Rumgumption
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Music
Press
The Scottish release by New Folk is titled Cross the Roaring Main by a group called Rumgumption. There isn’t a Scottish music tradition in the US like the Irish, and most impressive Scottish groups have come from Scotland, but these boys have got the sound down pat and play some serious sounds that will make fans of real Scottish music sit up and take notice.
The band lineup is Shawn McBurnie on vocals (and what vocals! My Lord that boy can sing) bodhran and cello, Chad McAnally on whistles, harp and hammered dulcimer (a very nice touch), Jason Noval on cittern and flute and Adam Modares on Djembe and uilleann pipes. They’ve picked some of the more interesting tunes as well, including “Twa Corbies,” “The Peeler & The Goat,” “Sour Milk Cart” and “Slieve Gallion Braes.” This CD is a rarity! It took me by surprise because I have learned not to expect much from Scottish-American groups but this band, Rumgumption, delivers some serious Scottish folk music that touches my kilted soul. They
are scheduled to play at the Minnesota Highland Games. I’ll be there and I’ll let you know if they are as good live as they are recorded. I suspect they will be, and I suspect we will be hearing more of this talented bunch. - American Irish News
I love the CD!!! Great playing, great arrangements, great songs. - Jeff St. Clair, WKSU-FM
If traditional Irish and Scots music stirs your soul and moves your feet, then this CD is made for you.
The Celt in a Twist radio pick of the month for February 2010, Cross The Roaring Main features 11 melodic, haunting and rousing ballads, jigs and reels, mostly traditional but with a few variations and an original composition thrown in for good measure.
The band takes it names from a term with Scots roots, variously translated as "common sense" or "shrewdness," and comprises four skilled musicians who obviously love what they're doing. The band was formed by Shawn McBurnie, who envisioned an acoustic group capable of performing traditional music and his original compositions.
This debut album by the group demonstrates the energy and range of the band in their interpretation of such traditional selections as "Sour Milk Cart," "The Peeler & the Goat" and the lovely "Slieve Gallion Braes" to McBurnie's original and amusing "Darned Socks."
McBurnie, a native of the Pacific Northwest transplanted to Minnesota, is the vocalist and also plays bodhran and cello. His voice is well-suited to the sean-nos style where the voice places as much emphasis on the words as on melody.
Chad McAnnally, a professional harpist for more than 20 years, won the title of National Scottish Harp Champion last June in competition in Wellington, Ohio. In addition to the harp, he also plays hammered dulcimer and tin whistle. Both Shawn and Chad teach at the Center for Irish Muic in St. Paul.
The other two members of Rumgumption are Jason Novak, who plays cittern and flute, and Adam Modares, who plays djembe and uilleann pipes.
- rambles.net
Discography
New CD: Cross the Roaring Main (11 tracks)
Photos
Bio
Rumgumption was the brainchild of acclaimed traditional vocalist Shawn McBurnie, whose vision was of a versatile acoustic group capable of performing a wide gamut of traditional Irish and Scottish music as well as his own original material.
Excellent musicianship and a preference for unique instrumentation led Shawn to cittern and flute player Jason Novak and multi-instrumentalist and composer Chad McAnally. After they had established a broad core repertory, Uilleann piper and percussionist Adam Modares joined them, giving the band its signature energy and drive.
While Rumgumption's roots are solidly within the tradition - of which all members are serious students, and most are active teachers - from the start they wished to engage a wider audience as well. Toward that end, shortly after Adam's addition to the group they recorded their debut album "Cross the Roaring Main", produced by the group and John Wright, veteran of scores of traditional recording projects.
The album's humble release was greeted with an enormously enthusiastic response. It introduces the listeners to Shawn's excellent versions of traditional songs in both English and Scots (as well as his original song "Darned Socks"); Chad and Jason's inventive and diverse arrangements; and well-executed traditional and original dance tunes on wire harp, dulcimer, whistles, cittern, Uillean pipes, Irish flute, bodhran, and djembe. Their work is presented with an eye toward conveying the sound and energy of the band's live shows.
Award-winning wire harper Chad McAnally wants audiences to experience the drive - as well as the beauty - of that nearly unheard instrument. The track "High Headed Jigs" shows off his compositional acumen as well as the fluency of his fingers.
The band's range is demonstrated when comparing the Irish emigration ballad "Slieve Gallion Braes," in which they invoke sounds and textures of an early music ensemble, to the hard-edged Scots song "Twa Corbies," in which Chad's improvisations on the Irish reel "The Drunken Landlady" meld perfectly with the driving rhythm set down by Jason and Adam.
Rumgumption's unique approach to song setting is further shown in the contrast between "Bonnie Woods o Hatton," in which Shawn's rich vocals are matched by the lush tone-painting of Chad's dulcimer playing, and the austere "Bold Doherty," in which the ramblings of a young Irishman unexpectedly blossom into another Irish tune played in counterpoint on Uilleann pipes, dulcimer, and flute.
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