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Tales from the Vineyard Owain Phyfe The New World Renaissance Band Nightwatch Recording (NWR 1009) Led by vocalist Owain Phyfe, the New World Renaissance Band would never be mistaken for an Early Music ensemble, nor has it ever claimed to be despite its repertory. On this, their fourth release, the band members continue to provide their own take on early French, Italian, Irish, and other melodies with an approach that lends itself as much to contemporary folk music as anything else. Tales From the Vineyard may not be as compelling as some of their earlier recordings, but it still makes for some very good listening. Granted, purists may gnash their teeth over Phyfe's rendition of "Tant Que Vivray," but his obvious appeal as a performer makes such criticism seem beside the point. Phyfe has always had an expressive if somewhat nasal voice, and the fact that he can make even the most obscure song sound as if it were written yesterday does much to explain his enormous popular following. However, the group is at its best in some of the livelier tracks, in particular "Tarantella del Gargano," which playfully interweaves voice, violin, and cornetto. And while traces of the style in earlier NWRB recordings are echoed in several pieces (particularly the wonderful "Bon Vin"), others, such as "O Madame," have a surprisingly modern feel without sounding jarringly anachronistic. If Tales From the Vineyard lacks something in comparison to previous works, it may be due partly to the absence of two key participants-the brilliant fiddler Malcolm Smith, who died suddenly in 1996, and Stefano Pando, whose contributions on lute, oud, and guitar lent an effective dimension to the performances. The original band has grown to include no less than eight new musicians, yet for some reason their work here never seems to achieve the remarkable unity heard on Odyssey (1996), when a simple basse dance could spin off into a dazzling ensemble piece. That quibble notwithstanding, this CD is an enjoyable departure from more traditional Early Music recordings and ample proof that, if done well, period songs can be imaginatively refashioned for a wider audience. --Mary Dalton

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