Newsletter          31^st January 2009

Contact details
Tel. 01342 716975
or email:
info_at_acousticsussex_dot_org_dot_uk

The singer-songwriter showcase earlier this month was a wonderful occasion. If you were there, you’ll know that we were fortunate indeed to be joined by the 2009 BBC Young Folk Awards winners, Megan & Joe Henwood and were treated to great performances by all four acts. You can read a review on our website here (and also in this week’s’ Mid Sussex Times!). Our next event is also a showcase – a one-off, never-to-repeated ‘Celebration of the Guitar’ with 4 of the UK’s top guitarists – see below.

And talking about BBC awards, two of the acts appearing in our programme over the next few months – Eliza Carthy and Karine Polwart - are nominated in the main BBC Folk Awards (winners announced on Monday 2nd February). More details of our next events are shown below and early booking is recommended for several of them, particularly:: Show of Hands (very close to being fully sold out) and Cara Dillon, whose new CD was launched this week to wide press acclaim.

Now playing on our MySpace site: Gordon Giltrap , Alan Prosser, Jon Gomm, Duncan McKenzie, Martin Harley Band and Mark Erelli click here

Cara Dillon at her ‘Hill of Thieves’ CD launch at The Gibson Guitar Studios on 29 Jan 2009

Upcoming shows February – April 2009:

Ø     Monday 9 February
Click here for more details below

“CELEBRATION OF THE GUITAR”
Gordon Giltrap, Alan Prosser, John Gomm, Duncan McKenzie

Chequer Mead
East Grinstead

Ø     Monday 23 February
Click here for more details below

Martin Harley Band

Support Jemima Price

Ravenswood, Sharpthorne

Ø     Monday 23 March
Click here for more details below

Mark Erelli

Support: Cate Ferris

Ravenswood, Sharpthorne

Ø     Wednesday 1 April
Click here for more details below

Eliza Carthy

Support: Robert Brown

Chequer Mead
East Grinstead

Ø     Monday 13 April
Click here for more details below

A very rare appearance by
Bridget St John

with special guest Michael Chapman

Ravenswood, Sharpthorne

Monday
9 February
“A Celebration of
  the Guitar”

GORDON GILTRAP + Alan Prosser
+ Jon Gomm
+ Duncan McKenzie
at Chequer Mead
East Grinstead
www.chequermead.org.uk
£13 (£ 11 conc)    7.30pm
Box Office 01342 302000
Tickets are also available at Hobgoblin in Crawley and Bullfrog in East Grinstead

Click here for News Release (PDF file)

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Aa one-off showcase of some of the UK's most talented and original guitarists. 

Headlining is the ever-popular Gordon Giltrap, who has made 25 albums and several hits over his 30 year career. By the time he was 18 he had secured his first recording contract.  10 years, 6 albums and numerous concerts later, he became an ‘overnight success’ with the hit single ‘Heartsong’, the first of two chart singles and two chart albums. Gordon continues to innovate and develop, such as his Double Vision duo with the classical guitarist Ray Burley and his new project “The Dodo Dream” in which he uses electric guitars to build and expand a composition live on stage.

“A wonderful guitarist, I just wish he would slow down so that I could copy (play) with him” Bert Jansch

“People would tell me about (American guitarist) Sandy Bull and I'd say, I don't know about Sandy Bull; you want to start listening to some of these people over here; Bert Jansch, Davey Graham and Gordon Giltrap for heaven's sake.”  Jimmy Page

Alan Prosser is widely known as the guitarist in Oysterband. But beyond the trademark power chords and driving rhythms he is an accomplished acoustic artist with a reputation among fellow musicians as a perfectionist. Alan's solo performances give the audience an opportunity to enjoy his well crafted songs and fluent finger-style guitar playing as they were written - for guitar and voice.

“This is a side of Prosser that has been kept very much under wraps” Folking.com

Completing the bill are by two superb and inventive musicians, Leeds-based Jon Gomm and, from Sussex, Duncan McKenzie.

Click for more

Monday
23 February
MARTIN HARLEY BAND

at The Ravenswood
Sharpthorne
www.theravenswood.co.uk

Support: Jemima Price
£10 (£12  door)    8.00pm
Tickets 01342 714810
or buy online via Acoustic Sussex website

Tickets are also available at Hobgoblin in Crawley and Bullfrog in East Grinstead

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Surrey-born Martin Harley is a mesmerising singer/songwriter whose original sound draws on influences from old time blues and folk to world music to create songs that sound so familiar you think you’ve grown up with them. Songs about living in cars, worn out shoes, girls lost in the carnival lights, satellite hunting in car parks and a constant sense wondering are recurring themes. His original approach to playing slide guitar across his lap and his accomplished finger style playing are the cornerstone of the music along with his whiskey soaked northern breeze vocals.

Martin has appeared on compilations with J.J. Cale, P.J. Harvey and Eric Clapton, Paul Weller and The Who. He has played with the likes of Bo Diddley, Omar and the Howlers, Joe Bonamassa, Lisa Mils, Dr Feelgood, Newton Faulkner, Scott Mattews, James Blunt, Martin Simpson, Chas n Dave, Happy Mondays, Magic Numbers, The Hat, The Beautiful Girls, Peter Bruntnall, Kate Walsh and many more

Voted by Digital blues as one of the best solo performers of 2006 and voted best solo acoustic act by London Acoustic in 2005 this slide guitar virtuoso in not to be missed.

“an understated, mature and intelligent masterpiece of American roots music” Maverick Magazine.

“In the Martin Harley Band the future of British roots and blues is assured. Formidable guitar skills “ Guitarist Magazine

Martin Harley Band

Monday
23 March
MARK ERELLI

at The Ravenswood
Sharpthorne
www.theravenswood.co.uk

Support: Cate Ferris
£10 (£12  door)    8.00pm
Tickets 01342 714810
or buy online via Acoustic Sussex website

Tickets are also available at Hobgoblin in Crawley and Bullfrog in East Grinstead

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Over the past 9 years, New-Englander Mark Erelli has been steadily gaining the reputation of one of the most talented writers and gifted musicians on the American folk scene, settling into a timeless, classic folk singer-songwriter groove where gritty, honest songs reflect the world around us. Erelli’s lyrical and musical intelligence marks him out as one of the finest storytellers in contemporary folk and he deservedly won the International Songwriting Contest in 2005.

Erelli’s songwriting talent is the reason he’s been chosen to join 7 other top international songwriters in the Darwin Song Project, one of a number of events taking place in 2009 to mark the bi-centennial of the birth of Charles Darwin. With a Masters Degree in Evolutionary Biology, Erelli is uniquely qualified to take part. The Project takes place in Shrewsbury (Darwin’s birthplace) from March 13-19, when the 8 artists will come together for a week to write songs that have a resonance and relevance to the life of Darwin. The artists are Mark Erelli, Karine Polwart, Rachael McShane, Jez Lowe, Chris Wood, Stu Hanna, Krista Detor and Emily Smith. The songs will be performed in a special concert and recorded for CD release. BBC Radio 4 have commissioned a documentary on the project that will be broadcast in late March 2009.

Erelli released his self-titled debut at 24, exhibiting an uncommon musical maturity. Mark has produced over the last decade. Now 34, with an assured and varied back-catalogue, multiple awards and growing notoriety as an accompanist, he has one of the most impressive and varied reputations in modern roots music

“(Delivered is) darkly magnificent...Mark Erelli (has) something to say and a unique, poetic, compelling way of saying it.” Vintage Guitar

“When it comes to providing thoughtful, compelling folk-rock and Americana, Erelli is a masterful expert”
AllMusic.com

“Erelli addresses tough issues (war, development, love, post-9/11) with the grit of John Hiatt and the melancholy beauty of Ron Sexsmith.”  Washington Post t e

Mark Erelli

Wednesday
1 April
Eliza Carthy
at Chequer Mead
East Grinstead
www.chequermead.org.uk

Support: Robert Brown
£15 (£ 12.50 conc)    8pm
Box Office 01342 302000
Tickets are also available at Hobgoblin in Crawley and Bullfrog in East Grinstead

Click here for News Release (PDF file)

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Twice-nominated for a prestigious Nationwide Mercury Prize, Eliza Carthy is also the winner of more than 7 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. This year, she is nominated in 3 categories in the 2009 awards (Best Singer, Best Album and best Orginal Track), to be announced in London on Monday 2 February.

Eliza has been a regular guest-presenter on the BBC Radio 2 Mark Radcliffe Show and has made several appearances on BBC TV’s Later with Jools. In addition, she has presented her own four part series on the history of English Folk on BBC Radio 2 and was recently the subject of the ITV documentary, Heaven & Earth.  She also featured prominently in the acclaimed BBC Four Folk Britannia season. Eliza was the first traditional English musician to be nominated a BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music (for 'Anglicana'). In March 2005, Eliza co-presented the awards with Benjamin Zephaniah - an event that was broadcast on BBC Four.

A truly inventive and innovative singer and fiddle-player, Eliza is a gifted musical conceptualist confirming her position as, arguably, the most impressive and engaging performer of a generation. Touring on and off since the age of 14, Eliza has performed and recorded with a diverse array of artists from Paul Weller to The Wainwrights, Nick Cave to Joan Baez.

Yorkshire-born and now Edinburgh-based, Eliza Carthy grew up immersed in the world of traditional music. She divides her time between touring and recording with her legendary parents, Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson and numerous pioneering solo and band projects. Describing herself simply as a ‘modern British musician’, Eliza is only just beginning to reach the height of her musical powers. Though she’s only just turned 30, Eliza has revitalised and made folk music relevant to new audiences and captured the most hardened of dissenters with intelligent, charismatic and boundary-crossing performances.

Accompanied by Willie Molleson on drums, Emma Smith on double bass and  Phil Alexander on keyboards / piano accordion, Eliza will showcase original material from her acclaimed new album, 'Dreams of Breathing Underwater' 

“Seriously impressive”  Daily  Telegraph

"Bewitching and original"  **** Q

"Magnificent"  **** The Guardian

“Eliza Carthy is one of the figureheads of the English folk revival … compelling”  Evening Standard

“A gloriously natural singer”' Q magazine

Eliza Carthy

Monday
13 April
A rare appearance by
BRIDGET ST JOHN

at The Ravenswood
Sharpthorne
www.theravenswood.co.uk

with special guest:
Michael Chapman
£10 (£13  door)    8.00pm
Tickets 01342 714810
or buy online via Acoustic Sussex website

Tickets are also available at Hobgoblin in Crawley and Bullfrog in East Grinstead

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A very rare, one-off, performance by the late John Peel’s favourite singer-songwriter from the 70s, Bridget St John.

London-born, St John learnt piano and viola as a child, and guitar while studying at Sheffield University. After graduating, she was the first artist to join Peel’s Dandelion record label, recording three albums between 1969 and 1972, including her renowned and highly collectible debut, Ask Me No Questions. She also recorded a number of BBC Peel sessions’ and toured regularly on the early UK college and festival circuit.

Her popularity peaked in 1974 when she was voted among the top 10 most popular female singer in that year's Melody Maker readers poll, alongside Sandy Denny. A highly-accomplished guitar player, St John credits John Martyn (with whom she has been friends since college) as her guitar mentor.

St John’s second album, Songs for the Gentle Man, was produced and scored by Pink Floyd collaborator, Ron Geesin. In 1974, she contributed vocals on Kevin Ayers' classic album, Shooting At The Moon' album and, in the same year, signed to Chrysalis Records for her 4th album, Jumblequeen. The album featured some top musicians including the folk guitarist Stefan Grossman, Chick Churchill (Ten Years After) and Mike Giles (King Crimson).

Commercial success did not follow the critical acclaim that St John received from the music press. She lay low for some time, finally emigrating to Greenwich Village in 1976, marrying and virtually disappearing from the public eye. But she continued to produce music and she released her next album, Take the Fifth, in the US in 1995. She later performed at a Nick Drake tribute concert in New York in 1999 and toured Japan in 2006 with the minimalist French musician Colleen. Over the years, she has also recorded with Mike Oldfield (on Amarok) and most recently was reunited with Kevin Ayers on his 2008 album, The Unfairground.

Joining St John for this one-off show is virtuoso guitarist, Michael Chapman, who a long-time friend of St John. Chapman most recently performed in the area when he performed at Chequer Mead in August 2008.

Bridget St John

Bridget St John
with Michael Chapman

Don’t forget that as well as our own shows, the Acoustic Sussex website has a Regional Gig Guide and links to venues and clubs in the South East that offer folk, roots and acoustic music – and our MySpace site contains over 500 links to a variety of other MySpace ‘friends’ sites, including musicians, venues, magazines and lots more.

Regional Gig Guide

For your future diaries...

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Future 2009 dates in the Acoustic Sussex programme include:

Ø    4 May – Karine Polwart + Dan Reed

Ø    21 May – Cara Dillon + Horses Brawl

Ø    8 June – Dick Gaughan + Mary Hampton

Ø     19 June – Show of Hands with Miranda Sykes

Ø     26-28 June – Crawley Folk Festival

Ø     20 July - Iain Matthews + Mary Leay

More information on all up-and-coming artists can be found on our website: www.acousticsussex.org.uk. You can also find us on MySpace (with samples from some of the artists appearing) at: www.myspace.com/acoustic_sussex. If you know anyone who you think may enjoy our events, please forward this email to them.

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