourke’s
TI Woman. There are two more songs, My Home in the Valley and Woodbine
Hill that come from Aboriginal songwriters, working in the country
style as well as a tale of hard days and attitudes in WA mines with
A Man Was Killed in the Mine Today..
All this is nicely spaced by some very fine instrumentals –
three separate tunes from white tradition al players – and
a set of three tunes out of Aboriginal dance band traditions –
from Cape Barren in the south and Darwin in the north.
All this is carefully integrated into a well considered performance
that shows that us not them can appreciate the full depth and breadth
of Australian tradition without being tied to any narrow section
or building unnecessary barriers between all the great music they
do so well. Then they join Chloe’s fine voice and Jason’s
immaculate string accompaniment with some fine friends from the
Bathurst are – Lindsay Martin on mandolin and fiddle; Mike
Martin with his sonorous Beaton resonator tenor guitar … and
sundry accordions … and some restrained bodhran from Jim McWhinnie
– to show just what a collection of sparkling jewels they
can mine and polish from the vein of Australian tradition.
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Collector
– Coming in from the Old
- Graham McDonald, Canberra Times
This is the CD which sounds the final death knell
of the “bush band”.
Following hard on the heels of the wonderful Growling Dogs recording,
this band takes a more adventurous approach to recreating traditional
folk songs and dance tunes. Collector is a six-piece band from Bathurst,
in central NSW where John Meredith and subsequent collectors found
much of what is now considered the core of Australian folk-music
heritage.
They have recorded a mix of songs and instrumentals, including two
of the great, rarely recorded, Ben Hall songs. The songs mostly
have some connection to the Central-West and the dance tunes are
from musicians who lived there, such as Joe Yates of Sofala and
Ernie Goodman of Mudgee.
What sets this CD apart is the manner in which the music is arranged
and presented. There are obvious influences from the folk-rock bands
of the last few decades, but the overall feel is acoustic, with
lots of varied instrumentation. Vocals and instruments are brought
in and out of the arrangements, creating a thick aural texture.
The group also has the advantage of at least five good singers who
share lead vocals and create some interesting harmonies, if occasionally
a little rough around the edges. Still, it is only a minor criticism
of what is an always interesting, and sometimes great, recording.
Available by e-mail from chloeroweth@bigpond.com
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Live
- June Nichols, Folk Rag
A rare collection of gems, this album displays
a strong Australian character exploring aspects of our history and
landscape and their impact on individuals.
I could sum up this review in three words "A Fantastic CD!!",
then add another six, "You must get yourself a copy" but
I think I'd better write a bit more than that, so you know why I
feel this way. I am talking about Chloë & Jason Roweth's
new CD, Us Not Them - Live &endash; one man's weeds &endash;
another man's flowers.
My first impression, within the first ten seconds was that the recording
engineer really knows what he's about. The clarity, mix and production
are A1+ and it's not an easy job to get such a good live recording,
so I had better mention his name, Robbie Specogna - Great Job! The
CD has all the good points of live performance, the presence and
ambience, an attentive audience and applause, but also has the good
points of a recording studio. It makes you feel as though you are
sitting in on a really great concert. It was recorded live over
two nights at the Wongawilli Hall, NSW in February this year. Two
fantastic nights of entertainment it would have been!
Chloë has a good, clear, strong voice and her mandolin playing
is confident, clean, and she seems never to put a foot....oops!
finger wrong - the attributes of an outstanding mandolin player.
In fact both she and Jason are superb musicians and singers. They
have chosen high quality material in unusual Australian poems and
songs, both contemporary and traditional.
Two songs on this new album, The Wanderers and Where is my Wandering
Boy, also appear on their sleepers CD, which I had the pleasure
of reviewing earlier this year. Their opening track is a self-penned
beauty, Song of the Bush, followed by a couple of traditional tunes.
Other songs included are David Beniuk's Like Limerick, three Mike
O'Rourke songs, Sweet Necessity, Poison Train and Sing Us a Song
Boys - it was nice to hear the audience singing along in the latter
two. There are also traditional tunes like the Ti-Tree Waltz, Queer
Fella's Schottische and Col Charlton's Reel which puts both Chloë
and Jason's fingers though their paces. Exile of Erin (if you are
like me you
would have thought it was called Plains of Emu) stretches slightly
beyond the limits of Chloë's lower range, but very nicely sung
all the same.
Jason sings a bit more on this album. The one criticism I had of
sleepers was that his harmony work was too much in the background
and that has been
corrected on this CD. He has a nice style on guitar which sounds
clean and mellow. Tasteful bodhran by Jim McWhinnie is featured
on three of the tracks.
I can see where the Us Not Them comes in as Jason & Chloë
play in a few other bands including Wongawilli and Jindi. "Which
band are we playing with tonight Dear?".... "Silly, it's
Us NOT Them."
If you haven't treated yourself in a while or even if you have,
do yourself a favour and get this CD.
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Live
- Greg Wilson, Cornstalk Gazette
Having seen Chloe and Jason many times, either
as Us Not Them, or as part of Wongawilli, I have always been impressed
by their talent, and interesting choice of material. This CD is
an excellent showcase of both talent and material, and the fact
that it is live makes it even more compelling. Chloe's voice is
just wonderful, and I feel that the "Iiveness" brings
out a lot of soul/compassion. Her mandolin playing is very nice,
not overbearing, but adding much to the arrangement of the material,
always difficult in what is essentially a duo. Jason's guitar playing
is very sensitive, and provides good rhythm and life for the singing.
The tunes sound fabulous, and are very complimentary to the vocal
based material.
All the lyrics and tunes are home grown, and what a range of material
there is, not a bad track out of 16! My favourites are "When
the Roses Bloom Again" and the very trad "Exile of Erin".
Definitely a "must buy" CD, in fact buy two and give one
to somebody- its that good.
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Live
- Bob Bolton - Mulga Wire, Bush Music Club
You can count on Us Not Them to come up with songs
that are different from those of the run-of-the-mill, rip-off bush
bands that are just there to fill a hole in the market. Only two
compositions and one more tune of the sixteen tracks are their own
compositions but the rest are drawn from a wide and thoughtful mix
of traditional and contemporary songs and music.
The CD title immediately calls to mind Chloe and Jason's Salvation
Jane, a pretty song that questions the validity of simple opinions
...and it is, of course, on this CD. Other songs ask hard questions
about our stewardship of this country (eg John Caldwell's Dirt of
the Mallee), the treatment of the people sent to the first colony
(Dave Beniuk's Like Limerick or the 1820s Exile of Erin, by "M"
of Anambaba). Perhaps the best summary is their own: "Songs
of separation, struggle, strength and rejuvenation" it says
on the back cover -all the things that shaped Australia's character.
I particularly like their choice of a final song -that seals the
impression of the recording and the performers. Michael O'Rourke's
Sing Us a Song Boys consciously reworks the Man You Don't Meet Every
Day group, but replaces the complacent self-satisfaction of the
English farmer with a restless, questioning appropriate to the Australian
ethos.
I have enjoyed every one of Us Not Them's recordings and this is
no exception. Behind that interesting blend of voices and of instruments,
there is always something to think about and to keep their songs
in your mind.
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Sleepers
- June Nichols, Folk Rag
Us Not Them are Chloë (lead vocal and mandolin)
& Jason (guitar, vocal, bass) Roweth. This duo, based in Jamberoo
NSW, have recently released a new CD called sleepers, a selection
of sixteen songs collected from traditional, unaccompanied singer
Carrie Milliner (nee Bobbin &endash; born 1926) and the Bobbin
family of Southern NSW.
Over a number of years from late 1992, Rob Willis and friends, the
late John Meredith, Kevin Bradley and John Harpley visited Carrie
Milliner, to record her repertoire. Carrie grew up in the bush of
The Nullica outside Eden on the far south coast of NSW. Her family
worked as sleeper cutters for the railway and as they worked they
sang - old English ballads, traditional Irish pieces, popular American
and old-time country songs, music hall, and parodies. "....we
just naturally followed the way our parents and grandparents sang
...." * Carrie and her siblings learned songs, poems and stories
handed down over several generations. The children were required
to sing a song before they were allowed out to play and the family
sang around the fire at night.
According to Rob Willis, most of Carrie's siblings seemed to be
influenced by country and western music, but Carrie retained the
old style. "I try to sing 'em like Grandfather would, I try
to take all their voices off as much as I can when I sing their
songs..." * Basically that's how the songs come over on Chloë
and Jason's CD sleepers. They still preserve the integrity of the
songs, using their own arrangements. If you are expecting collected
Australian bush songs and music of the rough and ready kind on this
CD, you're not going to get it. The songs still retain the flavour
of their origins, there seems to be little Australian influence
at work, except perhaps isolation. It's a selection of sixteen songs
chosen from over one hundred actually collected from Carrie and
the Bobbin family, a family's treasury of songs that they liked
singing, and to which they were strongly connected.
Having said that, the sleepers CD opens with a beautiful poem The
Wanderers, (author unknown) put to music by Jason & Chloë.
Probably, if pushed, I would say it is my pick of the the whole
CD. Mind you, as I listen and write I can say truthfully the whole
CD is pleasant, easy listening.
The material ranges from the well-known and popular I Never Will
Marry, Wild Colonial Boy, a good version of Wild Rover and Black
Velvet Band to gems like the Rambling Bachelors, the beautiful Bonnie
Moon and the comical music hall song, I Don't Work for a Living.
Chloë's clear voice leads on all tracks. I would have preferred
the background harmony work a bit more prominent to give colour
and shade, but there is some rather nice instrumental backing by
their friends and fellow musos - Jane Brownlee, viola and fiddle;
Dave De Santi, accordion and Alan Musgrove, on "Wayne"
his slide resonator guitar. Chloë & Jason are also members
of Wongawilli and Jindi who play Australian collected material of
a more Australian bush flavour.
The CD is accompanied by a well produced A4 sized sleepers song
book full of music and words. So take my advice if you are going
to The National this year, see if you can catch Us Not Them performing
somewhere and pick up your copy of a CD which will become a collector's
item. It's well worth a listen.
To order sleepers CD & book please send $28 (includes postage)
to Us Not Them, PO Box 175 Jamberoo NSW 2533 - Please make money
orders or cheques payable to C & J Roweth.
Other albums available from Chloë & Jason are Songs of
the Bush and Beyond 1999, Feet in the Dirt .... Head in the Clouds
1997 and Wailing Bizarre 1995.
* quotes from The National Library recordings of Carrie Milliner
and her memoirs.
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Sleepers
- Ivan Emke, Rootsworld - Web Site
Us Not Them is an acoustic duo from New South
Wales in Australia made up of Chloë Roweth on lead vocals and
mandolin and Jason Roweth on guitar, bass and vocals. On this, their
fourth CD, they get a bit of help on the fiddle, viola and accordion.
They sing in delicate folk harmonies and play country-tinged traditional
music. Their music is refreshingly open, spacious like the rural
countryside they sing about.
Sleepers is a work of revitalization, as the Roweths have taken
field recordings and given the songs a new life. The 16 songs on
this CD are taken from recordings of Carrie Milliner and the Bobbin
family who grew up in the bush of "The Nullica," near
Eden on the south coast of New South Wales. Due to the "fertile
isolation" of the Bobbin family, they sometimes came up with
slightly different tunes for familiar pieces, such as the "The
Wild Colonial Boy." The lyrics focus on the life of rural Australia,
such as "When the Sheep are in the Fold." The songs were
meant for the parlor, the pub, the campfire, the dinner table and
the music hall. Highlights include "The Wanderers," one
of Milliner's recitations which Us Not Them put to music, the bittersweet
gem "The Drunkard's Child," and English ballads "The
Rambling Bachelors" and "Barbary Allen."
The songs have also been published in a songbook, for those who'd
like to play and sing along. All of the tracks from the CD are included,
in standard notation and guitar chords, along with the Roweths'
arrangements.
Sleepers
- Bruce Cameron - Bathurst Folk Club, 2MCE, Folk Federation and
Folk Alliance
The release of 'Sleepers' represents an interesting
move from more familiar recording territory for talented Illawarra
based duo, Chloe and Jason Roweth, performing here as Us Not Them.
This delightful album is described as "A snapshot of songs
collected from traditional, unaccompanied singer Carrie Milliner."
Chloe's sweet and evocative vocal presentation gives this collection
of traditional, music hall and early 20th century popular songs
a new lift. Interest is growing in the way our musical traditions
evolve, and these songs are the vibrant evidence of Carrie Milliner's
family's love of music in these different styles. This album makes
an important contribution towards helping us see how our musical
interests were developing at the time. 'Sleepers' is a very well
producted CD, with a comprehensive songbook available.
Dieter Bajzek - Folk Alliance Australia Newsletter
This is a really interesting new release by this duo (Chloe &
Jason Roweth) of 16 songs collected from the Australian singer Carrie
Milliner and the Bobbin family of NSW. These (and other songs) were
collected for the National Library of Australia, and Us Not Them
have now arranged a selection of these songs for this fascinating
CD release.
They have received musical help for the recording by Alan Musgrove,
Jane Brownlee and David De Santi, combining into a finely balanced
musical unit. The CD also comes with a detailed song book, with
all the songs notated and with illuminating background notes. The
package unfortunately only just arrived in the last minute before
publication of this newsletter and there was not time to do it justice
with a proper review. I hope somebody will take the opportunity
to do this soon.
It's interesting to hear versions of some of these old songs, some
of which I had heard perform by people like Pete Seeger, Joan Baez,
Emmilou Harris & Dolly Parton, and some I even tried myself.
It is always fascinating to see how songs travel through time and
continents and stay alive through change. A very worthwhile project,
very well presented with some insight and sensitivity, musically
and otherwise, by Us Not Them. CD & A4 Songbook $25 ($20 CD
only) For information and how to order: Chloe & Jason Roweth,
P.O. Box 175, Jamberoo NSW 2533, Tel 0429 911 663. www .speed link.com.au/users/usnothem
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Sleepers
- Bob Bolton - Mulga Wire, Bush Music Club
This CD is really a "Special Project"
for the group Us Not Them -Chloe and Jason Roweth -and the history
will be recognised by dedicated fans who have their earlier CDs.
Sleepers presents songs from the repertoire of a single singer -Carrie
Milliner from the south coast ofNSW -drawing deeply on the resources
of her extended family, the Bobbins, who lived and worked together
in a way now foreign to our cosmopolitan society .
In their CD 1997 CD feet in the dirt ...head in the clouds, Us Not
Them included one of Carrie's songs Bonnie Moon and their 1998 CD
Songs of the Bush and beyond had another, I Never Will Marry, along
with the comment: "We could easily become a Carrie Milliner
cover band; it is a pleasure to interpret her song." This CD
is indeed the Carrie Milliner "cover album", with a beautiful
selection of 16 of her songs (including new tracks of the two found
on the previous CDs).
Carrie is a really special singer among the great old traditional
singers of the bush. Her family were sleeper cutters, living in
the bush around 'The Nullica', eight miles outside of Eden on the
far south coast of NSW and all the family was involved in the work
- even the young children. Songs were a prominent part of day to
day life and work, but Carrie made an especial effort to learn them
and memorise as much as possible of the family's large and deep
repertoire. In the notes to the accompanying song book, Carrie tells
how she would work with her Dad, snigging sleepers, and hear his
songs. Whenever she heard a new one, she would wander off and practise
it until it was fixed in her memory.
It is thanks to Carrie that we have such a distinctive set of songs
-the songs of the Bobbin family -fortunately located and recorded
by collectors John Meredith and Rob Willis and now lodged with the
National Library of Australia, who were very helpful in assisting
Us Not them to get together material for this recording.
The songs may come as a surprise to some narrow-view 'folkies' as
they are a mixture of very old traditional songs from the British
Isles and popular songs of the British and American stage. This
is a very fair representation of what the real folk out there have
been singing all the time (of course, many don't realise that such
an essentially Australian song as Click go the Shears is a parody
of an American song celebrating the end of their Civil War). They
range from such familiar titles (but often in unfamiliar versions)
as Wild Rover, Black Velvet Band and The Wild Colonial Boy through
American classics like Little Rosewood Casket and Little Darling
to popular songs of the last century like When the Sheep are in
the Fold and I Don't Work for a Living.
Some guitarists have suffered withdrawal symptoms, on finding that
two of the 16 songs, in the song book, have no chords -but they
are in fact songs which Chloe sings unaccompanied on the CD (and
beautifully, too!). There may also be carping about the 54'43"
length of the CD -anything less than an hour is decried as "too
short" by many impecunious 'folkies' today, however it seems
to me a nicely judged length for the presentation of songs from
a single source. ..how long is a feature concert spot?
I have greatly enjoyed the CD and the song book will be well thumbed
in the next few months. This is a package that is well worth money
and may just expand some song lists. Carrie is a National Treasure
and Chloe & Jason are her true prophets!
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Sleepers
- Rob Willis, Folklorist
Rob, she's as good as Sally Sloane!.
The comment was made by John Meredith after we had finished recording
and videoing Carrie Milliner and I wrote it on the side of the video
case &endash;
Sunday 30-5-1995 at 7:30pm. This was praise indeed because Sally,
in John's eyes, was amongst the best traditional singers that he
had ever recorded.
The chain of events that led to Carrie started whilst I was on "holiday"
at Moruya in January 1992. The name of Cecil Summerall at Dignams
Creek had been mentioned as an Accordion player and as I just "happened"to
have a tape recorder with me arrangements were made for a yarn and
some music. Cecil had contacted his cousin Nance Burton and it was
Nance that first sang the beautiful song Bonnie Moon for me. Nance
mentioned that all her family was musical and that they had lived
on The Nullica outside Eden. I called on Nance later in 1992 and
it was there that I first met the rest of the Bobbin family including
Phoebe, Nance, Tom and of course Carrie. The rest of the family
had been influenced by country and western music but it soon became
apparent that Carrie retained the old style, and the memory of the
songs. Over a period of years I called on Carrie and bought my friends
John Meredith, Kevin Bradley and John Harpley to make further recordings
and films. The stories of how the Bobbin family cut sleepers for
the railway and camped out in the bush is well recounted by Jason
and Chloe and it is interesting how isolation and the love of music
preserved these songs over several generations.
The highlight came when I took Carrie to the National Folk Festival
in 1994 and we recorded her repertoire in the studios of The National
Library of Australia.
All this leads to the great CD that has just been released by Us
Not Them aka Jason and Chloe entitled - Sleepers
I had been looking for someone who would do justice to Carrie's
material and when I heard Jason and Chloe for the first time and
marveled at Chloe's voice the decision was obvious. Being an enthusiast
in life it was great to see others who were equally excited and
prepared to put their stamp on the material. This was a good thing
as I had intimated to Chloe that the material should be presented
in a manner that was different to Carrie's presentation &endash;
There was only one Carrie.
I am too close to the project to heap well-deserved praise on Us
Not Them for their performance and I will leave that to others.
The greatest praise is the fact that Carrie likes the CD and that
is indeed a compliment. Like a lot of older singers the family are
possessive about some of the songs and Bonnie Moon was one that
was particularly close to them. All I can say is a big thanks to
Chloe for singing these songs and for passing them on to another
generation in an interesting manner.
Carrie Milliner and the rest of the Bobbin family are unique and
Jason and Chloe have ensured that they will not be forgotten,
Please let us see if we can get Carrie back to another Folk Festival
and perhaps sing with Chloe.
Have a listen to the songs of Carrie and the Bobbin family on "Sleepers"
and if you want to know more purchase the book of music that is
available.
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Songs
of the Bush
- Richard Mills - Cornstalk Gazette
Songs and stories from regional Australia.
Many years ago, when I was a child (and that's quite enough thank
you -it wasn't THAT many) I often went out along the east coast
of country NZ with my Maori neighbours to the old established territorial
maraes, the ancient tribal meeting houses. There I would watch the
young Maori wahines in traditional flax skirts playing the stick
games and practising poi dances, singing, and learning their culture
-not as a tourist attraction, but as traditional cultural education.
A callow WASP seven-year-old, I took it all for granted. Around
the doors, in the sun, sat the kuias -the ancient wrinkled matriarchs
of the tribe - dressed all in sombre black, smoking their pipes,
their faces and chins blued with traditional moko patterns, the
tribal facial tattoo. When I was mid-20s I read in the Herald that
the last of the kuias with the moko had just died -and realised
with enormous grief that a whole era had passed me by utterly unremarked.
In their brilliant, softly spoken, low key new CD this excessively
talented young couple, Jason and Chloe Roweth, have done more to
recreate emotionally the lost past of this bush-culture spawned
country than I have heard achieved by many bigger and more revered
names. The love of country life and people, the true feeling of
the passing of time, the aching sense of losing something of great
value without even noticing its passing, sing out at me from the
tracks with a gentle, respectful nostalgia that grabs me right in
the tear ducts. Even Patterson's Curse, that cursed weed so hated
by farmers, gets a gentle allegorical guernsey in Chloe's glorious
voice - which I maintain can shatter steel, cut glass, then wrap
the shards in velvet -she wrote the song, too. One wonders how big
a favour I am really doing us not them by reviewing their new CD
as I am told my last hyperbolic review of their Feet in the Dirt,
Head in the Clouds was greeted with some suspicion in its lavishness
of praise. Suffice it to say it has almost -utterly deservedly -sold
out, and they are talking of re-pressing it. Songs of the Bush and
Beyond is a relaxed compilation of the songs they have had in store
and wanted to get down, from a platform of developing closeness
as a couple and as artists which shines vividly from every track.
They have had fun just putting down songs they love here, and reflecting
their love of the bush. Their association with Wongawilli has obviously
benefited all concerned: it's nice to see Jason taking a more active
part in the vocals, notably with John Dengate's 'Song of a Sheet
Metal Worker', superbly rendered (I'm sure John will be stoked)
and 'Packin' Me Things', (NZ) which took me straight back to the
Monde Marie in Wellington in 1966, and brought tears to my eyes
again when I heard it so beautifully at the North by Northwest Folk
Club, sensitively and strongly rendered. There is not the space
here to do this CD justice, but bush without blokey, country without
crass, a fine mixture of tunes ending songs and songs beginning
tunes, tight bright harmony and mandolin and guitar, absolute individual
treatment and new perspectives with each song, an overall cohesion
of music and spirit, fusion of personality, material and voice,
this is a subtly beautiful musical experience that will delight
bush music and folk music lovers alike -and could also creditably
be heard in any country pub or club around Oz. More power to Jason
and Chloe, Us Not Them -I think we will be losing them to overseas
tours quite soon. Richard Mills.
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Feet
in the Dirt ... Head in the Clouds
- Richard Mills, Cornstalk Gazette
Somewhere, I suppose, there's going to be someone
who doesn't like this CD. I won't waste time looking for them -I'll
stay with the vast majority who I'm sure, like me, will find it
one of the most innovative, significant and exciting pieces of musical
pioneering they have heard. Feet In The Dirt ...Head In The Clouds
has conquered me utterly. At this juncture -admittedly early - the
only thing I can find I would like changed is that I'd like just
a little more dead time between tracks to let me recover from the
emotional impact of Track A before being thrown headlong into the
demanding experience of Track B, and so on. Listening to Bathurst
duo Jason & Chloe Roweth's superb work has been a humbling experience,
blowing my musical arrogance, preconceptions and prejudices out
my... well, ears, and teaching me to listen to what is going down.
And what is going down, namely ten tracks of highly original folk
music based largely on Bathurst country dues- paying experience
often achingly reminiscent of We of the Never-Never , and three
standards (past Carin " Bunch of Roses, Bonnie Moon) sung with
breathtaking mastery, is well worth the listen. Jason's extremely
individual (and no, that's not a dismissal but a very strong acknowledgement)
guitar style serves as a superb backdrop for Chloe's extraordinary
voice, which runs the gamut from butterflies to naval bombardments,
silk to Samurai swords, taking in along the way bellbirds, steam
hammers, blues harps, pan pipes, xylophones and nightingales. For
most of the tracks Jason is content to stay as complement and background
with guitar, bass and satisfying, unusual harmony, coming to the
fore when he has something to say, leaving most of the front running
to Chloe, who also brings in mandolin beautifully on occasion. It's
difficult to find enough superlatives for this ground-breaking CD,
which while solidly planted in the folk idiom is so individually
expressed and phrased as almost to constitute a new musical form,
and the breadth and profundity -not to mention beauty -of whose
lyrics gives me considerable pause. I don't remember when I last
did such a complete about-face about a piece of music. When I first
fed it into the car stereo and Chloe's unvarnished unaccompanied
voice opened the ball with North, I was dismayed at the thought
of reviewing this, embarrassed for the young couple in their clumsy
naivete. By the time I had heard the work through, had a dose of
humility that cut me down to proper size, and learned to listen,
I was awed by the vision and mastery of this brilliant young couple,
both as songwriters and as singers, and the appropriateness and
power of North as an opening bid. This tells me that I am listening
to something truly new and worthwhile, and that like all such things
it sat strangely on the tongue at first taste: I had no easy context
of comparison for what was truly new ground. I needed to learn a
new language to appreciate it. The new language took me about one
track more, although I continued to learn throughout the CD, and
the appreciation began about the track after that. I heard Chloe's
definitive Past Carin' (Lawson/Lobl) in motionless awe, sitting
in my car with the engine running, halfway out the drive, my neighbour's
head thrust through the driver's window (Hey, come and listen to
this), both of us with tears prickling as the heart- wrenching final
chorus faded. Feet in the Dirt. Head in the Clouds is a 'MUST NOT
MISS' and will be on sale when Us Not Them appears at The Loaded
Dog, Sunday November 9.
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General Reviews
"I just
love Us Not Them."
Ian McNamara, Australia All Over, ABC Radio
"I get
great delight from watching and hearing "Us Not Them"
(Jason and Chloe) perform together. Crystal clear singing, and sensitive
instrumental accompaniment. Their co-ordination is superb. Definitely
a class act…"
Ted Egan AM
"…the
finest in traditional folk song…"
Victor Harbour Festival Programme
“Their
music is refreshingly open, spacious like the rural countryside
they sing about.“
Rootsworld Web Site, USA
“When
I first heard of Chloe and Jason, they were Us not Them, or Them
not Us, then Wongawillies. I can't wait to see where they turn up
next. All I know, they are wonderful artists, enthusiastic collectors
and arrangers, and the very best kind of friends to have. I score
their entertainment value as twelve out of ten. Don't miss them.”
Blue the Shearer
"Us
Not Them' are a rare and delightful mix of Australian history, rural
tradition, 'rootsy' musical influences, working class politics and
gentle good humour. Chloe's excellent mandolin and natural 'on stage'
exuberance perfectly balances Jason's wry understated delivery and
Celtic/country guitar 'grooves'. Their albums are strong, unpretentious
excursions through the possibilities that modern folk/country has
to offer when it is wedded to a deep respect for tradition and history.
Absolute standout tracks for me include 'Songs of The Bush' and
'Salvation Jane' which showcase the duo's strong writing capacity
when they turn their hand in that direction; while their extensive
experience as an integral part of the much loved Wongawilli Bush
Band shines through in the traditional tune sets that are so a much
a part of their performances" More please..."
Pat Drummond
“..best
night’s entertainment ever at the bottom pub.”
Tablelands Post
“Jason
and Chloë Roweth are dynamite on guitar, mandolin and voice,
and their original mix of folk and blues was captivating.”
Theresa West, Springwood Folk Club, Cornstalk
“…strikingly
beautiful music…”
Liz Bastion, Prime Television News
“Their
talent and experience in the folk scene showed as they delivered
a stunning performance - there is very little more to say about
them that has not already been said in praise of their artistry…”
Greg Bull, Loaded Dog Folk Club
"Chloe's
voice is one of the best on the folk circuit, strong and confident
with a sense of connection to the material."
- Graham McDonald, Folk Australia Website
"This
is the sort of C.D. that you could play every night and enjoy more
with each listening. There are no silly, pseudo-American accents,
no frenetic guitar bashing and no gratuitous pyrotechnics. Just
good songs beautifully sung and accompanied, and good dance tunes
beautifully played by people who love the music and are very highly
skilled in presenting it.”
- John Dengate, Cornstalk Gazette, about "As
Good As New"
"The
band of the future."
- Alan Musgrove, Kiama Folk Festival
"Chloë
has the most naturally beautiful voice which just takes you away
and brings tears to your eyes in songs like Past Carin' (Lawson/Lobl)
and Bonnie Moon. I loved the harmonies on everything. Add to that
the skilful guitar and mandolin playing and the fact that they wrote
most of their own songs - the usual superlatives don't do them justice.
We loved them!"
- Jenny Carter review of North by Northwest
gig, June 1998. Cornstalk Gazette Aug '98
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