Gig review: Jamaican Burns Night

Published on Monday 26 January 2009 19:20

**** OLD FRUITMARKET, GLASGOW

FOLLOWING his Burns Mela in 2007, Sunday saw Glasgow musician and collaborator extraordinaire Sushil Dade take Burns's aborted plan to emigrate to Jamaica as the catalyst for an evening of cultural crossover, with a buffet of traditional Caribbean food.

The musical diet included a steel band for starters, followed by a surprisingly seamless mix of reggae and folk styles from the reformed Edward II, who produced a skanking good version of Wild Mountain Thyme and ended their lively set with a soca-flavoured flourish.

With Dade at the helm, the Orange Juice Dub Arkestra was a more ramshackle proposition. Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake and BMX Bandits vocalists Duglas Stewart and Rachel Allison were somewhat apologetic frontpersons until the blessed Edwyn Collins arrived to take charge.

The Orange Juice hit Rip It Up lent itself well to a dub interpretation, but the rest of the performance had the under-rehearsed air of an impromptu set cobbled together for the Celtic Connections club.

Next, legendary Jamaican rhythm section Sly & Robbie took over in low-slung fashion. In keeping with the rather shambolic vibe, there was no sign of their billed special guest Sharon Shannon. Instead they were joined by guest vocalist Bitty McLean, who elevated their set with some of the sweetest singing you will hear at Celtic Connections.

There were unlikely covers of such likeable MOR slush as Dedicated to the One I Love and Make It With You but, disappointingly, no attempt to explore Burns's Caribbean connection until the exuberant finale, in which Karine Polwart delivered the perfect choice of a reggaefied Slave's Lament, with fabulous brass accompaniment.