Wednesday, 1 October 2025

Danny Thompson tribute show

Last month we lost one of the great characters of British jazz and folk music namely Danny Thompson, best known for having been in the late 60s band Pentangle and for his collaborations with John Martyn and Richard Thompson. He played double bass on a mind-blowing number of albums and this show includes some favourites of mine along with tracks from one or two albums which I have only recently discovered by Eric Bibb and Ralph McTell. 

I saw Danny about half a dozen times as a member of Richard Thompson's band, sometimes just the two of them, other times with drummers Dave Mattacks or Michael Jerome and the multi-instrumentalist Pete Zorn. 

So farewell Danny and thanks for all the music played on the instrument described in the sleeve notes to Ian McNabb's 1998 ...Emotional Party album as "circa 1860 Grand French swell-backed double bass 'Victoria'".  

John Martyn & Danny Thompson - Sweet Little Mystery
Richard Thompson - Easy There, Steady Now
Richard Thompson & Danny Thompson - Big Chimney
Ian McNabb - Little Princess
Marianne Faithfull - Sally Free and Easy
Pentangle - I've Got A Feeling
Nick Drake - Three Hours
Ralph McTell - Take It Easy
Kate Bush - Watching You Without Me
Eric Bibb, North Country Far & Danny Thompson - You Really Got Me
Blind Boys of Alabama - Jesus Gonna Be Here
The Richard Thompson Acoustic Trio - Al Bowlly's In Heaven
Bert Jansch - Kittiwake 

Listen on Mixcloud or on Ginger Feather FM from Monday at 8pm. 

Wednesday, 24 September 2025

Off The Beaten Tracks mix 24 September 2025

Due to holidays and a new kitchen being put in at my house, I've been taking a break from doing shows but have put this mix together partly because my friends in The Low Countries have released a new compilation titled Fan-Fare. Also a shout-out goes to our friend Bob who is currently away on holiday and is letting us use his kitchen. The tracks by Clannad and Lunasa are from his CD collection.

As ever, listen now on Mixcloud or from Monday on Ginger Feather FM.

Jon Palmer Acoustic Band - Bridges Not Walls
The Low Countries - Gently Johnny
Merry Hell - Don't Say I, Say Us
Molly Tuttle - Rosalee
Bob Dylan - A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
Clannad - Theme From Harry's Game
Lunasa - Absent Friends
I'm With Her - Find My Way To You
The Low Countries - At The End of the Day
Billy Bragg - Take Down The Union Jack
Richard & Linda Thompson - It'll Be Me (live)
Pentangle - Sally Go Round The Roses
Toby Hay - Another Song For Bear
Ninebarrow - Summer Fires
Marit & Rona - New England Fireman Set 


Thursday, 28 August 2025

Off The Beaten Tracks 1 September 2025

This show includes songs by two bands* who are playing at the Love Lancaster Live music festival which runs from the 9th to the 12th of October. This is a smaller event featuring mostly local bands and is replacing the Lancaster Music Festival which is taking a year off. 

Listen to the show on Mixcloud or on Ginger Feather FM from Monday at 1pm or 8pm.

Billy Bragg & Wilco - Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key 
The Broken-Hearted Few* - Hidden From The Sun 
The Low Countries* - Sun Street 
Reg Meuross - This Land Is Your Land 
Mikey Kenney - Kindling of Morning 
Teddy Thompson - What's Love Got To Do With It 
Sarah McQuaid - Jackdaws Rising (Live in Rapid City) 
Michael Chapman - Waiting For A Train 
Katie Spencer - Shuffleboat River Farewell 
Duncan McCrone - I Ain't Marchin' Any More 
Grace Petrie - The Best Country in the World 
Anna Lavigne - Pockets of Time 
Martin Stephenson - Sweet September Rain 
Stevie Palmer - Gently Into The Night 
Nick Drake - Harvest Breed 

Wednesday, 20 August 2025

Off The Beaten Tracks 25 August 2025

A maritime theme to this show with a number by The Mizzen Crew who are based in Morecambe and donate profits from sales of their CDs to the RNLI. 

Listen now on Mixcloud or from Monday on Ginger Feather FM at 1pm or 8pm.

Darwin Song Project - Trust in the Rolling Ocean 
Steve Knightley - The Bristol Slaver 
The Pogues - When The Ship Comes In 
Kris Drever - Shipwrecked 
Inge Thomson - Marie Celeste 
Fara - West Tide Story 
The Rosie Hood Band - Wild Man of the Sea 
Spiers & Boden - Old Maui 
The Mizzen Crew - Essiquibo River
Twelfth Day - The Beach 
Runrig - Morning Tide 
Macmaster Hay - Shipbuilding 
Steve Knightley - The Napoli 
John Spiers - Stoney Steps Hornpipe 
 

Thursday, 14 August 2025

OTBT Mix 18 August 2025

There are three acoustic Black Sabbath numbers included in this mix as a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. Also a Queen track written and sung by Brian May who is a friend of Tony Iommi and he guested on the Sabbath album Headless Cross. Also songs from recent releases by Alison Krauss and I'm With Her.

Listen now on Mixcloud or on Ginger Feather FM from Monday.

Grateful Dead - Uncle John's Band
Los Lobos - Bluebird
Black Sabbath - Changes
The Hunch - Help!
Soggy Bottom Boys - Man of Constant Sorrow
Alison Krauss & Union Station - Granite Mills
Joni Mitchell - This Flight Tonight
I'm With Her - Year After Year
Jello Biafra & Mojo Nixon - Nostalgia for an Age That Never Existed
Black Sabbath - Laguna Sunrise
The Beatles - Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
Luke Jackson - Who Knows Where The Time Goes
Fairport Convention - Si Tu Doir Partir (2016 version)
Black Sabbath - Solitude
Queen - '39
Raphael Rudd - Who Is Meher Baba?

 

Thursday, 7 August 2025

Off The Beaten Tracks 11 August 2025

Having seen Benji Kirkpatrick at the Warwick Folk Festival last month playing a selection of Jimi Hendrix covers I thought I'd play a couple of songs from his album Hendrix Songs that he released 10 years ago. There are also numbers by Banter and Granny's Attic who also played at the festival.

Listen to the show on Mixcloud or from Monday at 1pm or 8pm on Ginger Feather FM.

Benji Kirkpatrick - Red House 
Banter - Forsaken Mermaid 
Granny's Attic - Bobbing Joe / Lumps Of Pudding 
Dick Gaughan - Erin Go Bragh (live) 
Chris & Kellie While - Persuasion 
Ben Nicholls (feat Kris Drever) - The Greenland Whale Fisheries 
Faustus - Ballina Whalers 
Eddi Reader - Wings on my Heels 
Linda Thompson (feat Kami Thompson) - The Solitary Traveller 
Jamie Smith's Mabon - The Gordano Ranter 
Jim Causley & Miranda Sykes - Widecombe Fair 
Merry Hell - The Rising of the Bold 
Benji Kirkpatrick - Stone Free 

Thursday, 17 July 2025

Warwick Folk Festival mix

I'm going to the Warwick Folk Festival at the end of next week so have put together a mix of some of those who will be playing there from Thursday the 24th to Sunday the 27th. 

Listen to the mix on Mixcloud or from Monday on Ginger Feather FM at 1pm or 8pm. 

Richard Thompson - Feel So Good
Kate Rusby - Shake It Off
Martin Simpson - Born Human
Fara - Broom Power
Will Pound & Jenn Butterworth - The Workout Suite
Janice Burns & Jon Doran - Up and Awa'
Banter - Below Below
Andy Cutting - Granton Fish Bowl
Granny's Attic - The Mermaid
Le Vent Du Nord - Pauvre Enfant 
Chris Wood - Turtle Soup
Martin Simpson - New Kitchen Blues
Kate Rusby - The Village Green Preservation Society
Richard Thompson - 1952 Vincent Black Lightning
Fara - Speir Thoo the Wast Wind