GREEN FIELDS

Classical Guitar, November 1994

It is regrettable that, in Britain at least, the folk music scene has become the domain of tedious characters in Fair Isle sweaters who wax lyrical about the merits of "real" ale - a term which suggests that alcoholic beverages which don't happen to be flat, lukewarm and cloudy are in some way illusory.

Hailing from Washington DC, Robin Bullock is a time-served folkie of the highest calibre. Green Fields is a state-of-the-art piece of multi-tracking in which Bullock combines the roles of guitarist, bass player, fiddler and producer. Presenting his own compositions alongside traditional material and the timeless melodies of O'Carolan, Bullock's technical excellence is in evidence throughout and yet never hastens the natural flow of the music. Apart from the extended version of "Green Fields of America," the arrangements are brief and straight to the point - on a couple of occasions, Bullock manages to cover three tunes in less than five minutes.

It is without hesitation that I recommend this slick performance of a delightful programme.

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