One of my all time favourite tracks … Roy might be 81 today.
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Forever I knew well, as it was on the Electric Muse box set which I played repeatedly when in my teens.
Downloaded yesterday … this piece of music (Plunkett) is another favourite. Luke’s version is almost as good as this piano version.
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How to follow Luka Bloom? Here’s Christy Moore with Richard Thompson’s song ‘Beeswing’.
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I was having a coffee in Stroud a couple of Saturdays ago, when I heard this tune played by a busker. All conversation stopped - until I remembered what is was called. Great song - not a bad version too.
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RT has said he likes Christy Moore’s cover. I always assumed the song was about Sandy Denny, but RT suggests it is inspired by Anne Briggs and also a young stableboy called Ted who became a tramp. I guess the power of RT’s best songs is that they catch a resonance and can be seen in the context of many people and events.
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As a footnote, Anne Briggs is very much alive, but does not sing often in public. I think she last recorded in 1993? She has a wonderful back catalogue.
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I had to look her up as I don’t have any of her music. She still sounds good (Arcadia on Bandcamp).
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She’s on Topic I recall. She is reputed to have introduced Bert Jansch to folk music.
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Young Anne. 1963 recording. ‘She Moved Through the Fair.’
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My understanding (open to correction) is that she has been understandably an inspiration or prompt for a legion.
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Yes, but personally I wouldn’t have heard her if I had not started to buy Topic records in the 1970s. I bought a couple from the folk section, then got a catalogue. I think she was living in Ireland then moved to Scotland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Briggs https://mainlynorfolk.info/anne.briggs/
She has no interest in the commercial aspect of Folk and seems very much a private person. As far as I know there’s no written biography, just legendary tales. I don’t think Richard Thompson ever heard Anne sing except on records. I was lucky to hear her ‘Anne Briggs’ album as the re-release claims it has been largely unavailable for 47 years. I didn’t know that she had sung with Sweeney’s Men until recently either. I’m 66 so perhaps if I had been older I could have seen her tour when she was with Bert Jansch. I suspect there’s a few women singers who had influence, but are not as well known as they might be. But for those as yet to hear Anne’s voice on record, what a delight.
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Margaret Barry was influential for Christy Moore and many others. A legend. https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/the-irish-tinker-lady-whose-songs-captivated-london-1.3758909 Some great recordings with the fiddler Michael Gorman and Willie Clancy.
I had the pleasure of meeting Damien O’Kane and Josh Clark this week. Damien is an incredibly accomplished guitarist, and is married to Kate Rusby. With him was Josh Clark, who is predominantly a producer but also plays drums, and is part of Kate’s band. Damien is touring with Ron Block, the bluegrass guitar and banjo player. Damien and Ron have a new album, Banjophonics, which has some fantastic banjo playing - Ron calls is co-operating banjos as a counter to the duelling banjos stereotype!
Here we are, after the show, with Ali Hutton who was playing guitar.
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Listening to Joe Boyd on Cerys Matthews this morning. Discovered Boyd’s website today. http://www.joeboyd.co.uk/media/radio
Boyd’s memoir White Bicycles is also worth a read.
Anyone else planning on going to Folkeast this year? Pretty impressive line up… including Honey and the Bear, Kate Rusby, Spiers and Boden, The Young’uns, The Unthanks , Talisk and many more… and typically many of the performers wander around the festival… accessible and friendly. Back to full strength this year after last year’s cut down festival due to Covid restrictions.
For me you can only truly experience and appreciate folk music live… and this is my annual highlight… super fortunate that it is just 15 minutes up the road.
David Eagle (The Young’uns) from last year
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New biography of Jake Thackeray to be published. I never considered him a folk musician, but perhaps I misunderstood his songs when I was young.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/aug/10/beware-of-the-bull-the-extraordinary-life-of-singer-jake-thackray-revealed-paul-thompson-john-watterson
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Thanks. His songs are brilliant but when you saw him playing live he was remarkable. The way he captured an audience in a small folk club was something I’ll never forget.
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