THE VIRGINIA PILOT
MONDAY, APRIL 26, 2004
 
MINSTREL STILL FINDS LOT TO MINE
IN THE RICH FOLK-ROCK MOVEMENT
BY JEFF MAISEY


The lifestyle of a strolling minstrel , even as it relates to performing in
progressive folk rock band Tempest, is well suited for singer/mandolinist
Lief Sorbye, who's two passions in life are music and travel.

"I started traveling when I was 14-years old," said Sorbye by phone from
Oakland, California. "I supported myself as a street performer to get
around."

Sorbye was raised in Oslo, Norway, but he says his native Scandinavian
homeland is a difficult place to make a living as a musician. There're few
urban centers and getting around in the winter months is often treacherous.
So as a teenager, Sorbye grabbed his acoustic instrument and embarked upon a
mainland European adventure.

"It was the typical oral tradition of folk music," he said. "You meet
other musicians, you swap songs, and you move on to the next town. That was
my education. That's what I did instead of going to college."

Sorbye actually grew-up listening to rock 'n' roll. He was also a huge
fan of Bob Dylan. In fact, it was Dylan's songs, which Sorbye says were
often adaptations of traditional melodies with new lyrics, which piqued
Sorbye's interest in traditional music.

"The roots music had more substance to me somehow," said Sorbye. "It
painted very intense pictures on my young mind."

At the same time Sorbye learned about Celtic music from his contact with
Irish immigrates who had settled in Oslo, he developed an interest in his
native music. He took it all to heart.

"To me, traditional Norwegian music and the Celtic music have always been
the same and very much related," said Sorbye, who would later mesh all of
these styles of music into one stylistic concept, which today is Tempest.

Sorbye formed Tempest in 1998, almost a decade after he arrived on
American shores. He says he came to the United States because he'd seen most
of Europe, as a wandering musician, and was excited about the possibilities
of traveling in such a vast country.

"A lot of curiosity and lust for adventure made me want to come to the
States," he said. "Just the size of it, and the fact that so much great
music had come out of the U.S. I was up to the challenge."

After seeing America, Sorbye eventually settled in San Francisco. With
Tempest, Sorbye had formed his dream band, incorporating traditional Celtic
and Norwegian music, as well as 70's-styled prog rock. This timeless
cross-pollination of cultural styles often draws comparisons to Jethro Tull.

"A certain part of Jethro Tull's career was very steeped in traditional
folk music, whether Ian Anderson will admit it or not." said Sorbye, "It was
all about exploring and fusing different genres of music together.

When Tempest performs at the White Horse Pub in Virginia Beach on
Tuesday, the quintet will be touring in support of its 15th anniversary. In
addition to releasing ten studio albums, the group that is considered the
driving force in the modern folk rock movement will be making available a
3-disc box set comprised of unheard studio songs, one-off radio promotion
performances, and a set of live recordings that capture the essence of
Tempest. "

"It's not about polished recording," said Sorbye, "it's about the spirit."

And what a soaring spirit Tempest possesses when the lively act takes the stage.

The band, which also includes Ronan Carroll (guitarist from Ireland),
Ariane Cap (bassist from Austria), Adolfo Lazo (drummer from Cuba), and
Michael Mullen (fiddle player from the USA), is an international cast. Their
live shows are a mix of humor (jokes and Spinal Tap-like posses),
sophisticated arrangements of songs featuring remarkable musicianship, and
audience participation.

Tempest has remained on the road for most of it fifteen years. They are
favorites at the large outdoor summer Scottish and Celtic festivals, as well
as Denmark's Skagen Festival and the prestigious Philadelphia Folk Festival.
Between May and October, all of Tempest's performance will be at outdoor
events.

But the cozy watering holes, like the White Horse Pub, are not to be
overlooked by this one-time street smart troubadour.

"Those shows are just as important because you learn to appreciate the
intimacy of a smaller venue," said Sorebye. "Obviously there's going to be
more adrenalin when you walk in front of 20,000 people than when you walk in
front of 200 people, but it can be just as rewarding. The magic of a live
performance is the two-way communication."

As for Sorbye's adventure, he says it is a work in progress and being a
member of Tempest isn't much different that roving world cities on his own
with nothing but a mandolin in hand.

"It's still about getting in front of audiences, getting your music out
to people, lifting their spirits, and having a positive effect by doing so,"
said Sorbye. "I'm in it for the journey."