Across the Pond # 6 - March 2000
There's a definite Irish flavour this month, with St Patrick's Day on Friday 17th and the likes of Van Morrison, Paul Brady, Andy White, Clannad's Maire Brennan, Celtus, Sharon Shannon and Hothouse Flowers all visiting London in March.
To get you in the mood for the 'craic' you can find Irish song lyrics at: http://pantheon.cis.yale.edu/~declaris/ballads/songs.html
For a version of the St Patrick legend and how to get the luck of the Irish, track down a 'leprachaun', or get 'the gift of persuasive eloquence' (the blarney) try http://www.nando.net/toys/stpaddy/stpaddy.html .
Probably the best Irish music links I've found so far are at the comprehensive 'Every Celtic Thing on the Web' site. The 'Musical' section is at http://og-man.net/ethmusic.htm
Wed 1st Neil Innes
http://www.neilinnes.org/
(Jazz Cafe)
A founder member of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, he worked with the Monty Python team and joined Eric Idle on Rutland Weekend Television, creating The Ruttles, a parody of The Beatles. His latest album 'Recollections Vol 1' is a selection of released and unreleased tracks and demos from his own private archive only available via the net or at his concerts.
Thur 2nd Michael Marra
http://www.stoneyport.demon.co.uk/bio/marrabio.html
(County Arms Tavern, Hale End Rd, E4. 020 8 503 3484)
"Marra's music is soaked in the Scottish experience, strained through a gauze of ragtime blues-piano and shot with filaments of traditional folk and American voices." Scotland on Sunday.
Sun 5th King Sunny Ade
http://www.nwlink.com/~graviton/ksa/ksa.html
(Barbican Centre)
http://www.barbican.org.uk
The undisputed "king" of juju music, the dance-inspiring hybrid of western pop and traditional African music with roots in the guitar tradition of Nigeria. His new album, tentatively titled '7 degrees North' is scheduled for release in the US on Mesa Recordings in April.
Sun 5th The Albion Band
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/sjsheldon/albion.htm
(Cecil Sharp House)
See UK tour dates below
With a glorious history stretching back over twenty years Ashley Hutchings' Albion Band has been a showcase for some of the finest folk musicians in the UK . Past members include Martin Carthy, Shirley Collins, John Kirkpatrick, Dave Mattacks, Simon Nicol, and Richard Thompson. Hutchings' current line-up includes young fiddler Joe Broughton, singer Kellie While (the folk scene's answer to Sheryl Crow), guitarist Ken Nicol and drummer Neil Marshall.
Wed 8th Gene Parsons & Meridian Green
http://www.stringbender.com/
(The Borderline)
http://www.stringbender.com/
see UK tour dates below
Multi-instrumentalist Gene Parsons, who along with guitar picker,
Clarence White, joined a 1968 incarnation of The Byrds (as drummer),
and later 'The Flying Burrito Brothers', has continued to release
solo and band projects on his own Stringbender label, including
the well received 'Birds of a Feather' duo album with his wife
and musical partner, Meridian Green, in 1988. Daughter of folk
legend Bob Gibson, Meridian's own recent solo album "In the
Heart of this Town' is a strong collection of mostly original
songs. According to the UK's Country Music magazine, live
"...Parsons regularly swapped his Telecaster for a banjo,
and occasionally a
harmonica, whilst Meridian matched his musical prowess on the
sweetest sounding acoustic guitar I have heard in a long time.
The programme, drawn from the fields of bluegrass, folk, cajun,
gospel and traditional country, was very gentle, immensely professional
and incredibly enjoyable."
Fri 10th Sisters Unlimited
http://www.rootsworld.com/harbourtown/russell.html
(Cecil Sharp House)
Fine four part harmony singing from Janet Russell, Peta Webb, Sandra Kerr & Rosie Davis, four of the UK's most respected traditional singers.
Sun 12th Ali Farka Toure
http://www.imusic.com/showcase/contemporary/alifarkatoure.html
(Barbican)
One of the finest blues guitarists and singers in West Africa, combining traditional Malian songs and rhythms with many outside influences to produce a highly individual style. "The minstrel from Mali's hushed voice and bubbling electric and acoustic guitar make connections between American blues and African sources shiveringly clear." -Entertainment Weekly
Sun 12th Maire Brennan
http://www.wordrecords.com/wrd101_001_b.html
(Adelphi Theatre)
see UK tour dates below
While remaining the lead singer of Irish Celtic band, 'Clannad', Maire (pronounced Moya) Brennan has been producing solo albums since 1992 . Here touring the UK promoting her latest, 'Whisper To The Wild Water' (Word Records)
Mon 13th Julian Dawson
http://www.juliandawson.com/
(12 Bar Club)
http://www.12barclub.com
Highly respected English songwriter, ex-member of Iain Matthews' 'Plainsong', whose brand new album, 'Under The Sun' (Gadfly Records) "reflects Dawson's growing passion for simplicity and soulfulness in his songwriting and seems to sound traditional and modern at the same time."
Mon 13th Chris Whitley
http://www.phpad.com/whitley/
(The Borderline)
Dobro-playing Daniel Lanois discovery Chris Whitley, who followed
up his promising 1991 debut 'Living With The Law' with two albums
dominated mainly by electric guitar feedback, finally returned
to his
original country blues acoustic sound on 1998's 'Dirt Floor' (Messenger
Records) which Billboard called "a stripped-down recital
of folk/blues balladry...recorded in one day and with one mike
in a Vermont barn." A new live album 'At Martyrs' will be
available soon.
13th Celtus
http://www.mayo-ireland.ie/IrishMusic/BckIssue/9708Aug/Celtus.htm
(Queen Elizabeth Hall)
"Glowering, moody rock music, polished and textured, earthed with the ethnic sound of Irish trad." - Irish Music Magazine
Tue 14th 'Celtic Flame 2000' featuring
Hothouse Flowers
http://home.clara.net/pranksta/hothouse/index.html
Sharon Shannon
http://www.ceolas.org/artists/Sharon_Shannon.html
Paul Brady
http://www.paulbrady.com/
(Royal Albert Hall)
Popular Irish band Hothouse Flowers are led by vocalist/keyboard player, Liam Ó Maonlaí, who in recent year's has also been a member of ALT with Andy White and Tim Finn of 'Crowded House'.
A former member of Irish bands 'The Waterboys' and 'Arcady', the Internationally respected County Clare accordionist Sharon Shannon's latest album 'Spellbound' consists of a 21-track collection of her earlier pieces along with a few new cuts.
Songwriter Paul Brady, originally a member of Irish band 'The Johnstons' and later Liam O'Flynn's 'Planxty', has had songs covered by everyone from Dolores Keane, Tina Turner and, perhaps most notably, Bonnie Raitt, in recent years. His website includes some interesting liner notes for his latest album 'Nobody Knows: The Best Of Paul Brady 1970's-1990's (Rykodisc) at http://www.paulbrady.com/bestof.html
Fri 17th Andy White & his Trio
http://www.andywhite.com
(12 Bar Club)
see UK dates below
St Patrick's Day gig for top Irish singer songwriter and sometime member of ALT (see above). Andy has two new UK albums - the live performance album 'Speechless' and a collection of b-sides, out- takes and rarities (available only on the internet or at concerts) whilst 'andywhite.compilation' has just been released in the USA by Thirsty Ear including 10 songs from Andy's solo albums plus the original EP version of 'Religious Persuasion' (for the first time on CD), and the original unreleased version of 'Looking For James Joyce's Grave'.
18th Catie Curtis
http://www.cgrg.ohio-state.edu/~kspencer/Catie_Curtis/
(The Borderline)
Dubbed "a folk rock goddess" by the New Yorker, Boston songwriter back in the UK following her November '99 tour supporting Mary Chapin Carpenter, promoting her first UK release, 'A Crash Course in Roses' (Rykodisc)
Sat 18th The Burning Bush
http://www.soton.ac.uk/~turnsims/Burning_Bush.htm
(Cecil Sharp House)
Singer and broadcaster, Lucie Skeaping's band of top British klezmer musicians playing a wide variety of instruments including the rebec (ancestor of the violin), oud (Arabic lute), jura (Turkish plucked instrument), shawm (medieval oboe), qanoun (oriental zither) and assorted oriental percussion.
Sat 18th Tony Rose
http://www.sarcon.demon.co.uk/engfolk/tonyrose.htm
Cellar Upstairs, O'Reilly's, Kentish Town 020 7 281 7700)
Well respected traditional singer, guitarist and concertina player. His latest 17-track CD 'Bare Bones' (Boneshaker Records) is available from boneshaker@bigfoot.com
Sun 19th Brendan Power & Andrew White
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Dave_Smith_6/Brendan.htm
(Cecil Sharp House)
Top-rated harmonica player Brendan Power with fellow Kiwi acoustic guitarist Andrew White. "Whether picking out a dainty traditional melody, tearing into a dirty blues workout, swapping lead and rhythm roles with Power, or artfully backing his tautly-worded songs, his playing is continually embellished with layers of complementing nuance, both harmonic and textural....the intense, tight-knit interaction between the two players suggests a true powerhouse partnership in the making." Sue Wilson - Review of their Edinburgh Tron show
Mon 20th Steve Tilston
http://www.steve-tilston.co.uk/
(Ruskin House, 23 Coombe Rd, Croydon 020 8 688 3580)
Described by Folk Roots magazine as "that very rare combination of singer, songwriter and guitarist who actually excels in all departments...", his latest album 'The Greening Wind' is subtitled 'A first collection of songs and instrumental pieces 1971 - 1992'.
Mon 20th Savourna Stevenson
http://www.cookingvinyl.com/savourna/
(12 Bar Club)
Acknowledged as one of the finest and most versatile exponents of the small harp, "Stevenson draws together strands of ragtime, funk, Scots folk traditions, blues and even African influence with invention, virtuosity and joy...a talent which deserves to be shouted from the rooftops." The [London] Sunday Times
Mon 20th &
Tue 21st Ron Sexsmith
http://www.passport.ca/~sexsmith/
(Jazz Cafe)
http://www.jazzcafe.co.uk/index2.htm
see UK tour dates below
Reviewing his latest (third) album, 'Whereabouts' (Interscope)
in Rolling Stone Magazine, Barney Hoskyns wrote "That
the term 'singer songwriter' is no longer a term of abuse is at
least partly because of the excellent Ron Sexsmith."
.
More London gigs
Go to:
Best of the Rest of the UK
UK Tour Dates
Contact Paul Castle: pdcmusic@freeuk.com
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