E-Newsletter 257

 Hello everyone

 Time for another Newsletter with details of what we have coming along this Spring, this Summer and into the Autumn.

You should receive this Newsletter just in time to get a ticket to see CHRIS WHILE and JOHNNY HEYES our next guests at the club this Thursday May 11. This is one we are all really looking forward to. Chris’s astonishing voice accompanied by Johnny’s outstanding guitar playing. Many will know Chris because of her association with singer-songwriter JULIE MATTHEWS. Here she’s embarked on a new project accompanied by JOHNNY HEYES who throughout his career has provided some astounding guitar backing in sessions with many renowned performers including MICA PARIS, TITO JACKSON and of course WHILE & MATTHEWS. There are only a few dates on this tour and we are lucky to get one of them.

The following Thursday May 18 we have another new collaboration between two outstanding musicians and performers who’ve both visited the club before in a solo capacity. Here we combine guitar wizardry and banjo wizardry with BROOKS WILLIAMS and DAN WALSH. Another evening we’re really looking forward to.

Hull native (championed by the late MIKE CHAPMAN) and singer-songwriter KATIE SPENCER will be in concert at The Crescent Club on Sunday May 21. We’ll be treated to Katie’s excellent guitar technique and her strong original material. Support will be from another singer-songwriter who’s locally based MARNIE GLUM.

And the next day yet another fascinating collaboration. We present a combination of singers and songwriters who’ve all appeared at the Black Swan Folk Club in a solo capacity. 

BOB FOX, JEZ LOWE and JULIE MATTHEWS bring their show ‘In the Footsteps of Ewan MacColl’ to the Crescent Club on Monday May 22.

This will consist of classic songs written by Ewan MacColl for the legendary Radio Ballads first broadcast in the 1950s plus songs written by the performers themselves for the more recent BBC Radio Ballads series broadcast on Radio 2.

There’ll be Open Mic evenings on Thurs May 25 and Thurs June 1^st before we begin our annual ROLAND WALL’S CITY of YORK FOLK WEEKEND at The Black Swan on June 2, 3 and 4.

The weekend kicks off with a concert from TOM BLISS and the Burning Bridges in aid of MS and MND charities on Fri night (June 2) and is followed by a weekend featuring numerous local folk artists in band, solo and duo formats performing inside the pub and on stage outside in the car park.

The line-up will include Two Black Sheep, The Duncan McFarlane Band, Graham Hodge, Chechelele, The Barbarellas, Blonde on Bob, Clurachan, Union Jill, The Bounty Hunters, Soundsphere, Leather’O, White Sail, Edwina Hayes and many many more. The timings for all the artists and complete programme will be available from The Black Swan Folk Club website very soon. 

Once the Folk Weekend has subsided we have:-

SPIERS and BODEN in concert at The Crescent Club YORK on Wed June 7. Another Crescent Club concert presented in conjunction with our friends Please Please You. Jon Spiers and Jon Boden both leading lights in the band Bellowhead are two folk artists who need very little introduction.

And here are The Black Swan Folk Club dates, guest and Open Mic nights taking us into September. These are of course all on Thursday nights,

JUNE 8-LOUISE ROGAN a wonderful new young Scottish vocalist who many will have seen when she guested at the recent McCusker, McGoldrick, Doyle concert.

JUNE 15-EAMON FOGARTY First time in and on tour from the USA this new young singer-songwriter will bring a breath of fresh air to the guest list. His songs are innovative and original backed up by skilful use of modern techniques for accompaniment.

JUNE 22-DONNELLY & SOUTH We’ve seen Keith Donnelly at the club before when he came with long-time favourite Flossie Malavialle. He’s an extremely entertaining performer and this time he’s joined by his new singing partner Lauren South.   

JUNE 29-SOUNDSPHERE local all-women vocal trio featuring Sarah Dean, Paula Ryan and Judith Simpson launch their new album. A top night is in store with some wonderful vocals from the band premiering their new material.

JULY 6-OPEN MIC as always everyone is welcome to sing a few songs or play a few tunes. Starts 8pm, finishes 11pm approx. everyone gets a couple of songs apiece and we go round again if there’s time.

JULY 13-LEATHER’O-Locally based band who have some fine renditions of traditional tunes and songs in their repertoire. They’ve given us some great performances at The Winter Folk Day and Folk Weekend in the past and here they get their own club guest spot.

JULY 20-NIGEL WEARNE En route to the Cambridge Folk Festival an Australian blues-based singer-songwriter with a high energy guitar technique and a bagful of strong original songs. ‘….poet, luthier & gleaner. "Warmth flecked with grit... beauty awaits" 4 Stars - Rolling Stone.

JULY 27-JACK RUTTER  A return to the club for Jack who has established himself as one of the standout voices of the folk scene. His soaring vocal, powerhouse guitar and bouzouki playing, plus masterful arrangements of traditional songs and covers make for a great evening of folk song.

AUG 3 and AUG 10-Two OPEN MIC nights one after the other.

AUG 17-MARTYN WYNDHAM READ One of the folk scene’s long time performers Martyn is a collector and singer of Australian folk song. He is one of the oldest friends of The Black Swan Folk Club and he returns to us once again.

AUG 24-STEVE TURNER It’s been a few years since Steve has played for us at The Black Swan but we’re pleased to welcome him back. He is known as a pioneer of highly sophisticated English concertina song accompaniments, stretching the boundaries of traditional forms, with one of the best voices in the business. A multi-instrumentalist, who also accompanies himself on the cittern, mandolin, fiddle and tenor banjo.

AUG 31-JON PALMER BAND Another locally based talent Jon hails from nearby West Yorkshire and comes to guest for us once again with a fine selection of original songs and his high energy acoustic band.

SEPT 7-VIKKI CLAYTON A powerful vocalist, guitarist, singer and songwriter, Vikki is New Zealand based so we don’t get a chance to see her at the club very often. A UK tour beckons so we stepped up to give her a date immediately.

And then back to THE CRESCENT CLUB for a fantastic concert.

TUES SEPT 12-DAPHNE’S FLIGHT (the fantastic 5-piece band featuring MELANIE HARROLD, JULIE MATTHEWS, MIRANDA SYKES, HELEN WATSON and CHRIS WHILE).

First time to YORK for this ground-breaking ensemble who contain five top rate vocalists, instrumentalists and songwriters in their number.

Ticket links and availability for all the above can be found by going to the Black Swan Folk Club website:-www.blackswanfolkclub.org.uk where you’ll also find details of gigs we have lined up for later in the year.

Also watch our Facebook and Twitter pages for updates.

Other folkie events taking place locally are:-

Ripon Wilfrid’s Folk Club who meet at St Wifrid’s Community Centre in Ripon have a Singers and Musicians night on Fri May 12 and a guest night with The Jon Palmer Band on Friday May 26.

And the newly opened Wetherby Folk Club held at Wetherby RUFC, Grange Park, Wetherby LS22 5NB have a concert night in aid of Ukraine, WE STAND WITH UKRAINE’ on Fri 12 May guests are STRAW MEN, CHRIS MANNERS, JAMES MITCHELL and ALISTAIR RUSSELL.

And in York every week you’ll find there’s a tune session on Tues evening from 8pm onwards at The Maltings, Tanner’s Moat.

As always we’re looking forward to seeing you soon.