News of a new Jim Moray album is always an exciting prospect. He straddles the line between a keeper of tradition and experimentation. He has delivered folk songs through the refractive surfaces of electronica and beyond. On his last release Upcetera, his sixth studio album, he took “inspiration from modern composition – the minimalism of Reich or Reilly in particular – mixed with an unconventional take on chamber pop.”
In his review of that album, Folk Radio’s Thomas Blake concluded:
“Moray is a performer of consummate talent, a musician who plays a whole range of instruments on this album (he contributes a bit of everything, from drums to vibraphone to ukulele), and a singer of rare emotional depth. That he manages to do all this while forging a bright new path for folk music is admirable. That he has done so over six albums and still seems to be hitting his peak while never doing the same thing twice is remarkable.”
Jim has just announced his seventh studio album titled The Outlander – but this one may just turn your expectations on their head.
Whilst the rest of the world pushes the musical boundaries further, extending the limits, some might say, beyond recognition of the genre they might be struggling to stay attached to, Jim Moray, one of the original folk mavericks, the young man, who turned the tradition on its head, by performing on his Apple-Mac, has come full circle – ironically, pushing the boundaries beyond the pale, though, this time, the twist that begs belief is a simple one – he has made a folk record, with guests including Sam Sweeney, Josienne Clarke, Nick Hart and others.
To celebrate the news, we have this exclusive video to share of Jim performing live in the back yard an acoustic version of Australia as learned from Bob Hart’s “Songs From Suffolk” released in 1973 on Topic Records. The studio version will be on his album The Outlander, which is due in May.
Jim told Folk Radio UK: “It’s a new way of working for me – my version of a ‘proper folk album’ concentrating on live performances. In fact, the initial idea was to make a violin and guitar duo album with Sam, using a 1949 Epiphone Triumph archtop guitar that I bought from the original owner – a retired jazz guitarist in Liverpool. The tracks are mostly English, and mainly less well-known versions of widely collected traditional songs, but the sound of the guitar through the amp made me want to have less sounds covering it up.”
Jim is clearly excited about sharing the songs from the new album and fans don’t have long to wait…
“We’re previewing all the songs live on the tour, starting tomorrow at Kings Place in London. I’m playing with my long-term double bassist Matt Downer and Tom Moore on violin and viola, who both also feature on the album.”
Live Dates
All tour dates are solo unless marked otherwise
17 Apr – London, Kings Place (Jim Moray Trio) TICKETS
19 Apr – Liverpool, Philharmonic (Jim Moray Trio) TICKETS
13 May – Exeter, Phoenix (Jim Moray Trio) TICKETS
15 May – Bristol, St George’s (Jim Moray Trio) TICKETS
24 May – Derby, Guildhall (Jim Moray Trio) TICKETS
25 May – Fishguard Folk Festival TICKETS
31 May – Wirral Folk Festival, Ellesmere Port TICKETS
18 Aug – Bradgate Park Folk Picnic, Leicestershire (Jim Moray Trio) TICKETS
07 Sep – London, London Folk And Roots Festival TICKETS
19 Oct – Musicport Festival, Whitby TICKETS
Jim is also performing with Sam Carter as False Lights on the following dates:
04 May – Walton Folk Festival, Riverhouse Barn, Walton-On-Thames TICKETS
08 Jun – Wimborne Minster Folk Festival, Minster Church TICKETS
13 Jul – Ely Folk Festival TICKETS