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Boo Hewerdine/Chris Difford Live at The Brighton Komedia April 9th 2008
It was ‘Muddy Waters’- the Boo Hewerdine penned song on Eddi Reader’s ‘Peacetime’ that motivated me to drive fifty miles down to the Komedia in Brighton.
Motivated, inspired, and not disappointed in the least, despite no ‘Muddy Water’; Boo keeps such good company [ Kris Drever, John McCusker, Roddy Woomble, Heidi Talbot to name but a few] I felt I wouldn’t be disappointed.
As I walked in Boo had just started to sing Harvest Gypsies, a song I know best from Kris Drever, but it is, of course, another Hewerdine classic. Standing on stage in an open necked checked shirt and jeans, he spoke in a quiet self effacing manner; his attempts to get people up and dancing leading to chuckles of delight when he announced anyone who did would get a copy of his latest EP- the very lovely ‘Toy Box No.1’.
Everything he sang was eloquent and moving; that’s not to say that his songs were lacking in vitality or passion, or only slow and dreamy, more that his manner in performing was understated and gentle. I only bought one cd after the gig-and I was lucky to get the last one- but it won’t be long before I’m adding more to my collection. A sign of things to come?
After half time, [as Boo said, ‘time to change ends and visit the shop!’] Chris Difford appeared, in a slightly embarrassed fashion, with his band; vocalist Dorie Jackson, Boo Hewerdine on backing vocals and guitar, and Melvyn ‘Los Pacaminos’ Duffy playing pedal steel. After a couple of Squeeze classics Chris seemed to relax as it became apparent that the audience were enjoying the songs; and as the set continued it appeared that his confidence in his performance grew.
I was surprised and delighted by how many Squeeze songs there were- probably just under half- but equally pleased to see that his new songs were just as good. Wordy, cleverly written, relevant and touching, these stories were about going to the gym, middle age, and childhood memories.
Jokes just for the Brighton audience, a brief Pink Floyd moment during the encore of ‘Cool for Cats’ and the final whistle blew. Just time to visit the shop and buy that cd before I head home.
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Kerr Fagan Habron - Station House (Fellside Recordings FECD211)
There surely can’t be a finer trio on the folk scene and we should all celebrate this debut CD from Nancy Kerr, James Fagan & Robert Harbron. From the opening bars of Gustav Holst’s glorious “Thaxted” leading into the uptempo waltz song “Leaving Old England” the trio utilise counterpoint melody (including a clever overlapping Hard Times Of Old England) with soaring fiddle and concertina filling any gaps. Breathtakingly theatrical and with no let up on dynamic content the following track “Alan Tyne Of Harrow” conveys the story of a Highwayman who buys his horse from none other than Henry Fielding…yes, City Of Vice’s original Bow Street Runner…such delicious irony! The very seam of British and Australian character that runs throughout the album including Nancy’s own “Break Your Fall” and Hugh MacDonald’s classic “Diamantina Drover” is testament to the group that they’re proud of their heritage and the English tune sets including several from the manuscripts of William Winter sound very much in the vein of William Mittell. And that’s where the beauty of this recording lies; all of the songs have strong storylines that make you want to listen to the lyrics as much as the music accompanying them and the tunes are such that, if you’re a musician, you’ll want to learn them all. 2008 has already produced some very interesting folk CDs but I have to say I’d be hard pushed if this wasn’t my album of the year!
www.kerrfaganharbron.co.uk
Pete Fyfe
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The Visitors at The Troubadour 27th March
A basement club with an L-shaped room and a tiny cramped stage was my introduction to the Visitors, visiting, as it were, from Portsmouth. Founded originally by Ross Ingram and James Dyer, influenced by Counting Crows, and sounding to me like The Stands/Turin Brakes, this band played all of their songs on their current EP ‘ Travelling’ and several new songs which hopefully will make an appearance on their forthcoming album.
They played as a five piece tonight, having left keyboard player Adam Saunders behind. It appeared fairly formulaic at first- drums, bass, and three guitars, but the Visitors are far from ordinary. Unusually both Ross and James take turns on lead vocals, the other providing harmony support. How they decide who sings what I don’t know, but it works- Ross on the powerful rocky ‘Promised Land’, or James on ‘Travelling’ a gentle folky song, with pedal steel .Their voices are so different that somehow it comes together, particularly when they share vocals on ‘Another Day’ the song that first captured my heart when I heard it on MySpace.
They had their work cut out tonight; the stage was at the corner joint of an L-shaped room, meaning the sound was difficult to balance and the band played to two audiences, it was also so small that there was no room to manoeuvre and any unplanned move with a guitar could have ended in disaster.
Fortunately this didn’t happen, and as the set progressed the band relaxed, losing themselves in their music. I love it when that happens. And it has to happen - how else can you enjoy a gig if the band playing look like they’d rather be at home watching paint dry?
So, a good gig - and one with a huge amount of promise. The Visitors have the right mix of talent, individuality and creativeness to make it work- and I’m looking forward to the next time I see them.
www.the-visitors.co.uk

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Flook! - Live at Gosport and Fareham Easter Festival - March 23rd
Flook, that famous award- winning Anglo Irish four piece, were five tonight. Not in age-they've been around twelve years now, but in number… the fifth being Damien O'Kane. I'm still not entirely sure why he was there, but not only did he fit in the band perfectly, he also told the funniest joke of the evening. More of that later…
Flook are one those bands that you think you know. Not only do their tunes seem like friends, their performance makes you know that they are. And yet tonight, they caught me unawares. New songs, like Brian Finnegan's 'Night Ride to Armagh', 'Penistone Shroud' and Damien O' Kane's 'Shuffle' proved that they are a band always evolving, raising their game at the same time. The communication and intuition between them all apparent on the sensitive 'Last of the Stars'- a gentle emotive tune written about Brian's grandmother, as well as their 'disco' tune- G.D.'s- this being completely different in tempo, a fast furious Flook.
Thanks to Damien we also got Singing Flook, a first for me. Sarah Allen was hopeful that all the boys would sing, but sadly not- brilliant none the less though; just John Joe and Damien for the verse, the others joining in on the chorus with Brian's playing outstanding. Old favourites like 'Gone Fishing', and songs by other people like Adam Sutherland and Crooked Still all seemed to grow in stature as Flook added twists and flourishes that had the audience applauding enthusiastically.
We got watchable Flook too; Sarah Allen standing one legged, her raised foot against her knee yoga style, Brian Finnegan standing in the spotlight against a velvety black background, playing the flute with every muscle in his body, John Joe able to make the crowd smile with just a raised eyebrow in his expressive face, and Ed, alternately hunched over his guitar to play or regaling us with stories.
Oh, and that joke?
Damien was describing the background behind a new reel in the way that folkies often do, and added that it was a Foofighters song written by a friend of his. I laughed out loud at that!
www.flook.co.uk

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BOX CLUB – Box Club (Box Club Records BoxclubCD1)
Starting with the bright and breezy “The 1st Rule” the Box Club exude a positive and fresh approach to the Celtic music scene with their quad accordion driven sound. Now, you might think that four accordions would prove to be overkill but far from it, by playing to the strengths of harmony and counter-point melody the band really know how to rock and each member of the band; Angus Lyon, John Somerville, Mairearad Green and Gary Innes along with the rhythm section Michael Bryan (guitar), Duncan Lyall (double bass) and Martin O’Neill (drums) give their all in some great set-pieces. With the Scottish ceilidh circuit going through something of a renaissance at the moment it shouldn’t be surprising that those doffing their caps to the great Jimmy Shand are now leading the way utilising cross-cultural references to create a spirited performance that should please both purists and the general public alike. I can see many a happy Tennents induced audience getting down and dirty to the “Teabeggin Set” and if I was a festival organiser I’d certainly look at putting the band forward for the end of evening bash. Good fun all round…now somebody pass me another tinny.
Pete Fyfe
www.boxclub.co.uk
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Lau - Live at The Slaughtered Lamb- 4th June
Best Band at the Radio 2 Folk Awards this year, Lau were at the ElectroAcoustic Club at the Slaughtered Lamb [London’s best acoustic venue] to promote their new album ‘Lau Live’.
They played two nights to full houses; people cramming onto settees, shoe horning into alcoves and standing in the shadows of this atmospheric club-if there had been rafters to swing from, then they’d have done that too- the place was buzzing. The crowd - mostly twenty somethings from East London – loved Lau; the loud and lairy ‘Frank n Flo’s’, the slow start to ‘Stewarts’, Kris Drever singing ‘Harvest Gypsies’.
Lau Live is brilliant live; the orchestral beauty of ‘Gallowhill’ and the new arrangement of ‘Sea’- an atmospheric film score of a tune- had the audience whistling, cheering, and bursting into spontaneous applause.
Hard to believe that all these sounds come from just three guys and three instruments. No trickery, no special effects, just inventive Lau. Kris’s rhythmic guitar, Aidan’s fingers blurring at speed on his fiddle strings, and Martin playing drumbeats with his right hand and chords with his left. Their skill as a live band as Aidan broke a string, and changed it while Kris and Martin carried on playing, to the utter disbelief and amazement of crowd as he rejoined the tune effortlessly, leading to a fast frenetic finish.
Lau should have won best Live Act too; they’re fantastic, faultless, and funny too. Ask them which one’s lush!

Lau - Live at Gosport and Fareham Easter Festival - 22nd March
I love Lau. And they love me too…if their badges are to be believed, anyway. And they just get better and better. This year's winner of the BBC Folk Awards Best Band and showing no signs of resting on their laurels, Lau are Kris Drever, Aidan O'Rourke, and Martin Green.
They opened the evening set at Gosport and Fareham's Easter Festival with a new tune, fast, frenetic and relentlessly energetic; like being on a fairground ride - a rollercoaster of swooping highs from the fiddle, lurching lows from the accordion and guitar, looping the loop and turning the tune upside down till you can scarcely remember the point at which you started. Not that it matters anyway- Lau are about excitement and passion, and make the most emotive music I've heard, whether it's the tune Aidan composed on the ferry to Tobermory, or Kris's tale of the rabbit and the dog.
Yet it's not all furious speed- Martin's song about his partner's grandfather, and Kris's 'Unquiet Grave' are by contrast beautiful and haunting.
This band is a trinity -'the state of being threefold'. Three musicians playing what appear to be completely different tunes, yet making what potentially could have been a discordant disaster into something gloriously triumphant. Seeing them on stage; Aidan pivoting in his chair, feet off the ground, Martin rocking backwards and forwards over his accordion and Kris hunched over his guitar swaying, they all seem spirited away by the music, seemingly oblivious to each other and the audience, and playing with such mad wild passion it seems extraordinary that they seem able to stop the tune dead with such precision.
And when they're not playing they're laughing and joking, telling what was the second funniest joke of the evening to the mystification of half the audience- Aidan announced they'd had their first falling out of the tour , and Martin added that it had been so bad that the fourth member hadn't even made it to the stage.
Made me smile anyway!

www.lau-music.co.uk
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Nels Andrews - Off Track Betting (Reveal 34)
'Sunday Shoes' was always going to be a hard act to follow, but Nels Andrews handles this new set of nine self-penned songs on 'Off Track Betting' with intelligent assurance. Todd Sickafoose's production is somewhat reminiscent of Daniel Lanois particularly in his attention to detail, but is spared the over-indulgence. I normally tire quickly of the overuse of sound effects on acoustic music, but on this production, the effects help create a specific mood.
Throughout the album Andrews employs a multitude of weird and wonderful instruments, utilizing the harp, a klezmer banjo, some assorted sampled electronics, the odd toy piano as well as making the best use of a wine glass orchestra since Robin Williamson treated us to a skin full on his ode to the celebrated Welsh bard in "For Mr Thomas" in the Eighties.
The industrious use of percussion on "Sunday Shoes" (shouldn't this have been on the first album?) is reminiscent of post Swordfishtrombones Tom Waits. It's all there to mimic the sounds of the city we are led to believe and surprisingly it doesn't jar.
Outside the city and back on the road appears to be more familiar territory for Andrews as he follows the heartworn highways of America on "Three Days", a road song that Steve Earle would be proud of. Andrews criss-crosses the landscape of America, if not in the footsteps of Dean Moriarty, then certainly in the shadow of Sal Paradise. He's an observer of the road, and it comes through his music loud and clear, particularly on "Rented White Sedan". For all intents and purposes, 'Off Track Betting' has temporarily replaced the bebop of Charlie Parker for the soundtrack to Kerouac's bestseller, if only for a while. If this is the evolving route for all things Americana, then it's fine by me.
www.nelsandrews.com
Allan Wilkinson
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Heidi Talbot - In Love and Light (Navigator 6)
No stranger to those remotely familiar with Cherish the Ladies, Heidi Talbot brings forth her own unique voice with this, her follow up to 2004's 'Distant Future'. Delicately produced by Boo Hewerdine 'In Love and Light' is the perfect title for this selection of lovely and light songs. The occasional County Kildare inflections, especially on her gorgeous reading of Tom Waits' "Time", leaves the listener in no doubt as to what part of the world this young singer hails from.
With contributions from the likes of Eddi Reader, John Doyle, John McCusker and Michael McGoldrick, as well as Mr Hewerdine popping in from behind the mixing desk, 'In Love and Light' showcases Heidi Talbot's rich vocal delivery and it is with this voice that our attention is held throughout.
There are moments of familiarity here that will no doubt fall well within the confines of Talbot's canon. "Bedlam Boys" and "Glenlogie" bear all the hallmarks of a modern folk arrangement; interesting time signatures and crystal clear interplay between strings and whistle. But on this collection of songs, Talbot broadens her scope and tackles other melodic areas with relative ease. "Invisible" conjures up the same distinct feeling of Fifties pop as John Lennon applied to "(Just Like) Starting Over" way back in another era. It's the essence of the smoochie dance floor hit but without forcing it or being a pastiche of it.
Whilst Boo Hewerdine's "Everything" borrows from Joni's "Woodstock", bringing with it a joyous celebration of everything we are and basically answering some of the questions posed by the high priestess of hippie ponderings almost forty years on, "Whispering Grass" is whimsically revisited in much the same manner as Sandy Denny's classic rendition on her 1974 'Like an Old Fashioned Waltz' album, rather than following the Ink Spots original template. Isn't it a shame that this beautiful song will forever be associated with two sweaty men in khaki shorts and pith helmets!
Duetting with Talbot on "The Blackest Crow" is Kris Drever, who offers a second voice to the album and which is very much welcomed, alternating between verses and culminating in a final verse in unison. You tend to be left wanting more of the same.
My only minor niggle with Heidi's second album has nothing to do with the music itself, but with the artwork and in particular the miniscule white text on a red ground. The extinction of vinyl albums forced us into using a magnifying glass to gain information, which is not normally readily available on the bus back from the record store. 'In Love and Light' requires a microscope. Be prepared to squint.
www.heiditalbot.com
Allan Wilkinson

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Gosport and Fareham Easter Festival - March 24th 2008
There may have been snow and sleet this Easter, even as far south as London, but down at the Gosport and Fareham Easter Festival the welcome was warm; from the friendly faces on the ticket desk, the smiling stewards on the doors, and the smell of hog roast drifting out from the refectory.
The Festival is organised by Peter Chegwyn, and has been running for a number of years in the Portsmouth area. Using two or three local venues and based around the town of Fareham this year's line up boasted folk stalwarts Show of Hands and Oysterband, as well as up and coming acts like Breabach and Wheeler Street.
I arrived for the last full day of this festival, and saw Bella Hardy, Spiers and Boden, Roy Bailey, Chumbawumba, Lau, Luka Bloom and Flook. Flook featured Damien O'Kane as a new fifth member, which was an added bonus. Most of the festival's action is centred around Ferneham Hall, a self sufficient venue; with bars, trade stalls, somewhere to eat [featuring the afore mentioned hog roast!] and 650+ capacity theatre, which can be either fully seated or partly standing, making it truly versatile for all kinds of acts.
Peter certainly knows how to book top acts. Living in the south it can be hard to see some of the top Celtic bands, as they simply don't seem to venture this way very often- whether this is down to a perceived or real lack of support in the area, I don't know.
It felt like that great Scottish festival- Celtic Connections - in all the best ways.
An assortment of both longstanding and excitingly new acts of differing styles, a mixed age audience, and even a Festival Club [based at the Lysses Hotel across the road]. The bands themselves selling CDs after the show and hanging around for a chat, and everything being onsite, instead of having to traipse around different venues and careful programming meant no worrying that you may have missed the next new thing.
All in all, a top way to spend an Easter weekend, and for those of you who don't fancy the enormity that is the Cambridge Folk Festival, Peter has just the thing…. http://www.stokesbayfestival.co.uk

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Heidi Talbot and Kris Drever - Live at The Slaughtered Lamb 13/03/08
I sat cross legged on the carpet last night, with a drink in my hand, listening in enjoyment to Heidi Talbot’s pure and gentle voice, singing ‘Whispering Grass’- from her new album ‘In Love and Light’ .The settee behind me, large cushions in the corner, my friend tapping his feet next to me, and the dark room gently illuminated by a wooden standard lamp covered in a large white lampshade.
Doesn’t seem like a description of a pub just around the corner from the Barbican, but the Slaughtered Lamb is just that- and the Electroaccoustic Club happens downstairs in the basement there. A gem of place, with a warm relaxed feel, good sound, and comfortable seating, it was the perfect venue for Heidi Talbot, joined on Thursday by Kris Drever -her Navigator stable-mate, and John McCusker, who made a surprise appearance.
Watching Kris and Heidi was a bit like a ‘Best of …’ evening. Tracks from each of their recent albums, both of them taking turns to lead and support- ‘Time’ had beautiful evocative harmonies, ‘Shady Grove’ its rousing rhythms and Patrick Kavanagh’s ‘Raglan Road’ - John with his eyes closed, Kris with his plectrum in his mouth, and all three swaying gently.
It was a privilege to be in close quarters with such amazing musicians, but instead of feeling awed the audience were relaxed, enjoying the banter and ad libs between the trio, and revelling in the laid back atmosphere of the club. A joy.

www.heiditalbot.com
www.krisdrever.com
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Artist: Wizz Jones
Venue: The Regent
Town: Doncaster
Date: 10/03/08
Website: http://www.wizzjones.com
Occasionally I have these overwhelming flights of fancy whilst attending concerts, especially gigs that feature musicians I heard about in my youth, the kind of musicians you read about in the back pages of Melody Maker or whose name you would hear being casually dropped by God-like guitar heroes of the Sixties. There's always this lurking romantic vision of the mysterious man with a guitar who steps in from the cold windy night, plays a little, then heads off back into that dimly lit street and back into oblivion. This is what happens when you watch too many old films featuring the likes of Big Bill Broonzy, seductively entertaining a handful of highly dubious female beatniks in some smoky subterranean Belgian jazz club back in the Fifties.
That image of Broonzy would have been iconic to the young Wizz Jones in post war London and would be partly responsible for many a young novice of the day picking up a guitar for the first time and starting his own skiffle group. I missed this period by a matter of only a handful of years, but this romantic notion was subsequently handed down to my generation and has resulted in a lifetime appreciation of the likes of Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Davy Graham, Al Stewart and Ralph McTell, essentially, the cream of British folk blues troubadours.
In all fairness, Wizz Jones never quite achieved the same level of popularity as his contemporaries, but has instead found his name in the indexes of biographies of some of the big names in the history of popular music, simply because he is a musician's musician. With an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of blues styles from the likes of Broonzy, Blind Blake, Mississippi John Hurt, Doc Watson and Blind Willie Johnson, to name but a few, Wizz Jones has spent a lifetime travelling and playing guitar and not a lot has changed in the ensuing years. He's the real deal. A bone fide British folk blues troubadour.
Tonight at Bob's Monday Music Club at the Regent, Wizz Jones took command of his slightly weatherworn Epiphone and treated us to some songs from another era. I can't imagine tonights performance being any different from those heady days of Les Cousins in London's Soho district way back in the Sixties. Wizz still has the hair too! Starting with Big Bill's "Guitar Shuffle" and revisiting several blues standards along the way, including "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out", Doc Watson's "Sitting On Top of the World" and "Corrine's Blues", from his very first LP, Wizz performed with the kind of assurance that can only come from experience, which in his case is as plentiful as hydrogen.
As a songwriter, Wizz admits that he is far from prolific, 'I don't like doing it' he confesses. This is clearly a shame as his songs are really quite good. "The Burma Star" and "Lucky the Man" address two generations of the Jones family, his father and his daughter respectively, whilst "Happiness Was Free" takes a closer look at relationships, and at the same time, in tentative nostalgic terms, alludes to the ideology of the 'beatnik' generation.
There is no question that Wizz knows his instrument well and can tackle with relative ease the cream of the blues giants as well as bringing to the table songs by Jesse Winchester "Black Dog", Bob Dylan "Song to Woody", Jackson C Frank "Blues Run the Game" and even Clive James "Touch Has Memory". Wizz also is a darn good banjo player as he frailed majestically through Ewan MacColl's "Father Song".
So, just as Big Bill had done in that old film, as he placed his guitar back in it's battered case and left that dark and seedy Belgian night club all those years ago, unaware he was inspiring a generation of musicians including the young Wizz Jones, I watched an older Wizz Jones leave the Regent on this cold and rainy windy night, guitar in hand and banjo over his shoulder and felt equally inspired.
Allan Wilkinson
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FOLK MEETS FACEOLOGY at WALMER BRIDGE. (IAW FRIENDS of FOLK)
PHIL COOL & KEN NICOL at Walmer Bridge Village Hall Saturday 8th March.
I caught a plug for this concert, during the afternoon, on BBC Radio Lancashire and having played at the venue myself, a couple of times I knew that there would be a warm welcome from Tommy Shorrock and his team at Walmer Bridge. It's a first class venue excellent facilities and great acoustics. Expecting there to be a few folks there we arrived in good time for the 'announced' seven o'clock start only to find an almost empty car park. This shocked me initially because I know, of old, the pulling power of Ken Nicol when he treats us to a show on the outskirts of his home town. We got to the ticket desk at about ten to seven and immediately spotted the anomaly - the large poster in the foyer informed us that the actual start time was eight o'clock and we weren't the only ones to turn up over an hour early. The constant stream of people arriving thereafter suggested that it would be worth the wait and by the time Ken & Phil promptly took to the stage the room was packed to the rafters with the committee having to bring in extra tables and chairs to accommodate those people who had turned up on spec.
The 'duo' welcomed the audience then Phil left the stage to leave us in the very capably hands of Ken who kicked off with a very impressive tune from his latest album 'Initial Variations' He went on to sing one of his 'standards' 'Two Frets From The Blues' then performed another tune from the album before inviting Phil back on stage to join him.
I'm not sure whether it’s down to reputation or a natural stage presence but as Phil walked back on stage and picked up his guitar he looked sternly at the audience, immediately grabbing the attention of everyone present, and simply flicked his eyebrows which caused fits of laughter, not only from the audience but from Ken. I expected this to turn into comedy show but far from it - Phil sang some self-penned songs with Ken providing a superb guitar accompaniment to each and every one. This is not to say that Phil is not an accomplished guitarist in his own right but to have your playing embellished by being accompanied by one of the finest guitarists in the business must give you quite a buzz. Phil is a great wordsmith and I particularly liked two of his compositions – ‘Cabbage Hall Fields’ and ‘Valentines Day’ and his ‘Ode to a Fylde Guitar’ (Sorry if I didn’t catch the title) done in a Jake Thackery voice, was fabulous.
The interval arrived – it didn’t seem like a full hour since the pair took to the stage but is was. Pie and Peas followed by Apple Pie and Cream was a nice touch. The obligatory raffle was drawn much to the delight of the ten or so prize-winners then it was everyone sitting comfortably and we’ll start the second half.
Again Ken kicked off with a tune then he surprised us by picking up his ukulele gave an almost George Formby-esque song that he had written entitled ‘It Could Have Been Me’ this had the crowd giggling and I think (I may be wrong here) that fact delighted Ken so much that he decided to finish of this slot with another humorous composition ‘Holiday In Stornaway’ which had the audience laughing and joining in with the refrain as they could almost feel the icy cold rain of North West Scotland running down the back of their necks.
This could be turning into a comedy show after-all (I suspect that maybe some of the audience were kind of expecting that anyway).
As Ken left the stage Phil came back on – far from Cool though! He got the strap of guitar in a right tangle and then got the ends of the strings caught in the stage curtain. I honestly don’t know whether this was by accident or whether it was a deliberate and well-rehearsed routine but it was hilarious and set the scene for what was to come. Phil went to great lengths to explain that he is not an Impressionist but a Faceologist and he treated us to some classic Phil Cool comedy with skits on Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Bill Clinton, John Major, Tony Blair, Paul McCartney and Rolf Harris to name but a few- he certainly has got an amazing ability to alter his face – you can actually tell who he is mimicking before he opens his mouth to speak. His penultimate caricature was old George W himself, at which point he brought Ken back on stage who played his banjo to accompany the American President on ‘I’m an Oil Man’ I’ve got to say that seeing the normally, immaculate, debonair, cool unruffled Ken Nicol not only playing banjo but playing ‘Straight-man/foil’ as half of a comedy duo was a treat and he did it very well indeed.
At this point I was laughing that much that I can’t remember which was the last song and which was the encore but we got Ken and Phil singing a song about being miserable – Phil in Johnny Cash character and also ‘Walking With My Baby Down By The San Francisco Bay’ as a tribute to Psycadelic Sid Kavanagh a past mutual acquaintance of them both.
All in all a first class event and I think it will have made one or two ‘Folk Virgins’ appreciate the genre and one or two ‘Folkies’ appreciate the value of not taking the art form to seriously.
Thanks to Jim Minall and the FRIENDS of FOLK team + the committee at WALMER BRIDGE (who host some great events) for giving us an evening to remember.
Graham Dixon
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Skyhook - Skyhook (Own Label SHMCD01)
Skyhook are a trio of versatile musicians comprising Cath James (Fiddle & Viola), Eoin Teather (Vocals, Guitar & Bouzouki) and Martin Harwood (Fiddle, Guitar, Bouzouki & Piano). On my first listen through the album it occurred to me that this CD is more memorable than most due to the duetting fiddles lending a more abrasive edge to the tune sets. Accompanied by the strong rhythms, the sound is brash in presentation and a pleasant change from the precise-ness showcased by other artists of a similar ilk. Talking of all things brash, I thought I’d stumbled upon a long lost recording by Paul & Eddie Furey and Davey Arthur aka The Buskers (ask your mum or dad!) listening to Skyhook’s version of the classic “Arthur McBride”. In many ways that’s how I like my songs, sung with passion and just the right side of rough to give the listener something to digest. Although there are plenty of traditional influences scattered throughout the tune sets, Cath proves no mean tunesmith herself including a beautifully crafted jig “Cronkers” which I’m sure will become a standard at many sessions. I really enjoyed the overall feel of the full package and if you have any Celtic blood flowing through your veins or a pint of Guinness to hand this’ll do nicely.
www.skyhookmusic.com
Pete Fyfe

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Jackie Leven at the Rock, Maltby - February 29th 2008
Jackie Leven abandoned the conventional approach to showbiz by refusing to go through the 'ridiculous' process of doing an encore at The Rock in Maltby tonight, announcing instead that this was going to be his last song, pointing out that we had all 'done a good job' and then thanked the audience for their part in what was essentially a 'good ritual'. 'Sure it's about entertainment' he added, 'but it's also a good ritual'. I know what he means. As an audience member, my personal opinion is that if we have to go through the tiresome encore ritual, then we should only demand one if it is truly deserved. Judging by tonight's performance, we should really be demanding encores from Jackie Leven until a week next Thursday at least.
I buy Jackie Leven. I get it. When I first encountered him a few years ago, wearing a pair of brown brogue shoes, ankle socks, khaki shorts, a duffel coat and a thick scarf at the Beverley Festival, I knew we were dealing with someone slightly more eccentric than your usual visitor from the 'Kingdom of Fife'. I'd heard his records and had become a fan long before I discovered the man himself. Those records continue to be filed under the autonomous category of 'Jackie Leven', quite simply because there is no other category for this particular collection of songs to find themselves in.
As a raconteur, I believe everything he tells me from the stage, whether it's a simple mundane tale of being inspired to write songs whilst watching Columbo on TV with his dogs Basil and Ronnie by his side, to the highly implausible tale of drinking Lord Olivier under the table with a 'Scottish-style cognac', whilst collaborating on the lyrics of a potential blues song. Once you are aware of Jackie's colourful past, which includes near death experiences from a random attacker and drug addiction to the fact that a former girlfriend ran off with the Dalai Lama's bodyguard, then anything is possible.
As a performer, Leven has the ability to fill any room he plays with sound. His only requirement as a solo performer is a straight backed chair, together with a couple of direct inputs for his guitar, a microphone for singing into and another one to hover somewhere above his left foot, for the metronome he creates to beat away throughout each song. His larger than life personality is matched measure for measure by his large frame. You wouldn't want to mess with this man.
Opening tonight with a couple of songs from his last album 'Elegy For Johnny Cash', "Museum of Childhood" and the title song, with its droning guitar and unambiguous lyrics, Leven's statement of intent was to tell it like it is. The rockier aspect of Leven's recorded output somehow makes the transition to acoustic performance rather well and loses none of it's power.
"Kings Of Infinite Space" from Jackie's latest studio offering 'Oh What A Blow That Phantom Dealt Me' reveals a more soulful Leven. The Billy Paul 'Me and Mrs Jones' coda was begging to be crooned, even before Jackie started to. You feel that if Leven's hand was forced and that he had to settle into a distinctive style, then it wouldn't be too far removed from sweet soul music.
Jackie's contribution to the Kevin Coyne tribute album 'Whispers From The Offing' was a self-penned tribute song called "Here Come The Urban Ravens", which also appears on the 'Phantom' album. The notion of Coyne returning as the collective soul of Ravens appeals enormously to an avid Coyne fan. Even though Leven's song was crucial to the album, I couldn't help pondering upon which of Coyne's songs Jackie would have covered had they not allowed him to provide an original song. Dog Latin perhaps? Eastbourne Ladies? Surely not Good Boy?
Although it's always a pleasure to hear new material by any artist, it's important to be reminded of the songs that brought you here in the first place. "Single Father" from the 'Defending Ancient Springs' era, tells of the relationship between father and son, unpretentiously washing away all the sentimentality found in other songs on the subject. 'Father and Son' and 'The Cat's In The Cradle' spring to mind. Here we have an outpouring of rhetoric, which serves to point out some of the latent anguish of losing the custody of a child. He doesn't like to talk about such personal matters but confesses that it's good to share these small and important things in the form of a good song and a true song, especially when he feels safe. Jackie Leven felt safe tonight.
Another older song, this time from the excellent 'Forbidden Songs From The Dying West' album, was probably the moist poignant moment of the evening. Needing no introduction, "Men In Prison" became both lament and lullaby at the same time with its melancholy air and which managed to bring the Rock audience to silence. 'Are these songs okay?' asked Leven. The room nodded in unison.
So prolific as a songwriter and recording artist that Leven often has too much material for his record company to logistically deal with. This does not faze Leven too much, who instead of bottling it, opts to record under a pseudonym. Two albums exist under the guise of Sir Vincent Lone, 'Songs For Lonely Americans' and 'When The Bridegroom Comes (Songs For Women)' from which Leven's cover of an old and obscure Donovan song comes. "Ballad Of Geraldine" continues to bear the hallmark of early Dylan, even in the hands of Jackie Leven, but becomes distinctively Jackie's own.
So as we drew to the close of the performance, with that last song "A Little Voice In Space" and with no encore, Jackie left his audience aching for more (always a good thing) and disappeared into the night. 'When shall we meet again?' he enquired. Soon I hope.
Allan Wilkinson
www.jackieleven.com
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Cerys Matthews - Live at The Blake Theatre, Monmouth 22/02/08
Looking like the front cover of a sixties Vogue magazine, Cerys Matthews strode confidently onto the Monmouth stage last night, dressed in a white frock coat with big collars and buttons, a black polo neck, white trousers and black knee high boots.
At odds with this entrance she opened the set quietly and hesitantly, appearing almost uneasy, singing so gently in Welsh that the audience were silent. A few songs in, and joined by her band on this tour; Mason Neely- 'he plays anything you can sit him in front of!', Andy 'Wal' Coghlan, and Kevin Teel; she seemed more relaxed, with hints of her previous ballsy Catatonia style apparent on Morning Sunshine and Ruby.
The second half was more upbeat; Cerys saying that it was an opportunity to be more rock-disco, or up tempo folk! It was certainly different- with a variety of instruments from the conventional double bass, guitars, drums and Steinbeck piano, to melodicas, mouth organs, xylophones and a green bullet microphone. The xylophones in question belonged to Cery's children- Andy Coghlan had one in a blue plastic case, and Cery's was yellow.
The set list was equally varied- songs from Cockahoop and Never Said Goodbye sitting comfortably alongside Welsh folk songs, hymns, and Catatonia classics like Dead From The Waist Down played by Mason on piano. Then just when you thought you knew what to expect she'd take you aback, throw you a curve ball like Doris Day's Secret Love or Welsh punk anthem Deio. Galway Shawl was awesome- a traditional Irish folk song sung acoustically in Cery's beautifully pure voice, segueing into Strange Glue, with hints of the gesticulating trademarks of Catatonia days and ending again with Galway Shawl.
Road Rage was astounding. Stripped back to just voice and piano chords, it was heartbreakingly honest, Cerys showing hints of powerful past performances, but reigning it in using amazing control and strength to fill the acoustics of the theatre with an intense clarity.
There were new songs too, so brand new they only have working titles, contemporary indie sounds a world away from the acoustic folk feel of a few years ago; yet still sounding completely Cerys like. And it's exactly this that makes a Cerys Matthews gig such a special place to be. She's indefinable; quirky, funny, honest and down to earth- a natural performer who constantly questions both herself and her audience. Her voice- one moment soft and gentle, so clean and pure it seems to come straight from the heart of her beloved Welsh coast- the next hard as slate, full of strength and power.

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The Peatbog Faeries - Live at The ABC 26/01/08
It was late one August evening back in 2002, the moon was up, and there was a hint of the day’s heat still in the air. I was surrounded by thousands of people, some drunk, some happy, some dancing and some trying to do all three at the same time; all of them enjoying the Chemical Brothers on the main stage at V. The arc lights lit up the sky, illuminating the two figures hunched over the decks, and the noise pulsated around me. One of those moments that I’ll always remember.
One that I was surprised to be recalling on a cold wet January evening at the ABC as part of a Celtic festival. But there was no doubt about it, the audience were the same. The music was inducing that same happy daze, the necessity to dance, to do something, anything, just move to the incessant beat that filled their heads, their hearts, and very souls.
The huge glitter ball and light display probably helped, but instead of two DJs there were the Peatbog Faeries, all six of them, complete with brass section and obligatory kilt. And they were amazing. Starting with Friend of Crazy Joe, leading the dancing masses straight into Crusty Mary, and then Invergarry Blues, the Peatbogs were had the crowd in raptures. Hands in the air, swaying, jumping and gyrating, the dry ice swirling round limbs, torsos silhouetted in the pulsing lights.
And when it seemed like it couldn’t get any better it just did. The sound of Adam Sutherland’s fiddle ricocheting from speaker to speaker, the drum solo from Iain Copeland on Dancing Feet , the bump n grind bass rhythm of Innes Hutton in Still Drunk in the Morning., and the brass section in There's a girl behind the bar who thinks she's Garbo. Trance. Or dance. Or the rebellious rousing nature of the pipes and whistle, like chieftains calling their clans together. Dancing compulsory

www.peatbogfaeries.com
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Various Artists – An American Tradition
Cool Mandolin Company, No Number
www.coolmandolin.com
Playing Time – 57:28
Laura Leder,. founder of the Cool Mandolin Company in 2006, conceived the idea of an album to sample cuts from fifteen different mandolinists. Most are original compositions from the American, Canadian and British artists who donated their time to a project that will allocate 100 percent of its profits to funding scholarships for up-and-coming mandolin players. Many of the tunes have been pre-released on the artists’ own album projects, but six tracks are previously unreleased. Besides Leder, the contributing mandolinists include Andrew Collins, Justin Moses, Dominick Leslie, Rich DelGrosso, Ryan Holladay, Butch Baldassari, Sierra Hull, Ben Winship, Simon Mayor, John McGann, Josh Pinkham, Scott Gates and Frank Solivan II. From their “Occupational Hazards” album, the vocals of John Lowell and Ben Winship appear in “Road Agent’s Lament,” and Rich DelGrosso also sings on the bluesy title cut from his album, “Get Your Nose Outta My Bizness!”
At nearly an hour, “An American Tradition” is an eclectic compilation of genres and picking styles. While we hear representations of old-time, bluegrass, new acoustic, blues and Celtic music, another volume will be necessary to cover the instrument’s use in classical, jazz, Latin and other world genres. John McGann’s use of triplets in a Celtic medley of “The Stage/The Western” is a fine study of that technique. The album also has a special appeal because the arrangements range from solo or twin mandolin to full ensembles. One particularly uniquely-arranged tune is Simon Mayor’s leisurely “The Buttermere Waltz “ with his self-played seven mandolins, four mandocellos, three guitars, and organ bass pedals. Hilary James joins him on double bass. The album also introduces us to some young players that we may not have heard before. As one minor suggestion, the liner notes could have identified the brand and model of each artist’s mando. Overall, the superb CD is so cool that it’ll surely get mandolin fans shakin’ in their boots and shiverin’ with excitement.
Joe Ross
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Celtic Fiddle Festival - Equinoxe (Loftus Music LM003)

There was a time when I used to sit in on the sessions at the White Hart, Fulham Broadway and enjoy listening (and joining in) with some of the best musicians the Celtic world had to offer. In many ways this album recalls those glory days and even some of the tunes remain the same including “The Sligo Maid/The Killavil Fancy/The Sailor On The Rock” and a few of the wonderful Ed Reavey melodies for good measure. All three fiddlers: Kevin Burke, Christian Lemaitre and particularly new kid on the block Andre Brunet with his solo “Jig de Valcartier/An Italian Tune/Reel de Maisonneuve” give sparkling performances. It’s an album unadorned of any frills given a real lift by Ged Foley’s intuitive guitar accompaniment and for those (like myself) who enjoy their music more organic this is a little beauty!
www.loftusmusic.com
Pete Fyfe
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Skilda – Spas (L’oz Productions LOZ 52)
Skilda certainly know how to catch your attention right from the outset. Although I’m not entirely sure about the spoken introduction to the recording the first track “An nighean dubh” sounds like a mix between Jean Michael Jarre, Capercaillie and even, dare I say it…Buggles (!) Still, after you get over the initial shock be prepared for a ride that proves exhilarating and confusing in equal measures. At least Skilda couldn’t be accused of resting on their laurels utilising as they do soundscapes as a background accompaniment to their intentionally Celtic themes. I gave up on trying to decipher any lyrics (an instant aversion I’m afraid to the Gaelic language – OK, so call me a Philistine) but must admit to thoroughly enjoying the energy in much the way I used to look forward to buying all of Enigma’s albums. The keyboard rich sound combined with fiddle and Highland Pipes propels a sense of syncopated urgency on the track “Clach Mhic Leoid” that would have a whole tent of ‘Moshers’ bopping away at Glastonbury Festival…and rightly so. So, put on your dancing shoes, scatter a ton of Lager cans (preferably ones that you’ve drunk from first) on your living room floor and boogie on down like a dancing dervish.
www.skilda.com
Michael McGoldrick Trio - Live at The Irish Cultural Centre 9/02/08
Barely a week since Celtic Connections ended and Michael McGoldrick was in Hammersmith; back at the Centre he’d played so often, in so many different guises. Tonight he was there with childhood friend Dezi Donnelly, and former Flook band mate Ed Boyd as a Trio.
Starting with Mouse in the Kitchen and Blessings of Gold, both from Michael’s work with Sharon Shannon, this trio are amazing. Able to accommodate and predict each other’s playing, knowing instinctively when the tune changes, or indeed, if it doesn’t, these three men are intuitive and sensitive, weaving instrument, melody and accompaniment seamlessly together until it’s hard to separate the individual strands.
Trip to Ireland/Jutland was perhaps my favourite tune tonight; a slow beating gentle seductive caress of a tune, tinged with an air of sadness.
Kishors- by Soig Siberil, was wonderfully atmospheric as always, the beautiful guitar introduction from Ed, the jazz like improvisation from Michael, and the fast intro straight into Kilfenora by Dezi.
And that was the way of the evening. Each given the chance to take the limelight- Dezi on Paddy’s rambles through the park, Ed on Trip to Ireland, and Michael on Jutland; then playing together fast and furiously, reels and jigs, like Fisher Street, and Paddy in the Smoke, till the audience were stamping and clapping appreciatively.
There were background stories about the tunes, funny tales of other gigs, and laughter when Ed started playing Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart; these three maybe excellent musicians but at heart they’re down to earth and love a good joke!
If you’ve never seen this trio in a small intimate setting- go, you won’t be disappointed!

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Michael McGoldrick Big Band at The Old Fruitmarket 25/01/08
‘Brace yourself for the return of Michael McGoldrick’s mighty big band line up’ - so says the introduction in the Celtic Connections booklet. Fair warning, I thought. Because there’s always an air of excitement about a McGoldrick Big Band gig; enthusiasm about what you might hear, expectancy of seeing the best musicians around, and anticipation of the fusion of Celtic/Traditional /Jazz /World sounds that McGoldrick has made his own.
Tonight was no exception. Glasgow’s Old Fruitmarket was full, a mainly young audience eager for the show to start, illuminated by the multi-coloured fairground carousel lights looped around the balcony and ceiling of this old building.
Mike started the set simply, a traditional trio of John Joe Kelly on bodhran and Ed Boyd on guitar- uncomplicated, clear and pure. As the pace increased the rest of the band appeared; Dezi Donnelly on fiddle, Ewen Vernal on bass, Donald ‘Genius’ Shaw on keyboards, James Macintosh on drums and Parvinder Bharat on tablas.
The saxophonist Tommy Smith was new to the line up, replacing the missing Neil Yates and his trumpet, but somebody seeing this band for the first time could never have known, as Tommy joined Mike in a slow air. The hall gradually quietened, the chattering at the bar stilled, as the sound of these two instruments soared upwards, one moment together, the next split between melody and harmony, crossing boundaries; accompanied, I later realised , by Donald, who is just perfect at that- supporting but never overpowering. This same slow air became a bodhran introduction to a faster set, Tommy’s turn to look on in admiration as the band united in a swirling, whirling dervish of a tune.
Mindy Smith came on to sing, looking very tiny amongst the rest of the band. She messed up on a line, and the band covered it up, laughing together as she apologised at the end of the song.
It was good to hear Dub Reel again and a great opportunity for John Joe and Parvinder to hold the stage on their own, playing with the beat, passing it back and forth between them like a football, in a game of keepy uppy! The audience whooping and calling, standing grinning at each other in disbelief at what they were hearing, the band creeping out from the wings to encourage them further before cementing this drums n bass reverb ‘thing’ with their own impressions!
The set list was varied- Watermans- in 7/8 timing, Paddy in the Smoke – a pipes led set of reels hypnotizing in its rhythm, and in Fisher Street the trio seemed invisibly welded together, invincible – while in the background Ed and Ewen were laughing and joking together, Donald and Tommy chatting before joining in. This is one of the great things about this band- they make it appear like a big relaxed informal session, involving the audience and making them forget, for a moment, that they’re not playing too.
The band encored with Noon Lassies and James Brown’s march, bringing with them Grace Kelly and Emma Sweeney from Michael’s hometown of Manchester, John McCusker, and Salsa Celtica’s Éamonn Coyne. A riotous carnival of music and dancing, John McCusker and Dezi playing the same fiddle at the same time- a real party atmosphere!

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Kris Drever- Classic Album at the Old Fruitmarket 25/01/08
Kris Drever ambled on stage in jeans, a red t shirt, and a black jumper looking for all the world like he was just dropping in on his way to buy milk, or even a pint. Not like someone waiting to be filmed for a ‘Live DVD’
But who cares? This was a lovely informal relaxed gig from the man that I’d first seen playing upright bass for Kate Rusby a few years and a few hundred miles away. Listed as a ‘Classic Album’ gig- whatever that is- it was an opportunity for Kris to perform his songs with a big band setting, featuring the guests from his album ‘Black Water’. And what guests! - Andy Cutting, Donald Shaw, John McCusker, Ian Carr, Ewen Vernal, and Heidi Talbot, Karen Matheson and Roddy Woomble on vocals.
The full band gave a big sound to songs like Green Grow, adding detail and emphasis that had the crowd swaying, and singing. Boo Hewerdine’s Harvest Gypsies was brilliant, a hugely commercial sound in the huge Fruitmarket that could hold its own with radio darlings Kate Rusby and Seth Lakeman.
Rodney’s Glory and another fast strathspey, as well as duelling guitars with Ian Carr, and the crowd, a motley assortment of ages and styles, were enthusiastic in their support, encouraged further by the reappearance of Karen Matheson and Roddy Woomble to sing Navigator.
With Shady Grove as an encore, the Classic Album was done and dusted. As was the Classic Gig!

www.krisdrever.com
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Ruth Notman - Live at the Regent, Doncaster 11th February 2008
At just nineteen, Ruth Notman brings something to the stage that probably ninety-nine-point-nine per cent of folk singers would love to bring to their stage; that is, fresh faced youth. She speaks of A levels and examinations with youthful candour, not as if it were just yesterday, but as if she was still in the middle of them. Ruth's scatterbrain affectations could come across as giddiness, were it not for her bright and breezy personality. It actually comes across as unbridled charm. You would have to be made of ice not to love this Nottingham lass.
This highly anticipated appearance at Bob's Monday Music Club at the Regent, was Ruth's first club outing this year and she brought with it just about every song from her debut album 'Threads'. The anticipation of this gig incidentally came about due to Max (the sound man), whose persistent playing of 'Threads' through the PA as regulars took to their seats on previous guest nights, made it completely irresistible to attend. The liner notes of this album site such inspirations as Nic Jones, Eliza Carthy, Martin Carthy, June Tabor, Richard Thompson and Dougie Maclean, credits that could not fail to help the CD find it's way into my virtual shopping basket.
Alternating between guitar and piano, with the odd unaccompanied song thrown in, Ruth delighted her audience with her unmistakable voice and faultless song choices. Opening with her own take on Nic Jones' "Billy Don't You Weep For Me", Ruth's set displayed a lightness of touch on both guitar and piano. Had there been room in the car, she confesses, she would have probably brought along the harp as well. Name-dropping the likes of Cara Dillon, Sandy Denny and Eliza Carthy throughout her set, Ruth demonstrated an insatiable appetite for the cream of British female singers. Ruth also joked about Westlife, especially when tackling power ballad key changes as illustrated in "Lonely Day Dies", which she admits is there simply to "meet the criteria of the examination board" in her Music A Level!
Ruth proclaims from the get-go that women write the best songs; 'they don't dilly-dally' she declares. She does however make an exception when Dougie MacLean springs to mind, and her treatment of "Caledonia" is one of the highlights of the set. Other highlights include "Limbo" recently heard at the club by Martin Carthy, which in the hands of Ruth Notman adopts a jaunty piano motif that becomes equally accessible and memorable. "Farewell Farewell", the classic Richard Thompson song, definitively performed by the late Sandy Denny on the celebrated Fairport Convention 'Liege and Lief' album, is approached with both maturity and assured confidence.
Songwriters often tell of the circumstances surrounding how they came to write a particular song, which informs the listener and fills in any gaps that the rhetoric cannot afford. Confessions of having written a lyric on a freight train or whilst dipping one's toes in the Mississippi may have a certain romance, but it's not often you hear a line like 'I wrote this in English Lit class instead of doing an essay on Othello!' Such is the introduction to one of Ruth's own compositions "Hideaway", a song that comfortably straddles the folk/pop boundary.
There's almost an apologetic air to her song introductions, especially when addressing almost sacrosanct figures such as Nic Jones and Sandy Denny, but I personally think this is a nonsense that the old guard foists upon young people. Ruth, along with any newcomer to folk music has every right, if not more right, to trawl these back catalogues and breathe new life into these old songs. Ruth is one of the new breed of folk singers, along with Bella Hardy, Lisa Knapp, Jackie Oates and Rachel Unthank, to name but a few, who are not only keeping this music fresh and alive, but are making it exciting once again.
www.ruth-notman.com
Allan Wilkinson
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Martin Carthy - Live at the Regent, Doncaster, South Yorkshire January 28th 2008
The one sure way of filling a back pub room, or in this case a hotel function room, where local enthusiasts work hard to stage music nights, sometimes at their own expense, is to every now and then invite someone of the stature of Martin Carthy to help put bums on seats. This wasn't the best night at this club by any stretch of the imagination, but it was the fullest it's ever been for Bob Chiswick's Monday Music Club, and that in itself is a good thing.
Martin Carthy is a leading figure on the folk scene and in many respects he has 'paid his dues' and the letters that appear after his name (on envelopes, if not on billboards) have been truly earned. As a musician and singer he has been involved in dozens of projects over the years, but he still has time to come along to these smaller venue clubs to perform and little has changed over the ensuing years. He's still the man on the pallet being hoisted up into the sky with his faithful Martin on his lap, even forty-odd years on.
Kicking off with "Heather Down The Moor" Martin settled into a set of songs and tunes familiar to anyone with even the vaguest passing interest in the folk revival. "Limbo", a song about the debtor's prison in his native London, which has been recorded by Carthy Snr with Brass Monkey and also Carthy Jnr on her 'Anglicana' album, can also currently be heard on Ruth Notman's debut 'Threads' as indeed can "Heather Down the Moor". Tonight, Carthy sang this and an array of other songs with his usual flair and passion.
I have two minor irritations these days with Martin Carthy which I will impart to the masses fully aware that I may be shot at dawn by the folk police. Firstly the excessive tuning up. Bizarrely, the longest tuning festival in tonight's performance, which went on for a good two or three minutes, preceded "Invitation to the Funeral", an unaccompanied song! Secondly, and this may be contentious, is Martin's current trend of abandoning strict tempo rhythm for what I hesitate to describe as freeform droning. I noticed this trend began some years ago, but it has now enveloped almost every song. "Bonny Woodhall" falls very much into this category of highly stylised phrasing. "Seven Yellow Gypsies" returned to standard timing and I was able to tap my foot once again, instead of stuttering with it. Still, these are minor niggles.
Where his sense of rhythm shines these days is in his treatment of instrumentals. A masterful guitarist with an instantly recognisable sound, Martin excelled in his delivery of Morris tunes such as "Princess Royal" and "The Quaker/Banbury Bill" where he doesn't miss a beat. But there again you wouldn't dare with a Morris team depending on you.
Carthy described "Company Policy" as fifty per cent of his songwriting output, proving you don't necessarily have to be prolific to come up with a good song. This protest over the Falklands episode resonates still with audiences today, due in no small part to the fact that we are still doing wars. "Bill Norrie" from the same period shows Carthy as a masterful story teller, although I didn't really see the need to introduce this song in so much detail as it employs a pretty self explanatory narrative.
It's not all death and doom with Carthy as he treated his audience to lighter moments with a couple of regular songs in his set "A Stitch in Time" and "The Devil and the Feathery Wife", both of which bring out the smiles, even after many hearings. Martin finished the night off with "Green Broom" from his family band Waterson-Carthy's 'Fishes and Fine Yellow Sand' album, leaving Doncaster once again with little doubt that a national treasure had just popped by.
Allan Wilkinson
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Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill – Welcome Here Again (Green Linnet Records 1233)
Now I know that there are as many fiddle players who are for but also as many who are against the performances of Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill. Those who are against the duo’s almost clinical, stately approach feel the music is taken at too slow a pace to enjoy and although I’d usually agree with that statement it is the obvious attention to detail and sheer musicality that makes this recording a joy to listen to. It’s an exquisite album full of delicate nuances and for those musicians who want to ‘play along’ I couldn’t recommend it more highly. From the general publics perspective if you have the slightest interest in ‘art for art’s sake’ this would be the equivalent of witnessing say…OK, I know it’s a cliché…a Picasso for the first time…it may take more than a casual glance but the beauty starts to show through on the second or even third rendering. This soulful and ultimately, involving recording should be required listening and filed under ‘artistic’ folk.
www.martinhayes.com
PETE FYFE
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Jarlath Henderson & Ross Ainslie - "Partners In Crime" (Vertical Records VERTCD085)
The co-joining of Uilleann piper Jarlath Henderson and Scottish piper Ross Ainslie provides the listener with one of those rare moments that requires a good malt to sit and relax with. None more so than on the tracks “Jenna Drever Of Kirkwall” segueing into “Absynthe Makes The Heart Grow Fonder”. Both of these melodies utilise low whistles and the melancholy feel generated by the neat key changes alternating from major to minor will, I’m sure, be heard at many a good session. As expected, the duo are also capable of cranking the speeds up with some flashy displays of harmonic sparring including the grand opening track “Old Bush/Jolly Tinker/Richard Dwyer’s”.
With youth very much on their side Ross and Jarlath have plenty of time to establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with.
www.myspace.com/rossandjarlath
PETE FYFE
Ross Ainslie and Jarlath Henderson - Partners in Crime
I first saw Ross and Jarlath as part of Salsa Celtica a couple of years ago. The Celtic part, obviously, as Jarlath is from Ireland and Ross from Scotland! I knew then they were good, and but now they're amazing. They've only been playing together for three or four years but sound like they've known each other forever- exciting exhilarating rather than dull and jaded.
Partners in Crime is an unlikely collaboration between Uileann and Border pipes. Something which on paper appears unwieldy and awkward, uncommercial and old fashioned yet in reality is vibrant and exciting, funky and ground breaking.
From the hauntingly beautiful 'Jenna Drever of Kirkwall' a slow air which takes you on a trip through the scenery of the Scottish Highlands, with its mists and mountains, like a sound track to a film, with pipes and whistle in exquisite harmony; to the fast furious get-on-yer-feet-and -dance 'No More Cages'. Then 'Breton Tune' with its overlapping rhythm and pipes heading in an almost Eastern way, and the best tune of the album- the Henderson penned 'The Crackin Fiddle'. I'd love to see this tune live with a full big band sound.
Partners In Crime is an astonishing debut album that grabs your ears and holds them captive, takes your feet and makes them dance and is on constant repeat on your mp3 player. This is as good as Michael McGoldrick's Fused.
Praise indeed.

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The Queensberry Rules – Landlocked (Fellside Recordings FECD210)
Let’s get the clichés out of the way by saying that this band really know how to belt out a song! Starting with the rallying call “I Still Believe In England” in much the same way the Oyster Band stir your patriotic juices The Queensberry Rules (Gary & Duncan Wilcox and Phil Hulse) prove a vocally strident outfit and I can just imagine the audience at somewhere like Sidmouth Festival all punching the air joining in the chorus. In fact, anthemic themes appear to run throughout the trio’s repertoire including their tribute “The Minnie Pit Disaster” which is very much in the mould of the miner’s songwriter Tommy Armstrong. Although I know how infuriating it can be, I’d tend to agree with the accompanying press release that the band are very much following in the footsteps of Lindisfarne, The Waterboys and may I suggest even The Sawdoctors at times. Including a couple of traditional tracks “Dol-li-a” and “High Germany” the lads are sure to appeal to the mainly ‘roots’ based audience they are aiming at and to be perfectly honest – I’m pleased as punch for them.
www.thequeensberryrules.net
PETE FYFE
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Teddy Taylor - Live at The Fibbers, York 22/01/08
It seems to have come round full circle now for Teddy Thompson, having returned to his original passion, Country Music. It's hard to imagine a young English kid of famed parentage living in a Sufi commune listening to George Jones, but that is apparently what happened. Teddy actually says he hadn't heard anything recorded after 1959 until he was 16, and I am struggling to imagine that. If only I hadn't been exposed to The Monkees when I was ten, things could've been so much better now.
Teddy Thompson played a predominantly country set at Fibbers tonight with his small but highly competent band featuring New Yorker David Mansfield on pedal steel, dobro, lead guitar and fiddle (but not all at once), well respected Graham Hawthorne on drums and Brad Albetta on both double and electric bass. Opening with a short set of new and old acoustic numbers, including the only song of the night from his critically acclaimed second album 'Separate Ways', "Everybody Move It", Teddy went on to play almost all of the new album, the country-covers CD 'Up Front and Down Low', which features an entire album's worth of country standards and one Thompson original "Down Low".
Teddy admits that the idea of a country covers album at this stage of his career might have been ill-advised but it was precisely this fact that made him determined to do it. Despite it working well a couple of decades ago for Elvis Costello when he recorded the 'Almost Blue' album, it does come across as a strange choice in light of the fact that Teddy's songwriting ability is showing increased maturity. Although Teddy's set tonight was assured and tight, it was not dissimilar to any number of bands you can catch at Layla's in Nashville. This is not a negative statement by any means, as most of the bands who get to play on the Broadway bar circuit are particularly good. Where the album worked best though, was in the stunning arrangements by Robert Kirby, famed arranger on Nick Drake's first couple of albums, which couldn't possibly be transferred to the intimate setting of Fibbers. Perhaps I'm just pouting because I wanted more Separate Ways.
There's a melancholy air about Teddy Thompson which lends itself perfectly to good country music. Throughout his set, he maintained a stoic presence with occasional flirtatious interaction with the younger female members of the audience. I was unfortunately at the end of the line of females he was addressing, safely attached to the safety barrier, and to whom he apologised 'sorry, I only talk to women, but how are you anyway?' He didn't wait for a reply.
What was touching about Teddy tonight was the sincerity he expressed when speaking of his peers and in particular with working with Iris DeMent. "My Heart Echoes" is just one of several accomplished covers that Teddy tackles with relative ease both as a duet on the new album and pretty much solo live. There's a nod to Ernest Tubb, George Jones and Dolly Parton, to name but a few of the major leaguers Teddy was listening to back in the old days whilst his dad was doing his Rasul and mum was doing the ironing.
A thoroughly enjoyable evening despite the absence of "I Wish It Was Over" and "I Should Get Up", with excellent support from New York based Jaymay and Glaswegian songsmith Brendan Campbell. Teddy's encore of Bob Luman's "Let's Think About Living" provided the audience with a memorably catchy tune to whistle their way back to the car parks of York.
Allan Wilkinson
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Moving Hearts – Live In Dublin CD & DVD (Rubyworks RWXCD60/RWXDVD60)
Well, you didn’t expect me to write a bad review of this recording did you? For those of us lucky enough to have seen Moving Hearts first time round can count ourselves privileged that we were witness to one of the most ground breaking musical experiences of our lives. This melting pot of jazz crossed with traditional melodies provides an adrenalin rush of super-charged ‘folk’ that could make a dead man dance. Even on the slower paced numbers such as “The Titanic” and the evocative “Finore” your senses will feel refreshed like having just walked out of an exhilarating shower. The mellow tones of the sax on “Tribute To Peadar O’Donnell” segue beautifully into the upbeat mood of “Category” featuring Davy Spillane’s searing Uillean Pipes…sheer class! There’s something almost classical in the Hearts approach to their arrangements as you’ll pick up on from the accompanying DVD with not a note out of place or inappropriately positioned tone texture and the power with which they propel themselves at their audience is nothing if not astonishing.
Musicians who can stir other musicians own creative juices this keenly are few and far between but if you’re looking to broaden your horizons you’ve come to the right place. A musical tour de force that everyone can enjoy…even if you say you don’t like folk!
www.movinghearts.ie
Pete Fyfe
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Ivor & Kevan Bundell - Stood on the Shore 2007
Singer–songwriter duo Ivor and Kevan Bundell describe their music as ‘Contemporary, original and English Folk/Roots’, and their second album, “Stood on the Shore” is indeed steeped in Englishness. It explores the roots of English identity and values, through history both local and national and with rich reference to literature and to personal experience. However, their music invokes a green and a people’s England that is quite distinct from what has been called “Red-White-and-Blue Britain”.
In customary folk tradition it deals with issues of justice (and injustice), of real events and characters, and of enduring symbols. English Green - “a hymn to English identity” - begins with Lincoln Green, proceeds by way of the weather, and ends with the dream of Jerusalem. Waltham Blacks tells the story of ‘King John’, an eighteenth-century Hampshire Robin Hood and his fellow ‘Hunters’ who fought for the rights of the common people against the local Bishop and the Whig Government’s repressive Black Act of 1723. Hanging Tree, evokes the lonely cross roads and the gibbets on which criminals were hung and which were once a common feature of the English countryside. Widow of War and Mr Mitchell’s Angel, meanwhile, convey a patriotism that has nothing to do with nationalism.
Mr Mitchell’s Angel, the dramatic opening track, is perhaps the most potent in both musical and symbolic terms. RJ Mitchell was the designer of the Spitfire, an aircraft which symbolizes not just the English, but the British spirit of dogged defiance against oppression, as well as serving as an enduring memorial to those who died (and those who survived) defending our freedoms. While many tracks on the album are of a firmly traditional and acoustic folk mode, Mr Mitchell’s Angel is one of a number of others in a folk-rock style, with powerful keyboard provided by another member of the Bundell family, Shamini, and soaring electric lead guitar from Ivor and Kevan’s long time musical collaborator Paul Gateshill.
The songs above notwithstanding, this album is not simply a history lesson set to music. Other songs - If wishes were horses, the more upbeat Slip Away (a nice contrast with the more folky tracks) and I loved her too much - are more personal; they speak of loves won and lost, regret for the lost ideals of youth, of a looking back at life’s mid-point. And many of the songs are shot through with the a feeling - characteristically English - of melancholy and of loss. There is also the particularly fine borrowing from John Bunyan of Who would true valour see, and indeed the influence of hymn tunes and church organ is a recurrent theme across the album.
This is an easy album to listen to – with fine vocals and enlivened by whistle, mandola, percussion and keyboards – but it has a real depth of meaning and of emotion, mixing traditional folk and contemporary styles together with ease. Anyone with an ear for traditional or modern folk should take a look and a listen at www.bundellbros.co.uk .
David Chun
December 2007
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Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain - Precious Little (Own Label CD25A)/Anarchy In The Ukulele (Own Label DVD)
In the tradition of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and Bob Kerr’s Whoopee Band the Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain’s surreal approach to their music gives them a licence to thrill (and amuse). Let’s face it…who in their right mind would produce an album with tracks as diverse as “Finlandia”, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, “Tiptoe Through The Tulips” and the “Theme From Shaft”? Suppend your disbelief a little further when I say that each of the members of the eight-piece orchestra are as talented live as they are on record. The DVD provides the visual delights of a highly enjoyable concert at no less than the Barbican Theatre in London. Starting with “The Devil’s Gallop” (think Keystone Cops!) and a unique Russian spin on “Leaning On A Lampost” and you get some idea of where the group are coming from. If I’ve caught your imagination with the mere mention of some of these gems then I’ve done my job and you’ll rush out and buy the CD and DVD.
Happy Christmas one and all.
www.ukuleleorchestra.com
Pete Fyfe
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Catriona MacDonald - Over The Moon (Peerie Angel PAP002CD)
Five years on from her debut solo recording and Catriona MacDonald has emerged as a fiddle player of great beauty and integrity. In company with David Milligan (piano), Conrad Ivitsky (double bass) and James Mackintosh (percussion) the traditional leanings of her Shetland upbringing and own tune writing merge seamlessly with the jazz accompaniment which is exhilarating. Somewhere, way back when I was in junior school (I’m 50 now so you figure it out) I fondly remember listening to Scottish fiddle music accompanied by strident piano jazz chords so in many ways things haven’t moved that much further it’s just they’ve become more contemporary (listener friendly) and in the hands of these four musicians they’ve re-awakened my desire to concentrate on my own performance. Favourite tracks?...There’s not one as they’re all as good as each other. Anything that can revitalize my somewhat jaded ears can only be seen as a positive thing and you’ll find this is one of the recordings that you’ll sit down, soak up the sounds and wake up with a broad grin on your face.
www.catrionamacdonald.com
Pete Fyfe
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Emily Smith at the Regent, Doncaster, Monday 26th November
It's not often I get to start a review with the sentence 'fresh from Songs of Praise', but Emily Smith and Jamie McLennan's last public appearance before setting out for Walthamstowe Folk Club last night, was indeed on the long running Sunday evening God-slot prog, singing "Jesus Draw Me" in a church, with full band, especially for St Andrew's Day. Tonight, the duo came to Doncaster on a cold November evening to play a couple of delightful sets at the equally celestial Bob's Monday Music Club at The Regent.
Emily is one of those song writers whose songs are hardly distinguishable from those already in the tradition. They are written in a style that takes in all the crucial elements of a good folk song, and her endeavours in song writing have not gone unnoticed nor unrewarded at home or further afield. Picking up the BBC Radio Scotland Young Scottish Traditional Musician of the Year Award in 2002 at the Celtic Connections Festival, it's hardly surprising that she can also play her instruments well (Accordion and Piano). The Dumfriesshire born singer went on to win the folk song category award in the USA Song Writing Competition in 2005 with "Edward of Morton", one of the songs she performed tonight, and to top it all, she is a gifted singer with a clear and vibrant vocal style.
Joined by her New Zealand born husband Jamie McClennan on guitar, fiddle and whistle, the duo played some fine jigs and reels as well as songs both new and old. Jamie claims to be Emily's agent, PA, chef and bin-man, but he's also her entire rhythm section rolled into one. He's a busy lad.
Emily announced at the beginning of the show that much of the set would be centred around her latest album 'A Different Life', but apart from "Always A Smile, "Edward Of Morton" and the jaunty "Go To Town", much of the material was from elsewhere, proving that Emily has a broad scope to choose from. The one notable contemporary song not from her own pen was Iris Dement's "Sweet Is The Melody", which fitted in with the plausible Celtic/country crossover, which Emily is more than capable of pulling off. If I was to compare Emily's overall sound to anyone it would be that of the Rankin Family, who are a proven force in this area.
Allan Wilkinson
www.emilysmith.org
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BLAZIN’ FIDDLES – Live (BRCD2007)
There’s no holding back Blazin’ Fiddles as they immediately tear into a high octane “Blacksmith’s Reel” that will leave the listener gasping for air. Plenty of double-stopped chords topped by dynamic lead lines and what a joy it is to hear everybody - musicians and audience alike - having a ball. The five main protagonists joined by guitar and piano cut one of the most in your face recordings I’ve had the pleasure of listening to in quite a while. Even on the slower paced numbers such as “Fishponds” and Johnny Cunningham’s “Murdo” the sound is full-blooded and vibrant. Finally, starting like a train heading for a collision the track “Mouseskin” (don’t ask me) featuring plenty of syncopation cranks up the excitement to fever pitch for what I’m sure was a standing ovation!
Where’s the DVD?
Pete Fyfe
www.blazin-fiddes.com
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Peter Rowan at the Rock, Maltby - November 23rd
If Peter Rowan seemed a little subdued at the Rock tonight, the blame could be directed towards one or either of the following; it had something to do with him being in the middle of a UK tour during the current British November chill, or more likely, it quite possibly had something to do with the almost comatose audience. Normally a Peter Rowan gig throws the entire room into a frenzy of rowdy choruses of "Panama Red" or "Free Mexican Airforce", but tonight, it wasn't to be, even though it was a full house.
Kicking off with a couple of songs from the classic 'Dust Bowl Children' album, the title song first with it's high lonesome yodelling, swiftly followed by the haunting "Tumbleweed", the room soon filled with the sound of one of the most recognisable voices in the world of bluegrass music. In terms of hero status, I place Peter Rowan right up there with Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, although whereas these two artists forged a landscape of imagery through poetic words and music over the last four decades, Rowan is the 'voice' that very much belongs to that landscape and which has captivated audiences of Bluegrass music for the past three or four decades.
After two of his repertoire classics to whet the Rock's appetite, he chose to entice the audience out of their shells with "Panama Red" throughout which I swear I saw through the corner of my eye one solitary foot tapping to the beat. I put it down to the cold. When all chorus-rousing attempts fail and the communal euphoria remains decidedly front parlour calm, then there's only one thing to do, switch to laid back mode.
Rowan did this admirably with "Walls of Time", which brought the essence of what we know as Bluegrass music to the Maltby audience, and not surprisingly, as it was after all co-written by Rowan and Bill Monroe, the creator of the genre. Having settled into a relaxed mood onstage, Rowan introduced a handful of new songs which left me puzzling over whether they were astonishingly good or strangely eccentric. The Jury is definitely out on this one at the moment. "Skyscraper", "My Cage" and "Chopping Down Trees For Jesus" were at best full of ironic humour or at worst 'worryingly quirky' but enjoyable nevertheless. Of the newer songs, "She Knows" stood out as a potential classic Rowan song and one which I have been scouring for online since but alas to no avail.
I always place a lot of importance on the covers a song writer chooses for his set, not least to provide an insight as to what or whom the artist is listening to. Townes Van Zandt's "To Live is to Fly", the Carter Family's "Jimmy Brown the Newsboy" and Woody Guthrie's "Philadelphia Lawyer" show precisely where his allegiances lie, with that of first rate American folk giants.
For someone who has been around for so long, Peter Rowan has maintained a unique vocal delivery as well as a competent guitar picking style, and none of that has suffered as a result of the ensuing years on the road. "Land of the Navajo" has always been an audience favourite and features some of Rowan's Native American vocal pyrotechnics, and tonight he didn't disappoint. It's also always nice to hear the re-telling of the "Free Mexican Airforce" preamble, but I couldn't help feeling it was all pretty much delivered in a 'going through the motions' manner, which I can't really blame him for. I wouldn't like to have to go through that night after night either. It's almost as bad as Arlo Guthrie having to yawn through "Alices Restaurant Massacree" every night, year in year out.
After closing with "Midnite Moonlite" Rowan took a bow to some healthy applause. I'm certain that the audience were appreciative and attentive and I dare say most of them thoroughly enjoyed the performance, but the gig simply lacked atmosphere. Perhaps I expect too much.
www.peter-rowan.com
Allan Wilkinson
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Boldwood – Feet, Don’t Fail Me Now (Hobgoblin Records HOBCD 1006)
This is a lovely recording and one that should be required listening if you want to brighten your day. Boldwood consist of Becky Price (Piano Accordion), Tim Perkins (Bouzouki/Guitar), Kate Moran, Richard Heacock and Daniel Wolverson who each utilise Fiddle and Viola. The string section provides a real sense of rhythm fronted by the accordion and I can guarantee that through the exuberance in the band’s performance this CD will bring a smile to the sternest critic…even Victor Meldrew. The minor key melodies such as “Lucas Forever/The Princess” prove ideal for the more dramatic flourishes whilst all of the tunes featured are extremely danceable. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something a little more melancholy then check out the final track “Hunsdon House” which had me wishing it would never end – simply beautiful! Due to the diligent research by Becky (without whom many of these magnificent melodies would not have been given an airing) the English folk scene owes a debt of gratitude which I hope will see the band justifiably rewarded.
www.boldwood.co.uk
Pete Fyfe
Anna Elias & the Forlorn Hope
When You're Gone EP
After the break up of Leeds-based indie-acoustic band Bodixa, singer Anna Elias has put together a new outfit who are currently preparing to make 2008 their year. Being no stranger to recording or playing before large audiences, most notably Glastonbury Festival in 2005, the future looks exciting rather than daunting for Anna and her band. With a new album due for release next summer, together with some live gigs and festivals culminating in a headlining tour, the band has released this EP as a taster for what is to follow. Each of the three songs included on this release are delicate reflections on themes of love, loneliness and hope (but hopefully not too forlorn). There's something dreamy about the arrangements, but with the magical combination of guitars (Harvey Elias and Nic Vocaturo), cello (Colin Dunkley) and double bass (Jeremy Vocaturo), together with a delicately breathy voice, it's hardly surprising.
Allan Wilkinson
myspace.com/annaeliasandtheforlornhope
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Rosie Doonan - Rosie Doonan at the Regent, Doncaster 3rd December 2007
What Rosie Doonan did in 45 minutes at Bob's Music Club tonight was something that many performers curiously avoid, and that is to fill the room with space. It wasn't only what she put into the performance; it was what she left out that made all the difference. There was no pointless strumming in 4/4 time, no obtrusive piano chords, and not one unnecessary syllable uttered. It was, for all intents and purposes, the perfect gig. Yes, we would have liked longer, but isn't this what makes us want to come back for more?
Isn't this why we buy the CD to take home?
These are rhetorical questions by the way.
With the standard of skill and musicianship found in young professionals in the folk and acoustic clubs nowadays, it is not uncommon to experience moments of complete bliss every now and then, moments when you not only shut up and pay attention, but almost hold your breath to fully benefit from what you are hearing from the stage. Tonight I was holding my breath so long that I almost required paramedics to administer shock treatment. Rosie Doonan is indeed this good, no question. Edge of the seat stuff.
I recently caught Rosie at a gig in Wakefield with her full band that consisted of drums, bass and guitar as well as trumpet and tenor sax and having heard the new album, I anticipated one or two frills that might be noticeably missing in tonight's solo performance. I have no doubt whatsoever that Rosie can pull off a solo gig, but the new album is so full of sound that I was having difficulty imagining what "That Boy" or "Moving On" would sound like without the full band treatment. Of course Rosie second guessed this and avoided those songs, choosing to concentrate on the sensitive stuff instead.
"Time" is without question the best original song I have heard this year, in fact if it hadn't been for Becky Unthank getting her tonsils around Robert Wyatt's "Sea Song" this summer, I would have no difficulty in promoting it to best recording of anything this year. Both songs are performed equally well live or on record and both most definitely bring out the goose bumps.
Rosie tried out a new and as yet untitled song as well as a couple of covers from two diverse sources, Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock" and Ashley Hutchings' "Brief Encounters". It's always nice to hear something recognisable in a live performance, whoever the singer might be, but in Rosie's case, her own songs stand up on their own merit.
In a fair world Rosie Doonan would be reaping the same rewards as Kate Rusby on the folk scene or at the very least the likes of KT's Melua or Tunstall with songs as accessible as "Only One" or as moving as "Hold On" but we all know this is not a fair world. Rosie was the girl who needed time; I think her time has come, and about time too.
For Bob's 100th presentation since starting this club in September 2004, it is entirely fitting that, for this reviewer's money, it was the best 45 minutes so far and by far. Stunning.
Allan Wilkinson
Rosie Doonan ’Moving On’
Rosie Doonan appears to be a somewhat unsettled figure at the moment; seeking out, with no perceivable comfort zone in her sights, the ideal setting for her own songs and her own distinctive voice. Experimenting with styles is a risky business and Rosie goes at it with all guns blazing. The excellent 'Mill Lane' album of 2004 which she made with erstwhile partner Ben Murray, leaned more towards the roots that the Doonan name has always been associated with, that of good traditional material seamlessly mixed with originals and thoughtful covers. 'Moving On' showcases Rosie's song writing credentials much more clearly and defines her as an artist in her own right. With eleven self-penned songs of startling quality, she finds that she has indeed moved on.
Revisiting "Need You Around" originally on the 'Mill Lane' album, Rosie manages to update the arrangement in order to feature a brass section that includes a fine mariachi style trumpet solo, courtesy of Tony 'Trumpet' Swain. It was an inspired decision to include brass on this album, which clearly compliments Rosie's songs and her tasteful arrangements. To kick the album off with an older song is perhaps Rosie's way of saying 'that was then, this is now' and I'm fine with it if you are.
Whereas "Time", a song of astonishing beauty that conjures up the essence of mid-period Carole King, demonstrates the course Rosie has been taking since going solo, the title track "Moving On" takes an unexpected turn, and moves into another territory altogether. We no longer associate this with Rosie's established folk roots or indeed early-Seventies Tapestry-esque bed-sit pop, but more like the Material Girl herself. For those of us who would show no compunction to dancing to Ray of Light, stay on the dance floor, we now have something home grown to let our hair down to. As the voice announces 'let's go for it', the band steadily builds in layers to a groove that challenges anyone who feels uninspired to get up out of their seat.
Just as we set our feet to dancing another chorus, Rosie whispers her own cathartic confessional in what could possibly be recognised as "Moving On - Part Two". "Hold On" is heartbreakingly personal stuff, which puts the brakes on the euphoria of getting on with life and asks us to reflect upon things, just for a moment.
"We don't have to talk, we have to move on
We can't stay here too long, I'm too weak to hang on"
Such is the fluidity of the recurring theme of moving onward towards pastures new, which dominates this album, that Rosie convinces even the most stagnant amongst us, that standing still is utterly pointless. "The Journey" once again shows a yearning to leave the cocoon, to escape, to once again move on.
There are lighter moments on this album which contain great sing-along dance-along opportunities. "The Girl I Used to be" is instantly accessible and provides a glimpse into Rosie's playfulness. Multi tracked harmony vocals and flirtatious harmonica, courtesy of Bob Thomas, help this mandolin-driven song take precedence in one's internal ipod. It's the sort of song you can't shift out of your head, even if you wanted to.
Likewise in "Little Boat" Rosie demonstrates her own disdain for the mad politics that reduced her neck of the woods to a ghost town during Thatcherism by cleverly hiding those messages within the confines of a whimsical pop song. This is the best way of getting your point across without appearing too overtly political. Incidentally, the 'lazy bones' theme within this song was originally intended for the title of this album during earlier stages of preparation, and I can see why; it has single written all over it.
Love songs have a way of muscling in on most singer songwriter repertoires and in the wrong hands they can come over twee and pointless. Rosie manages to keep the listeners' attention by entwining lyrical flights of fancy with engaging melodies to great effect. "Only One" and "This Love" have a simplistic approach to song writing, utilising familiar rhythms but at the same time sounding refreshingly new.
Rosie, along with co-Producer Joss Clapp, have nailed the right sound for these songs on 'Moving On', keeping Rosie's inimitable voice at the top of the mix and, it must be said, at the top of her game.
Allan Wilkinson
www.rosiedoonan.com
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Noel Murphy – The Quality Of Murphy (The Murf Label MURF001)
‘Murf’ never asked if I’d contribute a write-up for his latest album but I’m going to do one anyway. OK, some of you might accuse me of nepotism as I personally performed with the affable Irishman for about ten years but many of those gigs have provided me with more anecdotes than anyone is likely to achieve in lifetime. Spanning an incredible 42 years, amongst the many musical associates featured on this recording Noel managed to entice…with bribes of liquid refreshment no doubt…Davy Johnstone (the legendary ‘Shaggis’ and ever since Elton John’s musical director!), Alun Davies (Cat Stevens guitarist) and even a trio version of The Strawbs. The album (a double-disc) features many of Noel’s most requested songs including “The Bricks”, “The Folker”, “From Clare To Here” and “Meet On The Ledge” and, like the performances themselves they always sound ragged but right. With no chronology to the track listing (order never was Noel’s strong point) I’m working my way through the entire CD finding everything increasingly nostalgic. The humorous banter and atmosphere of smoke filled back room bars will put the listener in mind of venues your mother never intended you to visit and the melodies which never sounded quite the way you originally remembered them are given that famous Murphy spin. A quote from the working class millionaire himself Richard Digance just about sums up all of the thoughts of those of us that have joined Murphy on stage at one time or another…“Noel is someone I could listen to all night - and frequently have to!” By the way…have I told you the one about Dennis Waterman & Les Dawson at The Winning Post…how much time have you got?
You can purchase copies of the CD direct from Noel Murphy, P O Box 57, Helston, Cornwall. The cost is £16.00 (inc P&P)
Cheques payable to: N Murphy.
Website: www.martin-kingsbury.co.uk/noel
Pete Fyfe
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Artist: Megson
Venue: The Regent
Town: Doncaster
Date: 05/11/07
Website: http://www.megsonmusic.co.uk
Bob Chiswick continues to bring both new (or should that be 'nu'?) as well as more established acoustic acts to the Regent and tonight was an especially inspired choice. Megsons' reputation has been steadily growing over the last couple of years, with help coming from the likes of Seth Lakeman, Bob Fox and Karine Polwart, for whom they have provided support on their respective tours and appearances. In all fairness though, establishing that reputation really comes down to the fact that they are so thoroughly brilliant.
Stu Hanna and Debbie Palmer took their Northern roots and temporarily re-planted them a little further south to establish a base in London where their reputation was given time to flourish. A few years and a couple of highly recommended albums later, that move has proved to be highly successful and their fan base grows stronger daily. Tonight at Bob's Monday Music Club, Megson came along to perform songs exclusively from their two albums 'On the Side' and 'Smoke of Home' and in doing so, picked up a few more friends from the Doncaster area.
If your thing is anthemic power ballads and thrashing guitars then you would have come to the wrong place tonight as Megson deal almost exclusively in gentle understatement. A Megson song normally begins with an almost inaudible brush of strings, on either guitar or mandola, which Stu alternates between throughout the set and steadily builds to a favourable climax once their two voices are added, and maybe the addition of a penny whistle every now and again. They each share singing duties, which is perfectly fine, but it's when those two voices meet that the fireworks start, and believe me those fireworks were far more entertaining than those fizzling and splurting outside tonight.
Harmonies as good as this are normally reserved for siblings but of course Debbie is shortly to become Mrs Hanna, so unless that sort of thing has started to happen in Teesside, we can take it as read that such harmonies can be found outside the family unit as well as in it. Megson kind of remind me of a younger version of Gregson and Collister, during the days when Richard Thompson advised the duo to 'do the folk clubs' during a break from the band. They have the same sort of freshness and tightness that Clive and Christine once possessed.
Megson excel in the specific area where many tend to fail, in the gentle tip-toeing songs that require the audience's complete attention. They would probably struggle with songs like "Follow It On" or "Just Stay" in a noisy pub. They have the ability to bring the volume of their voices down to absolute minimum where you could literally hear a pin drop. Should the future Mr and Mrs Hanna become mum and dad, they would find no difficulty in providing feasible lullabies for the little Megsons. Take the coda for "Every Night When the Sun Goes In" for example. Could harmony humming ever be more beautiful?
It's not all emotive gentleness with Megson though, and occasionally the up-tempo foot-tappers break through spectacularly well. "Smoke of Home" is an exuberant celebration of 'upping sticks' and leaving home, to which you can't help but shuffle in your seat. Likewise "Freefall", another Hanna led song, makes good use of the percussive qualities of both guitar and mandola in the hands of one who knows his instrument well.
The traditional songs sit well beside the self-penned material, so much so that the difference between the two is difficult to distinguish. There is a unity of style that seems to make everything Megson touch flow evenly throughout the set, whether it be the traditional themes of "Butternut Hill" or "Lambkin", the blues-inflected "Flood Water", the jaunty confessional of "I Lied" or just great story telling such as "Grace Darling", the overall performance consistently maintains a unified sound.
Megson finished the night with the only song that doesn't appear on either of their albums, the traditional "The Sheffield Grinder", which invited the normally reserved Regent crowd to sing their little hearts out. I think this was simply down to the fact that tonight the audience was universally pleased with themselves for having the good sense to come to this gig.
Allan Wilkinson
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Eileen Ivers – An Nollaig - An Irish Christmas (Compass Records 744672)
Ever since I became the lead soprano in my early school days I’ve always looked forward to Christmas. Not so much for the opening of presents but more for the carols. Therefore I now look forward even more to Christmas coming early with the release of a plethora of Christmas songs and melodies by many diverse artists such as Diana Krall and Alice Cooper (OK, that’s wishful thinking on my part) or this offering from the diva of the fiddle Eileen Ivers. I was expecting great things and, indeed there are some real gems here including an ‘Irish’ take on “Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring” although, personally I could have done without the choir and sounds uncannily like something Peter Knight of Steeleye Span would have dreamt up. The reel injected “Do You Hear What I Hear” would have Bing Crosby and David Bowie wondering what all that was about – now there’s a thing and although not every track hits the mark if you enjoy your carols and Christmas songs driven along by some truly inspired fiddling then this will be the album for you.
Contact: www.eileenivers.com
Pete Fyfe
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VARIOUS ARTISTS – Morris On The Road/Great Grandson Of Morris On/The Mother Of All Morris (Talking Elephant TECD083/TECD062/TECD118)
In 1972 Ashley Hutchings unleashed Morris On on an unsuspecting audience whose introduction to the folk-world had generally been via Celtic influences such as folk-rock stalwarts Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention. Since then of course we have come to know and love the quirky nature of these very British dance tunes. The near legendary line-ups of the Morris On ‘band’ over the years have now comfortably settled with the trio of Hutchings on bass, Simon Care (melodeon) and Ken Nicol (guitars) with 2005 seeing the release of Morris On The Road and Great Grandson Of Morris On. These particular albums re-visit many past glories including “Shepherd’s Hey”, “Nutting Girl” and “Princess Royal” so you would imagine by now that most of the ‘good’ traditional Morris tunes had just about run their course. Not so I’m pleased to report as various Morris styles including Abbots Bromley Horn Dance and the Minehead Hobby Horse swell the ranks of the more established Bampton and Bledington traditions. According to the sleevenotes of The Mother Of All Morris this could be Ashley’s swan-song for the band and, indeed if this is the case then he has left the English ‘folk’ scene with one of the most colourful and lasting portraits of our traditional heritage. With a legacy that hopefully will continue for many years to come, accompanying tracks by artists the calibre of the Sultans Of Sqeeze, The Gloworms and Jim Moray and contemporary tune additions from Chris Leslie and Ric Sanders amongst others these recording are all must have purchases for any self-respecting follower of ‘folk’.
Contact: www.talkingelephant.com
Pete Fyfe
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Capercaillie - Roses and Tears (Vertical Records VERTCD084)
Opening with the gently propelled groove of “Him Bo” this album will see the band’s regular supporters (whilst hopefully gaining a new legion of fans) soaking up the unmistakeable ‘Capercaillie’ sound. Once again rightfully taking her place as Scotland’s first lady of Gaelic/English song, I beggar anyone not to be moved by Karen Matheson’s awesome interpretation of John Martyn’s powerful anti-war ballad “Don’t You Go”. The same could be said for Donald Shaw’s thought provoking “Soldier Boy” which also provides the album with it’s title. The statement in both songs is evocatively understated by the rest of this artful bunch of musicians; Michael McGoldrick, Charlie McKerron, Manus Lunny, Ewen Vernal, Che Beresford and David Robertson. With splashes of musical decoration including harmony fiddle and uilleann pipes or the attacking triplets of the accordion, the recording will entrance you from beginning to end. OK, so there’s no super turbo-charged sets of tunes though they’re well capable of cranking up the speeds, the band settle into feel-good grooves such as the “Quimper Waltz” and the more traditional set-piece “The Aphrodisiac”. There are many reasons to applaud this recording not least for the outstanding quality of the production and dare I say that this is probably my favourite Capercaillie recording to date!
www.capercaillie.co.uk
Pete Fyfe
Capercaillie - Live at The Old Fruitmarket 2/02/08
Caper VERB-dance, trip, spring, jump, bound, leap, bounce, hop, skip, romp, frolic, cavort
The Fruitmarket, its roof illuminated in all shades of amber, ochre and terracotta, its cobbled floors thronged with crowds, was a fitting setting for Capercaillie to launch their new album- which was unfortunately caught up in Germany somewhere.
Joined on stage by Anna Massie, most of the set list was from the new Roses and Tears- starting with the Barra Clapping Song, and including the fast and furious Rose Cottage Reels-with Donald at the helm on his accordion. The last tune of this set is possible to sit/stand still to; its lively infectious rhythm begs to be danced to. A' Ràcan A Bh' Againne, with Michael McGoldrick on whistles, and Karen sing puirt a beul was a spinning, pirouetting whirl of a song, and Him Bo, a catchy learn-to-sing-Gaelic-with-Karen song, the boys in the band joining in on the chorus.
The band seemed tired this evening; going on stage at 10.30pm on the last weekend of the Celtic Connections festival was probably not ideal, but towards the end of their set seemed they seemed to overcome this- no doubt helped by the warm welcome from the fans that seemed to have travelled miles to see what may be one of Capercaillie’s last gigs.
All the members of the band are so busy with other individual commitments that it seems astonishing they’ve stayed together as long as they have; the announcement that Capercaillie are to wind things down can surely come as no surprise as they’ve been fairly quiet the last few years.
Coming back on for the encore seemed to fill the band with energy anew -playing Rob Roy Reels at a blistering pace; Mike making the pipes come alive and fly during Kiss the Maid, and the whole band increasing the impossibly fast tempo in the last reel. The crowd joined in with Coisich a Ruin and The Tree, whooping, whistling, singing and swaying.
Capers are made for dancing; not sitting coldly in large auditoriums, so the Fruitmarket was an ideal venue. Yet I was surprised to see that despite this the average age of their fans is so much older than that of other gigs at this festival. Perhaps Capercaillie are perceived as being ‘old’? Who knows?
But this gig proved there are still lots of reason to get up and dance.

Capercaillie- The Pogues with emotion!
Live at Cadogan Hall London November 30th 2007
This was a great place to spend a Friday night after trudging through the wet and windy streets of wintry London, doing battle with the Christmas shoppers, the tube, and commuters trying to get home after a busy week.
Cadogan Hall is set back just off the light festooned trees of Sloane Square. I've no idea as to its original function, but it appears to have been recently and tastefully refurbished, and usually holds classical concerts. The concert hall itself was seated, though in a warmer and friendlier environment to the Town Hall, Birmingham , the last place I'd seen Capercaillie, a couple of weeks previously. Cadogan Hall was wasn't sold out, but fairly full, generally with smart middle aged professional looking types… no forgetting the Hall's location then.
Lau were billed as support, but were in fact preceded by a pretty decent singer from Scotland called Brendan Campbell. Sounding a bit like Jose Gonzalez and Scott Matthews, it comes as no surprise to me to find him appearing at Celtic Connections this year, or signed by Keane's record company. He said he was unused to playing in such large venues, but managed very capably. Clear, focussed and completely with pretensions, and some lovely guitar work too.
Lau came on immediately. Martin Green, nominated [quite rightly] for Radio 2's Folk Musician of the year, looked tired but was in good spirits, remarking that this London date fitted in nicely in between two in Scotland. All three dressed in black shirts, they got straight down to playing tracks from Lightweights and Gentlemen; Kris singing Unquiet Grave, and some demonically fast playing from Aidan and Martin.
Souter Creek was as good as it always is, changing in tempo, before slowing down for an exquisitely beautifully tune by Aidan; Kris and Martin frozen in place on stage, the audience holding its collective breath as he rocked forwards and back, eyes closed, gathering in intensity, seemingly possessed as the speed increases until all three are playing like fury, an experimental kind of thrash folk. Like watching three puppets all controlled by the same puppeteer, jerking, twitching, swaying until the tune ends and they all stop instantly, their strings cut, the music gone.
After a short interval it was Capercaillie turn. It's been a bit of a strange disjointed tour, due to other commitments by band members, although it's probably no mean feat in itself to get all eight Capers on stage together at the best of times. Add to this illness and Karen's throat infection, and Liverpool, Manchester and Brighton dates have all fallen by the wayside.
But tonight everything seemed to be well. Everyone was there, everyone was smiling, and the ever efficient Cammy was doing his usual fantastic job on sound. There were five new songs scattered through the set, the first with Karen singing puirt a beul, dressed in a black sparkly top with the boys 'dad dancing' in time behind her! 'The Old Crone was very dancey, a great bass and Mr McGoldrick off on 'Planet Flute' somewhere.
Then there was Calum's Road [or Callum Ross?] with Donald accompanying Charlie on accordion, before another new song, taken from the works of Annie MacDonald. Karen sounded slightly hesitant in the great vast heights of the Hall, singing the first slow song of the evening, but all trace of this was gone by 'Himba', another new piece of puirt a beul - Ewen, Charlie, Mike, Donald and Manus all arranged around her in a semi circle to sing the chorus.
After a couple of fast reels which were much appreciated by the audience, there was the fourth new song, a John Martyn track about war, which Ewen sang backing vocals on.
Highlights for me were Kepplehall/Osmosis Reel – the bass was fantastic, just thumping, the kind of rhythm at home on a club dance floor. Just great work from Ewen, Che and Chimp, setting the way for Mike to take off with some amazing experimental jazz style flute. All of these contrasting styles should have jarred, but in Capercaillie's hand became an unmissable energy, a beat driven dancing tune.
Ailean Duinn was the cue for the boys to leave the stage for their customary cigarette break, leaving Karen with Donald's sympathetic accompaniment as she sang. Her voice was clear and true, almost holy in the church-like atmosphere of the hall, spotlights set high in the ceiling picking out beams of light through the dry ice as it rose upwards.
One last McGoldrick influenced new tune, led by whistle and fiddle with Karen's voice another rhythm within it, rather than leading the melody. This was followed swiftly by Rob Roy Reels, thumping driving dance music which made the first members of the audience get up and dance.
The band came back for an encore after 'The Tree', starting with the lovely 'Fear A Bhata', again accompanied by all the boys singing the chorus with Karen. A real smile moment to see them , lined up like a supporting choir. One mad and wild reel later and the gig was over, although I feel the band is far from it.
I can't wait for the next standing venue, or small gig, as I need to dance and this band were born to make music for dancing.

Capercaillie- Live at Charter Hall, Smarden nr Ashford, Kent - 26th October 2007
Four gigs in four nights
Second gig was Capercaillie in Smarden, a little village near Ashford in Kent. Just 50 miles from London, you drive through Headcorn and seem to enter a twilight zone with mile after mile of dark country lanes that twist and turn, houses and farms few and far between. Mobile phones stop working, people stop talking when you walk into the pub. Do places like this attract folkies? Or do you become folkie after moving in? Is it in the rules, I wonder?
Smarden has a newly built impressive village hall, with standing room for about 400 people, and parking outside for 20! Probably not a problem for locals, and certainly meant the gig was well attended.
I've not seen Capercaillie since Cambridge last year, and the set list seems fairly similar, with a few new tunes tried out from the forthcoming new album. Karen said that everyone in the band were fighting colds, but for the most part it wasn't apparent to the audience. It was great to be able to dance, and the band seemed to thrive on this particularly in the faster sets of tunes when Karen wasn't singing.
Karen's strength tonight was Crucan Na Bpaiste
A moving heartfelt song with quite beautiful accompaniment by Donald and Michael.
I read somewhere that the lights at this venue were great. They weren't. Really they weren't. Watch the video clip on my page and you'll seem what I mean. Sound was great though!

Capercaillie - Live - Birmingham Town Hall, 27th October 2007
Four gigs in four nights
Third gig was Capercaillie, this time at the newly refurbished Birmingham Town Hall.
Awful and brilliant are the first two words that I'd use to describe this gig, and they go hand in hand to describe the venue and the atmosphere. Birmingham Town Hall is lovely. New and shiny, lots of staff, beautiful original features preserved and new essential ones [like disabled facilities] added. The lighting was fantastically atmospheric, the sound crystal clear, each instrument easily identified [thanks to Cammy's skill] and contributing to form a united band. But the venue was almost half empty and the seats at the front were too close to the stage, leaving you with that 'too close at the cinema' feeling. As a consequence the audience seemed flat, with little enthusiasm, and even less in the way of expressive whoops and claps.
The band seemed more formal and less relaxed than the day before, though very smart in striped shirts. Karen seemed brighter [though the next day she cancelled her York appearance] but Michael seemed more jetlagged, having returned from a month in Australia with Sharon Shannon's Renegade. The set list was similar to Smarden; new songs included one by John Martyn about going to war, a puirt a beul that the lads joined in with, and a Gaelic ballad.
I feel perhaps it was a spiral of events, each one begun as a result of the one before, that lead to this being so flat. Was it the audience? Were the audience different because of the venue? Were the band different because of the audience or the venue? Someone said to me that it was the age of the audience -probably about forty; the band needs younger fans. Sadly all the time they play middle aged venues like Birmingham they're going to get middle aged fans. Such a shame, and such a contrast to the night before.

www.capercaillie.co.uk
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Artist: Rab Noakes
Venue: The Regent
Town: Doncaster
Date: 15/10/07
Website: http://www.rabnoakes.com/rabnoakes.htm
Rab Noakes' contribution to music over the last four decades has been remarkable to say the least. Mention of Leiber and Stoller, Terry Melcher, Ringo Starr, Lindisfarne, Stealer's Wheel, Barbara Dickson and Gerry Rafferty from the past and more recently Karine Polwart from the present, you start to picture a very colourful and interesting musical background indeed.
Who Rab has worked alongside, either as a contemporary musician, a fellow band mate or a record producer, becomes secondary to the real value of having someone like Rab Noakes around, that of a wonderful and inspiring song writer. Highly prolific and of a consistently good standard, Rab Noakes writes melodic songs that seem to have that special quality of being perceived on at least two levels; the self absorbed singer songwriter material that typifies most aspiring songsmiths who started out in the early Seventies, but at the same time great and memorable pop songs.
Tonight Rab Noakes brought some of those songs to Doncaster and shared them with a decent sized audience at Bob Chiswick's Monday Music Club at the Regent. Much of the set was centred around Rab's new album 'Unlimited Mileage' which he recorded with his band The Varaflames. Once again, songs such as "When You're Not Here" become instantly memorable as in the case of most good pop songs. When I talk about good pop songs I am of course using as a yard stick the likes of David's Byrne or Bowie, not "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" you understand. "What Are You Doing Here" could easily have been a David Byrne song; the sense of melody and structure is identical but yet it has a freshness that is pure Rab Noakes. Sonically "Light In My Heart" could not escape the notice of someone who has for years lived and breathed all that Rafferty/Humblebakerwheel stuff, but lyrically, the song becomes distinctly Rab's own:
"There's a record I'd like to hear,
I'll have to flick the du