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Josienne Clarke And Ben Walker + Willowen

Venue: Bournemouth Folk Club
Town: Bournemouth
Date: 14th April 2013
Website: http://www.josienneclarke.co.uk/

The seductive combination of two acts that have recently been on the Fatea Showcase Sessions, Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker and Willowen at my favourite folk club, Bournemouth, proved to be way too tempting, not only for me, but a good number of others.

The headliners, Josienne And Ben played to sets, one each side of the main interval, during the second of which they played a June Tabor and Martin Simpson number, which in many ways sets the frame for describing the duo themselves, incredibly talented singer, accompanied by an absolutely superb, finger picking guitarist.

If they were just a Tabor and Simpson tribute act, that would be great, but they are much more than that, over the two sets they also covered songs from Sandy Denny and Dolly Parton, though when performing the more Americana aspects of their set, Josienne reminds me much more of Patsy Cline than Parton.

That said, where the duo really do come into their own is when playing their own compositions and traditional songs as that is where they really do become incomparable, that's where you get to hear them at their heartfelt best and it's an incredibly moving experience.

Yes most of the set is on the more melancholy side of folk music, but it's so well performed that you're more than happy to flirt with the darkness, particularly as many of the songs are introduced in a self-effacing way, with a bit of a wry smile and any way there's enough lighter moments during the sets to provide the balance.

Josienne & Ben announced that they will have a new album out in July, with the support of a label. They also mentioned it would be their first album to combine traditional songs with their own compositions, I'm already counting the days.

Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker were preceded to the stage, by local duo, Willowen, who will be releasing an album of their own later in the year, with a launch party at Bournemouth Folk Club.

In contrast to the headliners, Willowen, are a local trio, that are just starting to spread their wings further afield, consisting of, guitar, fiddle and some incredible hand percussion, with all three contributing to the vocal dynamics of the band.

An EP, "There's a Monster Living In My Paddling Pool" or simply "Monster" first brought them to my attention and they played a number of songs from it during their set. The title also gives the clues to the bright and breezy nature of Willowen. This was a set that had a high element of fun about it and performed with not a little panache, they are definitely going from strength to strength.

All in all it was a great night's entertainment. The light and dark provided a stark contrast in approach, but wow, what an evening and with new albums coming out later in the year so much to look forward to

Both Josienne & Ben and Willowen will also be performing at Purbeck Folk Festival so there'll be a chance to do it all again.

Words & Pictures Neil King