Udolç

The Càntut collection is a project dedicated to collecting and disseminating music orally transmitted in the region of Girona, in Spanish Catalonia, passed on by older generations to newer ones. From that immense archive that preserves more than 1,700 audio or video songs, a series of records has been born, helping to let the world in on this little secret. Udolç is the third album of the Càntut collection, and after two other duos worked on their selection of songs from this oral tradition, it is time for Alba Careta & Henrio to charmingly address this songbook. And what a precious record their voices and Careta’s trumpet make together on Udolç, where they have narrowed their scope to Girona’s lullabies. Alba Careta comes from a jazz background, Henrio is a folk singer and songwriter, and much praise is due to whoever thought of joining them for this record. Their velvety voices are a stunning match. Just listen to ‘La Mare de Déu’ or ‘Angelina’, Careta coming out as a female Chet Baker or a Silvia Pérez Cruz follower, Henrio sounding like a Catalan Jeff Buckley. They are briefly accompanied by Enric Casasses’ poems on a couple of tracks, although it is their work around trumpet, guitar and voices that is truly magic.

The way they whisper these melodies and follow on a trail porous to both jazz and folk brings to mind The Unthanks. But there is something unique, lovely and almost invisible happening here too.