Feather-a new Album by Edgelarks

(Review as published in May Folk Monthly)
Feather                                         Edgelarks 

 Dragonfly Roots Records         Release date May 17^th 2019

          Edgelarks are a duo comprised of Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin. Winners of the “Best Duo” category in 2014's Radio Two Folk Awards, “Feather” is their fifth studio album. They were nominated in the same category again in 2016 and 2018. Rated (a little improbably?) by Mike Harding as “one of the best duos on the planet,” they are valued highly also by Iain Anderson and The Guv'nor himself, Mark Radcliffe.

        Approaching this new album without having read such accolades and without prejudice, it is still an impressive and thoughtful piece of work:the powerful cumulative result of two musical forces working collaboratively together.

          They are both impeccable musicians. I really enjoyed Henry's solo album released last year, “True North.” So much so, that I rated it ninth in the Anker Folk Top 50 albums of 2018, released and broadcast in 2019. His guitar work is by turns moody and expressive and is always exemplary. On this album, Hannah supplements his work on dobro,steel guitar and harmonica by adding her own virtuosity on banjo and fiddle. But it is the timbre of her voice that is the final, potent ingredient. It is redolent at times of June Tabor or Joni Mitchell. That good-it is an instrument she uses to great effect.

          The album was produced by Mark Tucker and Henry himself. It was recorded as late as last December and during January 2019 at the Green Room in Devon. It was mixed and mastered there and also at ARC studios,Eynsham. (Hope nobody poached their tunes?). Arrangements are by Phillip Henry. All ten songs are original bar an innovative reworking of “Spencer The Rover.”

      “ Wander” fairly rocks along,a foot-tapping homage to travel and exploration. “Oyster” is more maritime than Transport for London,a mysterious piece with some eerie sound effects. Is that percussive background beat the marching feet of Oysters? Or the massed band of ticket collectors snapping hole punches? Do Oysters even have feet? It is a track that poses more questions than answers.

      There are echoes of Ewan MacColl and his Railway ballads, there are May Days and Tors,Standing stones and moorlands, ice creams and holidays-really there is far too much crammed in to describe fairly here. In the nicest possible way,it is like a beach full of flotsam and jetsam:a place where you can pick things out,turn them over and examine them and perhaps keep something for later.

        The album's release pre-empts an 18 date U.K. Tour which begins in Bath on May 16^th and ends at Towcester in June. Refreshingly, Feather is, (as its title suggests),cheerful and upbeat. A welcome break from the stygian gloom of dungeons, collieries, crowded quaysides, prisons and ships' holds featured in the repertoire of so many Folk artistes. The sleeve notes describe the contents as “songs for tired hearts,troubled minds and soulsick wanderers. Songs of Hope.” God knows,in our turbulent world at present, there is a niche for a few more of these?

May Day with IOTA

           Sometimes it just seems I am fortunate to be blessed by being surrounded by beautiful and talented women. A collection of gorgeous,feisty nieces and Great Nieces. A daughter and daughter in law who combine challenging careers with being energetic working mums. An adorable,funny two year old granddaughter who can already count to ten,make up her own songs and identify geometric shapes by name. And my wife,Maggie. My Rock. who has put up with me for nearly 50 years. 

          When I indulge myself in music, like  at Nuneaton Folk Club,last night,she is there beside me.. Expertly running the raffle,keeping me company and offering critical and insightful analysis of the various acts. (Including mine). Also often at my side on stage at NFC is my Niece known affectionately by her stage name as “Flossy.” Founder member of Nunc. She of the glorious voice and full on stage presence. Unable to make it last night.  No doubt about it,I was gutted,and so were the band and the audience.  It’s no secret that her powerful, expressive voice is one of the best on the circuit. 

         Which  is not to demean the craggy,chiseled muscle-toned good looks of all those males who graced the stage last night. They also played their part in making it one of the best evenings we’ve ever had at NFC since we started up at The Crown in October 2014.( Yes, it was that good). In terms of attendance,(standing room only),entertainment and musical virtuosity,it was a Collectors' Item. Here's some evidence-all photos here are courtesy of John B.Smith. 

         It’s not easy running such an enterprise as NFC as a volunteer. A lot of organisation and planning goes ahead well beforehand. Without the total support of Rich Burlingham and his staff (including our youthful Sound Crew), I’d be lost. The Crew rescued Folk and Roots music in Nuneaton when, (aside from a few excellent sessions like those at The Fox on Mondays),  it was on its knees. Now there is a top quality venue in the Town,with facilities most organisers can only dream of,and a Guest List to match. It's the little touches from Rich that add the finishing veneer. Nibbles in bowls on the tables. (At my request) the exquisite and locally provenanced Church End Goat's Milk 

        The scenes before the evening proper begins are always hectic. But we started, miraculously on time. A depleted Nunc hastily re-scribbled a running order at 7.59pm and shoved Paul Moore into the spotlight. He did not disappoint. Kicking off with "Sitting On Top of The World," he followed with his own composition,an NFC debut for "Mr.Moonshine." Holding on to his precious mandolin,we then launched straight into "Copperhead Road." This time John Kearney belted out the lead vocal. 

          Next up was Adam Wilson. We've favoured Adam a few times at NFC. A bright new talent,he has an extensive vocal range and is not afraid to tackle challenging arrangements of old songs. Demonstrated by his starter, a Beatles cover. Followed by a Stereophonics classic "Billy Davey's daughter. And concluded with an ambitious tilt at Foy Vance's magnum opus,"Wild Swans on The Lake." Impressive. 

          Maintaining the quality up popped two thirds of Daisybell,Katherine and Anya. They previewed a song from Katherine's forthcoming Folk Opera and added "This Wheel s Broken," truly a modern protest song. Featuring some epic rotation of Anya's nutsack,which sounds gruesome but is actually a percussive instrument.  

                   How to maintain that quality level? Simple. Wheel out Craig Sunderland. A popular choice. Great choice of material,great singing voice and one of the finest guitarists you can see locally. With the additional bonus of an inventive version of "Little John Barleycorn," Craig left the stage to deserved applause.

                    Paper Circus arrived to pick up the baton. There were people in the room who had not yet heard Jennian's remarkable singing voice,so I popped out into the auditorium to see how they reacted.(It's always interesting to see jaws dropping). PC will be back at The Queen's Hall in a few weeks. Saturday May 17th to be precise,when they are support to the July Julie Band, as part of the Tribute to Sandy Denny Tour. One not to miss. 

                       The immaculate and amazing Guest Band Iota then delivered a pulsating first set to take us up to the interval. We'd seen Anna Ryder in The Queen's Hall before but this was Marion Fleetwood,Sally Barker and Anna.. Each one individually a musical enigma and a fine vocal talent. Collectively, with some finely crafted arrangements and wonderful harmonies, the trio set out their impressive stall. It was clear from the onset, we were in for a memorable night. No wonder a bit of a Legend,Gordon Giltrap turned up to see them

                After an interval,during which Harvey entertained  startled onlookers by producing a stage ladder and climbing up it with a microphone to check the lighting rig. Nunc warmed the audience back up again with "How Long Blues," "Vigilante Man" and a version of "Knocking On Heaven's Door" which featured the best audience singing an NFC crowd can muster. Racing through the Raffle (thank you for donations) we eagerly sat back to enjoy another powerful set from Iota. Culminating in two emotional and powerful encores"You Don't Know What It's Like," with the audience roaring out the choruses,and a splendidly original arrangement of "Who Knows Where The Time Goes?" 

                Who knows indeed? I had arrived,(as I often do),around 7pm, fraught,tired,depressed, anxious and apprehensive. As we left,shortly before midnight,we were both elated and still buzzing.Well done ladies:that's down to you.

Return of The Spring Hare

      What a pleasure it is to welcome back an artiste of the calibre of Phil Hare to The Queens Hall at The Crew. Making his fourth appearance at Nuneaton Folk Club, he is a man of great integrity,of prodigious musical talent and a writer of extremely incisive,clever songs. Add to this the effort he puts in to working an audience and the brilliance of his onstage improvisation,his sets are the epitome of professionalism. And thoroughly enjoyable. 

       Having previously appeared only at The Cr*wn some of us were greatly looking forward to seeing him in front of a bigger auditorium and using the vastly superior sound system of The Crew. The only disappointment was the number of people who turned out to see him do this. This is no reflection on Phil. The NFC Facebook page has 339 members and 14 additional current requests are pending attention. Where do all these 300+ people go on the First Wednesday of each month? One despairs sometimes, of repeatedly asking this question.

        However we won't dwell on the mystery of absent friends and will celebrate instead the positive aspects of another good evening of music and fun. Nunc had been reduced to a duo,but this was no great hardship for us as it is how we began together in 2014. As always, there was no soundcheck for us-no time-so we went straight up and launched into "T'was on an April Morning."   Nowadays we do this with guitar accompaniment,but without any we had to rely on a battery powered pitch-pipe to get the starting note right(-ish). Trying to get a slightly smaller than usual audience to sing along was always going to be a challenge,but they rallied bravely through "John Ball," and gave us stolid backing on our own specially adapted segue of "When I Get To The Border" and "Soldier Soldier." 

NUNC-and then there were two.

               Bob Brooker followed. That was not always the plan but as we had someone drop out from the original list of Floor Singers,Bob was rapidly coerced from being a simple audience member (and I do mean simple) to becoming a performer. Bob is a master of several instruments. It's not that often you see him away from his banjo or Bazouki, but we were treated to a couple of intricate instrumentals on the mandolin-which is another of his specialisms. Thoroughly entertaining and played with great concentration. The photo below (which like all of those used here is courtesy of John B Smith) captures the essence of Bob's stage presence.  

         Reverting to the original running order,Wes Hall and Simon Roberts then made their NFC debut as a duo. Wes had appeared with Paul Moore at NFC in the past,but having seen him appearing with Simon elsewhere I was keen to get them on stage at The Queens Hall. They did a nice version of "Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy" and a couple of instrumentals. Top fiddle playing from Simon and solid vocals from Wes. Try as we might we could not get them to come out from behind those foldbacks so alas,we have no photographic evidence that, (see proof below) both chose to appear naked from the waist down

         Craig Sunderland has quickly won the hearts of NFC audiences (and a few other venues too) So there was a warm welcome for him on another return. He plays well, he sings well and he interprets his song choices with great feeling and sensitivity. And of course it is always nice to see a few younger faces on stage at NFC

              The evening just kept on giving as another great guitarist and raconteur,Brian Phillips gave us two fabulous songs hallmarked by his warm vocals and remarkable finger-picking dexterity.

        Supplemented by some bright comedy and a further rendition of one of his whimsical spoken pieces,Brian continues to do for poetry what William McGonagall did for Iambic Pentameter. He finished his spot by rolling out  an epic reflection on that much neglected topic,Flatulence.The audience soon got wind of what he was up to and responded enthusiastically. Was that just green vapour billowing from the smoke machine or serious method acting from another,nearer source? Hard to tell. Brian looks like a man who has just got rid of something in this picture, doesn't he? 

            How could anyone possibly follow that? Well K.C. Jones aka Colin and Karen, two talented local singers,also attempted to get to the bottom of things. Colin won the audience over immediately by taming an errant mike stand which had been demonstrating erectile dysfunction by spontaneously sagging over during other peoples' performances. Stage gear sorted,they then outgunned Ian Bourne (who was off abroad plying his trade across the county in Stratford). They did  a very strong cover of the Gretchen Peters standard " Hello Cruel World." Ian always makes a good fist of it but somehow it was less eerie and considerably more wholesome, when Karen at the end of a long descending note,sang " I'm a very lucky girl." The couple finished with "Sonny." My fault entirely. I'm a sucker for schmaltz. I requested it. I love it and they hadn't planned to do it. But off they went and the audience loved it too 

          Phil stepped up to complete his first "taster" set,one of two. He had arrived without fuss,despite having been baffled by the mysteries of the Ringway. He sailed through a brief soundcheck (an exemplar for those who take so long agonising over these pre-gig rituals). Whilst not performing, he exchanged banter with the audience. He eschews hiding away in hospitality rooms preferring instead to mix with the hoi paloi. He takes on board the creative work of others and always has time to talk to other musicians. He is that rare thing a Man of The People. Many on the Folk Circuit have pretensions to owning that title-Phil simply delivers.   

          A breathless and joyous first half came to an end. After a quick break then drawing the raffle and awarding prizes,Phil gallantly accepted a challenge to join Nunc on stage for a version of "Jesus on The Main Line."  We'd really like to keep him in the band after this but as he and Stef live in Cambridge,rehearsals could be a problem.

                Having persuaded him to noodle along with us,it was,(happily)  time for him to close the evening with a second set. Phil is a top performer. He makes you chuckle with "Potato Man" or "I got my Country Back"  He makes you ponder with " Everyone's A Hard Man Now." He makes you gasp with instrumentals and fills where harmonics and key changes are flung about in great profusion. He has a great voice with a strong range. The sensitivity of his vocals on " Lady London" or his wonderful interpretation of Glenn Campbell's "Wichita Lineman" were stunning He gave us two encores and I got the feeling that he would have been up for more. A great showman and a top bloke. I hope a few more turn up to see him next time he's appearing locally. 

All In Good Time by Dave Taylor

              Whilst appearing alongside his charming wife,Julia, Dave Taylor's public performances are relatively restrained. The Leicestershire duo do some nice harmonies together, they cover some lovely ballads very sensitively and do some of their own material. Off the leash and solo, Dave's kindly appearance is shed. He belies that calm exterior revealing a vicious tongue,a gift for mimicry,a fine-tuned ear for parody and a real understanding of how to employ irony in songwriting.

         “All In Good Time,” is the latest of several solo issues by Dave.He describes it as “fourteen tracks over quite a spectrum of serious and frivolous.” And he's not joking (although more often than not he is). He actually uses the word “tacks” rather than “tracks” here....leaving you wondering.. Is that a typo or a pun? You never really know with Dave.

The CD is worth having just for the immortal “Leonard Cohen's Shantymen” alone. A work of pure genius which has got many a large Folk Club audience cackling and struggling to join in with the choruses simply because they could not stop laughing. I've not yet seen a live audience who weren't tickled by this. Trust me. It's brilliant.

          But there's more. When Dave's laying into the objects of his considerable ire,he's at his best. Lyrics written in ink refined from pure acid flow from his quill pen. Words, delivery and production on this album combine to emphasise the satire. Alone,Dave pulls no punches. Rather he swings haymakers at the objects of his wrath. He sprinkles his songs with expletives and examples of Anglo Saxon vernacular. His songs are by turns angry,waspish and at times almost cruel in their imagery. ( A man after my own heart). But they are always funny. A sort of folk version of Sleaford Mods,in “Greedy Bastards All” he epitomises this attack: via a really cross condemnation of Privilege.It matches in vehemence anything Billy Bragg or Dick Gaughan has ever angrily spat out into an auditorium.

          “Blue-Arsed Fly” takes a tilt at Health and Safety whilst “ White Boots” is another classic about Talent Show Wannabees. It is delivered in a mocking vocal style somewhere between Benny Hill John Otway and Charlie Drake A three minute assassination of the cry babies and the tone deaf who employ sob stories to win votes when lack of musical ability cannot gather any. If only our hero had worn his white boots for the audition...the rest might have been history.

         “There's an Alien Taken Over My Brain” celebrates Insomnia whilst “Range Rover” is in Dave's sleeve notes,“for those whose definition of “off-roading is parking on the pavement.”

It's not all a bundle of laughs. “Haunted” is a protest about childrens' role in warfare and “ Harbour Lights,” is an affectionate homage to Weymouth. And Dave is capable of writing heavier songs. “Glow Worm” is no laughing matter:It has nothing in it to smile about. A long ballad, half sung,half spoken it is a Magnum Opus about an epic confrontation between a Royal Navy Destroyer and a German Battlecruiser. off the Norwegian coast in 1940. At over nine minutes long it emphasise what he can do with well-researched material when he's being serious. Dave is also a very good guitarist. (Did I mention that?) He also plays mandola,theremin(I think I take those for high blood pressure) accordion and bass.

         But it's not long before he's sharpened his plectrum and got his kicking boots out again with “Eighties Song,” you can guess what he's on about here. Backed by swirling synths ,beeping moogs and God knows what,Dave lays into Eighties Pop Music. With the fence-sitting anguished refrain of “How Long Can This Turgid Crap Go On?” he's not really a fan..

          Elsewhere,in “Rose Scented Glasses,” there is more clever wordplay. Dave laments our “high expectorations” and mercilessly pans the fifty years or so of Hurt exemplified by the underachieving England Football Team. With more tonsil bending enunciation,Dave weighs into them all. The players. The pundits. The press. The Referees. The opponents. No-one is safe. It makes Green Street look like a picnic.

        “No matter how you interpretate it 

          you can't make sense

        of the total demolishment our defence,”

-the anonymous observer laments,adding bitterly:

         “The World will be our Lobster 

       we'll still get taken to the cleaners

         or go out on penalties 

           to Spain or Argentina."

So..There's now a new England Song. Eat your hearts out Baddiel and Skinner.

Changeable Heart by Ruth Notman & Sam Kelly

                         Released on Pure Records       March 15^th 2019

          Sam Kelly is now a respected and admired institution:part of English (indeed British) Folk Music tradition. He speaks for many of us across the generations,but also represents responsibly a younger faction who take a broader,more modern approach to recording or performing material. He's getting close to being an institution. Not having met him or seen him interviewed, I'd be intrigued to hear how he feels about that.

             Like many of his contemporaries he is not averse to revisiting older material,or afraid of tackling new projects. But I find his work is always respectful and appropriate. The net result has been a string of enjoyable releases, either by him,in collaboration with others or generously sharing out the influences of a plethora of talented musicians. It's getting to a point where you can hear something and identify its Kelly provenance within a few notes-and that is the hallmark of a true “style.”

          Consequently I tend to approach anything new from Sam with anticipation and some excitement because I know the outcome will be thoughtful and interesting. I know the arrangements will be imaginative and sensitive. The vocals sublime. The instrumentation damn near perfect. And as yet-I have never been proved wrong. For me, Damien O'Kane has the same sort of pedigree. I can pick his house style out swiftly now too, on Kate Rusby's work or embedded in his own-and within a few bars of listening,his style is recognisable. With him being the producer of Changeable Heart and it being recorded at Kate Rusby's Pure Records studio, this album promises all one could hope for. The perfect match. And it does not disappoint.

         I knew a lot less about Ruth Notman before receiving a copy of this album. She caused a stir in Folk circles between 2007-2009 and then disappeared to follow a career in medicine. But this release made me want to go and find out more about her. I understand fully now why Sam sought Ruth out and persuaded her to record again. Shrewd work.

Cumulatively, Changeable Heart is a fine piece of work. The musicianship,arrangement and production is everything one has come to expect from these talented people. Stir in a bit of magic from guest musicians like Josh Clark,Anthony Davis,Ross Ainslie and Mr. O'Kane himself and the end product is going to be pretty obvious. If you like The Lost Boys or “Avenging and Bright” or The Changing Room-you'll love this. I've already played it a lot on my home system and plundered it ruthlessly for “Anker Folk” airplay. It's going to win awards in 2019 and afterwards-so watch out!

        “School Days Over,” is a stand out track for me. I could write a film screenplay around that track alone. It's a Ewan MacColl cover apparently, though not one I am familiar with. It is brilliantly and achingly sung. Ruth's unaccompanied voice opens the track with just the right catch in her voice. Some atmospheric melancholy O'Kane magic swirls in underneath the vocal as the story of loss of youth collides head on with the harsh reality of growing up. It's a brief tale of the brutal transfer from classroom to pit face. Sam's harmonies join a swelling refrain. I defy anyone with a heart to listen to this with a dry eye. It made my heart ache.

        By contrast, “The Cunning Cobbler” is a lot more vernacular. A raunchy,saucy song it trades on the Folk tradition of weaving double entendre and innuendo into a lively tale. A story is told,a denouement is delivered and all to a boisterous soundtrack which bounces along at a rollicking pace. Sex,promiscuity,deception-all the usual ingredients are there.

“Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill” is something many of us had to learn at school. It receives a makeover far removed from school choirs and music lessons as Sam first takes the lead .A lone voice with guitar and piano forms an atmospheric tapestry: Ruth adds the embellishment. Another world away from my memories of Mrs Russell and her grand piano plonking away in the Parish Rooms of All Saints C.of E. It is a trick Sam repeats in “My Lagan Love.” Layers of light and shade. Beautiful.

   Besides these two triumphs of interpretation, elsewhere the team apply their art conscientiously to other Trad. arr. Songs such as “Bold Fisherman,” “Caw The Yowes” and “Young Brian of The Wold.” These examples are relatively jolly and upbeat-so this is not the usual litany of death and destruction which occasionally haunts some Folk collections.

“The Island” is their modern treatment of a Paul Brady classic. The cutting lyrics paint bleak images of the mess we've all made of human existence and combine them with an idealistic but understandable urge to escape from all this reality and despair sometimes and just and bury ourselves in sweet oblivion. A clever interpretation of a brilliant song.

The duo also turn their hand to songwriting in the title track “Changeable Heart” and Ruth herself penned “As You Find Your Way Home.” Ruth and Sam (and Damien) continue to apply a lot of shades to a broad canvas,keeping the listener occupied and taking us through a range of emotions.

     The CD I had has simple and colourful artwork back and front, with the heart motif repeated inside on a picture disc and throughout in an enclosed booklet containing all credits and all lyrics. Such attention to detail is typical of the artistes involve.Overall there is a subtle, sepia-toned sense of reminiscence and nostalgia to these songs. Changeable Heart never ever strays into schmaltz or sentimentality-the production and the chemistry of voices ensures that. Instead it creates a synergy which is pure almost to the point of distraction. It's a collection of songs-originals and covers which you will enjoy listening to over and over again. But have a hankie ready!

Happy Anniversary

Wednesday 6th March 2019

       Twelve months on from our sudden,enforced eviction from The Crown, this week it was time to celebrate.That sudden,overnight closure last February did us an enormous favour.The least said about the circumstances and the disadvantages of our previous venue the better. The Crew is our home now, specifically the mighty Queens Hall upstairs there. 

        In Guvn'or Richard Burlingham we could not have a better host. Richard and his staff have pulled out all the stops each month to make us feel welcome. Richard added to the festive mood on Wednesday by laying on free food and having a barrel of Church End's "What The Foxes Hat" available upstairs. This is by no means the first Church End Ale which Richard has laid on for us Folkies. It's always great to see  locally brewed provenance in The Town-if this continues-The Crew are going to get in 2020 CAMRA Guide! 

        Nor could we have wished for  better Guests to get the party going than The Gerry Colvin Band. Gerry is articulate,expressive and eloquent. The consumate Front Man,he whipped up the audience early doors,egging them on to participate, wooing the residents, flattering the town, cajoling the whole company into song and generally appearing to have a good time. There is a lot of gesture,body language and ,eye contact in Gerry's energetic performance.(If he wasn't really enjoying himself on Wednesday he's a very good actor).This shot makes him look slightly mad but I have a feeling he be o.k. with that.  

       Ably supported by his very talented band,its true to say he left everyone buzzing after the briefer first set they did. Below is a shocking photo.A little blurred because the room was going mental at the time. It's only a small cross section of the audience-but they are CLEARLY enjoying themselves and letting rip in a Folk Club? Disgraceful! 

       Our Good friends Tilting Kettle (specialist bakers based in Bulkington) donated one of their fantastic themed creations as an Anniversary cake. Which I'm glad to say was completely devoured by the end of the evening (Not in one go-we cut it into manageable slices). Delicious as always,Sammie-thanks very much). Most of the pictures on today's blog are by John B.Smith. The two below are mine. The cake design is based on the first Crew Poster Richard ever had printed for us. See how it echoes the plucking hands (that's what I said!),and the brown jacket? Everything was edible except the guitar strings. How clever is that? 

There were times,leading up to the event when it seemed fortune was (once more), conspiring against us . Counter attractions nearby the night before (Merry Hell at The Wurzel Bush in Rugby) and at The Tump,Coventry on Thursday (John Richards and Mike Silver) could have affected our attendance. But they didn't. 

      The Nuneaton News failed to publish our press release beforehand. That was an uncharacteristic disappointment as Claire Harrison is one of our best (sometimes our only) friend in promoting NFC in local media. The local Telegraph of course,wont touch any Folk or Roots coverage with a bargepole  unless its syndicated. They've been operating that boycott for years now. God knows why. BBC no longer react to our press releases or requests for a bit of promo,leaving only Anker Radio (with two "Anker Folk" shows a month) to fly the flag. I predict that as Coventry as the City of Culture draws nearer there will be a sudden and cynical revival interest in local Folk music.

    .     Mysterious gremlins were also affecting one or two of the Online sites too, so that our usual blanket advertising was restricted. (Odd that). So once again, thanks to local sites like Nuneaton What's On, Cov21 and Folk Monthly (always reliable) for getting our posters out on time. And for all the Facebook shares. 

      The whole family had been poorly during February and up until Tuesday night I had doubts about whether I'd have the voice to compere and singalonga Nunc. I did,but the final disappointment was that my Right Hand woman,the lovely Maggie was too ill to attend. She puts so much effort into helping out at NFC before during and after, that it really is a harder job without her.  It's the first NFC she's missed in years. Thankfully she's on the mend now. Love ya,Mags! My thanks to Gill and Flossy who did a great job of filling in on the raffle-both selling tickets and assisting with the draw. 

            Nunc kicked off a little late. No Sound check (we rarely do get one on home turf,-we just run out of time!) ,and with Flossy, Jon and Mr.Kearney coming virtually straight from work delayed a little,we were a few minutes adrift already by the time we'd got ourselves(and others) organised.As often happens, it was not the full compliment but a permutation job consisting of so myself,Flossy,JK and Jon Harps did the business.  We whistled through Cold Haily, All Gotta Die and a Neil Young Segue before introducing the first floor singer. 

             Next up and all the way from Hereford, was John Mosedale, making his Queens Hall debut,.John had already made a big impact  in other local clubs and came highly recommended. A pleasant, likeable chap he is carving himself a bit of a reputation in this part of the world. (A good one). His songs were amusing and well sung.I particularly liked his song about a dog with three balls-which was not all that you might expect from that title. (Definitely not Old Shep however). John has a good strong voice and plays guitar well. He was not in the least intimidated by the venue in fact (like many of our guests) he positively thrived on it. I'm sure we'll see him back soon.     

             Tom Young (and he is!)  had already guested at the Queen's Hall since our move there,and I'd been trying to get him back there for ages. He was straining at the leash to get back up on that stage. His quiet and mildly studious demeanour offstage belies the fact that he is a Blues Monster when he's under lights. He sits down calmly,gives a brief introduction  and then starts picking. The jaws drop. Tom is one of our many guitar burners who makes complicated playing look easy,Tom chooses his repertoire very carefully. None of these modern Blues Men like Muddy, Sonny Boy or The Wolf. He goes way-y-y-y down South and mines an obscure but delightful vein of Blues gold. You can always learn something new when Tom plays. He's not recorded anything yet,and I chided him for it.

                Proving (like Tom), that you don't have to be over 50 to get on in a Folk Club nowadays,the constantly improving Adam Wilson was next. I've made no secret of the fact that if I had enough money and time to fund a record label,I would have already signed Paper Circus and then added Adam to my portfolio. He has a really good voice,he's not afraid to seek out and follow up advice and he's a good guitarist. He also writes his own material. He must be close to an album now, with his magnificent cover versions and original songs all committed to MP3. 
               He started with "Blues Run The Game," an audience favourite and then heeding my advice tackled "Billy Davey's Daughter." Made famous by the Stereophonics,Adam's vocal range means that he can cover Neil Young or Kelly Jones with authenticity. Lucky guy. He finished with "Ring of Fire" and that was a good call as with the Church End flowing (other beers were available), this was an audience who wanted to sing. He's going to have a go at John Martyn's early work next and Foy Vance. Can't wait. 

            From youth to the opposite end of the spectrum,the majestic Gandalf of Folk, Des Patalong. Introduced as Billy Gibbon's elder brother,Des exuded loads of presence as he stood  up there and hammered out three good songs. Two were covers and one was his own-although Des likes to crack on that he doesn't write songs. His choice of material was excellent. Humour,pathos and social comment. All bases covered inside 15 minutes. "Deep Blue Sea" in particular got the audience bellowing out the choruses. iI's on one of his CD's you know-very good value and with some excellent local talent assisting him as sessions singers. Very reasonably priced. I'm sure he'd sell you a copy if you asked him. 

              So then The Gerry Colvin Band bounced onto stage to do their "taster" set and no-one was disappointed. Those who'd seen them previously were given an opportunity to enjoy their brand of magic,whilst Newbies were able to reflect on what good value we give them. As the interval dawned no-one went hungry,with plenty of Vegetable stew (and bread to mop it up with) and the cake cut into manageable portions. Truly amazing then that three of those assembled refused to donate to the half time collection-even though it didn't stop them helping themselves to free handouts. 
             The interval overran a little. All my fault. I got the Nunc running order messed up and the raffle just took ages. We were late getting GCB back up, but they then tore down the hall with a marvellous second set.Michael Keelan (fiddle) and Trish Power (accordion) provided a powerful engine room with Lyndon Webb just a little bit  immense playing some excellent lead guitar. Their musical dexterity and Gerry's infectious bonhommie got us all  in a good mood. 11pm came and went and yet on we ploughed. In a Grand Finale,we got to see the Geoff Colvin band as we all belted out "Parting Glass." 

           A lot of very nice things were said over the P.A. on Wednesday and I thank everyone for that. We ended up with about 70 people in the room which was a great turnout given the foul weather, the illness still sweeping the area,the lack of publicity and counter attractions elsewhere. As well as all those wonderful performers and the GCB themselves,I must pay tribute to Sammie,Flossy,Gill,Tom and Harvey on the desk (love you,guys!), our barman Aaron and the lovely ladies of The Crew kitchen for all the help and hard work they put in. Richard Burlingham-thank God you gave NFC a new home.   

             And then there's our photographers. How blessed we are in this part of the world to have so much talent. John Wright, Ray Buckler and John B.Smith. There are many more photos of Wednesday from Ray and John B. in particular on the NFC Facebook page. If you're a member-mosey over and have a look.  
            You can access more Gerry here :www.gerrycolvin.com    if you've not seen him yet-for goodness sake go and seek the band out. Magnificent. 
       

Harbottle And Jonas

Continuing the trend of republishing Album reviews which have already  appeared in publications like Folk Monthly here is my take on this album, released last month. I think I saw them advertised at The Wurzel Bush in Rugby later this year? 

The Sea is My Brother         Harbottle & Jonas Brook     

View Records

        As befits an album recorded in Cornwall, a fourth album from a husband and wife team resident in an adjacent county with two coastlines, this is a nautical-themed homage to the sea. It is a godsend for a broadcaster like myself who likes occasionally to include a thematic night among the fortnightly radio shows. But themed albums,especially maritime ones are always a bit of a gamble. This is an adventurous project,for rather than rehash or regurgitate thousands of songs which already exist on such a topic,nine of the eleven tracks are original compositions.    Of the remainder, “Was it You?” is a Mike Silver arrangement of a song written by Ewen Carruthers. “Hall Sands” is a John Masefield poem set to an original tune.

      The playlist reads like a roll call of heroic disaster at times. Captain Scott,Grace Darling and The Titanic all get a mention. “Lost To The Sea” has a melancholy air to it, enriched by some eerie faraway choral singing. It commemorates the awful Morecambe Bay Tragedy. This particularly treacherous stretch of sand has claimed many more lives than those of the unfortunate Chinese cockle pickers who were trapped there and out run by a vicious tide.

       “Headscarf Revolutionaries” spiritedly recalls local,(angry)  reaction to the loss of three Hull Trawlers in three months during 1968. As with Grace Darling,celebrated in “A Lady Awake,” amidst the carnage and suffering there is inspirational bravery and courage. I loved the slightly manic singing at the end of “Fr Thomas Byles,”-a Titanic hero in every sense, who sacrificed his own life so others on the ill-fated stricken liner might survive.

       The duo alternate on songwriting duties. Some of the original lyricism is first class. It is an easy mistake for a songwriter to make to wade into the quicksand of overplayed metaphor or cliched imagery. But on the whole whoever is responsible for the lyrics manages to avoid that trap.

       The album is an academic work with a lot of thought and research put into creating it. This works best on “Saved Alone,” the awful tale of Anna Spafford and her personal sense of loss at the hands of the liner Ville De France. She survived its shipwreck but it took all four of her daughters to the bottom of the ocean.

        The musicianship is accomplished and imaginative. David Harbottle provides guitar and banjo whilst Freya Jones turns her hand to concertina and harmonium. The instrumentation is enhanced by contributions from Mark Nesbitt (violin),Jenny Jonas (oboe and vocals), Jude Wright (cello/mandolin),Kris Lannen (additional vocals),Andy Tyner (trumpet),Daniel Cleave (double bass/mandola)),and Adam Brackley(drums). “Elizabeth Prettejohn” is the only instrumental. It features some fine guitar picking,further decorated by drums and a trumpet.

        There seems a certain dichotomy in a title track stating “The Sea is My Brother” and the litany of death,disaster, tragedy and despair that unfolds as each tale is told. It is a phrase attributed to Kerouac, but to me the actions of the sea are less than fraternal. The random mayhem it brings upon the unsuspecting sometimes is certainly not the reaction one might expect of a caring sibling. Don't get me wrong I love the sea-I could watch it for hours. But from a balcony with a cup of tea,or on a pier head,waiting for a watched rod to dip. I don't trust it for one minute. More a cruel mistress than a brother,in my humble opinion.

    The harmony singing throughout is near perfect,with the additional ornament of some clever variations on choral singing. Comparisons are often odious but I mean it as a compliment when I say that the songwriting style has an element of the Young Un's about it,and at times the singing reminds me of The Lakeman clan. Particularly in my favourite track “The Saucy Sailor Boy,” where a traditional song is jazzed up a little to provide some welcome relief. Everyone unwinds and relaxes on this and lets go a bit. “Liverpool City” too has pace motion and movement to it.

         Just before Christmas I was invited to judge a songwriting competition with the theme of...yes,turning tides. By the end of this and the subsequent presentation evenings,I had sand a plenty between my toes and motion sickness from being rocked,rowed,drifted sunk,etc.And yet...here we are again. What a good job we are a seafaring nation!

     Harbottle and Jonas embark on a tour in 2019 which extends from one end of the country to another. From Inverness and Stonehaven in the north to Bovey Tracey in the South West and with London dates in Putney,Kingston and Peckham. Many of the venues are coastal,including Watchet,Lowestoft and Leith. The album is a nailed on must have for those who enjoy rippling sails,busy docksides and crowded harbours. If keening winds,creaking timbers and the ever present tang of salt are not your thing,best catch them in Birmingham,where they stray inland on the 4^th March.