For years, mando-bass player and singer Hilary James and her husband/mandolin wizard Simon Mayor have been dazzling audiences in their native England and Europe with their singing and playing. On her latest solo album Laughing With The Moon, James is once again backed by Mayor and many other fine players including Alan Whetton’s excellent saxophone playing. Her sound is an interesting mix of traditional English and the newgrass music pioneered by artists such as Sam Bush and David Grisman - a sort of Brit-Dawg Music. The album varies among highly energised instrumentals (“The Reel Thing”) and beautifully sung traditional songs (“The Shearing’s Not For You” and a gorgeous version of “Shennandoah”), and extraordinary original compositions (“Fireflies” and the album’s title track).

The couple is also well known in their homeland as highly entertaining makers of children’s music, with their series of “Musical Mystery Tour” albums and concerts. Their latest children’s CD is called Lullabies With Mandolins and is sure to set your whole family into a blissfully mellow mood. From the sweet, soothingly sung strains of “Lavender’s Blue”, the semi-classical “Pieds en l’air”, and the sweeping, majestic “Fais Dodo”, they maintain an air of quiet beauty. Classics such as “All The Pretty Little Horses”, “Over The Hills And Far Away” and “Hush-a-bye Baby” are mando-ized, while even Vivaldi’s “Andante” becomes a concerto for two mandolins [sic]."

Lahri Bond

Hilary James & Simon Mayor
c/o Acoustics Records
PO Box 350, Reading RG6 7DQ, England
+44 (0)118 926 8615
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