Concert Review
Saltburn Golf Club Friday 14th April 2024
Carrie Martin supported by
Gary Bliss & Ronnie Brown
Saltburn Folk Clubs concerts have gone from strength to strength.
Bliss and Brown opened the night with an excellent version of 'Ruby Tuesday'. Their set was a polished performance. The pair have a lovely laid-back feel to their music, Gary Bliss, on vocals and left-hand guitar, Ronnie Brown on expressive harmonica. Gary produced a lovely warm sound from his handmade Loudon guitar, while Ronnie is a master of the harmonica. This was emphasised by songs like ‘Cocaine Blues’, a reworking by Jackson Browne of a number attributed to the Reverend Gary Davis, but probably dates from 1905.
A crowd favourite was the Blind Faith number, ‘Can’t Find My Way Home’. It’s a great song by Steve Winwood that really suited the duo’s style. Other classics included the Johnny Cash cover ‘Hurt’, and a Christy Moore cover ‘Ride On’.
Gary Bliss and Ronnie Brown are a superb duo. Ronnies' moody harp underscoring Garys' laidback vocal and sensitive guitar. Incidentally Ronnie Brown is also a published author with a crime thriller, ‘Restless Souls’ already available. The sequel, ‘Unquiet Minds’ is to be released on 28th May this year.
Carrie Martin is fast becoming a name to be reckoned with. A singer songwriter of exceptional talent and modest personae. Carrie opened with ‘Dancing Dragonfly’ with its rolling open tuning guitar. As she said, Carrie likes to play in open tunings and a collection of guitars provided ease of a quick change between songs. Incidentally all guitars had names. ‘Maria & the Moon’ was written to accompany a novel by Louise Beech. It is a haunting melody which highlighted both Carrie’s soaring voice and driving guitar. ‘Melanie Jane’ was a captivating instrumental . The piece contained subtle guitar runs that Carrie weaved effortlessly through the piece.
Little Al, a vintage Viatone guitar was chosen for a song called ‘Melanie’. A song of remembrance and of strength of character. Carrie’s songs have a depth and a pleasing intensity that immediately grabs the listener; powerful ballads like ‘Evergreen’, the title track of Carrie’s latest album. An excellent songwriter, Carrie balanced the sound captivatingly with expressive feeling. Light and dark emanated from her finger-picked guitar, her voice soaring over all. The songs varied from the celebratory to pathos. ‘What If’ , a song written for her Mum when she lost her brother was from the latter category. It was a moving piece, beautifully played and sung. As well as an excellent guitarist, Carrie also played the dulcimer, (called Demelza), which added a baroque component and extra spice to both sets. Throughout the evening, Carrie showcased a phenomenal array of songs from her albums. A lively banter linked the songs. It was a fabulous evening. Carrie had a beautifully expressive voice, matched by lively and intricate guitar accompaniment.
Excellently supported by Bliss and Brown, it made for an exceedingly memorable night.
Mark Hadlett
