Phil Doleman & Ian Emmerson
Album: Turn
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 6
Website: http://www.dolemanemmerson.co.uk

The ukulele continues its march to prominence, not only in schools as a more logical choice of first instrument than the ubiquitous recorder, but also amongst the older generations of musicians, both new and established that are really starting to see the instrument as far more than a, relatively, cheap gateway instrument and realising that it's capable of going beyond the novelty song and sustaining some serious music.

Both Phil Doleman and Ian Emmerson have released albums in their own right, appearing on national tv and radio, but more importantly, as far as this self-titled release is concerned, they have both played at every Ukulele Festival Of Britain and been performing together as a Uke duo since 2007 with sell out concerts both here and in Germany.

The mini-album kicks off with a Latin influenced instrumental ukulele duet, "Wallflower", that highlights what a sensitive and romantic instrument the uke can be, as well as being as far away from being the equivalent of battling banjos as you can get. Actually it's the next track, "Fetch The Biscuits, Barbara", also an instrumental which has overtones of that.(As well maintaining the penchant that instrumental songwriters have for giving their songs daft.)

Over the course of the album the ukes really do get a work out with tracks incorporating the worlds of jazz, folk and blues and with sounds that at times seem to stretch back to the 1920s and at other times bang up to date.

Phil Doleman and Ian Emmerson have, though, ensured that this is substantially more than a ukulele demonstration album, it's an album of mood and texture, one that shows that at times four strings will more than suffice to drive the emotions as the twin ukes play off each other like a couple of passion induced teenagers as much as a bickering couple.

Neil King