Photo by Helen Gadd of Mad Spaniel Photography
CD Review
PETE BERRYMAN Distant Shore Zefredot ZFTCD03
Pete Berryman is a guitarist, composer and singer-songwriter who has amassed a considerable reputation amongst both fellow musicians and music connoisseurs, while often eschewing the limelight himself. Since arriving on the acoustic music scene in the late 1960s with The Famous Jug Band, he’s recorded with John James, Ralph McTell, Wizz Jones and Al Stewart, and toured with the likes of Julie Felix, Lol Coxhill and Bridget St John.
This latest release includes two of Berryman’s signature, place-specific instrumental pieces in Ring Of Beara and Pentyr. A fine version of the latter previously appeared on 2010’s The Ghosts Of May album, but this new recording featuring the outstanding bass playing of Ben Hazleton is utterly gorgeous. Violinist Mike Piggott (whose previous credits include working with Ralph McTell, Bert Jansch, Duck Baker and err, Jim Davidson) makes several significant contributions - none more so than his solo on Amare. That song’s Bossa Nova rhythm and the lovely, waltz-time Trip Lightly showcase Berryman’s versatility as a composer, whilst the cinematic lyricism of When The Moon Shines On The Water , the heartfelt simplicity of When The Old Man Played The Guitar, and the woozy daydream that is The Mermaid Of Hampstead Heath reveal his gift for storytelling.
Holiday and Living On An Island (thankfully not covers of the Madonna and Status Quo songs of the same names!) feature the wonderful duet vocals of Anne Sumner. Pete Berryman is one of those dedicated artists who always seem to be developing and refining their craft. His guitar playing has been garnering accolades for decades but this album’s biggest surprise is the strength of his singing. That the album concludes with the spoken-word Seven Tractors is, perhaps, indicative of a new-found confidence in the quality of his own voice.
Pete’s old pal Wizz Jones chips in with some very welcome trademark guitar on an album of melodic and timeless acoustic music for grown-ups.
Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?
Photo by Elly LucasWhen fRoots magazine ceased publication after forty years in July this year, it marked the end of an era for its readers. For its Editor and Publisher Ian Anderson it was the beginning of a process of voluntary insolvency which now sees him faced with considerable personal debt. To “Help Ian A. recover after fRoots", a GoFundMe campaign has been started at the behest of Ian’s many friends and supporters within the folk scene - as Ian himself explains…
“You’re probably reading this because you were a fan of fRoots magazine: maybe your life was improved by it in some way. You’ll have heard that the company publishing it was finally forced to close down this past summer. My final hurdle is to keep the bank at bay – hence this fundraiser.
I have been persuaded by many of our supporters to create this GoFundMe campaign – not to help me gain personally, but so that the fRoots story can finish without much further cost to me.
The closure of fRoots was the end of a huge contribution to and catalyst for the folk, roots and world music community over the past 40 years. Founded by myself and a small group of friends in 1979 and edited by me throughout, I began looking towards retirement about a decade ago, but continued because I wanted and needed to explore every avenue to place the magazine into good hands beyond my tenure. Sadly, it was not to be.
The years since the beginning of this century have been challenging for all publishers, especially independent specialist ones. Technological changes, international events and the economic environment all conspired against the hard working team behind fRoots. But we kept going because, as many people told us, we were unique and invaluable for publicising and encouraging artists, events, new music, audiences, diversity and much more – a platform for musics which get very little other mainstream media support.
When all possible avenues for locating funding or potential buyers were eventually exhausted, the publishing company was finally forced to file for insolvency. However, even though the company owes me nearly £90K which I invested over the years and which I have absolutely no likelihood of ever recouping, I still remain personally liable for the company’s bank overdraft which I guaranteed back around 1990 and stands at £30K.
Anyone who has tried to make a living out of music – in whatever capacity – knows how rare it is to get to retirement age with any savings in place and at 72 I’m no exception. If this fundraiser succeeds, the fRoots story can be closed fairly, without much further cost to me. Then its legacy for everyone who has ever been involved with it and worked so hard on it over the past 40 years can also survive honourably.”
Help Ian A. recover after fRoots here! https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-ian-a-recover-after-froots?fbclid=IwAR2KmdUGju91_HqkjC9Z0i9N7DkcaHGYnq_EonBSAXWD5kAkzy41IH-5Fc0