Gig review: Jenny Sturgeon - Thimblemill Library, Bearwood. Saturday 27th November 2021

 

www.jennysturgeonmusic.com

There are conventional gigs and those inspired to do things a little differently. While so much pleasure can be derived from high quality convention, a touch of deviation can inspire an awakening to the alternative places where musical art can take you. From the outset of the blue touch paper being lit on Jenny Sturgeon's latest project, the culmination was always likely to be an evening like presented in the English West Midlands tonight. The Living Mountain - a book by Nan Shepherd and an album by Jenny Sturgeon - transports the beauty, harshness and vibrancy of the Cairngorms to anywhere a mind opens its portal. This is just the starting point of a journey that terminates when the amalgam of inspired literature, gorgeously curated music and innovative filmmaking collide in a mosaic of integrated art.

Thimblemill Library bristles in an emporium of great writing and purveys a cultural air that aligns with sisterly art. The fit for Jenny Sturgeon to venture south from her Shetland home to share the sum of her version of The Living Mountain project was ideal. The core of the work is a full length 2020 released album nestling among the year's premium folk records that in itself brought a flavour of the Cairngorms to the fertile imagination of listeners hooked in by its luscious tone and associated field recordings. 

The addendum is a hour long film produced by Shona Thomson, who spent many hours perusing the archives for footage that captured the essence of the Cairngorms from a scenic, natural habitation and human exploration perspective. Sprinkling in selective excerpts from Nan Shepherd's world renowned book, the film provided the backdrop to Jenny Sturgeon playing the entire record in its recorded form free of comment while seamlessly connecting the odd loops and switching between guitar and piano. Not only did you get a replication of the record in a form igniting fragments of your imagination, but the visual experience of some breathtaking and narrative images added an extra sensory layer to bring the full focus of the project into view.

Awareness of a need to share the context and an extra flavour of her career as a musician, Jenny spent the first thirty minutes of the evening spilling stories and playing a quartet of songs that did not appear on the album, but equally demonstrate what fires her as one of Scotland's most esteemed folk artists. Whether writing, playing a multitude of instruments or generating the most warmly pristine of accomplished vocals, the eminence was laid out before a sold out audience that eagerly bought into the musical offerings of Jenny Sturgeon. 

Obviously the pandemic had delayed the road testing of this project by a near eighteen months. Even now it appears to be more prominent north of the border, but spreading of the positive word can only inspire further sorties south to share this outstanding piece of multi-media art. 

This Thimblemill Library gig was designed to be the final destination of a personal autumn gig spine of similar artists that commenced with Hannah Rarity at the end of the summer before continuing with Siobhan Miller and Karine Polwart. This Scottish favoured folk quartet was further strengthened by Jenny visiting the area earlier in the month with her other band Salt House and John McCusker bringing his trio back to town. 

When reviewing The Living Mountain in 2020 focus was lent towards the effect of the music on the listener rather than the wider Nan Shepherd literary influence. The turn is a full 180 degrees when absorbing the background through words and images. Both angles have illuminated the work of Jenny Sturgeon and those with whom she worked alongside to bring the project to fruition. Nights like this do not come around too often, and its uniqueness polishes a real gem in a gig memory bank packed with many outstanding evenings. 

Gig Review: Frazey Ford - Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry. Saturday 20th November 2021

 

www.frazeyford.com

The music of Frazey Ford doesn't ebb and flow, nor does it meander around a plethora of moods and emotions. It aims for the pulse and once settled drifts along in a rhythmic haze. This is an artist raised on a diet of folk and its alternative strands before finding a rich seam blending in the most hypnotic restful soul. The pinnacle of a three album solo expanse since the gradual wind down of the Be Good Tanyas came in 2020 with the utterly delightful U KIN BE THE SUN. Now the time has arrived to ramp up the live presence and take its luscious sound on the road. 

With a 5-piece band intact, the departure from western Canada for a return to European shores was in safe hands. Early reports from the initial shows sounded positive and this proved the case as Frazey and her band returned to the lavish surroundings of Warwick Arts Centre right at the heart of the campus of the university of the same name. 

It was the larger of this venue's two auditoriums that first introduced me to the music of the Be Good Tanyas in a live capacity, but this was at the back end of their career in 2013. In the intervening years, the band did return to play Moseley Folk festival later that year, but focus as shifted to the solo career of Frazey Ford. A high spot came a couple of years later when one of her UK tours called into the Birmingham Glee Club to leave a lasting memory. Things has been a little quiet since 2015 and the current worldwide situation meant a lengthier extension to getting back into the cyclical groove of recording and touring.

Finding a groove is not something Frazey Ford struggles with. Aided by the impressive triumvirate of drums, bass and lead guitar, which support without dominating, and the trusted backing vocals of long established sidekick Caroline Ballhorn, an appreciative audience converging on the the outskirts of Coventry from all parts of the West Midlands witnessed a fabulous performance. Between an immaculately timed 8:30 entry point and 10:00 theatre curfew, folk 'n' soul in its blueprint form circulated a room blessed with an optimum sound presence. 

As expected, material from U KIN BE THE SUN bristled and blossomed. Tracks such as 'The Kids are Having None of It', 'Money Can't Buy' and 'U and Me' oozed with splendour. We learned of album opener 'Azad' being dedicated to Frazey's sister and title track 'U Kin Be the Sun' duplicate its role of closing the album and now the encore. Older material held up as exemplified by 'Done' being introduced as a bitch anthem and the top notch 'Firecracker' . The latter now dates back over a decade from the debut album OBADIAH, released before the Be Good Tanyas took their apparent final bow. 

Frazey herself chooses the fill frequent moments of inter song respite with irreverent chat, adding to a personal charm rather than sending you home furnished with the ins and outs of what has been and still is a distinguished career. You have to settle with the parting shot of a blissful massage of your aural senses. Musically, you can ask for no more, and a most distinctive of voices joined by keyboard and guitar work deploys a sound sculptured with a reassuring and consistent texture.

Warming a healthy turnout for a gig postponed a year was a local based Coventry sibling duo going by the names of Catherine and Josephine Nightingale. Two voices, one guitar and an ancestry ripe for song exploration defined their stage presence and their booking was a good fit for a soulful theme that threaded throughout the evening. This is soul in its purest form. Not brash, but putting the emphasis on roots and meaning, rather than a more active allurement. This is in line with what Frazey Ford achieves from the route she has taken her solo career.

U KIN BE THE SUN was a lockdown anthem in the way many of us looked inwards in the dark months of late spring 2020. Now thanks to Frazey Ford, her band and the mechanism that has landed a decent run of dates on the current tour, we are now no longer looking inwards but out towards a shared feeling of a record getting its true vocation. Out there and up front for all to enjoy in a variety of dimensions. 

Gig Review: McGoldrick, McCusker and Doyle - Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham. Friday 12th November 2021

A quick trawl through the gig archives revealed that this was the third occasion of seeing Mike McGoldrick, John McCusker and John Doyle at the Midlands Art Centre. It is hard to split the effect of each show such is the lofty consistency and high calibre of their musicianship. Taking each one as a stand alone exhibition of British Isles folk music in its finest and most exhilarating form is all that is required, and a latest visit to Birmingham produced no exception to the rule.

The MAC has been one of the more proactive multi arts venues getting back into performances, and checking their listings or perusing the promotional emails has thrown up a series of good events with folk becoming their preferred genre for staging live music. The venue was also praised by the trio for being hospitable hosts and this evening's show transpired to be the culmination of a 5-week run of getting back on the road after that enforced break.

Apart from the virtuoso playing which is akin to classical trimming down to meet the horizon of everyday folk, this long established trio, albeit part time in collaboration due to a multitude of other projects and residential divide, ooze affable camaraderie and spontaneous wit. It was a case of an Englishman, Irishman and Scot entering the stage and proving that traditional music has no barriers as we branched out from their homeland to places far and wide including northern Spain, north eastern US and down deep in the Bayou.

There was little structure to how two sets, packed with tunes and songs, and a commercial break spanned a couple of hours. John Doyle from the Emerald Isle, but now based in Asheville North Carolina, takes the vocal lead on his mesmerisingly mined old time folk songs with the other pair playing a lot more than an accompanying role on them. From his chosen mode of various pipes and whistles, Manchester's finest Mike McGoldrick also brings his own tunes to the table, some borrowed some designed. Likewise Glasgow-born, Edinburgh-based John McCusker is not only a world class fiddle player but also an accomplished composer and one of the faces of his homeland's folk scene. However the key component of the trio act is the chemistry concocted and the transfixed zone they lead you into when in full flow.

Adding further spice to a McGoldrick, McCusker and Doyle show is the Scot's numerous harmonium contributions and the single appearance of what was thought to be a mandola. While the tendency is to focus more on the playing of McCusker and McGoldrick, strip the vocals from Doyle and you are still left with a superb guitar player, bringing some southpaw grace to both acoustic and electric. You could argue that the sum is greater than the parts. That accolade is made even more superlative when you factor in the starting point of the parts.

The gig archive had 2016 and 2019 inked in as dates the MAC bowed to the talents of John Doyle, John McCusker and Mike McGoldrick. You can now add 2021 and odds are pretty short that that there will be another entry in the not-too-distant future. Alternatively they will surely pop up elsewhere in many other guises. 

Album Review: Abby Posner - Kisbee Ring

 

www.abbyposner.com

A little research into the background of Abby Posner reveals a fully diversified musician dipping into every facet of their skillset to pop up in a multitude of arenas from scoring film music to treading the boards as a touring musician flitting between bands and solo. It appears the music does get ahead of the name, which while not being a bad thing if your heart is in your craft may inhibit full exploration of what can be offered. The release of a brand new solo album with an international horizon could correct that and KISBEE RING is set to give the career of this LA based artist a boost.

From a perspective of writing, producing, arranging, mixing and playing, this ten track effort is just a trio of slight contributions short of being the ultimate one person affair. The result is a transparent piece of work that allows the considerable talent of Abby Posner to flourish and shine. Any listener tuning in with a particular ear for music fluctuating between indie folk and light pop will immediate click in. If making your music accessible for a desirable market who cherishes acutely crafted material is an artist's aim, this album with the slightly unusual title evidences game, set and match.

Debate can rage around the optimum length of an album, but there is nothing wrong with a neat round ten track 33 minutes. Pop music thrives on the three-minute track, and while this is more of an acoustically driven folk-style album, there is an ease to which it transmits from artist voice to listener space. The album title doubles up as the first track and transpires to be another name for Life Preserver. Enhanced knowledge each day keeps the mind fresh.

Meandering out from 'Kisbee Ring', the other nine tracks take you on a deep and meaningful journey theme-wise, highly personal to Posner, but delectably played and beautifully sung. One warning is that this record does need a little space to prosper or headroom away from the hustle and bustle. There isn't a go to track that will enhance a sampled playlist. This is probably not an artist's intention when they set on the path of a commercial release, but there is at least the consolation of parading a record that hits a chord in its entirety and invites a listener to engage for a time friendly period.

Another notable feature is the admirable blend of vocal presence and subtly delivered sound. The former is generally to the forefront and leaves symbolic moments for the latter to simmer. There is no hesitation in hitting the repeat button and before you know it a couple of blissful hours have been sunk into the musical world of Abby Posner. KISBEE RING shines a light on where her career is at the end of 2021. The early year of a new decade that may lead into new spheres for this obviously well equipped all round musician. 

Gig Review: Martin Simpson - Green Duck Brewery, Stourbridge. Sunday 7th November 2021

 

www.martinsimpson.com

Mix things up, step out of the comfort zone and good things will happen in the live music world. There was an air of unfamiliarity to this gig bound together by one of the legends from the folk scene popping into your local town. This show was like many others in the late 2021 diary, subject to postponements and rescheduling since first announced. It helps when you are in the safe hands of Martin Simpson, and a turnout in the vicinity of three figures proved that patience is a virtue. A new scene was set and a gig with a difference joined the annals of those springing up from left field with a propensity to create more than a ripple.

The first unique feature was doors at 1:30 with organiser and local musician Sunjay playing for half an hour ahead of a short break suitable for the surroundings followed by Martin Simpson delivering a mesmerising hour and three quarter main set. All done and dusted by 5 and home for tea. Sunday afternoon shows have an air of civility about them, unless the temptations of being in a local brewery take hold. 

Gigs in Stourbridge have been rare as this blog approaches its tenth anniversary early in the New Year. Even rarer is the Green Duck Brewery hosting them, although the collaboration staging this show also promoted Phil Beer in September. The promise from this afternoon's successful event is that more may appear in the future. As much as a 26-mile round trip to Kings Heath is a staple of my gig journey, a 10 minute walk around the corner has a certain appeal. 

Sunjay opened the show with an entertaining set blending intrinsic blues with a cheeky eye on light entertainment. A mix that served him well pre-lockdown via recognition in the folk world and hook ups with a Buddy Holly theatre show. His set here ended with a plug for new music out soon and a follow up to a previous record with the clearly explained title Black and Blues Revisited.

Martin Simpson needs no introduction to followers of English folk music, and has held a premium position in the hierarchy for most of the fifty years he has been playing professionally. The stories and anecdotes were as rich as the exquisite guitar playing. Although the songwriting credentials are in tact, there was a heavy leaning towards interpreting the works of others in the songs shared this afternoon. These ranged from traditional pieces sourced pan-Atlantic to celebrating the work of peers such as the late John Prine, Lyle Lovett, June Tabor and Incredible String Band.

Themes randomly swung between birds, environmental awareness, personal recollections and issues core to making the world a better place. A psychic energy encompassing the importance of song transmits from the presence of Martin Simpson in full flow. The only soft option is an affable style as the intensity demands a certain level of cultural and attentive application. Attending one of his shows rewards a commitment, whether you are a guitar junkie holding onto every tuning mode and chord change or besotted from the literary aspect of soaking up the stories and words. You don't have the accolades in Martin Simpson's locker led by BBC Radio 2 Folk nominations and subsequent wins without leaving an element of class in your wake. Especially when hitting the road playing shows to audiences of many diverse standings and levels of interaction.

It wasn't quite exiting the Green Duck Brewery in the hours of daylight as the diminishing November days ensured that. However there was a refreshing aspect to attending live music in the afternoon away from the sunlit festival days of high summer. So many parts of this gig clicked into place including a decent sound output from a venue that is an adapted drinking and brewing space, let alone one conducive with staging live music. Yet it worked and an overwhelming sense of success from all parties raised signals that there might be a future from the twin presentations staged so far. Matters were helped by booking Martin Simpson, an artist you know will never fail to deliver and enrapture an audience tuned into his eminence.

Gig Review: Baskery - Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath, Birmingham. Sunday 31st October 2021

www.baskery.com

There was no Sunday slumber when Baskery come to town. The Bondesson sisters do have a habit of flicking the on and off switch, but when fully tuned in they prove one heck of an entertaining night out. The pattern of live Baskery experiences does have a certain spaced out theme to it - 2008, 2012, 2014, 2019 and 2021- and the promise from the stage this evening was that we should do this more often. From the early days of supporting Seth Lakeman and a fleeting festival appearance at Shrewsbury, the band have settled with the Kitchen Garden as their West Midlands host when they decide to hop on the tour bus around the UK. Greeted by a sizeable turnout, the sisters - Greta, Stella and Sunniva - responded with an effortless display of rampant rhythm, habitual harmonies and a zestful demeanour.

Album releases of original material tend to be lopsided towards the early years of Baskery mounting a world challenge. Nowadays they appear content with mixing old favourites with covers of old luminaries like Neil Young and Tom Petty. Whatever they turn to Baskery do it well and coax an audience into rapturous approval.

In line with previous Baskery shows, the theme of a whistle stop world tour twists and spins with many a location heralding or inspiring a new song. From the twin Scandinavian outposts of Sweden and Finland, we venture south to the Mediterranean playground, or Greece to be precise, before crossing the pond, just like the band did in the heady days of their pursuit, where the full breadth of the northern part is covered from Canada down to Mexico. Each place has a celebrated tuneful recollection ranging from an air crash with a difference in Mexico ('Big Flo' (Adios)) to a 1700s Swedish drinking song which shall forever remain nameless to non-native speakers. 

Rhythm is king when Baskery hit the beat. Stella slaps and plucks the bass in faultless time, while Greta consistently doubles up on expressive banjo and kick drum. Even Sunniva adds a a touch of drumming to the electric and acoustic guitar to take multi tasking to a new level. Stylistic comparisons are fleeting moments of association, but any country, rock, folk or blues analogies should always be pre-fixed alt. Americana is a little too simplistic, unless you mean the state of mind and Nordicana/Scandicana sounds crass, but makes a point.

Ultimately, a Baskery gig is about tempo and crescendo. You always feel these Stockholm siblings are about to take you somewhere interesting. Although Stockholm at least has an origin status once revealed that Greta now lives in Devon. Where Baskery take you is always climaxed in the encore. A quick glance to a low ceiling is a precaution Sunniva has probably developed over time. The Kitchen Garden has a fairly low one, but not one that was going to restrict. At that point, the Bondesson sisters had signed, sealed and delivered their return to Birmingham.