Guitarist Martin Simpson is an accompanist and solo musician par excellence who made his debut in the early 1970s, cutting a string of albums while notably backing stars such as June Tabor on various projects. Here's a quick look at his work...
Martin Simpson "Golden Vanity" (Trailer Records, 1976) (LP)
Martin Simpson & June Tabor "A Cut Above" (Topic Records, 1980) (LP)
Another beautiful album, featuring the ever-lofty June Tabor still performing in a mostly-trad setting, singing ballads and aires with great gusto and warmth. The album's closer, "Unicorns," is a hint of things to come, with a tinkly piano and dolorous feel, but for fans who like their folk music simple and clean, this acoustic outing will swiftly become a cherished favorite. Simpson's role is mostly in the background, providing subtle, solid accompaniment, and plenty of Nic Jones-style slap-and-tickle guitar work. Recommended!
Martin Simpson "Special Agent" (Fledg'ling Records, 1981) (LP)
Martin Simpson "Grinning In Your Face" (Topic Records, 1983) (LP)
An eclectic set that includes covers of pop oldies such as "It Doesn't Matter Anymore," "The First Cut Is The Deepest" and "Masters Of War," along with more traditional Brit-folk fare...
Martin Simpson "Sad Or High Kicking" (Fledg'ling Records, 1985) (LP)
Martin Simpson "Nobody's Fault But Mine" (Dambuster Records, 1986)
Martin Simpson & Jessica Ruby Simpson "True Dare Or Promise" (Topic Records, 1987)
Martin Simpson "Leaves Of Life" (Shanachie Records, 1990)
An all-instrumental set...
Martin Simpson "When I Was On Horseback" (Shanachie Records, 1992)
Martin Simpson "A Closer Walk With Thee" (Gourd Records, 1994)
A contemplative set of instrumental, acoustic re-interpetations of classic American gospel themes such as "I'll Fly Away," "Palms Of Victory," "Wayfaring Stranger," "What A Friend We Have In Jesus," and many other, much more obscure tunes. Some of these tracks are gorgeous, some are a bit goopy, and some go way out in left field... in a very nice way. Simpson really makes this material his own, and slows the pace way down, with the express purpose of getting us out of the hustle and bustle of everyday life. This didn't really move me as much as I thought it might, but it's still quite nice.
Martin Simpson "Smoke And Mirrors" (Thunderbird Records, 1995)
Martin Simpson & Jessica Ruby Simpson "Red Roses" (Thunderbird Records, 1995)
Martin Simpson & Jessica Ruby Simpson "Band Of Angels" (Red House Records, 1996)
Martin Simpson & Wu Man "Music For The Motherless Child" (Water Lily Acoustics, 1996)
Martin Simpson "Cool And Unusual" (Red House Records, 1997)
Martin Simpson "Live" (recorded 1994, Oxford) (Red House Records, 1997)
Martin Simpson, David Hidalgo & Viji Krishnan "Kambara Music In Native Tongues" (Water Lily Acoustics, 1998)
Martin Simpson "Bootleg USA" (Topic Records, 1999)
Martin Simpson "61 Highway" (EP) (Beautiful Jo Records, 1999)
A 3-song live EP...
Martin Simpson "The Bramble Briar" (Topic Records, 2001)
Martin Simpson, Jessica Radcliffe & Lisa Ekstrom "Beautiful Darkness: Celebrating The Winter Solstice" (High Bohemia Records, 2001)
Martin Simpson "Righteousness And Humidity" (Topic/Red House Records, 2003)
Martin Simpson "Kind Letters" (Topic Records, 2005)
Martin Simpson "Prodigal Son" (Compass/Topic Records, 2007)
(Produced by Martin Simpson)
A majestic album from British trad-folk singer-songwriter Martin Simpson, a veteran performer who also, by the way, picks one helluva fine acoustic guitar. This album is something of a summary of all that is best about his career, the elegant bridging between traditional and contemporary folk, with equal shares of Celtic, English and American influences. Alongside cover tunes such as Randy Newman's "Louisiana, 1927" (an astonishingly prescient song about corruption and natural disasters, widely resurrected in the wake of Hurricane Katrina) are ancient ballads such as the grim, seductive "Little Musgrave" and the yearning "Andrew Lammie." Simpson also includes two of his finest and most personal original compositions, "She Slips Away," written after his mother died, and "Never Any Good," a song that both catalogs and celebrates the apparent shortcomings of his father. And, throughout, there is achingly beautiful guitar work, reminding us yet again why Simpson has long been considered one of the best players in the modern English folk scene. Certainly one of the finest trad-folk albums of the last few years.
Martin Simpson "True Stories" (Compass Records, 2009)
Martin Simpson "Purpose + Grace" (Topic Records, 2011)
Martin Simpson "Vagrant Stanzas" (Topic Records, 2013)
Martin Simpson/Andy Cutting/Nancy Kerr "Murmurs" (Topic Records, 2015)
Martin Simpson & Dom Flemons "Mr. Martin Simpson And Mr. Dom Flemons Present A Selection Of Ever Popular Favourites" (Fledg'ling Records, 2016)
A collaboration with American folklorist Don Flemons, of Carolina Chocolate Drops fame...
Martin Simpson "Trails And Tribulations" (Topic Records, 2017)
Martin Simpson "Rooted" (Topic Records, 2019)
Martin Simpson "Home Recordings" (Topic Records, 2020)
Martin Simpson "The Collection" (Topic Records, 1994)
Martin Simpson "The Definitive Martin Collection" (Highpoint Records, 2005)
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