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Review: Topette!!, Jam Jar – ‘Five extraordinary musicians creating magic’
To celebrate their tenth anniversary, Bristol-based Anglo-French folk supergroup Topette!! did the only sensible thing they could: they threw a party. In their favourite place. With dancing.
The magical space that is the Jam Jar swirled and grinned, stepped and laughed as five wonderful musicians provided a soundtrack to bourrées, gavottes and waltzes.
The five musicians are all highly acclaimed in their own right – photo: Ursula Billington
Andy Cutting’s (of Leveret and so many others) accordion and James Delarre’s (Mawkin) fiddle weaving and swooping, effortlessly lifting feet into the air.
is needed now More than ever
Tania Buisse’s bodhrán and Barn Stradling’s (Blowzabella) bass the springy heartbeat, giving forward momentum.
Julien Cartonnet sprinkles some Breton magic with bagpipes and banjo, adding an accent, the scent of summer sunshine drifting across an early evening boules match.
They play two sets, tunes lovingly scooped up from across their impressive back catalogue and each and every one pointing at the dancefloor.
A set of jigs starts things off and, before you know it, the audience have arranged themselves into a formation. Practiced steps are tested. Skirts whirl while furrowed brows keep count of the beats. The slight hesitancy lasts for mere minutes. Soon smiles replace concentration. Motions become fluid.
The dancefloor was full from start to finish – photo: Gavin McNamara
Balfour Road/Old Molly Oxford might be traditionally English and, therefore, has Morris Dancing at its heart but Topette!! play it to be danced as a schottische -a slow polka.
It flows across the room, Disney twinkles animating toes. A different formation is found; couples twirl, arms arranged just so, feet locked into simple steps.
This is no naff line-dance thing. This is unbridled and joyful, welcoming and fun. Dances are taught as they unfold, missteps ignored then forgotten.
As much as there are very elegant dancers, all measured movements and graceful swing, there are also hesitant looking wall-flowers. They start timidly, unsure but, by the end of the evening, they are part of the happy throng. Feet as sure, smiles as wide.
‘Five extraordinary musicians creating magic’ – photo: Ursula Billington
Pot Neuve / De La Flamme is a three-times bourrée, hectic and stampy with Cartonnet’s pipes encouraging whoops and weeble wobbles, bodies just about keeping pace with furious feet.
Polka Know / Dixie’s / Halling från Härjedalen efter Per Myhr is ridiculously fast: only the bravest of dancers manage this one, impressive hip action somehow matching Delarre and Cutting’s rhythm.
Miraculously, legs remain untangled but toes are well and truly tapped.
The gavotte that is danced for JLP is awesome. The entire audience form a solemn, sinuous snake and hands are held as the stately 18th century dance processes around the room until it breaks up for another bourrée.
Winstanley’s / Les Trois Canards is just a great tune, infectious with Stradling’s bouncy bass full of irrepressible mischief. The dancefloor is full, the Jam Jar exploding with joy.
Topette!! are one for the dancers – photo: Gavin McNamara
By the end of the second set, strangers are pulling others up to dance. A polite “do you know how to schottische?” all that is necessary to make new friends.
Everyone dances with everyone else; it is utterly unfettered as wine glasses remain in hands and boundaries of gender don’t exist. All that matters is the rhythm, the glorious joining of European cultures and these five extraordinary musicians creating magic.
This beautiful evening ends with Galician Sher, a Polish klezmer tune that allows for a totally unstructured freakout.
By now dancing is all around – no one cares what steps are happening, or whether there are partners. Each dancer is locked into a frantic folky delirium. Everyone is, very simply, having fun.
The latest Topette!! album, On – Live at The Jam Jar, was recorded in this very space one year ago. Tonight was a riotous return to a room that they love.
The collective love that they were shown, in turn, was the finest thing. Topette!! are one for the dancers.
Main photo: Ursula Billington
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