Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan, Tue 21 Feb; Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells, Wed 22 Feb
Legendary ballad singer and guitarist Martin Carthy and his two-times Mercury nominee daughter Eliza perform material from their first joint album, 2014’s Moral Of The Elephant. Martin has more than 40 albums under his belt, and his settings of traditional songs with guitar have influenced the likes of Bob Dylan and Paul Simon.
Carthy junior is no newcomer to the scene herself, having developed an arrestingly charismatic fiddle-playing stage persona that has seen her credited with revitalising folk music for a new generation. Steeped in the genre since childhood, Eliza was born into something a family dynasty – she previously released an album with her mother Norma Waterson, of seminal 1960s folk band The Watersons. A habit for collaboration runs in the family, Eliza having already made musical ties with Paul Weller, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Patrick Wolf and Bob Neuwirth.
So it is only natural that father and daughter should join forces, and the pair makes an organic duo. Expect pure folk with a healthy dose of storytelling, of which the upbeat Queen Caraboo is an inspiriting example. The highlight, though, is new composition Happiness – a sadly beautiful ballad written by Nick Drake’s mother, Molly Drake.
Tickets: ÂŁ16/ÂŁ15 NUS and under-18s. Info: 01239 621200 (Cardigan) / 01982 552555 (Builth Wells) (LB)