Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

Traditional music doesn’t get the understanding that it truly deserves, especially from the mass market pop driven world that inhabits the minds of many who don’t see beyond their borders for inspiration; and as a reaction to that it can be seen as a force of mystery, in some cases alienating, and perhaps grounded in ancient beliefs that are simply unwelcome to a sense of the modern ear.

Those who decry are, at best, missing out on a genre so spectacular that it is almost criminal to ignore its charm and influence. The inspiration that can come with amore natural calling to the spirit of human beings and one to whom the Romany character stands out in with sheer elegance as Polymath Simon Thacker teams up with the tremendous insight of Justyna Jablonska in a collection that is transformative and exquisite, that gives authority to Songs Of The Roma.

The content of the album is not just about music, it is the tales and the customs of a group of people, it is a history, a belief, a narrative of a nation of travellers who seek lives beyond a self-imposed border, and in what should be considered sagas rather than tunes or singles to the populist press, Simon Thacker and Justyna Jablonska push the music in such a determined way that each moment stands out in reflection, in empathy, in in honour of a way of life that is misunderstood by many, and not appreciated enough by others.

The sound that is captured, even in a non-traditional way, is superbly Progressive, it doesn’t have the music overlay of the genre, but it has its heart across the mix of instruments, it does so because the narrative of the voice insists of being attentive, it harmonises with the natural core of the moment and in pieces such as Anii mei şi tinereţea (Translation – My Years And Youth), Niška Banja, the excellent Ibrahim, and Phirado such a beautiful expanse of symbolism and interest only makes the overall presentation that much more demanding on the ear and the soul to appreciate and value that which we might never see,

With special guests such as singer/violinist Marsha Natanson, Gyula ‘Julius’ Csik on cimbalom, and Gyula Lázár on double bass adding to the experience of the journey and creativity of the project, Simon Thacker & Justyna Jablonska’s blend the classical guitar and the cello and in such a way that the richness of the history of the community is a gift of reveal and exploration of sound and complex arrangement.

A resounding sense of beauty discovered and one to be respected by all.
Simon Thacker & Justyna Jablonska release Songs Of The Roma via Slap The Moon Records on 4th December.

Ian D. Hall