MAY 2001 NEWS

date: 5/14/01

Martin Carthy Boxed set - "The Carthy Chronicles: Rare, Live and Classic Carthy" - just released on Free Reed Records (UK)

In the wake of his daughter's much-touted folk-rock release (Angels and Cigarettes - too self-consciously hip - I didn't like it much), folk giant Martin Carthy has released a new boxed set comprised of four themed CDs:

CD1: Classic Carthy
CD2: Carthy in Company
CD3: Carthy Contemporaries
CD4: Child: Carthy Major

This is the first in-depth anthology of Martin Carthyıs music and career. The music, selected from over 1,000 tracks from hundreds of sources, includes over 5 hours of music, plus 96-page book! The full extent of Martin Carthy's career is covered, from his earliest to his most recent known live recordings, solo and with all the bands he has worked with ­ including Steeleye Span, Albion Band and the Watersons. There are collaborations with a virtual whoıs who of folk and folk-rock including Richard Thompson, Eliza Carthy, John Kirkpatrick, Ashley Hutchings, Les Barker, June Tabor, Dave Swarbrick (of course), Leon Rosselson, Bert Jansch, and more.

Of the setıs 83 tracks, 17 are deleted or impossible-to-find; 25 are previously unreleased recordings of which 11 songs have never before been available on recordings by Martin. The detailed book includes a Colin Irwin biography, recollections of friends and colleagues, detailed track notes for every track including Martinıs own comments, complete discography, and previously unseen photographs many of which come from the Carthy archive

CD-ROM offer (with first 5000 copies only) includes alternative & source recordings, rare video footage, an ultimate Martin Carthy track finder, interview material & extensive photo-gallery, web-Site links -including unique duet with Paul Simon, specially commissioned Pete Frame family tree of Martin's career, and a specially reprinted edition of Peter Bellamyıs classic Martin Carthy poster.

This CD set is the fourth in Free Reedıs Revival Masters series. You can get more information about this and other boxed sets in the series at:
http://www.free-reed.co.uk/system/index.html

And you can read the great, epic bio on Carthy - "A Carthy Chronicle" - online at:
http://www.free-reed.co.uk/carthy/colinirwin.htm

There's also a review by Andrew Calhoun right here.


Hugh Blumenfeld, Editor
hugh@balladtree.com

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