Search - Martyn Bennett :: Grit

Iontach Mhaith!

o dubhthaigh | north rustico, pei, canada | 12/05/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sin an mead, 's Martyn Bennett, rugadh as Newfoundland agus togadh as Oilean Hebrides. Born in Newfoundland and raised in the Hebrides of Western Scotland, Martyn Bennett released in 1998 the best Gaelic CD of the last half of the Twentieth Century, BOTHY CULTURE. In the intervening years, he has turned out one gem after another, including last year's HARDLAND, Gaelic techno collaboration with Martin Low. Both men are brilliant, spot on pipers and multi-instrumentalists with a keen, might even say caoineadh, ear for the tradition and how it might be implicated in the cultivation of its future.
GRIT is in much the same spirit, but is the result of Bennett coming to terms with cancer and finding the grit in his soul to fight it. As such, you are not going to hear much of him actually playing on this disc. Instead, it is a captivating tapestry of tightly woven samples of Gaelic and English speakers, Gaelic and English singers from the great Scots tradition with his techno prowess driving it along. In all honesty, this disc takes what he did in BOTHY CULTURE to an unimagined level of creativity. If you are not up dancing, singing or weeping through this disc, have yer missus call the doctor, yer not long for it.
Folk-fascists will no doubt cuss this one out mightily. But for those interested in simply great, great music born of and advancing a tradition, it does not get any better than this. I can't recall being so captivated by a disc since Holger Czukay's "Persian Love Song" on the RHYTHM AND MUSIC CD from Peter Gabriel back in 1980.
The CD opens with a techno reworking of Ewan Mac Coll's "Move" with tinker Sheila Stewart sampled to incredible effect. Next up is Lizzie Higgins, another traveller, essaying "Blackbird" with incredibly sympathetic underpinning from Bennett. "Nae Regrets" features a load of original Bennett melodies, woven with Edith Piaf's "No Regrets" and Dundee native Annie Watkins chanting "I'll awa hame," with Bennett himself singing the conclusion. It is sheer genius.
"Liberation" is a deeply spiritual piece featuring Michael Marra reciting a deeply affecting Psalm 118, followed by Murdina and Elle MacDonald's Gaelic sung version. "Why" raises the philosophical and metaphysical questions of loss and death and sets the bar high for music as a way of asking The Question. Profound somehow diminishes what you want to say about it. "Ale House" is an extraordinary document featuring Jeannie Robertson, the Scots woman who got Bob Dylan up and running. "Wedding" is an extraordinary improvisation composed for his own wedding. You'd sell your sell for half this inspiration. "Rant" is just that: and full blooded for a' tha'. "Storyteller" winds it all up with the usual Scots panoply of body counts, treachery, mystery, empowerment and reconcilliation, astounding as a conclusion and likely to inspire you to stand and applaud this remarkable accomplishment.
I don't know what Martyn's status is at the moment. His website, www.martynbennet.cp.uk, has been down for a while. Having lost someone like Frankie Kennedy of ALtan at way too early an age, one would hope and pray that Martyn will find the stuff to rise up and defeat his affliction. He indicates in his notes that by examining and recasting his passion for his heritage, he has discovered that essential grit in his soul that will not allow him to give up. A remarkable man, well done!"

A magnificent farewell

ianmac3 | Winsford, Cheshire, UK | 03/06/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The previous review suggests that American readers may not be aware of Martyn's death. He died in Edinburgh on 30 January, three weeks before his 34th birthday, following a long battle with the cancer Hodgkin's Lymphoma. My following brief tribute is reproduced from Amazon.co.uk.



Knowing the background to this album - that here was a very gifted musician who knew that he was dying (tragically young), and who wished to put together one final creation which would sum up his life, a statement of who he was, where he came from, and what he stood for and believed in - I found listening to it a very moving experience. Lie easy, Martyn - you've succeeded magnificently."