Three more CD Reviews

With the first crop of 2019 New  releases now arriving, here are some  more  album reviews published previously in Folk Monthly Magazine. I've played tracks from all these albums already on "Anker Folk" during 2018. They can be heard via a Listen Again facility-but you might have to dig around a bit for them here...https://www.ankerradio.co.uk/

Through The Wild                 The Willows         Elk Records

Released November 30^th 2018

       The Willows have been described as a “Cambridge Supergroup.”  Well,there's enough of them,they have an immaculate pedigree and they certainly look the part. They've been going for some eight years now, recording three studio albums since 2013,so you might well expect The Willows to make a decent album.

      Which they do. They have a stellar line-up. Ben Savage also collaborated with Hannah Sanders to record one of my favourite releases of 2018. Percussionist Evan Carson is occasionally one of Sam Kelly's Lost Boys.Jade Rhiannon,her husband Cliff Ward,Katriona Gilmore and John Parker complete the line-up. Collectively,that assembles together bass guitar, electric guitar,acoustic guitar, dobro,banjo, fiddle,drums, mandolin and double bass.

    The Willows have played support to Richard Thompson,Seth Lakeman and Peatbog Faeries. Whispering Bob Harris describes them as “gorgeous” and some bloke called Mike Harding,(never one to sit on the fence) extols their “fabulous music.” No pressure for the first listener then,on giving it a spin.

      In fairness,the sound on the 10 tracks is lavish,with the production expertly layered by Mark Tucker. Those seeking Trad.Arr. will find none in the accepted sense,as virtually the entire album features original material only. That said, they are often narrative songs,recording events which actually happened. And instrumentally,you can hear subtle influences,distant echoes and faraway strains from many genres throughout.

      Vocally adept and musically sublime,it is essentially a very showy studio album. However I have no doubts that they can (and apparently they do) reproduce this high standard in “live” performance. The breathy and distinctive vocals of Jade Rhiannon hallmark each song. Sounding by turns like a chain-smoking Sandy Denny and a Folky Melanie Chisholm, Jade's voice has a distinctive smoky timbre. It possesses that very marketable commodity, the ability to distinguish and identify her singing instantly within a few opening bars of music.

       Standout tracks for me were the accurately researched and written “Perfect Crime,” the atmospheric “False Lights” (results of too much Adnams?) and the opening track “Coda” “Pearl Hart” is a noisy,quirky piece which celebrates the life and times of the eponymous lady who ran off to join Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. My Grandad once featured in an iron-bending contest at one of those shows. I wonder if they ever met?.

         Released late in November this collaboration between the West Country Folk Mafia and the renowned East Anglia Folk Posse is a very capable piece of work. It will be competing in a very crowded arena, that of the multi-faceted Folk “supergroup,” with new releases flooding in monthly. “Through The Wild” holds its own in this congested market,though I remain to be convinced that comparisons with Alison Krauss or Fairport Convention are either accurate or helpful. It seems to me that they are The Willows. First and foremost. Just take it as that.

Turn To Fray          Hickory Signals         GFM/Proper Music

Released November 16^th 2018

        Quite independently this October (and from three separate sources), I was sent three different Brighton-produced albums with a view to reviewing them. When I began listening to them and reading the backgrounds of the respective artistes,it soon became evident that two of them had a lot of shared characteristics. Hickory Signals are Laura Ward and Adam Rochetti, a Sussex duo whose debut album was released in November 2018^. They are also both part of the Brighton collective “Bird In The Belly,” whose debut album was released earlier this year.

        Turn to Fray has a nice Retro feel to it. It features an eclectic mix of instrumentation and some very distinctive vocals. Recorded in Brighton at Studio 95,Laura's singing and flute playing form an effective counterpoint to Adam's work on guitar and banjo. Also contributing are Tom Pryor,Scott Smith,Phil Ward and Deborah Stacey.

      Some artistes write and sing about challenges and difficulties third person or from a distance. Which doesn't necessarily demean the end product-but you could never point a finger at Hickory Signals and sugggest they are writing about something second hand. Laura and Adam have lived active and varied lifestyles which is reflected in their work. Living home and abroad supporting charities,displaced persons and victims of substance misuse. Aiding refugees or Special needs teaching are all within their direct experience. So there is a wordliness to their arrangements and their delivery. There's a knowing air to some of their work that says “been there, done that.”

         The title track is about women coping with change and risk. Laura herself describes it as “a song about a woman leaving one place for another.” “ Here I Am” is an American flavoured romp with twinkling banjo sections and U.S. Style choral harmonies. It has an earworm of a chorus,whereas by contrast, Frankie Armstrong's “Doors To My Mind” is almost bleak, in its resonance with the subject matter. Laura delivers it unaccompanied save for a muted percussive background.

       “Bushes and Briars” has a rustic feel to it which is entirely appropriate. A hollow,echoing vocal,by turns single tracked and harmonised. “Kana” features a sensitive string arrangement and is beefed up by another emotional vocal. “Zelda” is the brief story of F.Scott-Fitzgerald's wife. Based on letters written to her husband, it is mature and serious:a layered arrangement which is symptomatic of the measured and thoughtful production throughout.

      Mixed by Stick In The Wheel's Ian Carter,re-mixed by Nigel Palmer and produced by Tom Pryor,“Turn to Fray” is a mature,inventive and imaginative album. Seven originals and two Trad.Arr songs,all packaged in a plastic watch case with a comprehensive leaflet which includes all credits and lyrics. All of which made me turn with enthusiasm to explore......

The Crowing           Bird In The Belly                   GFM Records

       Released earlier in the year than “Turn to Fray,” this album also features both Laura Ward and Adam Ronchetti, plus Hickory Signals's Producer Tom Pryor and performance artist Jinwoo,aka Ben Webb Also included are Epha Roe and Barry Ward. Ben Weedon and Tom Pryor oversaw the production engineering and mixing. The personnel,content and delivery on both albums are similar,but not identical. If you liked one, you will probably (as I did) like both.

    Some websites have labelled The Crowing as Americana. Although there are recognisable transatlantic influences,I'm not so sure they are as easy to pigeonhole as that. BITB themselves describe each song as “an old British story:long forgotten or never recorded.” Song titles like “Horace in Brighton,” or “Shoreham River” tend to prove the point. The research and background put in beforehand by the band on this project is impressive. It speaks volumes that they intend to release a film of the interviews recorded whilst collecting material, some time in 2019.

       “Give Me Back My Heart Again” is a high point. It is an orginal piece of work released as a single. It adapts a lyric they found in the Bodleian Library. A powerful and at times anguished vocal by Laura opens out into a more rollicking folk classic. “The Lilies” is an almost gothic, an eerie,a capella piece of vocalisation complete with sound effects. Not everyone's cup of tea perhaps,but I loved it.

    The Crowing is (obviously?) more musically complex than Turn to Fray and slightly more sophisticated. The imagery in both albums is at times melancholy metaphysical and atmospheric. The BITB album contained a lyric sheet but no information about the origin of the songs. Each of the tracks are a very compact and listenable size. Which is a Folk Show's presenter's dream when working out the complicated mathematics of a one hour format radio programme.

      Both albums have really grown on me. They demand some hard work concentrating in order to pay them due attention-simply because they are emotion-filled pieces of work and require serious listening. I'll play them both again. When the lights are low,with a glass of red wine in my hand and the wind is moaning outside. But not before I've locked all the doors,maybe.  

Happy New Year!

            Happy? And then some! What better way to kick 2019  off than with The Queen's Hall rocking? All seats taken,and standing room only with Sir Kevin Dempsey pulling them in.  (O.k. he was overlooked again,by Liz in the New Year Honours List, along with Ralph Mac T  but surely it is only a matter of time?)  Complimented by some quality floor spots and with a spattering (is there such a collective noun?) of Folk Glitterati in the audience,it was an epic night.     

     Jim Park (Paper Circus),Des Patalong (Thrup'nny Bits). Jan Richardson,Brian Phillips and Neil Parker,(both once of Phutnote), Julie and Steve Wigley and Wes Hall,were  audience members on Wednedsay night. All or any could have played the venue (and most have done so previously), but we just could not fit them all in. Nor could we accommodate on stage the legendary Pete Melodeon-aka Pete Grassby. Pete has been a good friend to BPS and  is still the only local Folk Club organiser (Rowington) brave enough to engage  yours truly as a Solo Guest. We'll get him back I promise and we'll give him a spot,because NFC audiences would love him and he's a damn fine musician.   

      People came from Norfolk,from Derbyshire ,from the Lake District and even from as far afield as Hinckley to savour the evening. They were not disappointed and were well rewarded for their journey.  I confess, both Kevin and I were a little apprehensive about settling on this date when we initially re-arranged it,long ago, after a previous unavoidable cancellation. I suspect The Crew Guv'nor Richard Burlingham also had his doubts too. Hangovers? Hogmanay? Lurgies? Would they reduce our numbers? We need not have worried. As the upstairs room filled and queues formed at the bar, it was obvious that we were in for a good night. 

         Nunc kicked us off. Starting the New Year in by making a Folk statement. Resurrecting "Cold Haily Windy Night"  from way back,  All that Americana aside, we can still celebrate our roots you see.It is a song Nunc started doing as a duo,in 2014. (Seems like a long time ago now).  We followed it by "Bring It On Home" which got the audience murmuring rather than hollering the responses. But we got them proper warmed up with John Kearney leading Petula Clark's "Down Town." Quintessential English Folk (!!)  led by our Man of Cork. here's a lovely shot of the band taken by Ray Buckler. John Wright took some stunning black and white shots, of which,,more later. 

           One of The Sons of Treacle Town Ian Bourne followed, with a typical trio of songs demonstrating his admirable vocal range.  By request (obviously) he finished with "Hello Cruel World," which got everyone into party mood,winding up the audience with some decent chorus singing.here is Ian suffering for his art,or maybe just suffering. 

          Malc Gurnham and Gill Gilsennan gave us  acuople of traditional songs along with a very original arrangement of " Where Have All The Flowers Gone?" which they dedicated to those absent friends and relatives who were not able to join in all the fun and festivities each year. Food for thought indeed.  

          Katherine Fear,one third of Daisybell (who are at Beworth Folk Club next week) then added further to the imposing array of Coventry and Warwickshire talent by delivering three of her original compositions. "This Road" in particular is an Anker Folk favourite which we play every Christmas. It's a clever song which can be interpreted on more than one level. Most people there knew it,and sang along cheerily. Katherine also unveiled a new song, another story mined from her family anecdotes about Grandpa Fear. 

        Adam Wilson continues to flourish and he gave us another impressive set with some songs we'd heard before and a new one for him John Martyn's "Bless The Weather." Adam is an affable young man who writes his own material as well as applying his distinctive vocal style to very authentic covers. His version of Neil Young's "Old Man" is already attracting a lot of attention. One of NFC's "discoveries" during 2018. 

          And then, having whipped the audience into a frenzy of anticipation,it was time for Kevin's first set. I always enjoy watching the audience as Kevin whips into his remarkable percussive style,using parts of the guitar others can only dream of exploring at that speed. It's good to see the jaws dropping open,and you tell the guitarists in the audience by the way they shake their head at Kevin's technique. 
        Someone said to me it sounded like he had an extra string, or at times as if two guitars were being played simultaneously. I thought that,too. Coupled with a deceptively easy going singing style,it is an impressive,infectious sound. Having started with a Curtis Mayfield cover,he finished the first set with "All For You." My personal Dempsey favourite, which demonstrates all his outstanding range of talents.

         Boxes of chocolates were handed round during the interval as the audience attempted to get their breath back, We did a brisk trade in raffle tickets,having added one of The Tilting Kettle's excellent themed Christmas cakes into the draw. We had intended to share the Santa stuck in a chimney among the audience but it would have been a Feeding of The Five Thousand Scenario to be honest. I'm delighted to say that our visitors from the Lake District won him-so they had something to eat on the long journey home. Flossy is pictured holding aloft her sister's handiwork below. 

        Nunc opened the second half with "Down Where The Drunkards Roll" and then John Kearney and Flossy MacDougal went solo with a poignant version of "Ae Fond Kiss."  It's Burns Night later in the month so that seemed quite apposite, although a few in the audience failed to get my pun about Jewish Folk music and "enjoying the Rabbi." Oh well. 

         We drew the raffle and then the floor was handed back over to Kevin and he damn near tore it up with a blistering second half punctuated by a few ballads which would break the heart of a hard-hearted man. Notably "Two Constant Lovers," a real tear-jerker, accompanied tenderly by some poignant audience singing. We had Kevin's inimitable version of Postman Pat and just for balance, finished the evening off with a rock and roll standard,"I'm All Shook Up." And we were. 

     Scarecrow,Gerry Colvin,Iota: Dark Horses: the gauntlet for this year is now already laid down. That's one hell of a hard act to follow. However:such is the quality of the 2019 Guest List-I'm confident that we can match this. Fingers crossed! 
       Once again, thanks to Richard Burlingham for making it all happen, when we had no home to go to,and to Tom and Harvey James and their mastery of the mixing desk. And thumbs up to Ben,behind the bar. Filling in for an indsiposed Aaron,he did a wonderful job of slaking all those thirsts. 

Last NFC of 2018

       It  seemed that all the conditions were going to be just right last night. A subdued room downstairs meant no “bleed” drowning out the music in the Queen's Hall. There was a lovely friendly vibe as all three North Warwickshire Folk Club Resident Acts took turns in singing and bantering. (Anyone new to the three of us might have been shocked by the waspish level of the banter being exchanged ,but we are all “Family” really, all mates. Families, when they are together,give and take and wind each other up. So there was little holding back).

      Those lovable scamps Tom and Harvey were in mischievous mood. Corralled up inside their Sound Desk enclosure with the doors shut, they are at times overwhelmed with a sense of power.It looks a bit like the Flight Deck of the Starship Enterprise in there). Harvey loves the Smoke machine dearly and until restrained he likes to have the stage set looking like a World War One battlefield. As artistes peered through the fug desperately trying to see the audience it took the more sensible input of ex-NFC Sound Man Dave Smart to convince them to turn the air conditioning off and introduce a bit of warmth into proceedings instead. (Young Folk eh? They just don't feel the cold!) Bless 'em, they  coped admirably with a failure of the lighting rig during the second half. (This got one of the biggest cheers of the night). Most importantly of all they kept the ship sailing.

          With a bigger than usual crowd in it was Santa's Law that some things would go wrong anyway. For instance, it's rare that John Kearney breaks a string during performance, but Paul Moore's look of horror during a number in Nunc's set as John left him solo, deprived of his metronomic rhythm guitar was a picture.Here is John just before the momentous event.

       Paper Circus and Nunc shared the guests spots. We had agreed mutually months ago that any proceeds from the evening would be divided amongst local charities,and so instead of Nunc doing their usual opening sequence I opened up proceedings with some shambolic Open Mike.( Comedy is probably a little strong-although some members of the audience were laughing,more at me than with me) After singing Happy Birthday to Kath Peretti we (I) sang a few tastelessly amended Christmas songs to the backing of tumbleweed drifting down a deserted Mid West street.

    Extracts then followed from my infamous “Answers To The Christmas Quiz” and “Christmas Announcements.” They too went down like a blowlamp in an Ice Palace (which the room resembled at that time). The proceedings were at least lent had some class and dignity by my able accompanist and Straight Woman,Sue Sanders, (see above) who added tasteful festive fill-ins between lines,whilst old jokes lay gasping for breath on the proscenium. Sue continued to play from her seat down in the auditorium and here's the proof.

        Rumours of a a Polar bear being spotted climbing the stairs proved to be false,as Pete McParland took to the stage to kick the floor spots off. He decided to get into the Festive mood by singing a song about how often it does (or doesn't ) rain in California. Perhaps he was trying to stop the sound of teeth chattering? Pete is Old School. He is a regular at many local venues,has a nice voice and plays good guitar, I've shared a mike with him at The Anker and The Coniston whilst jamming Blues and Pop Covers. He is the consummate professional and he will have no truck with that modern habit of having your words in front of you malarkey.

        Which was great until he came unstuck during Peter Sardstedt's Epic "Where Do You Go To My Lovely?". A song I've heard him do without error many times before. Pete's confidence began to ebb a little though as he forgot the words,but Paul Moore,aided by an online karaoke page stepped up to feed him the prompts. Comedy Gold. Even without the usual jokes about Pete putting his cycle clips on and pedalling over to Ridge Lane to catch the second half of Open Mic there, .It brought the house down. (For the sake of accuracy,Peter stayed all night.He always does at NFC!).  We lock the doors so he can't escape.

      Finger In The Jar, Atherstone Folk Club's Resident trio followed Pete. Steve and Anne Beeson with Phil Benson. As you can see Phil was one of several present to be getting in the mood by wearing a colourful Christmas shirt.

          He also had a very large drum which he proceeded to pound as FITJ sang a version of “Over The Hills and Far Away.” I was enjoying their work so much that I almost waved them back on to do a fourth before realising that they had already finished their spot. They just finished “You Ain't Going Nowhere” so the gesture was rather apt.

         Des Patalong is an NFC and Anker Folk regular. Either solo or with the Thrup'nny Bits, he's become a bit of a fixture,what with that mighty beard, his special sunglasses, that thunderous voice and his Uncle Bulgaria hat. . His “Neo-Liberal” song touched a nerve with many and his intro to “The Wren” was longer than the actual song. Well worth the wait though as this alternative version of an old carol is one of his party pieces. Very similar to Steeleye Span's lesser known Christmas song “Pleased to See The King,” it is really atmospheric. You can hear more of Des and the TB's on the Anker Folk Christmas shows.

          Talking of Old Birds, Malc and Gill were on next. Gill Gilsenan commenced by dismantling various music stands until she found one which matched her own height. This took a while. Even she admitted it was “like watching origami” as she wrestled with, or folded and unfolded various structures until the satisfactory elevation was attained. Having then bemoaned the fact that there was no Road Crew there to help her,and commented on the ambiance of the room temperature, Malc stood alongside patiently until the music began. Gill on form is the Janis Joplin of Folk,the Amy Winehouse of Open Mic. It was hard to believe she was only drinking water as she let fly some quality heckling from the stage and the audience responded spiritedly.They climaxed (if that is the right word) with a rendition of the Yorkshire Carol “Sweet Chiming Bells” It really got the crowd singing.

        Paper Circus were as classy as ever. Jennian's pure voice,Jim's cello and the tasteful guitar work of Suraj, is a lovely sound. It is easy to slip into thinking that The Circus are all about Jennian's flawless pitch and tone,but it is actually the combination of all three instruments that makes them unique. Kind of them to acknowledge that their debut in the heady world of Folk,nay their introduction to Folk Clubs was at via NFC after we'd gigged with them at Twisted Barrel Open Mic. One could be excused for thinking that the purring from the side of the stage was the heating kicking in but it was just Dave Smart. He really loves Paper Circus. We all do. You can catch them locally at Willow and Tool's Music Parlour and at Atherstone Folk Club early in the New Year.I chose this photo because it is the only once I've spotted where Jim can be seen. he was having a few problems with his sheet music. I blame the stand. 

       So then we had a break and after a momentous raffle ,giving away towers of chocolates, biscuits and wine donated by NFC devotees, Nunc took over to complete the evening. The usual procession of Americana followed. Jennian likes to joke about having "only one song not about dead girls," when introducing the Paper Circus repertoire and the Nunc Body Count is also quite high. It rose proportionally as songs about broken relationships,persecuting the homeless, campus massacres,and substance abuse followed.

       Paul took us a bit more upbeat with his solo rendition of “Sitting On Top of The World” Flossy did her usual virtuoso stuff with “Guilty” and “Angel From Montgomery” Paul's Nemesis “Weather with You” actually went rather well. John Kearney woke up those audience members who had dropped off to sleep with his shouting in “Copperhead Road.” It even briefly made the few Old Folkies who had been on their mobile phones all night look up briefly. We finished with “Knocking on Heaven's Door” and our Bob Marley/Wild Rover segue which saw (and heard) the audience roaring out the choruses beautifully. They took a solo verse in each,unaccompanied:a fitting end.

       Besides those performing it was great to see other local Folk and Roots Giants in the audience and supporting “live” music just by being there. Andy Jones,Ian Bourne,Jak Lynch,Max Wright,Wes Hall,Mick Stanley and lots of others. And although it was sad not to have John B. Smith there, Ray Buckler,Sue Sanders,Max,JK and many others supplied some excellent photos, as you can see here and on the NFC Facebook page where there are many more. 

            Next Wednesday it's Bedworth Folk Club's turn at The Newdigate Club. Belzebub will be hosting the BFC Christmas Party. Atherstone Folk Club's last even of the year is at The Rose,Baxterley,on 19th December with guests  The Red Hills featuring Maria Barham. (She'll hate me for billing it like that!). You can see several of last night's guests back in Town on Tuesday next at The Coniston in Nuneaton. Hosted by Dragonhead,it's a fun night with lots of singing and contributions from Steve and Anne,Pete McParland Paul Moore and many others. Give this venue a whirl:it's a good Craic and like all this music we put on for you it's FREE! 
        Nunc are at The Nursery Tavern Coventry on Solstice Night (21^st December).There's a VERY Christmassy feel also to Anker Folk's Christmas Eve programme on Anker Radio. Then we all want some Figgy Pudding for a while I guess.

Harder than it Looks?

Wednesday November 7th      
      To a casual visitor or someone dropping in for the first time (as at least half a dozen new faces did for November's NFC night), it probably all looked so easy. But trying to get that show into some semblance of order beforehand was like herding cats. It was an ambitious line up, with some innovative musical collaborations planned between our Headline Act Moses and The Ref and local musicians Paul Moore and Nigel Ward.  Plus the debut of Whale,a lively band from Leicestershire   preceding the first set fromMoses and The Ref. The prospect of a five piece Drunc Monkey finally  playing together for the first time since September 8th and the return of the exceptional Adam Wilson was also one to savour. But it took some piecing together.  
        What a relief it was to see ace photographer John B Smith walking in before we started. All these photos are his. Bless you,John B. Your dedication to local Folk music does you great credit. Here's his picture of a few of the mighty machines on stage, awaiting the starting pistol. 

           It was good to get most of Nunc/Drunk Monkey back together to start us off and we used the opportunity to run through some of the material planned for our support slot when Tir Na Nog visit the Queen's Hall. Things didn't go exactly to plan initially. The start was  delayed by sound checks, I couldn't get the double doors downstairs open and late trains had held some people up. We began "Find The Cost of Freedom/Ohio" as Nunc-the original three piece. And very enjoyable it was, too. Followed by a Richard Thompson song to the same format. Paul Moore had set up his dobro by this time and  Jon Harrington arrived so we rejigged the running order to put "Vigilante Man" on first half.

           No pressure then for Adam Wilson, who followed us by opening with a unique interpretation of "Man of Constant Sorrow." He added  two more songs including his magnificent interpretation of the Neil Young classic "Old Man." No sound check, he just got up and played. I had always enjoyed watching new audiences experiencing Paper Circus,Tom Young or Izzie Derry  at NFC for the first time. And there was the same buzz seeing their expressions as Adam made the seamless vocal  transition to the higher register this song requires and back again.   He writes his own stuff too-I've heard it. 

            Nigel Ward was scheduled to follow Adam and that heralded  another treat. Not that we don't always enjoy listening to Nigel solo, but he had also brought his mate Gerry Bailey along with him too. The duo are a popular draw around Coventry venues, and Gerry added to the overall enjoyment as the pair of them delivered a very enjoyable trio of songs. 

         We were all looking forward to seeing how the guitar pyrotechnics of Glyn Finch would react to the heady Queen's Hall atmosphere. But we'll have to wait,as one of the NFC gremlins had nailed him beforehand. Instead,we had a ready, willing and able replacement in the mighty presence of Des Patalong. The thinking man's Billy Gibbons donned some sunglasses and started a two part Remembrance theme with a very distinctive version of "Hanging On The Old Barbed Wire." He then rumbled out Eric Bogle's long and utterly depressing (but poignant) homage to the fallen at  Gallipoli ,"Waltzing Matilda." With few eyes left dry, he finished with an early sort of Christmas song,"The Pudding Hunt."  ( Listen,if  the supermarkets are into the second week of Christmas advertising by October then Des can do a Christmas song with our blessing).   A hunt of this kind sounds macabre but as Des assured us, "no Puddings were hurt in the delivery of this song." 

         And finally before Moses and The Ref came up on stage to close the first half, we had the NFC debut of Whale. Bob,Dave and Ian, bouncing around like schoolkids and unable to disguise their obvious excitement and an adrenaline rush. The lights and the smoke seemed to inspire them. Sometimes such special effects can put people off, but not this powerful trio!,they romped away through four energetic and boisterous songs, even managing a "this is the band" routine before, (reluctantly it has to be said!), handing the stage back to the rest of us after a deserved ovation. 
      To their very great credit they temporarily drowned out the increasing noise levels thundering up from downstairs,where the volume seemed to grow louder with each song. I'm tempted to say they had a Whale of a time but I bet they are sick and tired of that sort of comment. 

                       Moses and The Ref-Christine and Steve-worked very hard as they always do. They ended the first half with a collection of songs including the infamous wine song. Difficult to describe this performance in print,but it is expertly delivered in a clever music hall,addressing the audience style sort of way. It involved some pointing, as you can see. Either that or Steve is telling them downstairs to tone it down. 

             Thanks to the generosity of our NFC punters we were able to get the pair at least as far as the M6/A444 interchange before sending them back Down Sarf. As it happens they lodged overnight nearby with some friends but I'm sure the little collection we had bought them a coffee at Watford Gap the next morning. And I happen to know they shifted a few of their CDs too. 

             As promised, as the culmination of their second set and as an encore, they called Nigel Ward and Paul Moore back up to join them on the last two numbers. It is a tribute to the professionalism of all four musicians that this went so well-they had not rehearsed it together at all before that night! You can see Paul in the shot below:Nigels is fiddling away in the smoke on the left. 

           Our hard core of loyal regulars turn out as often as they can. Most have jobs to go to early next morning and all kinds of other commitments but still they come. Good also to see Pete McParland, Wes Hall  and George Van Wristell among the local musicians in the audience. Not playing, but just there, supporting Live music. Well done chaps. 

           This  venue is so much better than our last one. We don't have to go back downstairs for a widdle or a pint any more. We have our own separate entrance. There is free parking adjacent. Three hours of music for free.Folk. Blues,Roots,Country,Americana all skillfully mixed  Our Guest List for 2019 will be our best ever. Tom and Harvey do a magnificent job on the Sound Desk and you could not find a better attitude from Bar staff like young Aaron, who looks after us all on First Wednesdays. The room,the Sound Crew and Equipment are provided free of charge by Rich Burlingham. Sadly, we cannot build on, or even emulate The Crown turnout. 

            

Coventry Singer Songwriter Competition 2018

      This fun competition,organised by Jon Harrington,lasted over possibly more months than originally intended. It finally came to a heady conclusion last Friday night when the winners were announced and all those who took part were awarded prizes. All of which had (a very tenuous) nautical or maritime theme. 

CSS spiritual leader Jon Harrington

    Coming a close second only to Eurovision in terms of tension,expense and excitement, the Awards Ceremony took part at John Neal's sumptuous Manor House in Nuneaton. Things had  got particularly exciting even before we started, as I appeared to scrape my car all along the gateway turning in to the long winding drive leading up to Neal Towers. Although it sounded as if I had run over an armoured rhinoceros, I was greatly relieved to find out later that all the scratches were only crushed Privet. Or Box. Or whatever. Anyway-they all rubbed off with a bit of T-Cut afterwards. 

The Higham Lane Nightingale,John Neal.

      Myself and Malc Gurnham (Bedworth Folk Club) had been invited to judge and help present prizes. Though we were honoured,by this accolade it proved to be a challenging task. We assessed the full entry (15 songs) independently at first,then shared each others' results before aggregating our separate scores to one total, putting the songs in sequence. We were both delighted and relieved to find that,when we compared notes we had independently both put what we thought were the top 5 in identical order. 

       As a songwriter myself with (ahem!) a dozen or so published, I know fully the care and attention which goes into writing a song. Any song. Especially so when they are written to order-(or to a theme,anyway). Some entrants stuck to the theme very literally, others tinkered with things a little and Bill Bates just blatantly cheated by writing an anthem of praise aimed specifically at the two judges. One or two entrants went into full Phil Spector production mode, whilst a few others appeared to have stripped things right down to basics and recorded their entry on a Nokia mobile in their lavatory. 

       On the night,once the girls in feather boas had finished their dance routines and the orchestra had settled down, as the audience nibbled a shortcake, the awards began. Having spent an awful lot of time combing the Charity Shops and Pound Shops of Nuneaton for appropriate prizes, I was disappointed to discover that not everyone had taken this seriously enough to turn up. Nonetheless,  we announced the results (uniquely) by starting with the Top Five.

Not John's Lounge. But Malc and Geoff duetting elsewhere.

      In fifth place was a brooding and very original song "Down In The Dark," written and performed by Sally-Ann Veasey. (Only very distantly related and then only by marriage thrice removed). I had looked everywhere in Poundland for a rubber ring because her song was about swimming pools. In the end, Sally-Ann's prize was a set of Pirate Stickers as we thought her song was daylight robbery. Fourth was David Ellis with his big big production which was so Wagnerian we could only award him a practically intact CD of "The Flying Dutchman."   In third place,only because it made us both laugh so much,was Bill Bates and his homage to bribery.  Anyone wanting to hear it, it will be played on "Anker Folk" on Anker Radio on November 5th and again the next day.  His prize was a roll of bin liners because his whole approach was well..rubbish.

Bill was green with envy at being pipped for top spot.

        The Top Two had already been spun on the wireless. Just pipping Katherine Fear (who came second), was Jane Moss. "The Turn of The Tide" was a clever piece of work by Jane, more about life changes than a nautical almanac. Her winner's trophy of a "Mermaid's Have More Fun" -embossed mug was richly deserved. Katherine won a Mermaid-themed drinking cup for her runner-up song,"The Tide Will Turn." This was another polished thoughtful song enhanced by a simple musical arrangement. Certificates and a small trophy presented by Jon Harrington went to the two ladies (women?) (girls?) for their stirring efforts. 

        By this time,having realised that they had not made the Top Five  a few lips around the room were quivering. So by prior arrangement and with the full blessing of Mesdames Neal and Harrington, proceedings were halted and the tension broken,by a performance of one of my oft-covered (once!) songs. Just to show everyone (as it were) how the craft of songwriting is properly executed at a very high professional level,"The Odeon" from the album "Ain't It Grand?" saw the debut of a new North Warwickshire Power duo. And I only forgot the words once. 

        Having recovered from that, we decided wisely to award the rest of the prizes in Reverse alphabetical order only. Bob Wilkinson received a copy of "Notes From The Boat" by Mike Vass. Graham Weston will be sent a dustpan and brush to commemorate the title of his song "Swept Away."  Vivian Richardson's "At The Turning of The Tide" merited a copy of The Beatles "Yellow Submarine" as it gave us that sinking feeling.

       Geraldine Anne Pearson- Greene was commended for having the longest name and also won a bag of E-numbered sweets advertised as "Monster Brains"  Seemed appropriate given that we found the whole competition a bit creepy.   Al Neville was awarded a copy of Keane's "Under The Iron Sea" as we felt that was possibly the best place for his entry. Host John Neal won a teaspoon with a little ship on top as we thought his song was very stirring.  Paul Monks won a copy of an album by The Lighthouse Family for obvious reasons.

        Jon Harrington's interesting mixed gender approach won him two bags of Fishermen's Friends, as with a voice like that Jon, you need all the friends you can get. Cheryl Gibbons's song was an interesting mix so we felt her prize of fun-size bags of Shrimps and Bananas was an odd mix and at least half maritime. Finally, at the reverse end of alphabetical order, Mike Carter Jones was lucky enough to win two prizes:the Soundtrack to Ocean's Eleven and a large can of Sardines. This was no reflection on the quality of his entry-I had simply bought too many prizes. All unclaimed prizes will be handed on to Mr. Harrington who will undoubtedly distribute them at the next meeting of CSS.

       But we were not finished there. Oh dear me no. Malc and I performed a second original song and the Ship's Company sang along with "Di Di The Ice Cream Man." Before all present lapsed into singing their own songs in rotation until John Neal threw us out. Even Rick (who hadn't actually entered the competition) sang a few of his own compositions,emphasising just how wise he had been not to enter. I'm afraid the theme for the next meeting's song title was my fault-"The Charity Shop." I didn't expect anyone to vote for it but the silly bu**ers all did. I look forward to hearing the finished items. 

        The Awards Night ended with the same amount of adrenalin pumping as when we began.Going home,I got lost on the vast St Nicholas Park estate, making several unsuccessful attempts to escape before finally finding a route out of it. 

      

Goodnight Hazel

     This is a poem I once wrote long ago about. Hazel. She was a regular audience member at various folk clubs where my band at the time had played. I liked her. She was funny and intelligent. There was some link from our past too, which I can't quite remember. Innocuous friend of a friend/small world  sort of stuff. I was very upset when I heard she'd died so young. She seemed to like the humour and comedy of our stuff and got a lot of the jokes. 

    Her story has cropped up again recently on Social media. Basically she sacrificed her own life so that her child could live. This was/is the least I could do. It's never been published or sung anywhere in public before today. 

Goodnight Hazel,and what a surprise:
The last time we met
 there were dreams in your eyes
You'd talked about tangles 
and said you'd found love
We argued on missiles: a Hawk and a Dove.
Then over a bitter we had a few laughs
A packet of crisps 
and a walk through the past.
Now you're a memory,somebody said,
A story:a legend:or a poem to be read

I didn't know that your time wasn't long
Till you'd cheered the last number
And hummed the last song.
We couldn't know and you didn't tell:
A master of feelings,you hid the pain well.
Quieter than many and braver than most
We'll sing a last chorus 
and raise a last toast
And  those who once knew you 
will quite understand
A simple farewell from a bloke in a band. 

Two more Album reviews

Notes From The Boat         Mike Vass               Unroofed Records

Released 27th July 2018

                An innovative Scottish composer and multi-instrumentalist with a big imagination, Mike Vass really really REALLY likes boats.If you don't, then this album might possibly not be for you. Having said that it's not too technical and there is some very atmospheric music on it, featuring some fine musicians. It stands alone as a nice album of traditional music-whether one knows one's spinnaker from one's topsail or not.

             Ten musicians joined him  during 2017 on his Dutch sailing vessel “Sweet Harmony” whilst docked at Inverkip on the River Clyde. They take it in turns to be the featured artiste on each of the ten tracks on this CD. The album credits look like a Who's Who of Scottish Folk Music. The recordings feature not only the various instruments which Mike's chums brought along with them, but a plethora of additional sound effects mixed in mostly afterwards by Mike,too. VHF radio broadcasts,winches being operated,decks being scrubbed;I'm sure a nautical expert could identify them all individually.

           Mike had four fiddle players aboard including Anna Massie and Duncan Chisholm. Also featured on the recordings are accordion,whistle,melodica ,harp, mandolin and guitars Large items such as Grand piano and Kettledrums were out. (But how did he get that harp played by Corrina Hewat on “Voices”, through what he himself describes as “the hatch on my wee boat?”).

        This is his first major album release since 2014. The tracks are all of an agreeable length so that one is rarely bored or distracted. The frequent sound bites could potentially be a little distracting but on the contrary they fuse quite evocatively with the music. This is largely down to the recording and mixing by Vass himself, and the remastering by Iain Hutchinson. 

         The advance copy I received had a “Listen Out For” track-by-track guide included with the notes. This helped identify the objects used on each track. Whether this will be included on the final version (released 27th July) I do not know. The CD watch case designed by Kim Richards came as a clever triple gate fold sleeve,with a picture CD in the central pocket,making it look like a porthole.  

        “Notes from The Boat” is a unique and highly original idea,sensitively captured via a quality recording. The cumulative effect is a very agreeable and relaxing piece of music which one can listen to as an entire piece in one go, or “dip into” sampling individual tracks.

Far and Wide         Nick Dow            Old House Music

            Those who have never tried singing unaccompanied traditional folk songs in public could easily be fooled by Nick Dow. He makes it seem effortless. His pitch and timing are near perfect. But it's not at all easy: I can vouch for that personally.

          Many people try their hand at it, and some like Nick are very good at it. Others convince themselves that they have a penchant for it and they tour our Folk Clubs doing floor spots and proving themselves wrong. That having been said, there's a world of difference in producing a flawless studio recording, and standing up in front of strangers before launching into a sequence of songs with only a pitch pipe for company.

            But I will lay my cards on the table. I like Nick Dow's voice and I admire his material. I really enjoyed the last album of his I reviewed, which was a “Best Of” compilation featuring work performed between 2012 and 2015. Nick is to horses what Mike Vass is to sailing boats-but to his credit there is very little reference to things equine here.

       This 2018 album's content most certainly is “Far and Wide.” There are shepherds,sailors and tailors.There are Military songs and Maritime songs. Songs and tunes from Kent, Ireland,Sussex and Scotland. He certainly works hard at collecting, refining and improving songs.

          Nick does not drone-a common mistake which many a capella singers fall into. He uses intonation, phrasing and timing to emphasis particular points in each of the many stories he is telling. ( At 14 tracks and just over an hour long, it's a comprehensive collection). This is heard to best effect in “Prince Heathen,” a terrible and brutal tale made even more dreadful by Nick's passionate and dramatic delivery.

           The sleeve notes are as thorough as one might expect of such a specialist. Technical details about the tunes and timings:background to the research behind each piece:ancestry and history of each song in the collection,and an acknowledgement to each of those who first performed the original. The watch case and artwork is rudimentary and workmanlike-much as the collection of songs enclosed within.

        Sixty minutes of the human voice, with not a musical instrument in earshot-it requires some serious listening. I confess that I felt a little bit punchy by the end of it all after my first hearing. Which was in itself a tribute to the effort which this craftsman of the vocal art puts into his work.