Folkworks' review of "Nuevas Acequias, Rio Viejo"

“...an essential, important work of engaging, beautiful, and soulful traditional Southwest American music."

I may be rather late to the fandango but until quite recently, I had no idea there was any significant living orquesta típica, string band tradition in the American Southwest. Sure, there is the ubiquitous “Tex-Mex” Musica Norteña I fell in love with working restaurant kitchens throughout the 1980s and some wonderful archival recordings but assumed that was about it. Surfing the internet, the past few years, I “discovered” and have become quite enamored with a number of Southwest string band traditions. Namely the Native American fiddle music of the Yaqui & Tohono O’odham of southern Arizona & Sonora as well as the rich string band tradition of northern New Mexico. This, of course, brings us to Lone Piñon.

Based in northern New Mexico, Lone Piñon play a lively mix of Norteña from the south Texas border region; Son Huasteco and other regional music from Mexico; as well as championing the traditional music of their own northern New Mexico. The region has long been home to the Navajo, Apache, Puebloan and numerous other indigenous Native American peoples. The 16th century brought Spanish colonization followed by waves of incursions by various Europeans & Americans over the past few hundred years. From this mix of cultures, came a rich canon of songs and string-based dance repertoire currently championed by Lone Piñon. While the band actively mine repertoire from archive recordings, they have also diligently studied with elder musicians throughout northern New Mexico; both preserving and cultivating this precious pocket of endangered traditional American music.

From the dive bars, farmers markets and community dances of northern New Mexico to concert halls at the Library of Congress, Kennedy Center & Lincoln Center to Cody Edison’s excellent documentary And Those who Dance It Surrender Their Hearts to Each Other; Lone Piñon has honed this repertoire into their most recent release, Nuevas Acequias Rio Viejo. On this recording, Lone Piñon share their interpretations of 21 traditional New Mexican songs and dance tunes performed in a very old orquesta típica, string band setting that had largely been supplanted by mariachi, ranchera and waves of both Spanish and English language pop music. Instrumentation focuses on Jordan Wax’s powerful fiddle & voice and Noah Martinez’ bajo quinto (5 course baritone guitar). Jordan is also featured on mandolin, piano, button & keyboard accordion as well as guitar and Noah on a variety of traditional bass instruments including huapangera, guitarron, tololoche (upright bass) as well as guitar.

There are a number of typical (to the modern American Southwest) polkas and rancheras but also a large number of very distinctly New Mexican folk dance forms, many from the Spanish colonial era as well as from later immigrants to the region. A few examples of these later include #5 Cutilios (Cotillion), #6 Pasodoble & #17 Cunas presumably stem from the colonial Spanish while #4 Varsovianas (Girl from Warsaw) & #8 El Talean come from central Europe & Italy, respectively. The several examples of Chotis (Schottische), Valse (Waltz) & Polka all originate from continental Europe while others like #3 La Indita are examples of local, regional dance forms.

A few favorites include the opening track El Pajaro Carpintero (The Woodpecker) which is, for a lack of a better term, a real barn burner (adobe melter?) polka learned from New Mexican mandolinist Tomás Maes. Entregas are a type of ritual song, sung at weddings and other community events and La Entrega de las Canciones features entrega composer and former Lt. Governor of New Mexico Roberto Mondragón who essentially recites the merits of what you will hear on this record, along with celebrating all the elder source musicians and finishes with “The ones that will sing these songs are called Lone Piñon. These verses were delivered by Roberto Mondragón.” From the repertoire of seminal fiddler Cleofes Ortiz; La Julia is a wonderful song-polka allowing the band to take instrumental breaks and I’d be remiss in not calling out Noah’s smoking hot bajo quinto breaks. The influence of early 20th century jazz makes an appearance in the Swing/Foxtrots Muñequita Linda & Capullito de Aleli featuring the absolutely lovely vocals of Noah’s wife Lia Martinez. The record finishes with the foot stomping cuadrilla set Cuadrilla de Pecos / El Tecolotito and La Despedida polka. In between you’ll hear all the aforementioned traditional dance tunes brilliantly delivered by Lone Piñon.

I will close by saying that Nuevas Acequias, Rio Viejo is an essential, important work of engaging, beautiful, and soulful traditional Southwest American music.

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Pat Mac Swyney is a Los Angeles based musician and who plays Trad. Jazz with The Swing Riots Quirktette; Balkan with Nevenka & Orkestar Pečurka; Irish with The Dirty Mickeys & Old-Time with Sausage Grinder.