......where we're still recovering from
recent excitements, notably a trip to the mighty Celtic free festival
at Ortigueira on the north-western tip of Galicia in Spain. We took
part in a "night of folk-rock", going on after our friends Celtas
Cortos, and were lucky enough to be able to invite the great Galician
bagpiper Susana Seivane on stage to play on 'Granite Years', 'Put Out
The Lights' and a couple of other songs. As Spain had just beaten
Germany in the World Cup, it was a fantastic night to be there! We were
also very pleased to learn that Celtas Cortos have put a version of our
'Granite Years' on their next album, due for release in September.
Since then John Jones has been on one of his walking tours with The
Reluctant Ramblers. He writes: "JJ wishes to thank all those who walked
with him, did back-up and came to Ramblers gigs on the recent Wessex
Walk. And Oyster fans for 4 magnificent festival gigs in Ortigueira,
Ely, Larmer Tree and Chagstock. An amazing 10 days for me."
Opposite is a list of our further festival appearances this summer, in
Denmark, Spain and Portugal, plus the first announcement
of our plans for touring as Oysterband Acoustic in the autumn, in UK,
Denmark & Germany. (Acoustic shows in Netherlands and Belgium will
follow in February 2011.) More details at
Tour Dates.
Meanwhile, we're rivetted by the political drama unfolding in the UK.
Will the new Conservative/Liberal government succeed in transferring
the blame for the economic crisis from the poor banks to
"feather-bedded" nurses, teachers and other public-sector employees?
Oo-er, watch this space....
The Oxford Girl & Other Stories (Running Man
RMCD 6)
By
popular demand this CD is now on release - in UK via
Proper Music
Distribution; in continental Europe (as Westpark 87190) through
Westpark Music; and in N
America through Conveyor (Toronto). We're a bit surprised
ourselves -
we'd planned to sell it
only on shows and by mail-order, but the response was such that we felt
we really should take the next step. (Of course, it'll continue to be
available through our online shop too.).
It's NOT a "Best Of...", and it's NOT a systematic retrospective.
It's a set of all-new acoustic recordings to mark Oysterband's 30th
anniversary: 14 classic songs from all periods of the band's history,
re-imagined and re-arranged for now. There are some real surprises in
there.......and some informative notes about the songs.
“..great tunes, superb voices, clever lyrics and a big dollop
of the stuff that turns a band into a Great British Institution.
**** ” (R2)
Titles are: The Early Days Of A Better Nation; When I'm Up I Can't
Get Down; By Northern Light; Blood-Red Roses; The Soul's Electric; The
Oxford Girl; Little Brother; What Wondrous Love Is This?; Angels Of The
River; After Rain; Shouting About Jerusalem; The Lakes Of Cool Flynn;
The False Knight On The Road; Put Out The Lights.
Tales of Love War & Death by Hanging (Westpark
87188)
|
There's more
to Ray "Chopper" Cooper than
cello and bass guitar......his first solo CD, Tales of Love, War and Death By Hanging
(Westpark 87188), reveals him as singer, songwriter and player of many
instruments.
Swedish master fiddler Patrik Andersson contributed violin, viola, and
Hardanger fiddle and collaborated on string arrangements. Recorded by
Ray at The Love Shack, Malmköping, Sweden, the album was mixed by Alan
Scott in Brighton.
|
"I found it incredibly powerful. Very
interested by the concept and history of the stories. He's in fine
voice here. I really enjoyed it." Seth Lakeman
"Like Ennio Morricone galloping
through the brooding grandeur of the Nordic forests with a trusty
cello..... Compelling stuff" David Kidman, fROOTS
|
Titles are: The Puritan; The Dark Days Are Over; Border Widow's Lament;
McPherson's Rant; I Kiss The Night; The Grey Goose Wing; In Your Sweet
Arms; The Highwayman; My Compass Points To North; Ye Jacobites By Name.
Rising Road (Westpark 87179)
John Jones' solo album Rising Road
(Westpark
87179). With seven traditional songs, four written by John, and one
from the Oyster vaults, it also features Seth Lakeman (tenor guitar,
fiddle, vocal), Benji Kirkpatrick (guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, piano,
vocal), former Oysterman Ian Kearey (banjo-dulcimer), Rowan Godel
(vocal), Sophie Walsh (harp) and Francois Deville (pedal steel) as well
as homeboys Dil Davies (drums), Alan Prosser (guitars) and producer Al
Scott.
Is it anything like Oysterband? You be the judge!
John won a
Spiral for "Walking Through Ithonside" in the Best Original Song
category
in the Spiral Awards (Spiral Earth's answer to the BBC Folk Awards).
Thanks to everyone who voted for it. You can hear the song at www.MySpace.com/johnjonesoyster
Check
out
www.spiralearth.co.uk
for more details of the Awards.
“...Jones' voice is right out there at the front of the mix
giving it a boldly vulnerable quality, but....it carries an unexpected
urgency, with some eye-popping arrangements and production values. ...
Jones shows his true worth as a subtly emotive singer. ... [t]he
healing qualities of landscape and the sense of home, space and
spiritual identity at the heart of the album is perfectly encapsulated
by the expansive, almost epic Walking Through Ithonside. ” Colin
Irwin,
fRoots
Titles are: Let Me Fall; Polly On The Shore; Walking Through
Ithonside; Rocks Of Bawn; Litten Tree; Searching For Lambs; One Morning
In The Spring; Henry Martin; Fire Marengo; One Night As I Lay On My
Bed; Boy In The Window; Newlyn Town.
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