Just over half way through 2009 and time is galloping by in an alarming but very exciting fashion. I'm feeling very luck and very happy about the music I'm playing and the people I'm playing it with! The new CD, "True Stories" is about to be released and I've been rehearsing for the launch at Cambridge Folk Festival at the end of the month. the band is melodeon maestro, Andy Cutting, Andy Seward who in addition to being a great bass player has become co-producer and right hand man. Keith Angel, an extraordinarily gifted drummer and percussionist and the ever astonishing Jon Boden, who will be playing fiddle and singing back-up vocals ... BJ Cole the legendary and rightly much admired pedal steel player, will be the icing on the cake.
Prior to Cambridge I'll be doing 2 nights launch at The Green Note in Camden Town, London. Sun 19th and Mon 20th July, where due to the intimate nature of the venue I'll be joined only by the two Andys. 'Only' is hardly a put-down - we did 14 gigs as a trio in May and June which were some of the best and most enjoyable gigs of my career.
Other recent highlights include a dup gig with Danny Thompson at the Goldmark Gallery in Uppingham - it's a real joy and a privilege to work with Danny, who is at 70, a consummate player and a lovely, funny and wise man.
More recently still I spent a day in the studio working with Eliza Carthy and Ollie Knight on the forthcoming Liza and Norma album. I got to play banjo all day on 3 totally different styles, whilst listening to great singing and fiddle playing. As I remakred, I'm a lucky man.
All forthcoming gigs should now be listed on my website www.martinsimpson.com and soon on MySpace (if not already?!), and I'm looking forward to every one of them.
September 17th at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, with all the band, plus the great Nigel Eaton on hurdy gurdy, will be a highlight, and on December 19th at The Crucible Theatre with Roy Bailey and Donald Grant's string arrangements, will be a great experience.
I'll try and keep these communications more regular now I've started.
Lastly my apologies to the readers of the UK publication "Acoustic" for whom I shall no longer be writing.