Reviews
Versatile fiddle Jenny Newman, guitarist Andy Glass and drummer
Pete Hemsley strut their stuff on a collection of tunes
with cohesively integrated influences & rhythms ranging from folk to
jazz, military and samba. Dynamic, passionate and full-bloodies,
this is an impressive and genuinely refreshing release.'
fROOTS - Jan / Feb 2005
'Every now and then a CD drops through the door for review which
proves to be a breath of fresh air - and this is just one such. For a
start it wasn’t obvious if it was 3sticks by red moon or the other way
round ! Luckily a useful press release cleared this up, with more info
on their web site.
I’d heard of Jenny Newman through her work with Rock Salt and Nails.
Her fiddle playing is a joy to listen to -
totally uncluttered and honest, showing an excellent range and
ability, whilst sympathetic to the material she is playing. She is
quite a prolific writer, but there is a balanced mix of her material
and more traditional tracks on ‘Red Moon’.
Andy Glass
is a stunning guitarist - listen to ‘Jazz’ co-written with
drummer/percussionist Pete Hemsley - who is able to provide
sympathetic support on one track before taking over lead on the next.
Incidentally one of his claims to fame is to have provided lead
guitar to the likes of Bill withers, The Temptations and Geno
Washington.
The line up is completed by
drummer/percussionist Pete Hemsley. Again he is much in demand and it
is clear to see why. Mostly happy to be in the background, he is
allowed to come to the front - I like his solo on ‘African Reels’.
Three
excellent musicians come together in 3Sticks. Red Moon is a smashing
album full of good honest music.
There’s none of this ‘look how clever we are’ which in my opinion
spoils some more modern CDs. This is totally honest in its message and
deserves plenty of exposure.
Thanks Pete, Jenny and Andy. I have
really enjoyed this - hopefully others will also.'
The Living Tradition
'This CD is a fine example of 'the whole exceeding the sum of the
parts'. The individual musicians display a nicely judged, restrained
stylistic sense - elegant and passionate at the same time - but it's the
ensemble as a whole - the sense of musical communication and closeness -
that demonstrates the true genius of the band. Everything fits, and fits
beautifully: rhythms are tight, harmonies secure, and there's a tonal
clarity that, at times, is quite spine-tingling.
Overall a beautiful album, and an essential for any good collection.'
Fiddleon Magazine