Ashley Hutchings Big Beat Combo
Album: Twangin' N A-Traddin' Revisited
Label: Talking Elephant
Tracks: 15
Website: http://www.talkingelephant.co.uk

Last year, a folk festival,down South. Amongst all the main stage events, amongst all the excellent music, the quaffable real ales, hidden away was a talk by Ashley Hutchings. It was unmissable.

The Guv'nor talked, read poetry from his first ever book "Words,Words, Words", even played a song with son Blair Dunlop (A Song Of Two Bridges).

It was a magical spellbinding morning, I was entranced. It was clear that we were in the presence of an individual who loved words and their meanings a true wordsmith.

And none more so than in "By Gloucester Docks I Sat Down And Wept", a concept album of sorts yet it's more of a "walk through" of an extra-marital affair, an extremely personal and moving record.

How strange then that Ashley Hutchings decides to release his Big Beat Combo's instrumental album Twangin' 'n' a-Traddin', originally released back in 1994. It is "revisited" with the addition of three new songs written by Hutchings with the help of Ken Nichol and Gerry McNiece in a period style to match the pre-Beatles' era.

It's a twist on the pop music during the late 50s and early 60s in that it matches the favs of the day with folk instruments in a seamless style.

For example "Telstar", once a hit for the Tornadoes, has been slowed down to a beautiful waltz pace and in doing so becomes even more appealing.

Elsewhere the Shadows F.B.I. gets the treatment as does Duane Eddy and by the end you don't care whether it's an original or a cover, it's just good music to listen to an appreciate.

The musicianship is excellent, what else could you expect from the likes of Simon Care, Phil Beer, Clem Cattini, Richard Thompson and Simon Nichol to name but a few. It's a real pleasure to listen as they pay homage to their roots.

In addition, the revisited include "The Velveteens" three teenage Yorkshire lasses just out of school who sings like the vocal groups of the late 50s/early 60s.

So in conclusion if you like the instrumentals of that period with a little twist then you should like "Twangin N A-Traddin" just make sure you play it loud!

Ian Cripps