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23 June    TWICKENHAM FESTIVAL EVENT: Blair Dunlop

We are back at the Cabbage Patch on Sunday 23 June with a concert by BLAIR DUNLOP

21 years old, Blair Dunlop is “a young folk star producing staggering guitar chops and blending them with poignant lyrics, creating one of the best folk albums of 2012” (Acoustic magazine). He has rapidly emerged as one of the finest of singer-songwriters and his vocals have a paradoxically light and raunchy feel, a very much “once heard, never forgotten” sound.

From an early age Blair was encouraged to take to the stage by his parents, folk legend Ashley Hutchings and singer Judy Dunlop, and he has now blossomed into a greatly admired singer, guitarist and actor. Some of the highlights of his performing career include playing Little Willy Wonka in the blockbuster movie of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Johnny Depp starred as the grown-up Willy), touring for the whole of last autumn in a new production of the play Lark Rise and appearing at festivals such as Big Session, Towersey and Cropredy. In 2011 Blair produced his first EP, Bags Outside The Door, which attracted outstanding reviews from leading figures on the music circuit and led to him being shortlisted for the BBC Young Folk Awards.

In early 2012 Blair took to the road as one sixth of The Albion Band, the new incarnation of the group originally founded by his father over 30 years ago. The tour proved that folk music is alive and well in the hands of a new generation of gifted musicians, all of whom, like Blair, are able to bring their own diverse influences to bear on a fine tradition.

Last year Blair also toured with Fairport Convention in Italy before moving on to become part of The Lady tour, celebrating the work and life of Sandy Denny. And in October he released his debut album, Blight & Blossom, which features
“Seven Brothers”, a song written for him by Richard Thompson.

Tickets are £9 in advance (£11 on the door)

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30 June    TWICKENHAM FESTIVAL EVENT: Bob Fox

Traditional songs from the North East and moving songs and music from Warhorse from “one of the best voices in England” (Ralph McTell) with “musicianship second to none” (Vin Garbutt). Bob Fox has won critical acclaim for his performance as “Songman” in the stage production of Warhorse. After a year in that role he is now returning to his musical roots with a brand new one-man show.

Tickets are £10 in advance (£12 on the door)

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7 July    TWICKENHAM FESTIVAL EVENT: Emily Maguire with Christian Dunham

Emily Maguire, originally from London, and now in Australia, is an acclaimed singer-songwriter who has toured with Don McLean and Eric Bibb. She was classically trained on cello, piano and flute. Her songs, with strong, thought-provoking lyrics and “supremely expressive vocals” (Rock’n’Reel magazine) have been playlisted on BBC Radio 2 and she has a loyal following.

Her TwickFolk concert coincides with the release of her studio album Bird Inside a Cage which has been funded entirely by Emily’s fans. She will be performing with her partner Christian Dunham.

Tickets are £9 in advance (£11 on the door)

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14 July      Edwina Hayes (UK/USA) & Jon Byrd (USA)

Two long-standing friends, both singer-songwriters, convene for a rare gig together. Having originally met in Nashville where they worked and recorded together, Edwina will be joining Jon for two dates on his UK visit – one of these will be at TwickFolk.

Born in Dublin, and brought up in Lancashire, Edwina Hayes now divides her time between London and Nashville where she has established herself as an accomplished songwriter. She has been described as a gentle folk Americana, vocalist and guitar player, sitting somewhere between Joni Mitchell and Suzanne Vega, who sings self- penned songs that are mostly about unrequited love or, as she puts it, ‘fancing people who don’t fancy you back.’”

Her debut album Out On My Own (2005) was co-produced by Clive Gregson; one of its tracks, “Eyes Of A Stranger”, received regular plays from Michael Parkinson on BBC Radio 2. The title track from her second solo album, Pour Me a Drink  (2008), was later recorded by Nanci Griffith. Her version of Randy Newman’s “Feels Like Home” was featured in the 2009 movie My Sister’s Keeper.

Edwina released her third solo album Good Things Happen Over Coffee in 2011.

Jon Byrd is a singer-songwriter based in Nashville.

Mojo magazine describes his music as “Americana the way it was and the way it should be…His vocal sound – a touch of Haggard here and a smear of Wiilie there  - is wonderfully dated, Old Opry and much the better for it. His original songs, such as Jackknife and Reputation, sound like old friends.”

Jon’s album Down at the Well of Wishes manages to mix bar-room exuberance and front porch restraint. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Martin Chilton described it as “full of lovely guitar touches and brimming with clever, mordant songs”.

Tickets are £10 in advance (£12 on the door)

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 21 July        Jeni and Billy (USA)

To help describe Jeni Hankins and Billy Kemp, we turned to the Richmond Folk Music Society – that’s the one in Virginia. They said: “Jeni’s songs spring from the true vine. Steeped in a sense of place and community, her lyrics reflect the hardships, trials and sorrows of people whose lives have not been easy, yet they also resonate with humour, spirit and a deep and abiding faith and dignity…She has an old fashioned, old style country voice that perfectly fits the songs she chooses. Billy is the perfect partner, skillfully accompanying Jeni with guitar, banjo and harmonies. They chat with the audience, tell stories and leave the audience feeling like they’ve just had a visit from old friends.”

Tickets are £9 in advance (£11 on the door)

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