Paul Brady
A vet of some forty years experience, multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter and, to a limited extent, genre whore, Paul Brady is back to play his third Cambridge Folk Festival in the last two dozen years. He normally plays when the year ends in five so this appearance is a tad over due.
Paul is one of those artists that has managed to find success as a member of bands, solo and as part of a duo, with another Cambridge favourite Andy Irvine.
Hailing from Northern Ireland, it was Irish music that first put Paul on the road to folk success, catapulted into the public consciousness first as a member of The Johnstons and then Planxty
From there is was the duo route before going it alone and being recognised as one of the finest interpreters of traditional ballads, putting many songs back into essential listening lists.
1981 saw him surprising many people when he developed a rock theme for the album "Hard Station" an album still quoted as a influence on the next generation of Irish rockers. There were some that felt he'd betrayed his fans, but others felt that he had added another string to his bow and that this was part of a wider journey
The latter group were proved right though not a for a few years. It was a period in which he grew strongly as both songwriter and performer. His songs were being noticed and covered by other artists, some going back to his earlier works and reinterpreting his treatment of some of the Irish ballads.
More recently Nashville has beckoned and added it's influence over Paul, but at his heart he remains a song man, with a considerable songbook under his arm. Well worth seeking out a slot for in your busy schedule.