Fraser & DeBolt w. Ian Guenther

Fraser & DeBolt were an offbeat folk duo consisting of singer-songwriter/guitarists Allan Fraser and Daisy DeBolt. There isn't really a whole lot on the internet about the two of them, but it looks like DeBolt was a Winnipeg girl who moved to Toronto and became a part of the late '60s Yorkville folk scene. At some point she and Fraser hooked up, formed a partnership and released this LP with guest fiddler Ian Guenther on Columbia in 1971. Another album (With Pleasure) followed in 1973, but although both were lauded by critics neither sold well and it would appear that the duo split up sometime afterward. However, both Fraser and DeBolt continue to perform as solo acts to this day.



This self-titled LP was recorded by engineers Mark Smith and Allan Moy, and it's not your typical folk album; although it was released on a major label, its rather spare sound, peppered with rough edges and experimental, dissonant touches, is reminiscent of more indie, avant-garde acts. "Gypsy Solitude" is a rambling number that manages to sound both rather traditional and very much of its time, while "Warmth" and "Stoney Day" hew closer to the folk conventions of the day. And "Don't Let Me Down," the only song on the album not written by the duo, is an aching cover of The Beatles classic preceded by an ominous-sounding instrumental lead-in.

Gypsy Solitaire
Warmth
Stoney Day
Don't Let Me Down