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THE WATERSON FAMILY


Live At Hull Truck JayJay/Beautiful North BNDVD002


Given that this DVD centres on almost the last time Mike Waterson appeared on stage and that I’m writing this in the immediate after- math of his death, it’s impossible to make too many considered judgements. As was often the way at the recent smattering of Waterson Family gatherings, Mike steals the show at the family’s 2010 homecoming show in Hull which serves as the centrepiece of this lovingly pre- sented DVD. Wearing trademark flat cap and pint securely in hand, he looks painfully frail and his voice is strained and stretching for notes but, as he launches unblinkingly into anecdote mode, blazing away about corpora- tions and people losing their jobs to machines as a prelude to his barbed ditty on the subject, Tea’s Made, it’s clear that incorrigible magic is still very much intact.


Even without the additional subsequent poignancy of Mike’s recent death and Norma’s critical illness, the concert – featur- ing a full-blooded 11-piece vocal line-up – is emotional enough in its own right without all that, especially when Marry Waterson and Oliver Knight step forward to deliver the ulti- mate evocation of their late mother Lal on Fine Horseman. There’s Norma’s Jerry Garcia moment on Black Muddy River, a sublime close-harmony General Wolfe from Eliza Carthy and her cousins Eleanor and Rachel Waterson and plenty of chances for the fami- ly to exercise those characteristic bountiful choruses on old favourites like White Cock- ade and The Good Old Way.


Lots of banter between them with the action interspersed with interviews with Mike, Norma, Eliza and Martin Carthy putting it all into context with colourful titbits of his- tory, opinion, gossip and memories. Enjoy its sad beauty with several boxes of Kleenex close to hand.


Colin Irwin STEFAN GROSSMAN


The Guitar Artistry Of Stefan Grossman Vestapol 13122


CHRIS PROCTOR


Morning Thunder: The Guitar Artistry Of Chris Proctor Vestapol 13126


Hot dog! In the midst of his splendid series of DVDs, Stefan Grossman finally gets around to himself – and what a treat it is. With older video clips interspersed with Grossman talk- ing about his life as a guitar player and teach- er, two and a half hours just flies by and you know long before the end that you’ve been watching a master. Grossman begins with his lessons from Rev Gary Davis and moves onto sidesteps such as the Even Dozen Jug Band (an entrancing clip here – spot the future luminaries!) and the Fugs (sadly no footage) before his move to the UK and then Italy, dur- ing which time he became one of the best- known players and teachers. Many of the favourites are there: Satisfied And Tickled


Them Watersons


Too, Dallas Rag, Special Rider Blues, all fea- turing the trademark tight-yet-easy playing and laid-back vocals. A fine Danish Drone sees Grossman duetting with Duck Baker, and then it’s time for the 15-year collaboration with John Renbourn that so many know Grossman by – Looper’s Corner and a couple of Mingus arrangements, each generously giving pride of place to Renbourn’s extraordi- nary lead work, while a 1980s original, Blues For The Mann, brings it all home. Grossman is disarming and eloquent throughout, whether it’s talking about how he set up his guitar lessons tapes to give his invalid father something to do, or how his teaching aims have changed over the years. Dare I use the word ‘essential’?


One of the tunes Grossman plays here is The Assassination Of John Fahey, in response to his friend’s earlier The Assassination Of Stephan [sic] Grossman; a later Fahey tune was charmingly titled On The Death And Dis- embowelment Of The New Age, and I’m afraid I couldn’t help thinking of this through- out the Chris Proctor DVD. For the blurb on the back of the case puts Proctor firmly into the ‘new age’ or ‘new world’ guitar category, and the hackles start rising like your classic lycanthrope when these phrases come up, as they usually mean an immaculately played and produced whole heap of emptiness. Zilch. Let’s be fair, though: Proctor has technique to die for, he uses innovative techniques like tap- ping and harmonics, he gets great noises out of an eBow and plugs his Taylor CP Signature guitars into all kinds of gizmos, he’s articulate, he brings in jazz, pan-Celtic, blues and classi- cal references, he uses partial capos that only clamp certain strings, not all – and I can’t remember a single tune the moment he’s fin- ished, in some cases while he’s still playing. He refers to one of his early 12-string pieces as ‘neo-Leo’, as in Kottke, and that sums up the DVD: it’s all a bit ‘neo’.


www.guitarvideos.com Ian Kearey VIN GARBUTT


Vin Garbutt: Teesside Troubadour (Dir) Craig Hornby Pancrack Pictures PAN4DVD


Vin is universally recognised as a legend in his own lifetime, a genuinely unique enter- tainer within a folk scene which has its fair share of ‘characters’. This new DVD, made by Craig Hornby, casts the spotlight gently but firmly on the man and his music, basically


taking the form of a definitive documentary. The main feature details Vin’s special quali- ties: passionate songwriting and singing allied to the wit of a genuine raconteur and a candid and philosophical look at life – ably mirroring his stage act, where humanity and hilarity ride in tandem (even though one or the other may sometimes threaten to fall off!). The film naturally furnishes us with all the necessary biographical exposition as well as expounding many of the stories behind the songs (effectively told with the help of a generous amount of rare archive material to give due perspective).


Craig’s unashamedly affectionate por-


trait of Vin is no gushing PR job, but a proud, honest and loving – and accurate – portrayal of the very essence of the man. Vin’s is an impressive achievement: to have become an institution in the folk world, without the help of a major label deal or massive media profile but by dint of sheer hard work, exhaustive touring and of course, real talent. Vin does what he does by doing what he does (as one interviewee puts it so succinctly), and brief soundbites from the likes of Martin Carthy, Jez Lowe and Ralph McTell leave us in no doubt as to how highly Vin’s regarded by his fellow performers.


Although Vin is best known for perform- ing his own songs and those of his contempo- raries, the film also contains salutary reminders of his great aptitude for interpret- ing traditional song – and revelling in (seem- ingly effortlessly) playing whistle tunes at every opportunity! Craig has unearthed much invaluable club footage for us to savour, including a storming 1980 rendition of Ron Angel’s Chemical Worker’s Song, while among the most treasurable reminiscence sequences we encounter songwriter (and ex- Teesside-Fettler) Graeme Miles and old mates Mick Sheehan and Pete Betts, and we’re also introduced to members of Vin’s family.


The whole film flows entirely naturally. The technical quality is first-class and the edit- ing exemplary. The supporting programme comprises 75 minutes of ‘extras’, including a glorious hour’s-worth of concert footage and a revealing auteur-style interview with Craig. All of which adds up to an indispensable por- trait of a folk icon whose total artistic and personal integrity, and irrepressible sheer love of life, radiates through every moment of the DVD.


www.pancrack.tv and www.vingarbutt.com David Kidman


Photo: Judith Burrows


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