Traverse

Californian Laura Risk now resides in Montreal and has been playing Québécois fiddle for decades. Traverse is her first solo release since 2004's 2000 Miles, although this is more of a trio effort, with integral collaborators Nicholas Williams playing accordion and flute and Rachel Aucoin on piano. The quality of music from the three players is evident from the first strains of opener ‘Stéphane Landry et les Frères Pigeon’, which twines urgent violin strokes with steadily keyed piano chords. Perhaps even better is ‘Retreat Marches’, a slower and more pensive piece of playing that sees violin and accordion follow each other closely enough to mistake one for the other in places. Gorgeous.

Williams’ flute provides diversity to songs like ‘Jerry's Waltz’, an ultimately uplifting piece with hints of melancholy, and the shifting of mood and emotion across the ten tracks makes for a broad-ranging whole. Songs like ‘Hommage aux Maheux’ begin almost subdued, with Aucoin's single piano notes supporting Risk's lower violin line, before blooming into rich and euphoric music. But it's all done with plenty of taste and balance and doesn’t overdo the flourishes. The result is a mature, dignified and rewarding set.