Easter party for December

Vetern folk artist Ray Meuross is launching his latest album December with a special show at the town’s The Roots Music Club on Good Friday.

A club spokesman said: “We are pleased to announce this gig will be the official album launch for Reg’s latest album, December.

Reg’s clever and imaginative lyrics have earned him the title of ‘master storyteller’ and led Mike Harding, from the Mike Harding Folk Show, to introduce him onto the stage of The Royal Albert Hall as ‘one of the finest singer-songwriters this country has produced’.

“Whether it’s a village hall or the Albert Hall, Reg brings to the stage a collection of extremely beautiful songs, performed with humour and depth, and sung with the voice of an angel.

“Reg has that rare gift of being able to touch people, through his songs and performance, on a really human level.

“His words and music paint pictures that remain with the listener long after the song has been sung.

“Reg is a true modern day troubadour – commenting on life as he sees it, with some of the most beautifully disarming songs and lyrics ever written.

“As FolkWords says, his songs are ‘the hinges upon which swing the doors of perceptive English folk‘.

“Reg will be playing all 10 songs from the new album as well as unfolding stories and characters from his 10 previous albums tenderly and masterfully.”

And Northern Sky magazine has selected the gig as its March choice.

It said: “My guess is if Reg had been releasing these albums in the late 1960s while frequenting the ‘all-nighters’ at Les Cousins, he would be held in the same high regard as your Al Stewarts, Paul Simons and Jackson C Franks.

“There’s no clutter, just the voice, accompanied by a 1944 Martin – another thing that wouldn’t be out of place along Greek Street in ‘65 – and an occasional harmonica.

“Ten quality self-penned songs from a very busy and prolific pen.”

Support comes from Americarnage and Shaun Hutch.

Doncaster-based Americarnage offer acoustic folk with the emphasis clearly on their American influences – Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams and Bob Dylan.

Shaun “Hutch” Hutchinson – who performed in a string of bands such as Anybody Hurt, Calluna, The Hornets and Rabbit Gravy before going solo – describes his music as “eclectic acoustic”, demonstrating his huge range of influences, including folk, country, blues, soul, rock and pop, traditional and contemporary.

Reg Meuross plays The Roots Music Club, The Ukrainian Centre, Beckett Road, Doncaster town centre on Good Friday, March 25, from 7.30pm.

Tickets are £10 on the door or £8 in advance from www.rootsmusicclub.co.uk