I was very sad to hear of the death the Scottish guitarist and singer Bert Jansch. He was a wonderful musician who influenced some of the best guitarists of the last 50 years. Musicians as diverse as Jimmy Page, Neil Young and Johnny Marr all acknowledged their debt to him. When many folk guitarists in… Continue reading Death of Bert Jansch – inspirational folk guitarist
Category: Performers
Times Past from JH – melodic, thoughtful songs
Singer songwriter John Hogan, who performs and records simply as JH, has a new album out called Times Past. As the name suggests, it looks to bygone days but more importantly, it explores the emotions conjured up by events from childhood and youth. It’s a very thoughtful album and the there’s always a feeling of… Continue reading Times Past from JH – melodic, thoughtful songs
How Ralph McTell twisted my fingers
I once had a bruising encounter with the legendary folk singer Ralph McTell. Ralph is a peaceful man but he twisted my fingers all over the place – all because of his classic song, The Streets of London. Ralph accompanies the song by picking out the melody on the guitar.
Tara O’Grady’s magical fusion of jazz and folk
Take some magical melodies from the rich vein of Irish traditional folk music. Add some scintillating but tasteful jazz arrangements from the heart of New York City. Throw in the rich and sultry voice of brilliant young singer Tara O’Grady and the result is a stunning album called Black Irish.
Welcome Ireland’s new Musical World Champions
Ireland has a new set of world champions. They are the weary but elated men, women and children who smashed the record for the Longest Traditional Music Session ever. The event began last weekend when dozens of musicians gathered at O’Hanlons pub at Mullaghbawn in Armagh for a musical marathon. The wanted to break the… Continue reading Welcome Ireland’s new Musical World Champions