Sunday, June 05, 2016

Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick: Byker Hill



Dave Swarbrick died this week, a full 17 years after the Telegraph published his obituary. But what the paper said then remains true:
Dave Swarbrick, the violinist and singer ... was one of the most influential folk musicians of the 1970s and 1980s, especially with the group Fairport Convention. A small, dynamic, charismatic figure, "Swarb"—cigarette perched precariously on his bottom lip, unruly hair flapping over his face, pint of beer ever at hand—could electrify an audience with a single frenzied sweep of his bow. He never failed to produce a dramatic effect, whether on fiddle or mandolin, whether playing in tiny folk clubs or at huge open air festivals
Here he is with his regular collaborator Martin Carthy - the pair have featured here before.

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