The Old Fabled River

A meeting of minds and cultures well-suited to Alasdair Roberts' syncretistic nature, The Old Fabled River melds Celtic and Scandinavian intuitions of culture and music.

Responding to the invitation of Norwegian fiddler Hans Kjorstad, Alasdair made an almost preternatural connection with a group of musicians well-versed in folk, jazz, and free playing. The diverse musical backgrounds deeply inform this collection of Roberts' originals and Scottish and Norwegian traditional song. Nicking a spiritual conceit off Saint Teresa, "Orison of Union" notes love's human frailty, drawing strength from the powerful symbols in nature around us. The band play sweet, with a spry strut, verging into a march at the chorus, as guitar, reeds and fiddle play the tune's head, giving way to an intimate union of folk ancestry.