A key feature of the Jonathan Byrd style of music is his literate and articulate approach. He has been a recording artist for a number of years during which an increasing amount of albums have been stock piled. However, there does appear to be a core of special songs which have featured in his UK shows on what is now becoming a near annual visit. His association with British audiences seemed to take off after a slot at the the 2012 Shrewsbury Folk Festival and a number of songs remembered from that appearance are still staples of his set almost five years on.
So songs such as ‘I
Was an Oak Tree’, ‘Wild Ponies’
and ‘Father’s Day’ still retain a
memorable streak each time you hear them especially when accompanied by the
usual stories. The latter of this trio took on an enhanced poignancy with the
British version literally only a few days away from this gig and Jonathan’s
description of his colourful late father never fails to raise a smile.
While it has been indicated that Jonathan has toured with
Johnny before, the last time I saw the Kitchen Garden show was two years ago
when he played his set solo, although he was touring at the time with fellow
American singer-songwriter Natalie Gelman. This time the presence of Johnny,
whether on mandolin, electric guitar or with great improvisation – a bog
standard saw, greatly upgraded the level of rounded entertainment. Alongside
his frequent comedic input, there were two prime moments when Johnny’s musical
prowess stole the show, namely the extended outro instrumental parts on ‘Starlight’ and ‘Working Offshore’. Mandolin and electric guitar were the respective
choices for these two outstanding segments which co-incidentally proved to be
the climax points of both sets.
Of course, this well attended gig packed with many
established Jonathan Byrd fans was not going to let the stars of the show ride
off into the sunset without a couple of extra songs and their enthusiasm for
more was instantly repaid. ‘Love is the
Law’ closed the evening with Jonathan in a conciliatory frame of mind, just
after Johnny bade farewell after joining him for the lively and instantly
gratifying ‘A Big Truck Brought It’.
Although we were treated to a couple of sets from the billed
attraction, the evening was further enhanced by an impressive opening slot from
a ‘new on the horizon’ folk ‘n’ roots trio named A Different Thread. The core
of the group, namely guitar playing singer-songwriter Robert Jackson and
cellist Isaac Collier, hail from nearby Lichfield and they have recently been
joined by Alicia Best on fiddle/vocals who co-incidentally also comes from
Jonathan’s home state of North Carolina. Together they played a tight set of
original compositions (‘Big Crane’)
and traditional arrangements (‘Long Black
Veil’/’Prickly Bush’) to such a high level that it would be of little
surprise to see them booked again especially to open for touring American acts
of a similar style.
Jonathan Byrd has an innate style for painting vivid
pictures and sharing engaging insight with his words and music. This lure
continues to serve him well as a touring artist, and whether you take the view
of him being a country or folk music performer, the twin appeal adds an element
of real life romanticism to what he stands for. This is pure and authentic
music from Chapel Hill North Carolina delivered by a strikingly convincing and
highly accomplished artist who is set to remain a firm favourite on these
shores for many years to come.
