Antonella Ruggiero 22/12/2018

Just managed a final gig for the year whilst in Lecce. We were passing a theatre on 21st Dec and noticed that a singer was playing the next day. I was amazed to get good seats and the theatre was maybe only two thirds full for what was a major performance. I counted around twenty violins/violas plus five cellos and three double basses in the orchestra. Antonella had an operatic style of voice which was a treat to listen to. She sang a collection of songs from around the world (she said). The only one I could actually name from the main set was 'Guantanamera'. The encore consisted of a couple of carols 'Adestes Fideles' and 'Silent Night' sung in Latin and German respectively. Not a lover of carols in general but they were pretty neat. The whole gig was a joy and the theatre was amazing too.

Carmina 15/12/2018

Carmina are quite fluid in their line up so the first time I saw them they were a duo, the second time a trio and this time a four-piece. The addition this time was an excellent electric piano player, Geoff Castle, who added an up-tempo jazzy keyboards to the guitars of Rob King and Paul Bradley. Front and central as before were the vocals and wind instruments (saxes, recorders etc) of Pippa Marland. There was a Christmassy bent to the gig with one French Carol ans some other nods towards this being a Christmas Concert but essentially this was a similar set to the previous gig with a number of their own compositions interspersed with a few covers. The covers this time included 'Killing the Blues' (popularised recently by Alson Krauss and Robert Plant but written by Roly Salley), 'Graceland', 'Into the Mystic' (Van Morrison) and as a final track before the encore 'Heroes'. Memorable songs were also 'Bird of Paradise', 'Landmarks'and 'Twenty Three (in the Morning)' but the whole gig was of a level and excellent. A word about the brilliant venue - Part Y Seal, a cointry house near Grosmont. A fantastic drive along deserted lanes, a beautiful secluded house, an amazing buffet, an intimate auditorium and being part of an audience of thirty or so. Just wow!

Bruce Molsky 3/12/2018

We had seen Bruce Molsky a couple of times as part of the Transatlantic Sessions shows and also a couple of times as part of a trio with Aly Bain and Alle Moller but this was a chance to see him on his own and it was a real treat. The show was in The Wardrobe Theatre which is an intimate space for about a hundred spectators and ideal for an acoustic one man show. The majority of the songs were on the fiddle which is what Bruce is best known for but I particularly loved some of the guitar songs he played. There was one based on guitar playing of Joseph Spence (Bimini Gal)' and one was by Dennis 'Little Hat' Jones (Kentucky Blues). Of the fiddle tunes, 'Forked Deer' was particularly memorable. For me the guitar and fiddle tunes overshadowed the banjo tunes but that sounds harsh as they were also great. All in all this was a beautiful and intimate gig in a great atmosphere with a musical scholar who also played with real feeling and skill.