Affectionate, well meant if slightly wobbly homage by Nick Harper – Roy’s lad – who lived through the acoustic boom years of folk in the mid/late 60s but has never really explored the effect they had on him until now. Shall we call them The Les Cousins Years? The legends he came up against as a youngster are impressive, at one point in this live recording of his one man tribute show in Edinburgh, he confesses getting goosebumps knowing his Dad actually sat down with Davy Graham, John Renbourn and Bert Jansch swapping songs and guitar licks. Well you would too wouldn’t you?
Later however he swore he’d never try any of Harper Senior’s songs, but he does here, a quite decent take of ‘My Friend,’ a farewell of sorts to Jackson C Frank who was due to return Stateside. The reading of Frank’s ‘Blues Run The Game,’ is perhaps the most accurate version of the eight selections, though hats off to him for even attempting Renbourn’s ‘The Earle Of Salisbury,’ surely his fingers must have been in knots after that one.
A certain Paul Simon is included, but it’s his almost straight lift of ‘Scarborough Fair’ from Martin Carthy that gets the spotlight – nice one Nick. Grahamwise ‘Anji,’ was inevitable as was the pick from Sandy Denny ‘Who Knows Where The Time Goes?’ which is taken into territory which is almost unplugged psych.
I think 58 Fordwych Rd – home to the Harpers at the time by the way – is splendid, as much personal and social as musical history, the stories which crop up as results of Nick’s research are fascinating and just occasionally pure gold dust. I’ll let you pick your own but just tell you his detail on the back ground of ‘Scarborough Fair’ is the stuff of scholars. Having ploughed through eight souls he’s already confirmed a further volume will appear and focus on lesser known but equally worthy strumstrels. Hurrah! Decent grist and no mistake.
Simon Jones.
www.harperspace.com
