The Festival :: Artists & Performers

More hairdresser than barbershop, this self-explanatory ensemble first performed at Soho's exclusive Groucho Club back in mid-2000. They went on to play in venues ranging from the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London's Mardi Gras, and in their own show LIVE AT LAST at the Kings Head theatre.
In 2001 the boys were spotted by the producers of the BAFTA and Comedy Award winning FRIDAY NIGHT WITH JONATHAN ROSS and were invited to become the resident house band. With an average weekly audience of over five million, they have provided musical introductions for Jonathan and his star guests including Madonna, Paul McCartney, Paul Newman, David Bowie, Robbie Williams, and Quentin Tarrantino.
With their jaunty re-workings of show tunes, funk, punk, rap and swing 4 POOFS AND A PIANO have become a household name and, following on from the success of the 'Friday Night With Jonathan Ross’, they have been making a number of VIP appearances for such notable clients as Microsoft, JLT Solutions, Lloyds List Shipping Awards and the grand opening of Selfridges in Birmingham.
For more information follow this link

"British vibraphone virtuoso Roger Beaujolais took up the vibes in his early 30s, after spending many unprofitable years as a rock drummer. He hitched a ride to popularity on the back of the mid-1990s acid jazz movement, although in recent years he has moved into more traditional jazz territory. In Sheffield he appeared with his regular quintet for an evening of pulsating, Latin-tinged hard bop. They melded danceable clave rhythms to driving Art Blakey-style funk work-outs and a generous dose of the blues.

Beaujolais has a band of high-profile musicians, including the sublime Winston Clifford on drums and Mark Lockheart on saxophone. Stir Robin Aspland's spirited piano playing into the mix and you've got an extremely sophisticated backdrop for Beaujolais's astonishing technique. The show came in two distinct halves; shorter pieces first, then an extended jazz suite of rare depth and cohesion.

Of the shorter pieces, Jazz Syrup best encapsulated the group's approach. Boasting a cosmopolitan swagger reminiscent of a Tubby Hayes band, it ducked and dived through a variety of double and half-time passages. Beaujolais frequently used his vibes atmospherically, lacing his cohort's solos with glowing clusters and graceful little counter-phrases. But he also turned on the heat: in full flight with two mallets in each hand, he gives the world's best vibes players a run for their money. Not bad for a failed rock tub-thumper."

Guardian review from the One Eleven Club, Sheffield. Saturday July 3 2004 by James Griffiths.

Find out more about Roger >>>

So what have I done then?...Now this is an important question for you industry professionals out there.

Have I starred in a major tv series?...sadly no. Have I hosted a popular radio quiz?...er, no. Have I played the definitive Lady Macbeth?...no.

I did play 'Nurse' though in my own production of Romeo and Juliet, and I've been to drama school, but what else? Not a lot really...a few student films, a bit of fringe theatre, oh...and a few shots of my backside as a supporting artiste!

Thats it I'm afraid, so I'm not going to try and 'gloss' it all over in that familiar 'third person' style...it would sound like an indulgent Aunty, and this is my website, not my Aunties! And my show, and my house on the line to pay for it (mores the pity) so I'll keep it colloquial...just me, care assistant, writer, d.i.y diva, and wannabee actor.

But incase you're wondering if theres a point to reading on, then there is.

For more information follow this link

The noted Argentine composer has agreed to provide a musical improvisation to accompany the silent Hitchccok film, "The Lodger", which will be shown at the launch of the Leytonstone Film Club on Tuesday 8th July.

Find out more about Fabricio >>>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Molly Brown generate a warm mixture of 'Blazz and Bling' (that's blues, jazz and swing to you and I), and their love and passion for music, combined with a desire to entertain, has delivered a welcoming response from audiences around the globe, since forming in 2003. As an semi-acoustic outfit, Molly Brown is light on the ears and yet loaded with fun and will have you smiling from start to end.

For more information, and to hear clips of their music, follow this link

The avant-garde composer, Cornelius Cardew, lived in Leyton at the time of his death in 1981, when he was killed by an unknown hit and run driver. A political radical, his music reflects a series of turbulent changes of direction that saw him moving from conventionally scored orchestral works through to activities at the outer fringes of musical experimentation, and even a later phase of composing simple and instructive songs for the edification of the workers. These days Cornelius Cardew is famous around the world but little known in the borough where he once lived. The Leytonstone Festival is celebrating his connection with the area by mounting an evening of experimental music and dance that exhibits his influence. The evening will explore Cardew’s legacy. Eddie Prévost collaborated with Cardew in the ground-breaking group AMM, and he will appear here with fellow free improvisation luminary, John Butcher. Events will kick off with a set by Steve Beresford and John Bisset. Steve is another pre-eminent member of the London improvisation scene. He featured alongside Cardew and Brian Eno in Gavin Bryer’s weirdly awful Portsmouth Symphonia. John Bisset plays in variety of musical line-ups, including the London Improvisers Orchestra.

For more information follow this link

Déjà-Blue formed approximately nine years ago, and have the ability to fuse blues, jazz, swing, funk and rock to create a unique sound. The band has been fortunate enough to play across the south of the UK and further a field. It has graced the same stages as Peter Green, The Yardbirds, The Hamsters, and many more great acts. Déjà-Blue consists of the very able father and son partnership of John Kieran Snr (vocals/guitar) and John Kieran Jnr (guitar/vocals), which gives the band its very characteristic sound. Malcolm Pounds (drums) and Terry Duggan (bass) make up the driving force, producing one of the tightest rhythm sections on the Blues scene today. The band is also enhanced by one of the best harp-players around in the form of Tom McCree, giving it a very polished extra dimension.

You can find them here.

A fabulous and highly entertaining six-piece band performing an eclectic mix of party-soul-groove, New Orleans rhythm 'n' blues, and funky street-beat jazz in their own inimitable raw and earthy style.

The Fallen Heroes sound is made up of sax, trumpet, piano, drums and a big upright bass plucked by their singer Ben Martyn. While they write many of their own songs, the band include in their repertoire time honoured classics from artists like the The Rolling Stones, Dr John and Fats Domino and occasionally even something from The King creeps in.

The Fallen Heroes have performed their high energy show at international festivals, TV shows, and concert halls. With the sax player leaping from table to table, the drummer soloing on the chairs and the whole audience joining in to sing some of their favourite songs, their show guarantees a night to remember.

You can find them here.

The Brokeoffs are Holly Golightly and Lawyer Dave. They have been mapping this record out for years. And now, at last, good luck has landed them in the same place, at the same time, for just long enough to make their debut album.
'You Can't Buy A Gun When You're Crying' was lovingly recorded at Ramshackle Studios during New Year celebrations in 2007.
It is a winding, dirt track of a record. It's pitted with potholes, but they're walking it with ease.
They're enjoying stumbling along, tipping grit from their boots and soaking their sore feet in the creek.
The Lawyer and Holly proudly present their first joint offering and invite y'all to join them on their travels awhile.
'You Can't Buy A Gun When You're Crying' will be released on Damaged Goods Records (www.damagedgoods.co.uk) at the end of March 2007. The catalogue number is Damgood 283 and it's going to be on LP/CD/Download. UK: Cargo Records, Germany: Cargo Germany, USA: Hepkat, Australia: Shock.
For more information follow this link

Maud Hodson, principal cello of Hertfordshire Chamber Orchestra and a member of the Blaze Ensemble, was born in 1972 and lives in Leytonstone, east London. She studied at Manchester University, where her composition tutor was John Casken.

Maud's music has been played by children’s groups, amateur orchestras including Composers’ Orchestral Project, the London Sinfonietta, Nash Ensemble, Lindsays, Goldberg Ensemble, members of the Steve Martland Band and Sounds Positive.
Her recent arrangements include a final, third movement for Beethoven’s Eyeglass Duo for viola and cello.

Louise Jameson will also be appearing in the Rush Hour Concert with Maud, playing a baroque cello.

Find out more on her website.

One of Britain's top bluegrass bands, Monroe's Revenge has been entertaining audiences since the 1980s. Many commentators consider that the current line-up is its strongest yet.

With its typical bluegrass line-up of banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar and double bass and fine harmony singing, the band plays traditional and contemporary songs and fast-paced, virtuoso instrumentals with rootsy, edgy energy.

Their current line-up consists of Dave Plane, guitar & lead vocals; Roger Blackbourn, banjo; Joe Hymas, mandolin; Richard Partridge, fiddle; Dick Embery, double bass.

Find out more about the band and listen to clips of their music on their website.

Sing along folked-up pub rock from the very excellent, and slightly nuts, Mr Larkbey.

So, who are they? A group of friends who enjoy playing in a band together first and foremost... all of them with more years than they care to remember playing in bands!

You can also catch them at their regular monthly haunt, The Plough in Walthamstow, where they host the Tunnel Vision Thursday, on the 3rd Thursday of each month.

In between they have a random assortment of gigs around London and the South East.

Find out more about the band and listen to clips of their music on their website.

 

"Trevor Lock is superb!" - THE STAGE

"Trevor Lock gives a delightful performance, all shadow boxing with a twinkle in his doleful eyes" - TIME OUT

"Trevor Lock once again proves himself to be a wonderful story teller capable of weaving the unbelievable into a solid hour of fantasy." - EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS

"Way along the road to weird comedy… a show like no other. Trevor Lock with his own brand of self-indulgent humour makes you laugh, although the reason usually escapes you." - THE SCOTSMAN
One of the most distinctive and talented comedians on the comedy circuit, Trevor Lock has been a favourite on the London stand-up circuit and at the Edinburgh Festival where he has also co-written, performed and directed four critically acclaimed comic plays. He also finds time to co-write scripts for television, radio and theatre, as well as periodically disappearing into the jungles of South America.
A founder member and co-host, along with Dan Antopolski and Tom Fynn, of cult alternative cabaret "Kool Eddy's" which ran every Friday night on Charing Cross Road from 97-99. Although Kool Eddy's must rate as one of the most unlikely comedy venues of all time it was occasionally extremely successful and the show was taken to The Edinburgh Festival in 1998, where it played to sell-out late night audiences at The Pleasance Theatre.
In 1999 Trevor returned to Edinburgh where he featured at The Gilded Balloon Theatre in the 'Number One Show' alongside Daniel Kitson and Andrew Maxwell. The critical success of that show led to many opportunities for Trevor to broaden his experience and has since been performing stand-up whenever possible and toured throughout the UK supporting Stewart Lee of Lee & Herring.
As an actor and writer Trevor has considerable experience, having worked on a number of fringe productions in the UK and California, including the lead in Richard Herring's 'Excavating Rita' in London and at The Edinburgh Festival in 1997. Trevor has also been a regular cast member in both stage and TV versions of Lee & Herring's TMWRNJ which ran for 2 series on BBC2. He has appeared in the both series of Al Murray's SKY ONE sitcom 'Time Gentleman Please' and more recently in BBC3's 'Brain Candy'.
Trevor has been prolific in writing a number of distinctive and original comedy works at the Edinburgh Festival together with Sem Devillart. 1999's "Friday Night At The End Of The World" (Superbly comic writing - SUNDAY TIMES) was rewarded with a commission from the BBC.
"There's Something You Should Know" (Funny, moving and clever. - THE SCOTSMAN) and "All By Myself" (Strangely charming and irresistible. Utterly improbable, absolutely entertaining - THE INDEPENDENT) were Lock and Devillart's 2000 Fringe successes.

In 2001 they received five star reviews for "What You Really Want" (Fantastic. Pure comic Genius. - METRO) which played at the Pleasance Theatre before going on to have an extended run in London.

In 2003 Trevor starred in the Radio 4 adaptation of the hit Edinburgh 2000 Festival play "Something You Should Know". He continues to perform live as a comedian and actor whilst developing projects for Radio 4, TV, and film. He currently divides his time between London, Lima and California.

Discover more on his website, about his Tour Dates and by following this link

"The London Swingfonia, featuring Harry Martin, put on a great performance and went down a storm, to put it mildly! The band... rolled off Big Band swing tunes, the likes of which Frank Sinatra would be proud."

BBC Cambridge Out and About on the band's appearance at The Strawberry Fair

Every big band has its own sound and The London Swingfonia is no exception.

With its swirling saxes, punchy brass and driving rhythm section laying down just the right feel for Harry Martin's mellifluous vocals, it conjures up the world of Sinatra, Basie, Ellington, and all those who have contributed to the big band canon over the years.

Add to this mix a smattering of varied instrumentals to put the Swingfonia through its paces and you have a band that really swings!

The London Swingfonia have been together, in pretty much the original lineup for the last three years. They play music mostly from the Columbia and Capitol Sinatra years though the set can equally boast more modern pieces from bands such as The Yellowjackets.

Available for gigs from pubs to festivals, weddings to Bar Mitzvahs, the London Swingfonia guarantee you a great swinging time!

Discover more and listen to clips of their music on their website

And coming up/down from Leicester, The Midbeats.

Stunning, all out  beat rock'n'roll music, with an explosive stage presence.

These guys claim to stand for a few basic principles...real tunes, real sounds, good harmonies, and belief in a good old valve amp. Amen brothers!

Find out more about the band and listen to clips of their music on their website.

Musica Con Grazia, was founded fifteen years ago with singers from many walks of life. Their repertoire is principally drawn from secular Renaissance pieces, but they also include sacred works and music from Baroque, Romantic and contemporary times. Some of their concerts are themed (such as Carols from Central and Eastern Europe - Czech, Polish, Ukrainian etc.

For more information, and to hear clips of their music, follow this link.

Founded in January 2007 by Katherine Fellowes, The Erato Consort is a small group of experienced singers specialising in unaccompanied music of the 16th and 17th centuries.

The Erato Consort is available for a wide range of events including concerts, festivals, banquets and themed entertainment.

For more information, and to hear clips of their music, follow this link.

Based in Leytonstone, East London, the band was established in January 2002 by John Ongom to provide a friendly setting in which like-minded musicians can enjoy playing big band music.

The band repertoire consists of classic swing, soul, funk, latin and vocal numbers as performed by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee and Aretha Franklin.

The band has played at The Planet Redbridge Festival, The Chingford Festival, The Leytonstone Festival, The Wanstead Festival and regularly plays at the The White Hart pub in Whitechapel, East London, and recently they played benefits for the Royal Hospital for NeuroDisability.

Find out more about the band's activities through their website.

Born in Santiago de Cuba, violinist Omar Puente studied classical and Cuban music at the Escuela Nacional de Arte and the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana, and then played with amongst others the Nacional Symphony Orquestra de Cuba and the Cuban Boys. He has lived in England since 1997, where he has recorded with Kirsty McColl and Temple Of Sound, amongst many others, and played with the likes of Tito Puente, Jools Holland, Eddie Palmieri, and Courtney Pine. He teaches at Leeds College of Music and Trinity College of Music, London.

Find out more about Omar go to his website and also visit the Jazz Summer School site.

 

 

 

Red hot sizzlin' R&B!

The King howls like Screaming Jay Hawkins meets James Brown with Bo Diddley chasing his coat-tails!

Wild and frantic rhythm & blues with twangin' guitar!

The band is lead by King Salami, howlin' & shakin' with Kamikaze U T Vincent on bass, El Dirty Sanchez on guitar, Eric Baconstrip on drums and Doctor Stein, the spiritual guru.

Find out more about the band and listen to clips of their music on their website.

Sathnam Sanghera is a British journalist who recently published his first book, If You Don’t Know Me By Now: A Memoir of Love, Secrets and Lies in Wolverhampton (published by Viking).

When Sathnam was twenty-four years old he discovered a secret about his father that would both darken, and illuminate his life. His father had been schizophrenic for almost all his adult life and, in the early years of his marriage to Sathnam’s mother had been terrifyingly violent towards his family.

The discovery would set the author on a journey into his family’s past: from his father’s harsh life in rural Punjab, to his parents’ early years in England; from his mother’s extraordinary resilience as she brought up her young family in a foreign land, without any knowledge of its language, to the author’s happy memories of his own childhood - his obsessions with George Michael and how to have the perfect top knot. And, most affectingly of all, this discovery would finally force Sanghera’s own secret life into the glaring light: his longing for romantic love which he had, for fear of family rejection, kept utterly hidden from his beloved mother in the Midlands.

Sathnam Sanghera was born in 1976. He is an award-winning journalist who, until recently, was chief feature writer at The Financial Times. He now works for The Times and lives in London.

Find out more through his website.

The Serenata Clarinet Quartet was formed in January 2005 and named after a favourite piece of clarinet music – Ernesto Cavallini's "Serenata".

Performances to date include the Recital Room in the Orangery at Trent Park, Middlesex University, and the London Chamber Group Contemporary Music Party, The George Inn, London.

The Quartet is gradually building up an extensive repertoire library of music specifically composed for clarinet quartets.

Find out more through their website.

Baluji is undoubtedly one of the greatest musicians to come out of India. In 2007 he released his third international album followed by a successful national tour.

His achievements are all the more incredible because he has been blind since birth and hails from a very humble background in rural India. Fortunately his talents, spotted at blind school, were encouraged, and he has excelled ever since, playing at spaces such as London‘s South Bank and the London Mela. Baluji is an unusual musician in that not only does he play beautiful and moving Indian Classical Music but his sitar can be heard on many other popular recordings.

He was recently on British TV in the Abbey Road Sessions, and has recorded with artists such as Oasis, The Kaiser Chiefs, Andy Sheppard, Massive Attack, Jah Wobble, and Kylie Minogue.

For his performance at the Leytonstone Festival, he is teaming up with local tabla player Nafees Irfan.

For more information, and to hear clips of his music, go to his website.

One of the UK's best and hardest working bluegrass bands. Formed by Belfast born five-string banjo player Pat McGarvey and taking their name from the ground breaking multi-racial union of sharecroppers and non-landowning tenant farmers founded in Arkansas in the 1930's, the Southern Tenant Folk Union are an explosive new London based folk and bluegrass outfit.
Writing and performing their own unique brand of Old-Time, Bluegrass, Gospel and Celtic Folk, Southern Tenant Folk Union appropriate the themes, ideas and metaphors from traditional folk songs and 20th century Americana music to document and reflect modern life through styles popularised by musicians such as The Carter Family, The Stanley Brothers and even Dillard & Clark.
Pat McGarvey served his musical apprenticeship touring the world and recording a number of albums with UK/US Americana band The Coal Porters. That grounding plus countless other collaborations with key Americana acts including Peter Case, The Arlenes, Tandy, Amy Rigby, Ian Dunlop (of Gram Parsons' International Submarine Band), Rosie Flores, Jason McNiff & Bob Neuwirth gave him the real experience needed to fuse together the band’s American folk sound and British roots with his own Celtic heritage.
Keen to find a more personal outlet for his writing, in early 2006, McGarvey gathered a collective of like minded musicians that share his love of traditional music, but each with their own individual take on such tradition; Oliver Talkes (guitar), who' unique, soulful voice is at the heart of the STFU sound. Pete Gow (guitar), from the Alt. Country band Case Hardin who has performed with the likes of Chris Mills, Stacey Earle and Caitlin Cary. Frances Vaux (Fiddle) with her background in jazz and Irish Folk and anchored by stalwarts of the London folk scene Eamonn Flynn (mandolin) and Matt Lloyd (upright bass).
Once up and running, Southern Tenant Folk Union released their debut album of original material in January 2007 to acclaim, positive reviews and national radio play. The rest of the year saw them playing festivals, arts centres and clubs around the UK and Ireland and only a little more than twelve months after the self-titled LP a follow-up was released. 'Revivals, Rituals & Union Songs' – a step forward for them with its strong, confident tone and the darkly reflective yet heart-warming nature of the eleven brand new songs presented. With positive reviews coming in and even more well deserved nationwide recognition (including a live session for BBC Radio 2's Mark Lamarr) the band are set to finish their extensive UK & European tour and go back to studio at the end of 2008 to work on new material.
'Roots music that knows few boundaries' - The List
'This music is easy to love' - The Word
'A delicate, bruised collection of bluegrass, country & gospel' - Uncut
'The smoothest, bluegrass tinged, measured acoustic country singing and playing you could wish for this side of the Atlantic' - Maverick
'A compelling mix of bluegrass, gospel, old time and celtic swing that is memorably embellished with warm and richly woven harmonies' - Irish Times

Find out more about the band and listen to clips of their music on their website. Also check out their incredible second album, 'Revivals, Rituals & Union Songs'.

The Ugly Guys are legendary Kursaal Flyers Paul Shuttleworth and Vic Collins on lead vocals and pedal steel, who first played together back in 1969 in Cow Pie, a band inspired by the country flavoured rock music coming out of California at the time from the likes of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers. They are joined by former Jerry The Ferret guitarist Steve Oliver and Bob Clouter, Mickey Jupps' original Orioles and Legend drummer. The line up is completed by Andy Farrell on bass. Andy has been in band's such as the Hampsters and Eddie & the Blizzards. The band name comes from a Kursaal Flyers song: 'The pretty faces came and went....but the Ugly Guys played on and on and on....'.

If you like Cosmic American Music-the Byrds, the Band, the Eagles these are the guys for you.

Find out more about the band and listen to clips of their music on their website.

'Pilgrim State is an extraordinary memoir that may become a word-of-mouth hit in the same way as Andrea Ashworth's Once in a House on Fire or Lorna Sage's Bad Blood.'

Kate Bradley in the Bookseller

 

Jacqueline Walker arrived in Britain in 1959. She has been a teacher, a mother of three, taught creative writing as well has having completed two Arvon writing courses. Pilgrim State (published by Sceptre) is her first book.

Dorothy's story opens in 1951 at the Pilgrim State mental facility in New York State. She has come to New York from Jamaica to study medicine but she has been forcibly sectioned and is battling to keep her children and her sanity. She will struggle with both all her life. Dorothy and her children return to Jamaica before finally making a home in London in the early 60s. After the vibrancy of Harlem and the warmth of Jamaica, London appears grey and unwelcoming. Here they face prejudice, poverty and separation but they make the city their home, a place where their love and ability to find hope and joy even in the most desperate circumstances can finally take root.

Pilgrim State celebrates place, the life-affirming nature of family and the bonds between mothers and daughters that can never be broken. Haunting, powerful and beautifully written, Dorothy's story resonates long after the final page.

Find out more through her website.

Walking Wounded are a 5 piece band from East London playing a wide variety of original material from Rock to Arabic, Reggae to Balkan, Celtic to Ska and more…!

They feature accordion, guitar, harmonica, bass, percussion and harmony vocals.

Don't be fooled – despite their eclecticism the Wounded retain their distinctive sound that makes them instantly recognisable and the band rock with an energy that many an electric band would envy.

The band were one of the winners of the 2004 Glastonbury unsigned bands competition and one of The Guardian's 'Best of the rest' at Glastonbury 2004. Celebratory & impossible to resist!

Find out more about the band and listen to clips of their music on their website.

Back in the mid '70s, Georgia native Larry Jon Wilson was considered by many to be a bona fide member of the country music "Outlaw" movement – alongside Waylon, Willie, and David Allan Coe.

Ever the outsider of Nashville's music scene, Larry Jon Wilson was a seventies contemporary of Kris Kristofferson, toured with Townes Van Zandt and released a handful of albums before his career was curtailed by his refusal to compromise his approach or beliefs.

Agreeing, finally, to record another LP on his own terms "I'll do it, but I gotta do it with no sticks, and no plugs" this is one man and his guitar with the tape left running, you can even occasionally hear the engineers making comments or Larry Jon murmuring his approval of the take, but when you have a talent like Wilson's, no help is needed.

If Johnny Cash raised the bar for country music with his American Recordings and Willie Nelson held it high with Songbird, Larry Jon Wilson is certainly within reach, his weary baritone plucking at the heartstrings on his own tunes and taking 'Heartland' well known as a Willie Nelson or, more often, Bob Dylan tune and making it completely his own.

The emotion on show here leaves Wilson stripped to the bone. If you thought Neil Diamond's recent album was interesting, you'll soon realise Larry Jon is fascinating.

There won't be a better album of this type released this year, indeed probably not for a few years yet!

Review -Independent:

Album: Larry Jon Wilson, Larry Jon Wilson (1965)

(Rated 4/ 5 ) Reviewed by Andy Gill; Friday, 13 June 2008

An associate of the country outlaw generation that included Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, Larry Jon Wilson's burly baritone burr brought tableaux like 'Ohoopee River Bottomland' and 'Sheldon Church Yard' to vivid life, but his refusal to compromise curtailed his Seventies career after just a few albums.
He even harboured reluctance about this comeback album, which he insisted on doing 'with no sticks and no plugs'. Trimmed to little more than his voice and guitar, the results are as gripping as the late Johnny Cash recordings, full of languid ruminations on the past and bitter existential reflections like 'Where From' ('A world you never asked for holds you hostage till you're 21', etc).
His candid attitude can be gleaned from the fact that, while Elvis does an 'American Trilogy', Wilson here does a 'Losers Trilogy' and a 'Whore Trilogy', the latter incorporating poignant renditions of Paul Siebel's 'Louise' and Mickey Newbury's 'San Francisco Mabel Joy'. There's also a version of the Bob Dylan/Willie Nelson 'Heartland', its account of disillusion withering hope perfectly suited to Wilson's world-weary tones.

Find out more about Larry Jon Wilson by following this link.