London Gigs

Thur 4th Robb Johnson
http://www.moosemusic.co.uk/robb.html
Islington Folk Club

Renowned political songwriter described by Rock 'n' Reel as "the
finest songwriter to emerge from these isles in the last decade", whilst
Folk on Tap Magazine describes his latest album 'The Big Wheel'
(Irregular Records) as "honest emotion, a canny eye for life's quaint
notions of justice & a gift of glorious hyperdriven melody.."

Thur 11th Alison Brown
http://www.compassrecords.com/alison.htm
The Borderline

Top US banjo player who first came to international prominence as
a member of Alison Krauss' Union Station, winning the International
Bluegrass Music Association's 'Banjo Player of the Year' award in
1991. In 1995 she launched her own label, Compass Records with
bass player Garry West. Her latest album 'Fair Weather' is a multi-
hued collection of neo-classic songs and original instrumentals.
Anchored by Brown's technically rich but also highly musical banjo,
the album pays equivalent homage to the Flatt & Scruggs tradition and
to the modern Dawg music of David Grisman. The instrumentation
features some of the best bluegrass instrumentalists and singers
working today, including, amongst others, Sam Bush, Bela Fleck,
Jerry Douglas, and Tim O'Brien.

Thur 11 Derek Brimstone
http://www.derekbrimstone.mcmail.com/
Hale End Folk Club

London-born singer, guitarist, banjo picker, comedian, raconteur and
author. Described by Karl Dallas in Melody Maker as "One of the
unsung geniuses of the contemporary folk scene", Derek has been a
stalwart of the British folk and blues scene since the sixties. His
current CD is 'All Those Songs'

Thur 11th Les Barker
http://www.compulink.co.uk/~ackroyd/welcome.htm
Islington Folk Club

Described by Dirty Linen Magazine as "may be the best writer of
parodies and wordplays that the English-speaking world has ever
heard", Les began his career as assistant to Mrs Ackroyd, a small
hairy mongrel who lay around in folk clubs, bit people and became
famous. Since her sad demise, Les is mainly a solo performer, though
he has taken to working with humans from time to time. His band
'The Mrs Ackroyd Band' gradually evolved from an ever-changing
who's who of the folk scene into a tightly knit, well-rehearsed group,
currently comprising Chris Harvey, Alison Younger, and
Hilary Spencer.

Mon 15th Hilary Spencer
http://www.halpins.demon.co.uk/
Herga Folk Club, Harrow

Solo gig by highly regarded singer with British a-capella group,
Artisan. Her 1998 debut solo album 'Other Roads, Other Lives'
included guitarist George Norris (ex-Magna Carta), Alaskan
multi-instrumentalist Tania Opland and percussionist Mike Freeman
and was described in Folk on Tap Magazine as "tangible evidence
that she is on the threshold of a remarkable recording career." A new
solo album is due in the Spring.

Mon 15th Richard Wood Band
http://www.peisland.com/richardwood/touch.htm
The Borderline

Described by 'The Scotsman' newspaper as "Prince Edward Island's
bow shredding fiddling sensation", his high energy show is said to be
a combination of fiddling virtuosity and stunning showmanship, mixing
traditional Celtic jigs, reels, and strathspeys with sweet airs and lively
polkas. His latest CD, "Come Dance With Me" was released in June
1999 along with his book entitled "Richard Wood Music Collection
Volume 1" which includes 60 original compositions"

Mon 15th Mary Coughlan
http://www.cnotes.com/cnotes.artists/mary.html
Jazz Cafe

Top Irish singer described by UK newspaper The Guardian as "A red
haired warrior queen with a voice like bleeding cherries." Her last
album 'After the Fall' included songs written especially for her by some
of Ireland's most acclaimed songwriters, such as Jimmy MacCarthy,
Johnny Mulhern and Thom Moore

Tues 16th Countrypolitans
http://www.Countrypolitans.com
+ Carrie Newcomer
http://www.carrienewcomer.com
The Borderline

"Portland's honky tonkin' Countrypolitans serve their country with a
dollop of '50s era country swing, a swig of addictive melodies, and
crafty musicianship that makes for an intoxicating, foot-tapping
sound." - American Country. US songwriter/poet Carrie Newcomer
combines elements of acoustic, pop, and country. According to the
Village Voice, reviewing her latest album 'The Age of Possibility',
"She has a warm spirit, heated intelligence, and burning talent...
glinting with musical brightness."

Thur 18th Jez Lowe
http://www.jezlowe.com
Hale End Folk Club

See the UK news section

Sat 20th Ben Paley and Tab Hunter
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~tinvic/pistols.htm
Cellar Upstairs, Golden Lion, 88 Royal College St,
London NW1. (020 7281 7700)

Fiddle player Ben Paley has been playing the traditional music of
Sweden, Ireland and the USA (as well as blues, jazz and rock of
various kinds) since he was six, on the stages, screens and street
corners of two continents. He has toured and recorded extensively
with his father Tom Paley, both as a duo and with Joe Locker as
the New Deal String Band and recently with The Sussex Pistols.

Tue 23rd Andy Scheinmann
http://members.aol.com/Flyfolk/andy.htm
+ Darryl Purpose
http://www.darrylpurpose.com/ www.tangible-music.com
12 Bar Club

Great double bill of US songwriters currently touring the UK together.
Nashville-based Scheinmann's first solo CD, 'Make Amends'
(Tangible Music) includes an eclectic sampling of what Andy terms
folk-western songs, described by Nashville Scene as "smartly crafted,
rollicking Americana tunes that explore personal experiences with
compelling insight and honesty." Once recognized as the world's
topblackjack player, Darryl Purpose has been described by Hugh
Blumenfeld as "a master storyteller". His latest (third) album
'Traveler's Code' includes vocal contributions from Ellis Paul and
Lucy Kaplansky.

Wed 24th & Thur 25th John Martyn
http://surf.to/john.martyn
Jazz Cafe

Reviewing his latest studio album, 'Glasgow Walker' (Independiente)
the UK's Sunday Times newspaper says, "He's writing now as well as
he did in his 1970's heyday when albums like 'Stormbringer', 'Bless
The Weather' and 'Solid Air' established his reputation as one of the
most distinctive talents to emerge from the late 1960's electric-folk
scene." The UK independent label Voiceprint have recently released
'The New York Session', an interview and music CD of a radio
show he recorded in New York in 1998 (details from
mailorder@voiceprint.co.uk)

Wed 24th The Special Consensus
http://www.specialconsensus.com/
The Borderline

US bluegrass band formed in 1975 by banjo player Greg Cahill.
In addition to original compositions, their repertoire also includes
traditional bluegrass standards (songs by Bill Monroe , Flatt and
Scruggs, Jim and Jesse McReynolds, etc). Their latest album '25th
Anniversary' (Pinecastle) is a 20 track compilation of both old and
new material.

Fri 26th John Renbourn
http://www.johnrenbourn.com/
White Horse, Hampstead

Top UK fingerstyle guitarist since the early sixties, renowned for his
collaborations with Bert Jansch and Pentangle. His most recent album
was 1999's 'Traveller's Prayer' (Shanachie - who have also recently
released 'Keeper of the Vine' - the best of John Renbourn and Stefan
Grossman. Also, Mel Bay Publications have recently published a
book/3 CD set entitled 'Fingerstyle Guitar - Folk, Blues & Beyond;
Celtic Melodies & Open Tunings; and The Jazz Tinge' illustrating
John's unique fingerstyle techniques using standard and alternate
tunings.

Fri 26th Neal Casal
http://www.nealcasal.com
Mean Fiddler

New Jersey singer-songwriter Neal Casal's latest album 'Anytime
Tomorrow' was released in Europe and England by Glitterhouse
Records in March to unanimous critical acclaim, rating 'Album of the
Week' in both The Guardian and The Sunday Times newspapers at
the time.

Sat 27th Suzzy Roche
http://www.roches.com/suzzy/
Queen Elizabeth Hall

Touring the UK to promote her latest solo album 'Songs from an
Umarried Housewife and Mother, Greenwich Village, USA'
(Red House Records). Along with her elder sisters, Maggie and
Terre, Suzzy has been a member of The Roches since the seventies

Sat 27th Frankie Armstrong
http://www.thefestival.bc.ca/98site/bios/armstrong.html
Cellar Upstairs

Though Frankie was voted England's foremost woman folksinger
some years ago, she has never "turned pro" in the usual sense of the
word. Her appearances fit into her schedule as a social worker in
drug treatment programs and as a counsellor for battered women and
prostitutes. She has also held hundreds of singing workshops, helping
others learn that they can sing. Her autobiography "As Far as The Eye
Can Sing" was published by Women's Press in 1992 and her most
recent recording is 'The Garden Of Love' (Fellside Records).

Tue 30th Ani DiFranco
http://www.columbia.edu/~marg/ani
Shepherds Bush Empire

According to the CD Now review of her last album, 1999's 'To the
Teeth' (Righteous Babe Records) - "Ani DiFranco has done what no
other artist in the '90s has managed to do. She puts out an album a
year, tours endlessly, is in-your-face political, and runs the whole
game herself. It's one-stop shopping with the self-proclaimed "little
folk singer." She's the artist, publisher, record company executive,
career executor, not to mention hipster and trendsetter, all rolled
into one."

Tue 30th Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys
http://www.rounder.com/rounder/artists/riley_steve_the_mamou_playboys/
The Borderline

Described by The Washington Post as "clearly the best Cajun
musicians of the younger, post-Beausoleil generation". The band's
last release 'Bayou Ruler' (Rounder) showed a move away from their
traditional Cajun roots towards the zydeco style of Clifton Chenier,
the blues of Slim Harpo and the Swamp Pop styles of Tommy
McLain and Cleveland Crochet & the Sugar Bees, prompting
Offbeat Magazine to call it "one of the best Louisiana rock and roll
records of the 90's." Their new album 'Happytown' (Rounder) will
be released this month.

Go to:
UK News
London Gigs
Best of the Rest of the UK
UK Festivals - Celtic Connections 2001