Decades before she achieved fame late in her life as a founding member of British traditional music ensemble
Mediæval Bæbes
,
Dorothy Carter
mastered several hammer chord stringed instruments, including the dulcimer and psaltery. She traveled far and wide, spending time in communes as well as conservatories, and she established the experimental group
Central Maine Power Music Company
with new age pioneer
Constance Demby
and avant-garde composer
Robert Rutman
.
Carter
self-released two albums during the 1970s containing her singular interpretations of Celtic, Appalachian, and French folk tunes.
Waillee Waillee
(1978) is the second, and the one that's taken on a life of its own as a cult classic, particularly among fans of the freak-folk movement that blossomed during the 2000s. As soon as the opening song "The Squirrel Is a Funny Thing..." comes on, the listener knows they're in for something unique and powerful.
's weathered but curious and gleeful voice weaves throughout rapid, interlocked dulcimer patterns, especially making an impact when she hits on resounding low notes. "Dulcimer Medley - Robin M'aime," featuring
's flute playing, is pleasant, spring-like, and relatively straightforward, but "Along the River," based on a
James Joyce
poem, is a sprawling, ethereal wonder.
encountered
Laraaji
as a busker during the '70s, and it's easy to hear how she influenced his style of zither playing. Elsewhere on the album,
Rutman
contributes bowed chime and steel cello, adding a dimension of otherworldly drone to
's playing, further enhanced by
Gail Edwards
' shakers and log drums. "Summer Rhapsody" is simply mesmerizing, with a dark, deep undercurrent to
's tightly wound yet delicate dulcimer playing. "Waillee Waillee," an interpretation of an 18th century Scottish song, features steadily paced drumming and upfront piano melodies, sounding the closest to contemporary folk-rock of the era, but still with a rift of strangeness, not least due to the constant waves of swelling cymbals.
Edwards
' fast, choppy drumming is more prominent during "Autumn Song," bringing to mind some of
Moondog
's more rhythmic compositions. The raga-like "Tree of Life" is truly mesmerizing, with
' tamboura and harp flowing along with
's bowed drones, and
's reverberating vocals taking on a more devotional tone. Finally reissued in 2023 after the master tapes were found in
's Berlin studio,
is a timeless, fascinating album that feels both ancient and modern. ~ Paul Simpson