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Acoustic Mini Festival 18 October 2008
The Great Feel Good Company Presented "ACOUSTIC HARVEST" At Chequer Mead East Grinstead De La Warr East Grinstead West Sussex RH19 3BS 18 October 2008 18.30 - 22.15
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Show Review
It was a great evening because they had a great audience. The theatre was not full but well attended, the numbers grew as the evening rolled on. Almond Greenway, guitar vocal, with Lukas Winkler, piano, and Derek Mandel, guitar and banjo, started the show. The first song, a classic, by Paul Simon 'April Come She Will' sensitively sung and accompanied by Almond and embellished with some excellent lead guitar from Derek Mandel. Almond joked about being 'The Warm Up Men', he was right, from where I was sitting the audience, at the beginning, where not sure what to expect, however, it took only a few songs for them to realise that their evening was going to turn into a fine time. Wendy Arrowsmith was next on stage, it seemed that her guitar was un-amplified, but that made little difference, she is a petit Glasgow lassie, with a good line in narrative songs. The audience greeted her straight forward approach with ease, she has the talent to be able to look the audience straight in the eye from exactly the level they look at her. I particularly enjoyed her song about a ship leaving port with streamers showring down 'hold the ribbon in your hand feel it start to strain, when the ribbon breaks my heart will do the same' I hope I have the words correct. The first half an hour passed quickly and shall I say 'normally' ? Then came what could be described as 'something completely different' Michael and Will, of the successful band 'Circulus', arrived. We could hear something was different and I am sure some thought they were in for some Morris Dancing. Michael jangled onto the stage with 'bells on his toes' well at least around the tops of his boots. They took some moments to organise their kit and the produced some 'Elizabethan I' music using a variety of ancient instruments including a Citern and a Crumhorn. Obviously enjoyed by many in the audience, but the chap sitting to my left asked me if the performance was 'Mad' - I thought enjoyably different. Michael and Will certainly are both excellent musicians with a slightly superior air about them. Then came another contrast Dave Press, a local, East Grinstead, Blues, guitarist, offered a very competent performance and was then joined by Deborah Jones, who has a very nice voice, a mix of Country, Jazz and Pop. I would say the only, small, let down from this performance was the reliance upon some, scrappy paper notes on a music stand, required, I suppose, to be a lyric prompt, a simple folder would have avoided this distraction to an excellent performance. Marianne Segal has been around 'forever', her voice is still magic to the ears, she produced her hat and pulled out a great mixture of new and old material which was accompanied by some excellent violin and vocals from Mike (sorry I did not pick up his second name) - In the second set Mike actually played 'The Chair' with some drum sticks. Marianne also had help from Michael and Will from Circulus. The triumph of Marianne's second set was an unusual children's song called 'Root People' complete with actions and original sounds. Then came Garry Jackson. Garry is a story teller who uses simple acoustic guitar playing to accompany his powerful voice. The songs he writes are clear and to the point, 'Crying Shame' and 'Mixed Up Crazy' have strong hooks and some of the audience actually sang along. The musical side was greatly enhanced by Derek Mandel's contribution on guitar. Almond Greenway lent his support in some choruses. One lady near me shed a tear during his last song 'Hardy Jackson' the story of a victim of hurricane Katrina, Hardy Jackson was clinging to the roof of his house holding on to his family, his wife told him you 'can't hold me' and she was tragically swept away by a wave. The grand finale was the entire company singing, what they claimed was an un-rehearsed version of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah'. Some of the verses were lost in the excitement and a couple of the chords went west but it was enjoyable all the same. Each of the acts did two fifteen minute spots so the show moved on with pace and variety, and even though the show was three and a half hours long, with a short break, the audience left the theatre and congregated in the foyer, seemingly not wanting to go home. It seemed to me that most, if not all, of the faces looked extremely happy and content. James Blake http://www.folkandroots.co.uk/reviews6.html#acousticminifest
E-Mail from the Audience Hello
there I
hope this email manages to find its way to Almond Greenway. We went to
the live acoustic mini festival in It
wasn’t at all what we had been expecting, but what a fabulous evening out we
had! We
were the couple with the disabled boy that Almond, so kindly came and said
hello to. At
the end of the show Almond said, if we send an email to him and the show’s
performance makes it onto CD and we’d like a copy we were to let him know. Yes,
please!! We would love to buy the CD when it is released. We
will also be keeping a lookout to see when Almond and his wonderful followers
will be playing at a venue near us. Perhaps we could even persuade him
to take some of his performers to We
had arrived a little late as it took us nearly 2 hours to get to the venue –
during the break Wendy’s “BOGOFF” very kindly opened my bottle of water
– what a lovely man and Wendy is an amazing woman with amazing vocals.
We also loved Mariannes “Root People” – and joining in with Leonard
Cohen’s Hallelujah ……. The
inter-action with the audience was superb and it didn’t seem to matter to
the artists that there wasn’t a full house, they gve of their best anyway! In
fact, everything about the gig was just wonderful. Thank
you! For a most enjoyable evening. Kind
regards Kay
and Tony and Duncan DVD Reviews
Acoustic Harvest—Various Absolutely Live—Almond Greenway
Acoustic Harvest—Various TGFGC16 DVD Acoustic Harvest (3 DVD’s) celebrate the first acoustic minifest held at Chequer Mead, East Grinstead. Forty songs all recorded before a live audience and featuring artists from the company. The best for us are ‘Circulus’ - Michael Tyack & William Summers. Dressed for the part as wandering minstrels playing cittern, flute, crumhorn and various wind instruments. Songs include ‘Grimstock’ & ‘Little Barley Corn’. Superb ! Wend Arrowsmith sings a beautiful version of ‘The Loch Tay Boat Song’. Bluesman Dave Press is very fine on ‘Preaching Blues’ and joined by Deborah Jones on ‘Say Goodbye to You’. Other performers include GARRY Jackson, Marianne Segal, Derek Mandel, and brilliant young pianist Lukas Winkler with his own composition ‘Twlight Mountain’. These DVD’s give a good insight into the minifest and the fine stable of performers at The Great Feel Good Company. Absolutely Live—Almond Greenway TGFGC15 DVD These three DVD’s are of a live recording of a concert in Switzerland featuring Almond Greenway, Lukas Winkler and the Weiermatteli Edition. The songs go from traditional ‘Galway Shawl’, ‘House of the Rising Sun’ to self penned to ’’American Pie’ , ‘Mr. Bojangles’, ‘Georgia on my Mind’, ‘King of the Road’, ‘Falsome Prison Blues’, ‘I Walk the Line’ and Dylan’s ‘Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright’. A very mixed bag that is handled well with piano, guitars, sax, flute, clarinet and harmonica. The audience on both recordings are enthusiastic and respectful of new comers who might show their nervousness. Overall, the track that stands out for us is Wendy Arrowsmith’s unaccompanied ‘She Moves Through the Fair’. Clubs and festivals should take a look and book for future guests Around Kent Folk June/July 2010 Issue 39 Kathy & Bob Drage
Michael and Will from
Circulus With a mystical optimism and a slant
to the medieval acoustic sound. They have been riding high for a while
now. They have a new album ‘The Lick on the Tip of an Envelope Yet to
be Sent’ and are regrouping Circulus just now. 2 Marianne
Segal Marianne
Segal was the Goddess of the English Folk Rock Scene her Album ‘Fly on
Strange Wings’ was a smash hit and in 2007 her new album ‘The
Gathering’ has had only praise. 3 Dave Press
if you live in the area of the Chequer Mead and you have never seen Dave Press you have missed a lot so get over to see this local boy—he is the best with the blues. 4 Wendy Arrowsmith
From Glasgow, Scotland, and now based in North Yorkshire influenced by the history and folk of both of these
places. She writes her own songs and uses Scottish and Irish traditional ones.
She won a song writing competition at the Saltburn Folk Festival. She is gigging here there and everywhere. 5 From Nashville Tennessee Garry Jackson
This Canadian singer/songwriter grew up in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. and a position 4 was at Garry Jackson with 'The Night Wind'
Almond Greenway With Lukas Winkler on Piano
Professional since ‘73, travelled to 20 countries performing in theatres, schools, radio, television and various other venues. He has nine albums available and leans towards the Simon and Garfunkel style of music. Lukas is a young man with a fantastic touch on piano. George Harrison used to play with Derek Mandel, Derek is one of the finest guitar players in the world. |
