Footwork

The debut album from English fiddler Lewis Wood is something of a concept album – and it’s a nice concept. Footwork takes as its neat premise step and clog dancing traditions from across the country. Each original tune has been penned in a style that suits each dance form, creating a richly varied instrumental album. Wood is a seasoned ceilidh musician and member of several bands on the UK folk circuit, most notably Granny’s Attic (reviewed in November 2021, #172). For his first solo outing, Wood was keen to focus on lesser-known dance traditions of the British Isles. People around the world are familiar with ceilidh dancing and even morris dancing, but the lesser known step and clog traditions bring a special value and character to this release.

And the character is enhanced by the sound of the footwork, from leading dancers Melanie Barber, Toby Bennett, Lynette Eldon, Lisa Sture, and Simon and Jo Harmer. Perhaps because of the attention to different dance styles, this is an unusually textured instrumental album with great variety of tempo and tone from the violin and guitar alongside the striking rhythms of the dancers’ shoes.