Spanning an hour-long set, the 15 songs on RUKY na DUDÁCH (Hands on Pipes) focus primarily on the performance of Moravian bagpipes (gajdy) in the hands of one of the most experienced Moravian players, Vlastimil Bjaček. Vocalist Marian Friedl is also predominantly featured, and he plays instruments such as overtone flute, shepherd’s flute, jingle stick, small dulcimer, drone zither, tambourine, or Carpathian alphorn. I was familiar with Friedl's talent after hearing the 2017 release of Divé Husy (Wild Geese) by the Jitka Šuranská Trio on the Indies Scope label.

Depending on the track, other instrumentalists contribute sounds of double bass, viola, violin, mandolin, bass drum, sax, lute, traverso (baroque flute), piccolo and more. You might even hear colorings of sheep bells or wooden keg on a few tracks. While about nine of the songs have been released on previous projects, Ruky na Dudách is a splendid compilation that introduces us to a variety of music documenting Vlastimil Bjaček's twenty-year collaboration with ethnomusicologist Marian Friedl.

After listening to the album once, I listened track by track, starting with the leanest arrangements to the fullest.  At track 10, “Tatíček už ležá” (The Father is Lying) has only Bjaček’s bagpipes and Friedl‘s melancholy vocals singing a poem about an outlaw departing his life. Then, at track 3, “Bajačkine” (Bajakova´s Tunes ) are a set of folk songs, sung by a woman accompanied by just the archaic bagpipe/violin duo. Other songs on the album have fuller ensembles and tell the stories of outlaws (“Jedě Furman” - A Waggoner Goes), sheep grazing in the Beskydy Mountains (“Salašnické” - Shepherd Songs), the return of a dead boyfriend (“Serenáda” - Serenade), and a funny one inspired by a solo man’s dance (“Hopsa, Chlapci!” - Jump, You Boys!).

Those that include choirs (track 1 - “Redyk” and track 12 - “Na tej Lúce” - On a Meadow ) are pleasant as stories are told about first putting sheep out in the Beskids to graze in the summer, or portray ancient sounds of music-making animals in a song from the Moravian-Slovak borderlands. These are testaments to importance of music and singing during the work and play activities of these communities. At track 5, “Gajdotta” is a sweet, stately instrumental composition inspired by two French gavotte dances published in 1612.

The CD’s 27-page booklet includes liner notes, by Friedl, with much historical perspective in both Czech and English. Moravian bagpipes, along with robust vocals and unique instruments that accompany them, can be viewed as either archaic, or as a link from their ancient tones to contemporary musical interpretations that are timely and relevant again in a hectic world that should respect the past. It’s certainly a worthy goal to preserve traditional music of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia, and an album like this, along with more folk festivals in the region, will contribute to its revival. (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)