In an age where the word “folk” encompasses everything from acoustic pop to hardcore traditional music, the use of such labels to distinguish one musical experience from another has arguably been stretched farther than ever.
The Urban Folk Quartet’s distinguishing features have much less to do with the traditional idea of genre. Yes, this is fiddle-led music that draws heavily from Celtic dance forms and traditional song but from there on in it is unlike any folk band you have ever heard. Just as English country dance unassumingly met with big band jazz musicianship in the mid 20th century, The UFQ’s approach to the folk ethos is to embrace any and every influence that genuinely makes sense of their time and place and makes sense in their music. From funk grooves to middle-eastern melodies, afrobeat to north Indian rhythms.
The first of those phenomenal fiddlers is Galician Paloma Trigás, who has shared stages and recorded with with the likes of The Chieftains, Sharon Shannon and Alan, during her tenure touring the stadiums of the world with Spain’s biggest folk star, Carlos Nuñez. The second is Joe Broughton (Albion Band, Bellowhead, Joss Stone) long established on the folk scene as the fieriest English fiddler and showman of his generation. Also an exceptional guitarist and mandolin player, in UFQ Joe deftly shares multi-instrumentalist duties (often mid-song) with Dan Walsh. Touted as one of the finest banjo players in the country as well as a gifted singer and guitarist, Dan (Seth Lakeman Band, The Levellers, Walsh & Pound) joined UFQ in 2014, as guitarist and oud player ( a short-neck lute-type, pear-shaped stringed instrument). The lineup is completed by Tom Chapman, widely considered to be the most accomplished and innovative cajonero the UK has to offer.
And you have chance to see them live!!
Tour dates as follows:
Mon, Mar 9 National Centre For Early Music, York
Fri, Mar 13 Electric Theatre, Guildford
Sat, Mar 21 Folk House, Bristol
Sat, Apr 11 Théâtre Municipal, Coutances, France
Sat, Apr 18 Folk Weekend Oxford at The Old Fire Station, Oxford
Thu, Apr 23 Foxlowe Arts , Leek
Sat, Apr 25 — Mon, Apr 27 Costa Del Folk, Ibiza
Fri, May 8 Folk On The Pier, Cromer
Fri, May 15 Trinity Folk Festival, Guildford
For further information and ticket links visit https://theufq.com/
