HAWP

Hawp Storm + Calm (own label PLSNT 001) Nova Scotia and Ontario based outfit playing predominantly Irish/ Scots and local repertoire. The flute and fiddle front line provide nimble exchanges. Andy and Niamh Webster’s strident vocals grab attention with their rugged earthiness. There is an edgy excitement pulsing through this music that wriggles at the earlobes. A raw, pulsating discovery - check them out. www.hawp.ca. Thumbs up symbol attached to original review - highest accolade awarded. - Folk Roots Magazine

"This music speaks to me of Scotland, its people and the tradition that inspired much of the music I grew up with. Each listen takes me home." - Album endorsement

Posted by Jen Ford March 4, 2009

There's not much in life that I love more than good, traditional Scots-Irish music. Except for
shoes, maybe. And the first six seasons of The X-Files. And chewy fudge cookies from Mrs.
Field's. (Put all four of those together somehow and you get the recipe for my Most
Awesome Night Ever.)

There were no cookies Sunday night, (and no Alex Krycek), but I did get to witness possibly
the finest display of musicianship I've ever heard. HAWP, a Celtic band led by the husband
and wife team of Andy and Niamh Webster, gave its first ever Toronto performance at the
Flying Cloud Folk Club, (a funky downtown venue based out of Tranzac on Brunswick Ave),
accompanied by vocal trio Urban Mermaid.

Anne Lederman, October Browne and Brenna MacCrimmon are the newly-formed Urban
Mermaid. They seamlessly blend together folk and contemporary influences to come up
with a sound that's essentially traditional, but still feels unique and fresh. Each woman is
thoroughly versed in traditional music styles, with influences ranging from Celtic to Turkish.
While the main focus of the group seems to be the gorgeous vocal harmonies they
compose, instrumental experimentation is regularly thrown into the mix.

Niamh, flute and bodhran player Jason Pfeiffer, and Urban Mermaid's fiddler Anne
Lederman. I can barely even begin to describe their live performance - I really wish I had
brought a video camera with me, because no matter what I write, nothing will do them
justice. Think slow Scottish ballads that recall the castle ghosts of tragic young women, or
jigs and reels played so fast that your eyes can hardly keep up. The talent inherent in each musician is just astounding.

I think Irish and Scottish folk music is something that everyone secretly (or not so secretly)
loves, and there's a lively undercurrent of Celtic music and tradition that runs through this
city... like the Irish jam sessions that happen every Thursday and Sunday nights at Dora
Keough, or Tuesdays at Whelan's Gate. Or even the Scarborough Ceilidhs that friends of
mine are always telling me about.

The audience at the Flying Cloud seemed to be mostly regulars, but I never once felt out of
place. (Even when a few ladies whipped out balls of yarn and started knitting.) If there'd
been dancing in the crowd and the smell of fried food in the air, it would have felt like any
dance hall or Irish pub back home.

My love of Celtic music stems from growing up in Newfoundland, but it doesn't take one
ounce of Irish blood to appreciate this style of music, and the enthusiasm and expertise
that both Urban Mermaid and HAWP bring to the genre.
- BlogTO.com

Described on their website as 'a swirling reverie of Scots and Irish song; flute; whistles; fiddles; guitar; bouzouki; bodhran; and Irish dance, HAWP is a Celtic ensemble that combines ancient traditions with modern musical approaches to create a sound truly representative of Celtic culture in the 21st century.' This album does just what it says on the tin.

Hawp hails from Nova Scotia, Canada, and this is their debut album. The band are Andy Webster (vocals, guitar, bouzouki, and piano); Niamh Webster (vocals and piano); Anne Lederman (fiddle and foot percussion); Jason Pfeiffer (flute and whistles). Guest musicians on the album are Joe Phillips (double bass) and Martin O'Neil (bodhran and percussion).

The music, arrangements, and playing of the tunes is superb with a strong Scottish feel to them. However, unfortunately, they do tend to sound very much like hundreds of other Celtic bands around on the festival circuit at the moment. As to whether this is a good thing or not, I'll leave it up to you to decide.

My only other small criticism is with their choice of material for the vocal tracks. I thought this was a little weak and they could have done better, as none really stood out. Clearly the band is very strong on instrumentals. But, this is their 1st album and so it will be interesting to see which way they go on future albums, always assuming there will be one.

The album opens with traditional song 'The Fisherman Boy' which is followed by several sets of jigs and reels. Many of the tunes appear to have been penned by band members and are exceedingly good to say the least and you'll find it hard to distinguish them from traditional material. Jason Pfeiffer and Andy Webster write most of them.

To sum up, this is a very nice debut album from a band that is well known in Canada already and is definitely on the way up. You can learn more about the band and buy the album online here. If you go to the website and click on various pages, you can hear the band playing in the background. I think this band will appeal to the folk traditionalists amongst our readers who enjoy ethnic Celtic music from Scotland and Ireland.
- Greenman Review

"Mixing and mastering the CD "Storm+Calm" by Hawp was a rewarding privilege. The impeccable musicianship and refined talent has impelled my respect and admiration." - Tim Feswick

"The cardinal rule of new Celtic music is that you have to know the tradition inside out before you can play around with it. Hawp understands this intuitively. Andy Webster's fine, full-spectrum, multi-instrumental playing anchors the traditional-sounding melodies, while Niamh Webster's rhythm-heavy feet nail down the beats. Fleshed out by more dancing (Ciaran Myers and Jenn Tompkins), fiddles (Jay Weiler) and some guest flutes and whistles (Jason Pheiffer), Hawp presents a full-bodied sound that enlivens Celtic music while playfully referencing all kinds of melodies and rhythms. The ease with which Hawp play together belies their serious training--all the audience sees and hears is great music and great entertainment." - Caitlin Crockard