An Appalachian song from the singing of Jean Ritchie, I first heard Swing and Turn (Jubilee) from Laura Cortese at Orkney Folk Festival in 2017. The song can be found in Jean’s own book “Folk Songs of the Southern Appalachians as Sung by Jean Ritchie” reissued by the University of Kentucky Press in 2016. The song features on Mudcat Café, an online discussion group and song and tune database. Jean stated on the forum: “Jubilee is a Ritchie family gamesong, but I never did a copyright on it because it was collected from another source in the community – everyone around knew it. A lady named Marian Skein wrote it down at Ary, Kentucky and it was published by Lynn Rohrbough, Cooperative Recreation Service, Delaware, Ohio in 1939.” Lorraine Lee Hammond states that the tune for Swing and Turn (Jubilee) is a common tune of choice for the ballad, Gypsy Davy. In Jeannie Robertson’s “distinctly Scottish version of The Gypsy Laddies, the opening line of the verse is again the familiar musical phrase used by Jean Ritchie and Woody Guthrie.
Dark Turn of Mind is the new release from MG ALBA Scots Singer of the Year, Iona Fyfe. The 6-track EP, features ballads which were collected in both Aberdeenshire and the Appalachian Mountains and draws on the repertoire of singers such as Jean Ritchie and Jeannie Robertson. Dark Turn of Mind features material written by Gregory Alan Isakov and title-track writer, Gillian Welch. Released in January 2019, Dark Turn of Mind was produced by Graham Rorie at Rumley Sounds and features a stellar folk line-up of musicians such as Aidan Moodie (Gnoss), Rory Matheson (TRIP) and Graham Rorie (Gnoss).
“Encompassing a new interpretation to the country genre. An infectiously gorgeous style.”
★★★★ – Maverick
“Dark Turn of Mind keeps the crystalline vocals and tumbling sunkissed melodic smarts, but with lyrics now in English. Great things surely await.” ★★★★ – Country Music Magazine
“Describing Iona Fyfe as a Scottish folksinger is probably doing her an injustice, as the versatility displayed on her new EP release, Dark Turn of Mind, reflects her grasp and understanding of jazz, Americana and much more.” – RnR Magazine
Aberdeenshire folksinger, Iona Fyfe, has become one of Scotland’s finest young ballad singers, rooted deeply in the singing traditions of the North East of Scotland. Winner of Scots Singer of the Year at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2018, Iona has been described as “one of the best Scotland has to offer.” (Global-Music.de) With a number of high profile appearances under her belt, Iona, a mere 21 years of age, has spent 2018 performing in the UK, Poland, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and Canada and begun 2019 with a performance with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra as part of the World Premiere of Disney Pixar’s Brave in Concert at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
Released in 2019, Dark Turn of Mind is Iona’s first EP entirely in English and features six ballads and songs found in both Appalachia and Aberdeenshire and has been described as “a new interpretation to the country genre” – Maverick. A sell-out show at Edinburgh Fringe Festival for two consecutive years, Iona was a finalist in the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year and won the Molloy Award at Birmingham Irish Trad Fest. In 2018, Iona performed at Interceltique Festival De Lorient where she was described as “a Scottish folksinger, magical and charismatic” (Rolling Stone, France).
Artist website: http://www.ionafyfe.com
Single title: Swing and Turn
Album title: Dark Turn of Mind
Release Date: 01/01/2019
Single artist: Iona Fyfe
Single duration: 2:35
Record Label: Cairnie Records
Catalogue No: IF19DARK
Writers: Trad.
Publishers: N/A
Explicit?: N/A
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