reviews

Fatea Magazine
"Whilst Devon has had a lot of the publicity with music from
the West Country, what with the likes of the various members
of the Lakeman Clan and Show Of Hands, Cornwall is
definitely starting to kick back.
Kernow, as the locals prefer to call it, is definitely fighting back
with it's own vibrant music scene. One of the new bands at the
forefront of that is Leski.
Featuring rising fiddle player, Richard Trethewey and
Kerensa on the much neglected
hammered dulcimer, Leski are predominantly and
instrumental duo, only rarely giving their voices a workout
alongside the tunes.In someways it's a shame, they've both
got strong and distinct voices, but I guess when the tunes and
the emotion of the musio and the playing is this good, there's
a very good arguement for saying it doesn't need words.
I've know Richard since I bumped into him at Cambridge one
year. At the time he was with another Cornish band, Red
Army. It's been interesting watching his music change and
progress and it seems to have been a good day when he
performed with Kerensa for what was supposed to have been
a one off gig and from there Leski was born. The rest is in the
process of becoming history.
Kerensa, seems determined to be an artist known by only her
first name, it's a strategy that seems to be working. I mention
it only because, intentional or not, it's something that shows a
sense of drive and wanting to understand one's place in the
world, it's something that's matched in their music.
Their self titled debut shows the passion and performance of
a band that knows what it's capable of and isn't going to settle
for second best. The title track really comes alive to the sound
of dancers and the whoops of artists enjoying themselves and
capturing that within the recording.
The album captures a number of moods, some of the tracks
have a lightness about them, a distinct sense of fun. This
highlights and contrasts against a more sorrowful, almost
mournful mood that also moves through the album. Both fiddle
and dulcimer are instruments of carrying black, white and all
shades in between, particularly when played by two musicians
that rapidly seem to have forged an understanding it takes
other musicians years to find.
Leski also make good use of guest musicians, including the
incorrigible Steve Hunt. It allows them to build the songs/tunes
out, but not without losing the scope to play them as a duo.The
songs seem steeped in tradition, even when they've been
penned in recent times from within and without the band.
Having played the album a number of times now, it seems to
be an album that makes it's self at home. You can imagine the
band leading a session in a bar, you can feel them in a folk
club, you know it'll feel right on a festival stage. It's also got a
timeless quality to it. This would have been at home a hundred
years ago, it will still be at home a hundred years from now.
Leski have found their feet very quickly, Richard and
Kerensa have delivered an album to be proud of and hopefully
one that a lot of people will listen to."

Nonsuch Dulcimer News
Kerensa (hammered dulcimer, whistles, vocals and guitar),
and Richard Trethewey (fiddle, octave violin and vocals),
met at a local session, played what was intended as a
one-off charity gig in 2007 and haven't stopped since!
Kerensa, from Truro, is well known by many Nonsuch
members; she came (with her parents!) to the first
Cromford weekend in 1992 where the club was restarted
and has
been an untiring promoter of the instrument ever since,
both as a performer and as an organiser of events.
Richard, also from Cornwall, began fiddle aged 8, and
soon joined a community fiddle group, Bagas Crowd,
where he was able to learn from traditional players.
Currently on the Folk Degree course at Newcastle, he is
now also developing as a traditional singer.
Leski's debut CD is assured and imaginatively arranged,
blending dulcimer and fiddle intuitively; with the rhythmic
and melodic grooves particularly enhanced by Dave
Bowen's percussion on instrumental tracks 1, 5 and 8.
Much of their material is Cornish, with a little French
seasoning, and features some great tunes by Neil Davey,
especially Ewon am Mor. Leski not only know how to
choose good tunes, but can also write them; seperately in
Richard's lovely major/minor 'Carnegga Waltz' and
Kerensa's must-learn 'Three Spires', or together in the title
track and 'The Night Tide'. Both Kerensa and Richard are
starting to find their own singing voices, and each has a
solo track, whilst
combining for the whacky, tongue twister 'Tregajorran
Wartha'.
My favorite tune on the album is Nansavallen, from the
early 18th century musical notebook of John Giddy,
gentleman. Kerensa's sulcimer playing is rhythmic and
robust on dance tunes, with her
characteristic two note chords emphasising the first beat
of each bar; she alsoi creates
lyrical harmonies for the slower peices which Leski does
so well, and for the accompniments to the songs. An
excellent debut CD.