Albums

Fen, Farm & Deadly Water is an album filled with fun, thought and good tunes. The Trio bring a distinct flavour of versatility – in tunes, songs and arrangements. A lovely album with a great variety; a very accomplished set of parts and a very cohesive whole.

Kindness, A Rebel finds River Whyless taking a new and refreshing direction from their debut and confirms that the Asheville, North Carolina quartet are an increasingly musical force to be reckoned with.

“Over the Years,” a collection of demos made from 1968 to 1980, is an outstanding new release from Graham Nash. The songs are brilliantly underproduced, raw and naked, mainly recorded with just acoustic guitar and piano. There’s raw, heroic quality hidden in these versions.

Following the release of her 2015 album, The Ones That Got Away, Paisley-born Jill Jackson returns with her very fine new album “Are We There Yet?’ which was produced by Boo Hewerdine.

All Souls seduces the senses with songs that individually open from a distance and come rapidly closer, but collectively flow along like a gentle river current. An album that’s sure to become a firm favourite.

The finest CD of English fiddling I have heard and I enjoyed ALL aspects of it. An outstanding and major contribution to English fiddle playing that it should be heard throughout the land and considered the high water mark of England’s music.

At times nakedly exposed, at others complexly layered, introverted yet expansive, it marks a major stride forward in their musical journey, one which, it is hoped will find the travelling companions it so fully deserves.

On her beautifully presented latest album, Caelum Scalptorium (The Engraver’s Chisel), Gemma’s simply guitar-accompanied tracks have a timelessly plain and unadorned quality…delivered with care and attention to detail yet without ever coming across as precious.

Whilst this sampler can be but a snapshot of John Tams work over the years and can only hint at his polymathic talents, it is a timely reminder of what a powerful songwriter he is and what a significant contribution he has made to the folk world.

There’s a long tradition both of Jewish political activism, and of artists and musicians fighting for social justice, and Ben Caplan fits proudly in both. He has used his considerable talent and unstoppable energy to create a mini-masterpiece that’s historic and timeless at the same time.

Who knows whether we can expect to see so many Fairports together on a stage again, but for now what we have is a brilliant best-of collection performed with the musicianship you might expect, but a vibrancy you possibly wouldn’t from a band with a half-century heritage.

Join Freschard and Stanley Brinks for an evening of bar hopping. A look into the late night drinking culture in Paris or Berlin, but not as you might expect: eclectic, at times eccentric and positively entertaining.