What's New at Fledgling Records

What's New at Fledgling Records A previously unrecorded suite of compositions by JOHN WARREN Recorded live by the JOHN SURMAN led BRASS PROJECT Dear Keith Welcome to the latest newsletter from our colleagues at Fledg'ling Records. We are very proud to release a wonderful album of new music by John Warren. In the early 1980s John Surman and John Warren realized a long-held ambition and formed the Brass Project. The ensemble was conceived as a brass led group focusing on new compositions from Surman and Warren. The large group ‘had to survive without grant or subsidy' yet released a mesmerizing and critically acclaimed album for the ECM label and toured extensively on the European jazz circuit. Surman and Warren had first collaborated on the masterly 1971 Tales of the Algonquin suite, and saw the Brass Project as a further exploration of ideas they had begun to explore more than ten years earlier.   The 11-piece Brass Project captured live on this previously unreleased recording from June 1993 features - John Surman saxophones, alto and bass clarinets, Stephen Waterman, Guy Barker, Steve Sidwell trumpets, Pete Beachill, Malcolm Griffiths trombones, Richard Edwards, Kenny Hamilton bass trombones, Chris Laurence bass, John Marshall drums, percussion and John Warren conductor, This hitherto ‘lost’ The Traveller’s Tale recording captures a sumptuous suite of compositions inspired by stories of the early life of John Warren’s grandfather. The piece is not programmatic but loosely traces episodes in his adventurous life, allowing for some glorious ensemble and solo playing. Read the 4 star review in The Guardian here: The Traveller's Tale  Warren’s composition...“stands comparison with the music of Gil Evans or Maria Schneider.” FLED 3103  JOHN WARREN, JOHN SURMAN & The BRASS PROJECT ~ The Traveller's Tale The Traveller's Tale follows Fledg'ling's highly acclaimed JOHN SURMAN re-issues:   FLED 3093  JOHN SURMAN ~ Westering Home FLED 3101  JOHN SURMAN ~ Morning Glory An incredible fifty years ago, back in 1967, Dorris Henderson and John Renbourn released their magical Watch The Stars album. If you don't have a copy now might be just the time to investigate this wondrous collection. FLED 3055  DORRIS HENDERSON & JOHN RENBOURN ~ Watch The Stars Last September we helped to organise a day long tribute to John Renbourn at Cecil Sharp House. John's wife Judy produced a pair of greetings cards based on her drawings of John from 1970. We have a limited quantity of cards for sale by mail order at £5 per set:   JOHN RENBOURN greetings cards Here at Fledg'ling we are busy working on several new projects for release during 2017 - our 23rd year of idiosyncratic releases. More news in the coming months. In the meantime here's a sneak preview of a forthcoming album: Daphne's Flight - Christine Collister, Melanie Harrold, Julie Matthews, Helen Watson and Chris While - have re-united to record their second album twenty years after their debut. Knows Time, Knows Change will be released early in May when Daphne will begin an extensive UK tour. www.fledglingrecords.co.uk All best wishes from Fledg'ling for the year ahead.

Lots of news from Topic Records

the sun he is a-drawing to the west, to the west After a summer full of festivals in the sun, Topic looks forward to more great music, recorded and live, along with some very special offers from our back-catalogue. MARTIN SIMPSON ~ Photo by Sandy McGhie After a very busy summer touring solo and with Dom Flemons (The American Songster), Martin Simpson already has a pretty full touring schedule planned, beginning in September with the following dates: Friday 16th September – GUILDFORD – The Electric Theatre Saturday 17th September – SUDBURY – Quay Theatre Friday 23rd September – ST HELENS – The Citadel Arts Centre Saturday 24th September – KIRKGATE, Cockermouth – The Kirkgate Centre Sunday 25th September – LANGHOLM, Dumfriesshire – The Buccleuch Centre Monday 26th September – EDINBURGH – Traverse Theatre Friday 30th September – HEBDEN BRIDGE – Wadsworth Community Centre Also, as part of Nancy Kerr’s ‘Words and Music’ events at Kings Place, on Friday 2nd December, SimpsonŸCuttingŸKerr join forces with author Rob Cowen, exploring different ways of writing about nature and wildlife: Words & Music at King's Place  Our monthly special offers are a great way of filling the gaps in your music collection, or to give as splendid gifts for friends. Topic’s special offers for September are seven classic albums by Martin Simpson at the very special price of only £6 each:           SIMPCD001   BOOTLEG USA TSCD 513   THE BRAMBLE BRIAR TSCD 540   RIGHTEOUSNESS & HUMIDITY TSCD 567   PRODIGAL SON TSCD 578   TRUE STORIES TSCD 584   PURPOSE & GRACE TSCD 589   VAGRANT STANZAS Eliza Carthy & The Wayward Band have been playing stunning live sets at festivals during the summer months, and have a fabulous new album ‘Big Machine’, coming soon. Eliza appears with dad Martin Carthy and The Gift Band at the Lyme Regis Folk Weekend on Sunday 11th September, then has the following Wayward Band dates booked: Thursday 3rd November – BURY ST EDMUNDS – The Apex Friday 4th November – HASTINGS – St Mary in the Castle Saturday 5th November – LONDON – Islington Assembly Hall Sunday 6th November – WARWICK – Arts Centre Friday 11th November – SALISBURY – City Hall Saturday 12th November – MANCHESTER – Royal Northern College of Music Sunday 13th November – SCUNTHORPE – Baths Hall Saturday 26th November – BASINGSTOKE – Anvil Arts Sunday 27th November – NOTTINGHAM – Glee Club “…of course, we already know the band is great. So what follows may not be a surprise – but it is completely thrilling… with Carthy dancing about at the centre of a joyful musical whirlwind, thrilling in the moment."  folkwitness.co.uk Eliza’s finest work so far is showcased on the Topic double CD set Wayward Daughter, available throughout September at the very special price of only £9.00! TSCD772D  ELIZA CARTHY ~ WAYWARD DAUGHTER   Finale : an evening with PENTANGLE Pentangle at the Royal Festival Hall June 2008 ~ photograph by Chris Bates In 2007 the original five members of PENTANGLE - Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Jacqui McShee, Danny Thompson & Terry Cox - reconvened to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from Sir David Attenborough at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. In 2008 they began a UK tour at the Royal Festival Hall, exactly 40 years to the day since they recorded their classic 'Sweet Child' at the venue. Emotions and memories ran high in the packed house. The evening was a musical triumph, as were the subsequent dates. Topic is very proud to be releasing Pentangle’s final live recordings on 7th October on  ‘Finale’, a double CD set with some of their classic material, beautifully played and recorded, a fine testament to the majesty of a mercurial band, whose substantial individual talents came together to create magic in their music.    The Guitar Player and The American Songster Our very good friends at Fledg’ling Records also have a very exciting release on CD, DL and vinyl LP due on 7th October, Ever Popular Favourites by Martin Simpson and Dom Flemons, a collection of recordings made out on the road, capturing the infectious joy of a shared transatlantic musical heritage. Seasons of Song      The passing of the seasons feature prominently in the canon of songs sung by The Copper Family of Rottingdean, and Topic has two beautiful books available with the words and music to many of these songs included, plus a superb memoir of his life by Bob Copper, ‘A Man of No Consequence’ Now since we have brought this so cheerfully round We will send for the ploughman who ploughs up and down. See the boy with his whip and the man to his plough Here's a health to the jolly ploughman who ploughs up the ground.