Ryley Walker & Danny Thompson, Meg Baird - Ropery Hall 21/2/16

(This review first appeared in issue #55 of Shindig! magazine)

RYLEY WALKER & DANNY THOMPSON / MEG BAIRD

Ropery Hall, Barton-upon-Humber

SUNDAY 21^st FEBRUARY

Tonight's venue sits a stones throw from the Humber Bridge, formerly the world's longest single span suspension bridge. Inside the hall it's continental and generational gaps that are being spanned, not rivers. Despite the 50-year age difference, the Walker/Thompson pairing is for many a dream billing.

Completing tonight's constellation is Meg Baird, whose opening set holds the audience in rapt awe. A drizzly night outside, “I love the rain... don't take your water for granted” she tells the audience before a stunning version of 'Don't Weigh Down the Light', a song written during California's recent droughts. Bless the weather indeed!

Though it's Sunday evening Walker takes a Saturday-sized swig of whisky before an hour-long set of mostly new material. At 76, Danny Thompson's hard drinking days may be over but his playing is as masterful and fluid as ever, his treasured Victoria bass as majestic live as on those classic recordings. His playing proves the perfect foil for Walker's fervent freewheeling. There are familiar tracks – 'Primrose Green', a reworked 'Summer Dress' and an encore of 'On the Banks of the Old Kishwaukee', but it's the new songs that impress most; whether exploring a young man's blues on 'Sullen Mind', the dark side of bar room life on 'Roundabout', or reflecting on relationships on 'Funny Thing She Said', signs look good for that third album.

Walker is visibly thrilled to be accompanied by the legendary double bassist, with Thompson equally happy to be back out on the road. “Beats watching Flog It!” he deadpans. Amen to that!

Way To Blue: The Songs Of Nick Drake

Live tribute album from a series of legacy concerts, curated by Drake's producer Joe Boyd. Features Vashti Bunyan, Robyn Hitchcock, Danny Thompson and more!

Tribute albums are quite often hit and miss affairs. The temptation for artists to make something new of a nigh-perfect back catalogue can occasionally result in startling re-interpretations. More often than not the results can do neither the original artist or the re-interpreting one any favours. Taking too much artistic license with tempo, mood, lyrics, or covering a song ironically being the worst crimes.

Thankfully there's no such heinous sins committed here. Way To Blue (The Songs Of Nick Drake) benefits from being put together with care and taste by Drake's producer Joe Boyd. Rather than giving each artist a song and letting them get on with it, this album benefits from being a live album. It's the culmination of a series of concerts that Boyd has staged globally over the last few years, the recordings here being edited highlights from nights in Melbourne and London.

By using a core group of musicians sympathetic to the nuances and valence of Drake's songs, along with vocalists that don't copy Drake's singing, the results show just what a fine songwriter Drake was. It's previously been difficult to imagine anyone tackling this songbook with any authority, such was Drake's ability as a performer of his own material. Somehow through Boyd and his carefully chosen team of musicians they've cracked it.

With the tempos largely unchanged and arrangements by both Drake's friend and arranger Robert Kirby, and the legendary cor anglais player Kate St. John, the cream of Drake's catalogue is both respectful towards the original versions as well as highlighting new possibilities. For songs thought of as quintessentially English, the re-interpretations surprisingly lend themselves to hints of Americana. Take for instance the gospel flavour of Krystle Warren's take on Time Has Told Me. Or the sad pedal steel and harmonica embellishments on Scott Matthews' impassioned version of Place To Be.

Scritti Politti's Green Gartside delivers a poignant version of Fruit Tree. Robyn Hitchcock proves himself again to be a skillful interpreter with his softly almost psych take on Parasite. Lulac's Zoe Rendell is one of the major revelations with her icy Things Behind The Sun. Drake's contemporary Vashti Bunyan adds her distinctive hushed vocals to a baroque version of Which Will, with strings and harmonium taking the place of Drake's intricate guitar. Underpinning many of the tracks is the familiar double bass of Danny Thompson who played on Drake's original recordings. On the instrumental version of One Of These Things First, Thompson really gets to shine, cementing his reputation as one of the finest musicians this country has produced.

On a personal note it would have been delightful if this album had included a version of Northern Sky, it being my favourite Nick Drake song. But there again there's always the hope of it appearing on a volume two. Until then this will do nicely. An album that's worth your money and then some.