Hannah James' Jigdoll, Hannah James

The JigDoll Ensemble sees Hannah James enhanced by three masters of their instrument: percussionist Andras Des (Hungary), fiddle player Kate Young (Scotland), and bassist Marti Tarn (Estonia) perfectly articulate James’ visionary ideas for song, tune and dance.

The resulting live masterpiece debuted at 2017’s English Folk Expo, gaining an awestruck standing ovation from distinguished folk industry professionals from around the globe. The JigDoll Ensemble’s inaugural tour in 2018 wowed its audience.

Jigdoll Ensemble Debut Performance Review

Among the homegrown acts, one particular concert stood out – Hannah James’ JigDoll. This former one-woman show made its debut as an ensemble piece with James joined by Kate Young on fiddle, Marti Tarn on bass guitar and Cormac Byrne on an impressive range of percussion from spoons to cajon. James’ performance was captivating from her first yogic-like stance and meditative breathing through to her rapid switching from clogging to acrobatic cartwheels and headstands, all the while impressively wielding her accordion, looping and singing.

The whirl of theatrics was dazzling but never ostentatious – James’ unique style is charmingly understated. The beaming smile to her fellow musicians and enthusiastic crowd reaction left no doubt that this once solo show has plenty of mileage as an ensemble piece. Definitely a show to catch when it tours next year.