Tue 1st Kelly Joe Phelps
http://www.kellyjoephelps.com
(Jazz Cafe, Camden Town)
http://www.jazzcafe.co.uk/index2.htm
Acoustic Guitar Magazine described Kelly Joe's 1999 album
'Shine Eyed Mister Zen' (Rykodisc) as "a deep, soulful journey
through American roots music, played by one of the finest guitarists
at work today." Whilst in London in May '99 for his gig at
'The Mean
Fiddler', Kelly Joe participated in a documentary about one of
his
heroes, Bert Jansch. Kelly Joe played with Bert on a few numbers
before being interviewed by the man himself. The Channel 4
documentary is due to be shown in the UK around June 2000.
Tue 1st Fiddles on Fire
http://www.folkworks.co.uk
(Queen Elizabeth Hall)
see UK tour dates below
The third 'Fiddles On Fire' tour hits the road, bringing the
new generation
of players to the fore. England's best known young fiddler Eliza
Carthy
(http://web.ukonline.co.uk/members/martin.nail/artists.htm)
is joined by
Dezi Donnelly (http://www.magnetic-music.com/bands/skirmen.html),
Ireland's Young Traditional Musician of the Year in 1999, Susanne
Lundeng
(http://home.sol.no/~mup/folkmusic/instrument.htm)
from Norway, who brings
a tremendous energy to her performance fiddle music from north
of the Arctic
Circle, Chris Stout (http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/veesik/c_stout.html)
who
plays with the dramatic intensity typical of legendary Shetland
players, and
Janos Lang who, at only 21, is a tremendously mature player from
Hungary.
Tue 1st Robyn Hitchcock
http://www.robynhitchcock.com
(Garage)
A founding member of The Soft Boys in the 70's, his new CD
'A Star For
Bram' featuring out-takes from his 1999 Warner Bros album, 'Jewels
For
Sophia', will be available in late February.
Tue 1st Jackie Leven
http://www.saghaug.com/leven/
(The Spitz)
"Leven has a voice as big as his 'Sacred Heart' and his
material, in the
rich vein of Celtic performers such as Van Morrison, John Martyn
and
Mike Scott, confronts issues head on." Independent on
Sunday [UK]
His new album 'Defending Ancient Springs' (Cooking Vinyl) has
just been
released.
Wed 2nd Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba
http://www.afrocubaweb.com/ConFolNat.htm
(Sadlers Wells)
http://www.sadlers-wells.com/frameset_performances.htm
Cuba's foremost folkloric ensemble making its Sadler's Wells
debut with
'Rumbadelica', a dazzling display of pulsating Cuban music and
dance.
Thur 3rd June Tabor
http://members.aol.com/cynthiafta/jt.htm
(Blackheath Concert Hall)
"...one of the classiest, boldest and most respected singers
in Great
Britain..." Rolling Stone. Her latest album, 'A Quiet
Eye' marks a departure
from her previous work, pairing June with the eleven-piece 'Creative
Jazz
Orchestra', and including songs by Richard Thompson and Ewan McColl
along with traditional ballads.
See http://www.greenlinnet.com/catalog/albums/3129.htm
Thurs 3rd Pete Morton
http://www.rootsworld.com/harbourtown/morton.html
(Islington Folk Club)
http://www.freereed.demon.co.uk/ifc.html
Irony and dry wit that caused one critic to call him "among
the best the
British roots scene has produced in living memory." His most
recent
release 'Trespass' (Harbourtown Records) is a collection of all
traditional
songs - just guitar and voice.
Thursday 3rd Joseph Porter
http://www.mono.org/~cabbage/blyth.html
(12 Bar Club)
Chief lyricist and vocalist with Blyth Power, a band who have
been described
as "making The Levellers sound by comparison like Peter Paul
and Mary".
Fri 4th Peter Bruntnell
http://www.slowriver.com/bruntnell/mail.htm
(The Borderline)
http://www.borderline.co.uk/
"Above all, it's Peter Bruntnell's voice, stained by experience,
wounded but
defiant, which time and again transports the listener to a town
where the
bars never close and the jukebox plays only his songs. It isn't
normal in
the slightest." New Musical Express (from a review
of his latest album
'Normal for Bridgwater')
Sat 5th Fairport Convention (with Dave Swarbrick)
http://www.fairportconvention.co.uk
(Fairfield Hall, Croydon)
see full UK tour dates below
Fiddler Dave Swarbrick, who played with Fairport from 1969
to 1984, joins
the current line-up of Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Ric Sanders, Chris
Leslie &
Gerry Conway for tonight's show.
See http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/sjsheldon/swarb.htm
Mon 7th Kevin Stenson with Wizz Jones
http://www.rockinworld.com/wizz.htm
(The Fiction Bar, Clapham)
Often mentioned as an important early influence by artists
such as Eric
Clapton, John Renbourn and Ralph McTell, Wizz, who today is regularly
seen gigging with his son Simeon, has retained a certain 'musician's
musician' reputation. "We all used to follow him around,"
says John
Renbourn. "Him and Davey Graham. He's the great granddaddy,
an excellent guitarist."
Sun 13th Chris Wood & John Francois Vrod
http://www.cutting-tweed.demon.co.uk/wac.htm
(Cecil Sharp House)
Drawing on the traditions of England and France, Vrod and Wood
first
collaborated on the Folkworks 'Fiddles on Fire' tour sparking
rave reviews.
Mon 14th Buddy Miller
http://www.nashville.net/~kate/budbio.html
(The Borderline)
http://www.borderline.co.uk/
Country singer/songwriter/guitarist, a member of Emmylou Harris's
touring
band 'Spyboy' since 1996, now touring Europe with his wife, Julie
Miller,
promoting his latest album 'Poison Love'
Sat 19th Les Barker
http://www.compulink.co.uk/~ackroyd/welcome.htm
(Cellar Upstairs)
"The Lancashire monologist equivalent of Tom Lehrer....Scintillating
daftness, absurdity run amok". Ken Hunt, Q Magazine
Sun 20th Contra Dance/Concert with Konnarock Critters
http://www.hemlockmusic.demon.co.uk/contra.html
(Cecil Sharp House)
Old-time stringband from the mountains of Virginia featuring
fiddler
Brian Grim (who studied under the legendary fiddlers Albert Nash
and Thornton Spencer) with sister Debbie Grim, an award winning
banjo
player, and Al Firth on bass. Caller, Mike Courthold, has a wonderful
selection of Contra and American Square Dances.
Mon 21st Isla St. Clair
http://www.westhoughton.demon.co.uk/artists/isla_st_clair.htm
(Ruskin House, Croydon)
Scottish singer and popular TV personality whose series about
folk music
"The Song and the Story" won the coveted Prix Jeunesse
as the best light
entertainment show on European TV.
Tue 22nd Randy Newman and The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra
http://www.randynewman.com/
(Royal Festival Hall)
Only UK date on his current European tour. His latest album,
'Bad Love'
(Dreamworks), produced by Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake, has
been
described as "a brilliant collection of songs" and "his
best work in 25
years."
Thurs 24th Robb Johnson
http://www.moosemusic.co.uk/rob.html
(Islington Folk Club)
"Listening to his work brings to mind a stream of adjectives.
Try these
for a start: hard-hitting, honest, humorous, thought-provoking,
challenging,
demanding, sensitive, irreverent." - Muso (live review)
Fri 25th Durga Rising
http://www.keda.co.uk/kedaworld/durga/durga.html
(Cecil Sharp House)
Original collaboration of respected blues & soul singer
Barb Jungr,
Indian percussionist Kuljit Bhamra and jazz pianist Russel Chumey.
Sun 27th Sid Kipper presents
Vaughan Williams Stole my Folk Song
http://www.adastey.demon.co.uk/kipper/index.htm
(Cecil Sharp House)
http://www.efdss.org/concerts.htm
Sometime singer, storyteller, author, musician and always humorist,
Sid offers a show which tells you everything you were afraid to
know
about folk song but always wanted to ask.
Tue 1st Tom Paxton
http://flemtam.com/tp.html
(Neptune Theatre, Liverpool)
also:
Wed 2nd Stables, Milton Keynes
Sat 5th Red Lion, Birmingham
"I think we were all born singing Tom Paxton songs. He
has such an
amazing ability to write these classic songs that sound like nobody
wrote 'em. No folk tribute album would be complete without a Tom
Paxton song." -Nanci Griffith
Tue 1st Martyn Wyndham Read's No Man's Band
http://www.rootsworld.com/pangaea/wyndham.html
(Ringwood Folk Club)
"The Roving Ambassador of Australian Folk Song, recommended
unreservedly as a superb performer of international standing."
English Folk Dance and Song Society
Fri 4th - Sun 6th 4th Cheltenham Folk Festival
http://www.cheltenhamfestivals.co.uk/folk
featuring
Martin Carthy
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/sjsheldon/homepage.htm
Norma Waterson
http://cgi.dotmusic.com/MWtalentwatercarthy.html
Brass Monkey
http://www.rootsworld.com/reviews/brassmonkey.html
John Kirkpatrick
http://www.thebeesknees.com/bk-jk-bi.html
Maggie Boyle & Frank Kilkelly
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/graham.gurrin/ram/maggie.htm
Pete Coe
http://www.backshift.demon.co.uk
Tony Rose
http://www.sarcon.demon.co.uk/engfolk/tonyrose.htm
Joe Freya
http://www.sarcon.demon.co.uk/engfolk/jo_freya.htm
Pauline Cato & Tom McConville
Graham & Eileen Pratt
Sandra & Nancy Kerr
http://www.sarcon.demon.co.uk/engfolk/s_n_kerr.htm
Martyn Wyndham-Read's No Man's Band
http://www.rootsworld.com/pangaea/wyndham.html
Fri 4th Kathryn Tickell
http://homepages.tesco.net/~fallonz/start.htm
(The Gate Goole, York 01405-763652)
(Sat 5th The Met, Bury, near Manchester 0161-761-2216)
"... tunes played at times hauntingly with fingers blurring
as they
flick up and down the chanter or over the fiddle neck. Each set
of tunes is separated by stories about friends and places all
told
quietly, ramblingly and with a gentle wryness. Her act is gripping,
funny and moving." -The [UK] Guardian
Fri 4th Felicity Buirski & Peter Knight
http://www.ndirect.co.uk/~chrisconway/page17.html
(roots.net/Oxford)
http://www.roots.net
Top flight singer songwriter paired with fiddler & keyboard
player
Peter Knight, best known for his work with Steeleye Span.
Sat 5th Vin Garbutt
http://members.xoom.com/vingarbutt/aboutvin1.html
(New Xpress Folk Club, Bournemouth)
see UK tour dates below
"Teesside's own venerable legend of the folk scene worldwide,
Vin
Garbutt, is one of those performers whose work is drenched in
such
passionate fervour one has to listen seriously." Rock
'n' Reel
Sat 5th Daily Planet
http://www.dailyplanet.co.uk/
(Forest Arts Centre, New Milton)
"A Planet gig is like taking a ride on a roller coaster....a
kind of musical
white knuckle ride..... tunes that really arrest and exhilarate."
Folk
Roots.
Sat 5th Bluehorses
http://www.nativespirit.demon.co.uk/home.htm
(Norwich Arts Centre)
Fronted by the twin electric fiddles of Liz Prendergast and
Debs Peake,
Wales-based Bluehorses are one of the premier Roots-Rock bands
in
the UK.
Wed 9th Derek Brimstone
http://www.derekbrimstone.mcmail.com/
The Chimney Boy, Preston St, Faversham, Kent 01795 538238 (Martin)
"For a solo performer to hold a crowd for ninety minutes
and still leave
them wanting more is no mean achievement. Ebullient Eastender
Derek
Brimstone did just this - a towering performance". Peter
Ashton - Southern
Echo. His latest CD 'All Those Songs' can be ordered from
brimo1@mcmail.com
Fri 11th Kate Rusby, John McCusker and Andy Cutting
http://www.purerecords.demon.co.uk/
http://www.rootsworld.com/temple/battlefield/johnmccusker.htm
http://www.cutting-tweed.demon.co.uk/cutting.htm
(Trinity Arts Centre, Tonbridge Wells, Kent)
Wonderful collaboration between Northern singer, Kate Rusby
(whose
latest album 'Sleepless' is a gem) with JohnMcCusker from The
Battlefield
Band and respected melodeon player Andy Cutting.
Sat 12th The Bushburys
http://www.bushburys.com/
(roots.net/Oxford)
http://www.roots.net
Acoustic rock, folk and blues from one of the UK's finest and
most
hardworking live acts. Their sixth album 'Trying To Catch The
Sun'
was released in 1999.
Sat 19th Ian Bruce Breezeband
http://ds.dial.pipex.com/ianbruce/
(Hambledon Folk Club)
Ian's most recent album, 'Alloway Tales' (Linn Records) is
a
collection of songs written by Robert Burns and features the likes
of
guitarist Tony McManus, accordionist Ian Lowthian and fiddle player
Catriona MacDonald
Fri 25th The Huckleberries
http://www.homebrewsolutions.force9.co.uk/huckleberries/huck_news1.htm
(roots.net/Oxford)
http://www.roots.net
Started in 1996 by Dave Hum and Simon McPhee as a busking duo,
The Huckleberries have grown to be a six-piece band with banjo,
mandolin, fiddle, guitar, bass and drums.
21st Cockersdale
http://www.cockersdale.com
(The Railway Folk Club, Portsmouth
Fine unaccompanied singing from Val Marsden, John O'Hagan
and Graham Pirt
Wed 23rd Old Rope String Band
http://www.adastey.demon.co.uk/Old_rope/index.htm
(Trinity Arts Centre, Tonbridge Wells, Kent)
Wild and energetic trio from North East England playing a mixture
traditional Irish tunes, steamy Cajun numbers, Mexican polkas,
and
Spanish love songs.
Tue 29th Battlefield Band
http://www.battlefieldband.co.uk
(Swindon Arts Centre 01793 614 837)
Their latest release, 'Leaving Friday Harbor' was described
by the
Evening News as "a peach of an Album."
Contact Paul Castle: pdcmusic@freeuk.com
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