Whistling Jigs to the Moon

Flibbertigibbet is a South African folk group that includes two former members of Mellow Candle: vocalist Allison Williams (née O'Donnell) and guitar and mandolin player David Williams. Whistling Jigs to the Moon was an extremely rare South African-only release for many years until its eventual CD release on Kissing Spell and subsequently Si-Wan Records. Originally released in 1978, this recording never garnered much interest outside of Johannesburg's folk community as local music was largely ignored in that country. Their style was very similar to Mandy Morton and the early drummerless Steeleye Span period. Despite being based in Johannesburg, most of their repertoire originated from Ireland and the U.K. As the Williams' interest and proficiency in Celtic music increased, their songwriting reflected that growth as "The Black Cap," "Episodes," and the title track indicate. Otherwise they arranged traditional folk songs in a quasi modern folk style that predominantly incorporated bouzouki, mandolin, fiddle, and bodhran but occasionally included synthesizer, piano, and electric guitar. ~ Dave Sleger