Across the Pond # 7 - April 2000
The festival season is upon us. If you're thinking of a trip
over here in the coming months, and you've got a
good atlas and a couple of hours to spare, you might enjoy reading
the Folk Roots magazine guide to 'Festivals in Britain and mainland
Europe - 2000' which they have generously just put up on their
website http://www.froots.demon.co.uk/festivals/date/
(as well as printing in their current April 2000 issue)
Quite a few big-and-healthy or small-but-friendly festivals this month, particularly if you like Scottish harps, Shetland fiddling, or singing sea shanties. Click 'UK Festivals' for who's on where and when.
The 'London Gigs' section this month includes the all-day Fiddlers' Convention at Cecil Sharp House, a big Irish folk/pop concert for Peace in Ireland at the Royal Albert Hall, Youssou N'Dour from Senegal and Terry Callier, Geoff Muldaur, Tom Ovans, Atlantic Crossing, Katy Moffatt, Jack Williams and Kevin Montgomery all over from your side of the pond, whilst the 'Best of the Rest of the UK' section includes Jacqui McShee's Pentangle in Manchester, Ireland's Andy Irvine in Kent, and San Francisco's Jim Page in Cambridge.
Click here for full 'UK tour' dates and venues.
London Gigs - April 2000
Sat 1st Joe Burke with Anne Conroy Burke
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/x.dll?p=amg&sql=B766
(Cecil Sharp House)
http://www.efdss.org/
A living legend in Irish traditional music, Joe Burke is a
master accordionist who sparked the huge revival of
interest in the instrument. He has been performing for
forty years, recording with many musical greats and
winning a host of major awards. He now tours with his
wife Anne Conroy Burke presenting a unique evening
of the music, stories and traditions of East Galway.
Atlantic Crossing (Caller, Geoff Cubitt)
http://www.hemlockmusic.demon.co.uk/atlanticcrossing.html
(Cecil Sharp House)
A high energy contra dance band hailing from Vermont's
historic Champlain Valley, they perform songs and
instrumental music of New England, Quebec, Maritime
Canada, and the British Isles, as well as original material
inspired by these musical traditions. Their first CD, 'Wind
Against The Tide', was produced by American folk music
icon, Pete Sutherland. Caller, Geoff Cubitt -
http://www.hemlockmusic.demon.co.uk/cubitt.html also
leads 'Touchwood', one of the longest running Appalachian
dance teams in the UK.
Sun 2nd Fiddlers' Convention
http://www.efdss.org/concerts.htm
(Cecil Sharp House)
Now in its 8th year, the popular Fiddlers' Convention
presents a startling variety of fiddle styles - from Irish to
Eastern European, Cajun to Bluegrass - as expressed by
well-known players such as Pete Cooper, Chris Haigh,
Pierre Le Rue http://www.cyder.demon.co.uk/lerue.htm, Kate
Lissauer http://www.wildwood-records.co.uk/K_info.htm
Bobby Valentino, Bob Winquist and Anne Wood + Afternoon
workshops. Further info: Bob Winquist 0208 9308467.
Sun 2nd Sing Out for Mothers Day
Christine Collister
http://www.thebeesknees.com/
Claire Martin
http://www.hopper-management.com/claire_martin.htm
Barb Jungr
http://www.keda.co.uk/biogs/barb_jungr/barb_jungr.html
Carol Grimes
http://www.sonicnet.com/artists/ai_bio.jhtml?ai_id=8561
Robb Johnson
http://www.moosemusic.co.uk/rob.html
Tom Robinson
http://www.tomrobinson.com/
(Union Chapel, N1)
A Fundraising Concert for The Medical Foundation for
the Care of Victims of Torture billed as "a unique
opportunity to hear some of the finest working singers
from all genres in Britain today". Following her association
with the Richard Thompson Band, Christine Collister formed
a successful seven year partnership with Clive Gregson,
touring extensively and releasing five critically acclaimed
albums. Solo since 1992, she remains one the most
powerful and distinctive of contemporary British folk/blues
singers.
Mon 3rd Artisan
http://www.artifact.demon.co.uk
(Croydon Folk Club, Ruskin House 0181-688-3580)
"The harmonies of Jacey Bedford, Brian Bedford and Hilary
Spencer are as wonderfully tuneful and rhythmic as any to be
found on the folk scene today." Dirty Linen, USA
Tue 4th Tom Ovans
http://nsr.home.texas.net/tjo/beat%20trade/bio/tobio.htm
(Borderline)
http://www.borderline.co.uk/
"... in his own way, a heavyweight. Numbers like 'The
Folksinger' are as serious as anything written since
Bruce Springsteen's 'Tom Joad' cycle." Mojo.
Touring the UK promoting his latest (fifth) album,
'The Beat Trade' (Floating World).
Wed 5th Brass Monkey
http://www.topicrecords.co.uk/brass_monkey_topic_records.html
(Cecil Sharp House)
A rare chance to see one of the most innovative and
quintessentially English folk groups. Brass Monkey
features the talents of guitarist Martin Carthy, squeezebox
king John Kirkpatrick, trumpeter Howard Evans and
percussionist Martin Brinsford. A major force in 1980s,
the group dissolved in '87 to resurface in the late
nineties with the occasional tour and a triumphant
return to recording with their album 'Sound and Rumour'
(Topic).
Wed 5th Les Négresses Vertes
http://www.digiserve.com/lnv/
(Dingwalls)
Formed in Paris in '87, the band serves up an
innovative mixture of punk, folk, and Latin music.
A rare London gig to promote their new release
'Trabendo'.
Wed 5th Clive Carroll
http://www.pressproms.demon.co.uk/page16.html#L
(Irish Centre, NW1)
Fine young English fingerstyle guitarist whose debut
album, 'Sixth Sense' (Old Bridge Music) has been
described by John Renbourn as "a remarkable first
recording....world class."
Thur 6th The Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain
http://www.efdss.org/ukelele.htm
(Islington Folk Club)
Funk, swing, rock and roll, classical warhorses and
even diabolical folk music. A musical library, sent up
by a consort of the most trivial instruments: ukuleles.
Impossible to describe, but if you've been once,
you'll go again.
Sat 8th Dr Faustus
http://www.appledore-music.co.uk/drf.html
(Cecil Sharp House)
Four rising stars of the acoustic music world; BBC Radio
Young Folk Award winner, Tim van Eyken (vocals and
melodeon), Robert Harbron (concertina & bassoon)
Paul Sartin (fiddle, oboe & vocals), and Benji Kirkpatrick
(guitar, bouzouki & vocals). Together, Dr Faustus
present the best of English folk music with an engaging
and stylish delivery.
Sat 8th Flook!
http://www.flook.co.uk
(Hammersmith and Fulham Irish Centre)
Flook's unique combination of flutes underpinned by fluid
guitar and hugely impressive bodhran playing has made
them one of the most popular groups on the live music
circuit in Britain today. In the Spring 2000 issue,
Songlines magazine describe their new album 'Flatfish'
as "quite simply, one of the most stunning contemporary
Celtic albums you'll hear this or any other year."
Sun 9th Concert for Peace in Ireland
http://www.co-operation-ireland.ie/peaceconcert.html
The Corrs
http://www.thecorrs.org/
B*Witched
http://b-witched.com/
The Saw Doctors
http://www.enterprise.net/sawdoctors/
Michael O Suilleabhain and the Drumcliffe Sinphonie
http://www.muse.ie/archive/interviews/suilleabhain.html
Ronnie Drew
http://www.ronniedrew.com
Eleanor Shanley
http://www.clubi.ie/MBE/eleanor.htm
Finbar Wright
http://store.yahoo.com/irishrecords/finbarwright.html
The Nualas
http://www.imn.ie/inside/00000_01.htm
(Royal Albert Hall)
Some of the biggest names in Irish pop, folk, classical
music and comedy participating in the Co-operation
Ireland Concert for Peace.
Sun 9th Tannahill Weavers
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/tannahill_weavers/
(Cecil Sharp House)
One of Scotland's premier traditional bands, started
by Roy Gullane and Phil Smillie back in 1976, the
Tannahills have a diverse repertoire that spans the
centuries with fire-driven instrumentals, topical songs,
and original ballads and lullabies.
Mon10th Harvey Andrews
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/haska/
(Herga Folk Club)
http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/town/close/xqu58/herga/
One of Britain's top performers and songwriters for over
thirty years. "He's able to pick up on the minutiae of life
and imbue it with significance. His songs are whimsical
without being fey, heartfelt but never sentimental, and his
set is peppered with monologues reflecting his thoughts
on fatherhood, ageing and the battle of the sexes....a
unique and rare talent" Birmingham Mail.
His website 'diary' pages, covering his early years
on the UK folk scene from 1964 onwards provide a
revealing insight to those days.
Mon 10th Brian Peters
http://www.rootsworld.com/harbourtown/peters.html
(Croydon Folk Club, Ruskin House)
Recently described as "one of British folk music's finest
ambassadors", Brian is amongst England's top
squeezebox players, with a mastery of the melodeon
(button accordeon) and anglo concertina that stretches
from the rarely heard dance music of North West England
to daring arrangements of blues and even rock 'n' roll.
As a guitarist he's a fine exponent of the open-tuned
English folk style. According to Rock 'n' Reel magazine,
"No singer outside Nic Jones and Martin Carthy has
embraced the tradition and used its wellsprings in as
vivid and ingenious a way"
Fri 14th Terry Callier
http://www.thenetcurtain.com/terry.htm
(The Forum)
On his debut album, 'The New Folk Sound of Terry Callier'
(Prestige)--cut in 1965 but not released until '68--Callier
brought Coltrane's smoldering soul to traditional folk
standards like '900 Miles'. However, following several
albums in the seventies, lack of commercial success
saw him giving up music to support his daughter as a
computer programmer in the early 1980s. Nearly two
decades later, having been re-discovered by England's
acid-jazz scene, he returned with his highly acclaimed
'TimePeace' (Verve) album in 1998. His latest album
LifeTime (Verve) features his trademark blend of folk,
soul, R&B, and jazz and includes a duet with Beth Orton,
a recent 'Brit Award' winner.
Fri 14th Wizz Jones
http://www.rockinworld.com/wizz.htm
(Troubadour)
Inspired by American folk blues and wanderers in the
Guthrie/Elliot/Kerouac tradition, Wizz began to play guitar
seriously in the late 1950's. Versed in the arcana of
American blues lore, possessing a right hand worthy
of Big Bill Broonzy, Jones was a legendary figure even
in the pre-dawn of Britain's folk explosion and continues
to dazzle today with his hugely influential guitar style.
Sun 16th Geoff Muldaur
http://www.hightone.com/bios/muldaur.html
(Cecil Sharp House)
A founding member of Jim Kweskin's Jug Band from
1963-68, he was also one of the original members of
Paul Butterfield's 'Better Days'. His recording credits
include appearances with Jerry Garcia, Bob Dylan,
Richard Thompson, and Bonnie Raitt, amongst many
others. In fact, Richard Thompson said of him "There
are only three white blues singers--Geoff Muldaur is
at least two of them."
Mon 17th Lunasa
http://www.lunasa.ie
(Jazz Cafe)
http://www.jazzcafe.co.uk/index2.htm
Described by The Irish Voice as "The hottest Irish acoustic
group on the planet", and by Folk Roots as an "Irish
music
dream team", the band features Trevor Hutchinson on bass
(formerly The Waterboys), Donogh Hennessy on guitar (formerly
The Sharon Shannon Band); Kevin Crawford (of Moving Cloud)
on flute and Sean Smyth on fiddle.
Mon 17th Katy Moffatt
http://members.aol.com/klmoffatt/
(12 Bar Club)
http://www.12barclub.com
In the liner notes to her latest album "Midnight Radio,"
songwriter Tom Russell writes "A red-haired Texas girl
goes to sleep at nine, wakes up at midnight in the luminous
glow of a clock radio. The music plays low - those Jimmy
Webb songs, three-minute short stories; lost highways
from Phoenix to Wichita; the world beyond Fort Worth.
The young dreamer grows up to write and sing short stories
of her own.... Folk, Country, Blues, Rock . . . She erases
the boundaries."
Wed 19th The Strawbs
http://www.strawbpage.ndirect.co.uk/
(The Turks Head, Twickenham 0181 892 1972)
Originally formed as The Strawberry Hill Boys in the
early 60's by Dave Cousins and Tony Hooper, the
band included Sandy Denny for a short while in 1967,
going electric in 1970 when Rick Wakeman joined for
a year (before leaving to join 'Yes' in 1971) and
achievingchart success with the singles 'Lay Down'
in 1972 and 'Part of the Union', which reached No 2
on the UK Chartsin 1973. The current incarnation
includes original member Dave Cousins, with John
Ford, Richard Hudson, DaveLambert, Blue Weaver
& Brian Willoughby. This is a warm up gig for their
UK tour (see dates below).
Wed 19th Fernhill
http://www.btinternet.com/~ceri.matho/index.html/fernhill./
+ Rag Foundation
http://www.minka.freeserve.co.uk/
(The Welsh Centre)
"There are now a whole crop of talented bands injecting
an exciting contemporary dynamic into Welsh traditional
music. These are the prime movers." Western Mail
Fernhill, whose debut album 'Ca Nos' was described as
"frankly nothing short of stunning" by Sing Out!, consist
of
singer Julie Murphy with Andy Cutting on diatonic button
accordion and Ceri Rhys Matthews on cittern and reed
instruments. Their new album 'Whilia' will be released in
April. According to Welsh folk magazine Taplas, 'Rag
Foundation' "have the potential to do for Welsh folk what
bands like the Manic Street Preachers and Catatonia
have already done for Welsh pop."
Thur 20th Jack Williams
http://songs.com/jackw
(12 Bar Club)
see UK tour dates below
Billed as "one of America's finest acoustic guitarists"
whose songwriting credits include work with legendary
singer-songwriters Mickey Newbury and Harry Nilsson,
among others. Touring the UK promoting his new
album, 'Eternity & Main (Wind River)
Thur 20th Tim Laycock
http://www.crump.demon.co.uk/hhb/tim.html
(Hale End)
http://www.btinternet.com/~haleend/
A specialist in the songs and traditions of the England's
West Country, Tim, who plays the concertina, melodeon
and hurdy-gurdy, has performed with Magic Lantern, The
Albion Band and The Mellstock Band, and played concertina
in five shows at the Royal National Theatre. His extensive
collection of folksongs also forms the basis of the repertoire
of The New Scorpion Band.
Sat 22nd The Popes
http://www.snappermusic.com/thepopes/
(The Swan, 215 Clapham Road, Stockwell, SW9
0171-978 9778)
Described by Irish Voice as "the Irish music equivalent
of
Booker T & the MG's. Sparse, punchy, killer", The Popes
were formed by Shane MacGowan to record his album
'The Snake' in 1994 after leaving The Pogues. During the
past few years of working regularly with Shane, they found
themselves wanting to do more. Jamming and writing at
sound checks, they started doing their own thing (including
'The Popes Instrumental' - a legendary favourite at Shane's
gigs) which finally snowballed into a massive demand for
their own project. Their first album in their own right,
'Holloway Boulevard' (Snapper Music) has just been
released.
Tue 25th David Gray
http://www.davidgray.com/
(Hanover Grand)
Irish songwriter David Gray describes his last (4th)
album 'White Ladder' as "the antitheses of big budget
sterility" - it was recorded in a small house in London
with the windows open and the traffic going by and owes
as much to the sampler as the acoustic guitar.
Wed 26th Kevin Montgomery & Pettibone
http://www.kevinmontgomery.com
(12 Bar Club)
First UK visit for the New Country songwriter who has
toured the states with the likes of Sheryl Crow and
David Crosby and has duetted with Mary Chapin
Carpenter on a track for the Buddy Holly tribute album,
'Not Fade Away'. Touring the UK promoting his latest
album 'Another Long Story'.
Wed 26th Peter Bruntnell
http://www.slowriver.com/bruntnell/mail.htm
(Borderline)
"After several low-key but well-received dates around
London, Peter Bruntnell finally gets around to releasing
this fine collection of songs ['Normal For Bridgwater'
(Slow River Records)]. With more than a trace of Jimmy
Webb and Glen Campbell evident, this album stakes its
place in the countrified rock canon, and with rocking tracks
such as 'By The Time My Head Gets To Phoenix' and
'Normal For Bridgwater, it should not be much longer
before Bruntnell finds a wider audience."
Music Week
Thur 27th Clive & Becky Carroll
http://www.pressproms.demon.co.uk/page16.html#L
(Islington Folk Club)
The highly acclaimed young guitarist (see above) used to
play in the London band 'Back To Basics' with his sister
Becky, before she moved to North Carolina. Back together
tonight for a one-off gig.
Fri 28th Tony Rose
http://www.sarcon.demon.co.uk/engfolk/tonyrose.htm
(Court Sessions)
http://www.emmak.demon.co.uk/folk/index.html
Well respected traditional singer, guitarist and concertina
player.
His latest 17-track CD 'Bare Bones' (Boneshaker Records) is
available from boneshaker@bigfoot.com
Sat 29th Youssou N'Dour
http://www.isis-intl.com/mike/youssou.htm
(Hammersmith Apollo)
The father of mbalax, a jumping, complicated blend of African,
Caribbean and pop rhythms, Senegalese performer Youssou
N'Dour came to world prominence following his collaborations
with Peter Gabriel, who has described his voice as one of the
finest in the world. He has an amazing 4-5 octave range and
sings in English, French, Fulani, and Serer as well as his
native Wolof. For an interesting article on the music of Senegal
see http://www.rootsworld.com/rw/feature/cho_mbalax.html
Go to:
Best of the Rest of the UK
UK Festivals
UK Tour Dates
Contact Paul Castle: pdcmusic@freeuk.com
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