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Sally Spring And Her Blue Boys

Venue: Cafe D'Art
Town: Forby
Date: 1st June
Website: http://www.sallyspring.com

The Cafe D' Art in the seaside village of Formby, which lies between Liverpool and Southport, is rapidly gaining a reputation for putting on some great [free] evenings of the best in Americana music. Back in April, they featured a wonderful show by Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart and tonight we were treated to a rare concert [in England, at least] by the talented Sally Spring and her Blue Boys [ Ted Lyons on guitar and Harvey Gold on acoustic bass guitar].

Sally, who hails from North Carolina, has been described as a "treasure" by Gene Parsons [The Byrds] and a "gem " by Bob Harris. Sally's career goes back to the mid 1970's, when she was described by Gerdes Folk City as "a top singer- songwriter ". Her cv reads like a who's who of Americans music- she has either performed or recorded with the likes of Doc Watson, Mama Cass, Rev.Gary Davis, Taj Mahal, Odetta, Sylvia Tyson, Marshall Crenshaw, and the aforementioned Gene Parsons. Sally's music can truly be described as Americana, encompassing as it does, Appalachian Folk, Memphis Soul, Chicago Blues and Alternative Country.

Accompanying Sally on guitar was her husband Ted Lyons, whose own credentials are just as impressive.Ted has worked with Alex Chilton [of Boxtops and Big Star fame] ; Percy Sledge and John Lee Hooker. Ted is a drummer as well as a guitarist and this shows in his unique guitar style which is both percussive and rhythmic. Harvey Gold, an accomplished bass player, provided a solid rhythmic foundation.

The trio [Sally, Ted and Harvey] performed several of Sally's own, perceptive songs as well as some choice covers. These included "Hickory Wind " [Gram Parsons] ; a slowed-down version of "I Still Miss Someone"[Johnny Cash] ; "Home Grown Tomatoes "[Guy Clark] and a mesmerising version of Wllie Dixon's "It Don't Make Sense [If We Can't Make Peace] " on which Sally accompanied herself on guitar.

Sally's performance was warm and soulful and was well received by the appreciative crowd, with whom Sally mingled and chatted after the show. What a great way to start off the Jubileee Bank Holiday Weekend.

Peter Cowley