TONY
KINGSBURY RECOMMENDS
July2007
It
is, of course, a well known fact that Terry and I are not only
officers and gentlemen (although sadly Debra Winger never looked near
us) we have impeccable musical taste. Strangely, I've always thought,
there have been occasions when people have not always shared that
taste (notably my wife - lest there's any room for ambiguity I mean
she has not always shared my taste in music, rather than people have
not always shared my taste in a wife). I digress. I am in the
fortunate position of having an opportunity to see more live music,
and listen to more recorded music, than I have done for some years.
I know I am always grateful
for the odd hint as to who to see and hear so I thought I'd include
some information on these pages of anyone who has taken my fancy..
PETE COE
I'm going to
kick off with something of a surprise, or at least it came as a
surprise to me. I have moved from God's own county of Essex to sunny
Crail in East Fife. Crail is blessed with many delights not least of
which is a folkin' club (more anon). To ensure its success in the
Kingsbury household it is 100 yards from my front door. That said I
went along, with no high hopes, to see Pete Coe. We all know Pete
Coe, and as in most things I had a pre-conceived idea of what it
would be like. Pete has obviously worked regularly over the years
which should say it all really. I hope he won't mind me saying, as it
results in praise eventually, that I anticipated a dull evening.
Could I have been more wrong? I think not!
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This
wasn't a gig this was a show with everything. Pete is a multi
instrumentalist - bazouki, banjo, mountain dulcimer and melodeon. He
has a particularly distinctive voice and to make an audience even
more envious he does a spot of step dancing.
No lesser mortal than Andy Kershaw said: ..
'It
may be easier - and quicker - to list the talents that Pete Coe
doesn't have. Described famously as a 'one man folk industry''
With
scant regard to cost I snapped up a CD which I would also commend to
you. It is called 'In Paper Houses'. Some very fine songs like 'I
only spoke Portuguese' and 'Penny for the Ploughboys', even a song
written by Tucker Zimmerman called 'Oregon' - didn't Tucker used to
live in a tree in Belgium?
Anyway
apologies to Pete for doubting him. Make the effort to see or hear.
Full details of CDs, gigs etc on
www.backshift.demon.co.uk/petehome |
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Now Pete Coe is a good looking bloke but ..
EMILY SMITH
|
Visiting
the Crail folkin' club is becoming an expensive business as again I
snapped up a CD - 'A Different Life'. Superb but big mistake - didn't
buy her other CD 'A Day Like Today', with a third CD on the way
further expenditure is a must |
Those
of you who think I'm recommending Emily Smith for all the wrong
reasons obviously know me well but, for once, you'd be wrong. Emily
also did a turn at the Crail folkin' club accompanied by her New
Zealander husband Jamie McClennan on guitar and fiddle, with herself
on accordion and piano. A bit of a winner is Emily - 2005 USA Song
Writing Competition winner, Scots Singer of the Year 2005 nominee and
2002 BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year.
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Find
out more at
www.emilysmith.org |
PARIS-LONDRES
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I've
seen a duo called Paris-Londres performing in the marketplace in
Sarlat, France for the last two summers.
Bruno
Vatys, presumably from Paris, plays guitar and Sophie Read,
presumably from Londres plays violin. They sing and play their own material. |
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When
I've seen them it has mostly been instrumental but the songs are
good too. More expense, I purchased a CD called 'Green Leaf'
which is heavily weighted towards instrumentals sounding just as good
indoors in Scotland as outdoors in the Sarlat sunshine.
Check
them out on travels in France, they live in Sarlat. For more
information see
www.paris-londres.com |
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August 07
September 07 January
08
HOMEPAGE