Taff Rapids
First time we heard Taff Rapids, straight off we thought we were listening to those great Canadian roots music super dudes, The Bills. The songs, the vocal harmonies, the playing and arrangements all shone with the same bright sprinkle of Vancouver Island razzamatazz.
A reviewer once described The Bills as “the biggest blast of fresh air to come out of Canada since The Band.”
And, yes, Taff Rapids have a Canadian up front on vocals/banjo (and writing). Yet the band are Cardiff-based and have a Scot on fiddle.
They’ve branded their infectious style as Blŵgras – their distinctive interpretation is so fresh and appealing, that, over the Atlantic, in the home of the genre, even the diehards of trad, love them so much that they want the four-piece to head back over there – and make it quick!
Invited by the International Bluegrass Music Association to take part in their prestigious World Of Bluegrass event, the band completed a successful tour of North America and headed home with “come back soon” requests ringing in their ears.
They’ve been busy in the studio too, recording material for their debut album which is due for release in 2024. The most popular song in the set on their US/Canada tour turned out to be a novelty piece they do – in Welsh – entitled ‘Honco Monco.’ We think it has hit single potential! First time we heard THAT, we were thrown completely. Louisiana, we thought, then, could it maybe be Galician?
Every now and again you hear a group of musicians playing together who are clearly at one with each other and loving every supercharged minute. It is a joyous thing to behold.
When Sion Russell Jones (guitar), Darren Eedens (lead vocals and banjo), David Grubb (fiddle) and Clem Saynor (double bass) come together to play and you are one of the lucky ones to be in the same room, we guarantee that you – and everyone else – will be smiling broadly!
Great live music that’s so joyous and uplifting!
Website: www.taffrapidsstringband.com
Video: Red Tailed Deer