One Rainy Evening

Belgian violinist Naomi Vercauteren studied classical music at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent, where she carried out research into bowing styles in folk music, and she continues to contribute to the Ghent Folk Violin Project. Set up in 2012 by violinist and composer Wouter Vandenabeele (who is something of a heroic figure on the burgeoning Belgian folk and world music scene), the Ghent Folk Violin Project draws on European folk traditions, but complemented by new compositions inspired by John Zorn, Philip Glass, African music and even Bach – all with the violin as the featured central instrument. The Vercauteren Trio, however, finds her working with a set of brand new melodies, almost all her own and based on experimenting with open tunings on violin, with drone accompaniments on accordion from Bert Ruymbeek and open-tuned guitar backing from Jan Debrabandere.

Gratifyingly, and perhaps surprisingly given this somewhat academic-sounding background, it all swings like merry hell, while the occasional vocals by Debrandere on a couple of tracks – ‘Arthur McAuley’ (arranged by Vandenabeele) and ‘Ruby’ – prove enormously effective. It's a collection that fairly snaps and crackles with the sheer joy of musical collaboration and creation.