When I dug a copy of Baba Yaga's Ball out of the endless box of not-yet-reviewed CDs in my basement, I gave it a quick spin and immediately took to the internet. I was relieved -- but not surprised -- to see that the quintet from southwest England is still intact and making music!

The band in 2007, when this album was released, consisted of Aaron Catlow on violin and mandolin, Adrian Sykes on flute, whistle and tabla, Dave Archer on guitar, Dorian Sutton on double bass, and John Blakeley on drums and percussion. (The band's website does not make it readily apparent if the lineup has changed.)

The album is a mix of traditional and original instrumental music. On their website, the band describes its sound as an "array of foot-stomping folk tunes" including "furious dance medleys" and "interestingly arranged original pieces."

While you can certainly hear elements of British musical traditions in their foundation, the band has an electric Eastern European flair that dominates the sound. Sheelanagig uses the term "gypsy jazz" to describe portions of its music, although that term has now fallen out of favor; I believe "jazz manouche" is the preferred description today. To my ear, the music is definitely more folk-oriented than jazz, but certainly others will disagree.

What's not up for debate is how toe-tappingly fun this music is -- it gets into your head and doesn't want to get out again. I love the band's energy, and I'm so glad they're still out their making themselves heard!

[ visit Sheelanagig's website ]