Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Banjo, exquisite fiddle, no-nonsense guitar and Dana’s timeless, beautiful, stirring writing:

"Rural America explored with elegant simplicity. Their music and cleanly poetic songwriting bring to mind the great folksingers of our times" - Ashville Citizen Times

"Powerful, rolling, fingerstyle guitar playing is the first aspect to grab you. Lyrically, Robinson's songs are wonderful. Pure love for what life has to offer, without being over stated or painfully too-utopian about it. Perfect fodder for both old-time and contemporary folk enthusiasts" - Crossroads

"Many songwriters, such as Bruce Springsteen or John Mellencamp, have been heralded as modern day Woody Guthries or keepers of the American rural spirit, but that mantle might be better entrusted to musicians like Dana Robinson who embody both the heart and the soul of folk music" - Dirty Linen

They’re here from Ashville, North Carolina, for another eagerly-awaited visit - so listen!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Welcome back, Tom! If you like songs and stories of the sea, new and old, you'll certainly enjoy Tom's singing, his stories and his recordings.

Tom is a 24-year veteran of Her Majesty's Royal Naval diesel submarines, although now he's comfortably located on dry land in British Columbia, Canada. His stirring songs cover a wide range of nautical topics, from life on board H.M. ships, through the loneliness and lure of the sea, to traditional shanties and classic nautical poetry, set to his own and others' melodies - often accompanying himself with button accordion or ukulele. Tom is a surefire festival favourite, and the songs he written have taken a special place in the maritime culture - these songs are built to last!

Musician, singer/songwriter, dance caller, showman extraordinaire and melodeon and concertina seller and repairer, Pete is based in Coventry but has performed around the world, including New Zealand - which is almost a home away from home for him. Leader of the Aardvark Ceilidh Band, Pete is a talented hammered dulcimer and melodeon player - and a fine singer, too. 

Frank Hennessy is one of David's admirers - and Frank has been responsible for this one-off show! Coal dust and the mining valleys of South Wales supplied a down-to-earth upbringing whose values and early lessons David still holds dear. But at 17, with a jacket and guitar in hand, he left home in Mountain Ash, Cynon Valley, to begin what has been a lifelong passion. The workingmen’s clubs of South Wales, the same anvil that forged Tom Jones, became the proving ground, the trial by fire.

Arriving in 1991, David dived into a career as a singer/songwriter, and a move to Nashville to sign with a Music Row publisher followed in 1996. But, as David says: "At some point I realised that I had not returned to Wales in 10 years - and as soon as I took my first breath of the valley’s air, I knew that although the wonderful songwriting cities of Austin and Nashville may have honed my skills and taught me the craft, it was Wales, its Celtic traditions and working-class communities, that I had to draw from for my inspiration. It has increasingly drawn me back to my roots. I was part of the first generation not to go down the mines, and I’ve always felt thankful for that.”

The inclusion of Take Us Down, one of David’s songs about a young child’s first day working underground and his father’s heartbreaking thoughts, touched a general nerve at the New Folk competition at the 2007 Kerrville Folk Festival, and gained David a winning spot that year. The Texas festival has become a regular place of pilgrimage for David. Appearing on the main stage, his songs and rich baritone can be heard  around many a campfire. His first CD, David Llewellyn (2004), quickly gained Top Ten radio plays on the Folk DJ charts and has proved a fast seller at gigs and house concerts. In 2007, David released Limited Edition, a CD of live guitar/vocals made up of songs about his upbringing in the culture of Wales. As David says: “If I could sprinkle some coal dust into your ipod without screwing it up, I would."

This is a one-off gig for David - and Llantrisant Folk Club is very proud to be part of such a unique event.

One of Llantrisant Folk Club's finest and dearest friends! Though Debby McClatchy lived most of her adult life near Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania, in the Appalachian Mountains, she was born in San Francisco in 1945. Her father's great grandfather came from Ulster during the famine, was a 49er in the gold rush and founded northern California's leading newspaper, The Sacramento Bee. Her early years in San Francisco have had a great influence on the way she lives her life and on her music. 

Debby's Mother came from the Smoky Mountains, near Knoxville, Tenessee. Her mom sang Carter family songs as lullabies, music hall songs for fun, and might yodel after a little creme de menthe.

Debby is an expert entertainer with wit and imagination. While she plays a variety of acoustic instruments, when touring she just totes her 1907 Bacon 'FF Professional' banjo and maybe a fiddle. She is recognised as one of the finest frailed-banjo players in the accompanying style and is much valued for her banjo and singing workshops. Her combination of goodtime, old-time banjo, glorious singing - with occasional outbreaks of mountain fiddling and freestyle Appalachian stepping - has made her a favorite in clubs and at festivals.

Dan's long-awaited return to Llantrisant Folk Club comes after he toured Britain with his Songs Of Stan Rodgers show, which proved to be one of the most moving and exciting in the Club's 30-year life. Born in Nova Scotia in the Canadian Maritimes, Dan is an absolutely stunning songwriter with a lovely, deep-brown voice that just commands you to pay attention; according to Dan, every set is a good-time experience. 

David Kidman writes in a review of Dan's visit to The Black Swan in the city of York: "He’s one of the most genuinely engaging performers I know. He put the near-capacity audience in thrall the moment he took to the stage with his customary opener Wandering Days, immediately winning over the curious into converts. Dan has a gorgeous baritone voice with an exceptional command of phrasing, light and shade – perfect for conveying the nuances and narratives of his finely-crafted songs." 

Both good friends of Llantrisant Folk Club - Derbyshire-born Keith is: "a stage presentation which values humour, whilst maintaining respect for the music and a wry, vernacular delivery (which includes rather than patronises), combine with a depth of repertoire and a vocal and instrumental skill to make his performances a pleasure. If you want an example of someone for whom folk music and life have become completely inseparable – a true folk musician – look no further than Keith" (Roger Watson, Director of T.A.P.S.). 

Artisan reforming! Thank (or blame) Lunenberg Festival in Nova Scotia - they have invited vocal fireworks trio Artisan to reunite to perform at their 25th Anniversary Festival from August 5 - 8, 2010. It was just too good an offer to turn down. Lunenburg has always been one of Artisan's favourite places to play since their first appearance there in 1995. So Hilary, Brian and Jacey said: "YES, PLEASE!"

Jacey said: "It will be five years since Artisan's retirement concert in 2005, so we're going to have to get together to rehearse some old songs and learn some new. There will be a new CD released with new songs, and also a Best Of Artisan retrospective - which we've been promising for quite some time."

You can see and hear Artisan at Llantrisant Folk Club - but don't delay. Artisan will together for a few short months, and then go their separate ways. Don't miss it!

Arts Council Wales is supporting this NIGHT OUT Scheme.

Les writes strange poems and comes from Manchester. He was an accountant before he became a professional idiot. He's written 72 books, which sell in large numbers at his gigs because people don't quite believe what they've just heard. His poems have spawned a number of folk heroes: Jason and the Arguments, Cosmo the Fairly Accurate Knife Thrower, Captain Indecisive and Spot of the Antarctic.

Les began his career as assistant to Mrs Ackroyd, a small hairy mongrel who lay around in folk clubs, bit people and became famous. Mrs Ackroyd was the only dog ever to own her own record label. Since her sad demise, Les is mainly a solo performer, though he has taken to working with humans from time to time. The Mrs Ackroyd Band gradually evolved from an ever-changing who's who of the folk scene into a tightly knit, well-rehearsed group.

Les has several solo albums to his credit, including Dogologues, An Infinite Number of Occasional Tables, A Cardi and Bloke, Up the creek without a poodle, Arovertherapy and The War on Terrier. In addition there are highly acclaimed albums of his serious work; the folk opera The Stones of Callanish, Some Love, The Wings of Butterflies and Airs of the Dog, all involving a galaxy of talent. His serious songs have also featured on recent albums by Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick, and by June Tabor. June invariably includes a smattering of Les's serious and comic songs in her live performances. An evening with Les is one not to be missed!

Nicole Murray and John Thompson call their fabulous act "hot harmonies and beautiful ballads", and Rock 'n' Reel describe it as "assured and stylish acoustic-fired folk music." Cloudstreet sweep aside musical boundaries and sing! They take traditional folk song, shake it vigorously, add exquisite harmonies and a mountain of fun to produce heart-lifting shows that excite, entertain and delight. Nicole and John (who is one of Aussie folk festival favourites Spooky Men's Chorale) perform New Australian folk music, a combination of Anglo-Celtic and Australian traditional songs and tunes, coupled with trad-styled original songs. Their repertoire represents the many influences from around the world that have been blended to produce Australian folk music.

Happy 30th birthday to us! From that first Wednesday, when the fledgling Llantrisant Folk Club started life in The New Inn in Swan Street, through our moves to The Bear, The Cross Keys, back to The Bear again, The Ifor Arms, The Brunel Arms, The Cross Keys again and The Windsor Hotel. 

The Club launched itself on an unsuspecting Llantrisant when Pat Smith and Mick Tems, the only two founder members, were playing in the Bedwen Haf twmpath band with Siwsann George and Stewart Brown, and needed a room to practice. Lionel, landlord of The New Inn, immediately offered his room - and suggested the four could start a folk club. The rest is history! 

Jo, musician and composer, comes from a pioneering background in folk and acoustic music. She plays or has played with Blowzabella, Token Women, The Lal Waterson Project, Coope/Boyes/Simpson/Fraser/Freya/Boyes, Maalstrom, The Fraser Sisters, Freyja, Scarp, The Old Swan Band, as part in duos with Kathryn Locke and Pete Moreton and as a session musician with Lal Waterson, Annie Williamson and Anne Lister. Surprisingly, Female Smuggler is Jo's first solo CD (she recorded an album called Traditional Songs Of England on request from the company who wished to release it, with arrangements done by them, so this is Jo's first in reality.) The intention behind the CD is to reflect the diversity of Jo's music. It's all here - beguiling instrumental, beautiful vocal, exciting traditional and visionary contemporary, and much of it is penned by the maestro herself. Jo is going out on the road to promote the album, accompanied by Neil Ferguson and Jude Abbott of Chumbawamba. Do not miss them!

Arts Council Wales is supporting this NIGHT OUT Scheme.

DON’T FORGET:

All other Wednesdays are Song And Music Nights, starting at 8.30pm. 

For past guests, click here