Three Chords and the Truth UK

  The initial impact is of an Appalachian sound gently rolling along, followed by the subtle blending of homegrown themes. The music of Ruth Eliza epitomises the Anglo-American roots spirit. The clawhammer banjo sparks an imagination bouncing around cloud laden mountains, yet when the English vocals and lyrical relevance kick in, it is the dales and rugged greenery of rural Britain taking over. WHILE THE LIGHT SHINES captures a moment of serenity and idyllically depicts what acoustic music can evoke.  The banjo skills of Lancaster-based Eliza purvey the definitive sound of this thirteen track debut album accompanied by an expertly deployed array of instrumentation led by fiddle, garnished by mandolin and held together by double bass. Ten songs and three instrumentals form a packed content with the writing piquing an interest in what is expressed. Lots of tags can be applied - bluegrass, roots, old time, folk, Americana - all pertaining some descriptive purpose. The musici...

The most poignant moment of the show came in the second half when the Jaywalkers switched the next choice in their song turn to an instrumental tune, Thus allowing time for reflection in the wake of four successive songs awash with sobering sentiment from their fellow artists. Living with dementia, living a lie and homage to parents in difficult times are not your usual Saturday lunchtime fare but when you give the floor to a posse of songwriters not averse to writing the odd sad song, all themes are on the table. Of course, audiences schooled in the truthful nuances of country music expect nothing less, and you always know a lighter shade is around the corner. Traditionally, rounds like this are frequented by solo performers equipped with just a guitar. Two guests conformed to this convention with Rhiannon Paige making the trip up from the Bristol area and Georgia Nevada enduring a longer journey from the Cambridgeshire Fens. Essex is the home for Jack Browning and when you have a...

  Jaywalkers induce a sense of satisfaction from an audience savouring fine musicianship at a close proximity. Hailing from North West England, Mike Giverin, Jay Bradberry and Lucille Williams have been plying their trade the length and breadth of our isles for many years, yet fly under the radar to recruit new fans left wondering why it’s taken so long to jump aboard. The trio retains a humility, just doing what comes naturally and making music capable of extending far from the current boundaries. Joy emanates from the breathtakingly tight virtuoso playing and is received with awe. The Kitchen Garden, buoyed by an authoritative display of stringed eminence, was in its element.  The focal point of 2025 has been the band’s fifth album, Move On, and dates supporting it have run right up to the end of the year. Birmingham concert goers making a wise choice had the pleasure of the album played in its entirety as all ten tracks were built for a live airing. Mix in some innovative c...

  Over a distinguished career, Tim O'Brien has without doubt played contrasting venues in many cities especially possessing an ability to adapt between grand palatial settings and intimate places where the listening zone is unfiltered. The West Virgina native-longterm Nashville resident can now add Birmingham to the list with the Kitchen Garden joining the Symphony Hall as stages hosting the talents of this premium musician, lauded songwriter and authentic country vocalist. On the stroke of eight o'clock, O'Brien descended the wooden creaking staircase, weaved his way through the cramped dining chairs and positioned himself in the performing spotlight. He asked if there were any country, folk and bluegrass fans in the house and proceeded to entertain a packed venue with music as pure as a mountain stream.  The sold out signs soon followed the coup announcement of Tim O'Brien playing the Kitchen Garden Cafe in Kings Heath. Previous visits to Birmingham have seen him join...

It has been a bit of a stop-go start getting into The Local Honeys. A last minute hitch delayed seeing them make their Birmingham debut at this same venue back in January. Likewise clashes didn't go in their favour when attending the SummerTyne Festival in the summer. It proved a case of good things come to those who wait when no hiccups impeded a Bonfire Night return to the Kitchen Garden and a chance to check out this highly rated touring duo out of eastern Kentucky. First good news for Linda Jean Stokley and Montana Hobbs was a vastly increased turnout from the last visit and a point where they were just a handful of ticket sales short from a 'house full' sign. This is a testimony to the interest generated over the year and perhaps word getting around that they deliver a truly memorable and engaging show. Having now been fully engrossed in a two-hour Local Honeys gig, there is full concurrence with this sentiment and the firm prediction that we are going to hear a lot ...

Canada’s Maritime province has a rich history of roots music. Indeed this style is one of that nation’s proudest exports and the UK is often a fertile zone for hosting these lauded touring musicians. The current members of The Bombadils may have their origins scattered far across Canada’s vast land, but their current residency in Halifax Nova Scotia is right at the heart of the Atlantic junction. Sarah Frank and Luke Fraser have followed in the steps of many of their compatriots in finding the UK a welcoming home for acoustic roots music. It helps that they are both exceptional musicians majoring on fiddle, guitar and mandolin, with the insightful knowledge of the banjo featuring prominently back home. Hot footing from a couple of well-received sets at the Maverick Festival, The Bombadils called into Birmingham’s Kitchen Garden, a venue renowned for supporting music of a similar persuasion.  On a full packed evening of folk and roots music, Sarah and Luke sailed through a coup...

From the Grand Ole Opry to the Kitchen Garden Café in the space of days, not a journey you hear mentioned too often. On certainty, is that the performance Molly Tuttle gave in Nashville last weekend would have been something special to match the impact of this Birmingham gig to open her UK tour.  Buzz around this virtuoso singer, songwriter and most strikingly, an incredible guitar player has grown significantly in recent times. The long awaited debut full album release finally put the flesh on the bones of a promise given a major lift when the American Music Association crowned her their musician of the year last September. Of course, folks in Birmingham have long switched on after packing a nearby venue fifteen months ago to see an exceptional Molly Tuttle-Rachel Baiman show, and getting a brief glimpse of Molly in February this year when she joined the Transatlantic Sessions annual tour stop off in the city. Tonight though, was all about Molly Tuttle on her own for a full-on se...

2018 was the year Rachel Baiman and Molly Tuttle won over many new fans in the West Midlands when the pair teamed up for a highly successful gig at Thimblemill library, exemplified by an outstanding turnout for a Sunday evening. 2019 will see them both build on this initial exposure with separate shows that will enable their music to be closer scrutinised to tune into the undoubted quality. More on Molly Tuttle will emerge in the spring, and her Birmingham show has already sold out. However, the focus right now is on Rachel Baiman and a few memorable thoughts from her triumphant return to Smethwick on the last Friday of a January unseasonably blessed with mild weather. Like so many American roots artists touring the UK this time of the year the lure is a show at Celtic Connections. With Rachel Baiman heading north of the border later in her tour, the folk of Smethwick (and those travelling in from other areas) gave her a warm welcome in exchange for a fantastic multi-dimensional ...

From small acorns, the saying goes, but playing a small part at the outset of what could prove a fruitful journey is a decent place to be. Hopton Wafers is a sleepy location on the Shropshire/Worcestershire border and now can add the location of the Beardy Folk Festival to its claim to fame. A gently sloping walled garden rectangular amphitheatre provides the natural landscape to house a smart diversity of UK acts representing a broad range of folk music styles. Whether the organisers have opted for a touch of irony, or an attempt at stereotypical reclamation in naming their operation, tapping into a winning formula suggests that more has gone right than wrong in treading the tricky waters of festival promotion. The caveat to such an analysis stems from only attending the Saturday of this three-day event, but adopting a ‘speak as you find’ approach reaches a favourable conclusion. A slick operation presented nearly twelve hours of continuous music from thirteen scheduled perform...

The hottest ticket in town; a statement that is going to resonate more when word gets around about the Rachel Baiman and Molly Tuttle duo show. With as much talent on display as a several piece band, this self-curated duo - assembled primarily for a European tour - left an indelible mark on the musical landscape of the West Midlands in the shape of a breathtaking show. This was a superlative exhibition from two performers bursting at the seams with the precious gift of virtuoso musicianship. Whether you honed in on the banjo and fiddle of Rachel or Molly’s extraordinary bluegrass picking on the acoustic guitar, a fabulous array of craftwork was widespread. The way these two very independent artists blended in a near sell-out show at Thimblemill Library raised the bar of quality a little higher as this versatile venue goes from strength to strength. The format of the evening saw both performers generally take a switched lead across each of the two sets as the other flickered in an...