New season of Sunday Folk sessions gets off to a flier

CV Folk, Albany Theatre, Coventry, Sunday 13.

By Barbara Goulden Cheers to The Albany Theatre for not only hosting London fringe theatre plays but supporting CV Folk, the live music organisers who use this popular Coventry venue to showcase the best local talent around. Pete Willow and his fellow musicians re-started a new season of their live sessions with accomplished singer-songwriter Wes Finch taking the headline spot along with two members of The Mechanicals band, double bass player - and charity marathon runner John Parker - and drummer Ben Haines. But before that was a knockout performance by Al Romanov (pictured) on electric gypsy fiddle - joining singer-songwriter Mick Bisiker on guitar to combine new tunes and madcap versions of the great classics. To demonstrate just what a broad church folk is, the evening started in truly traditional form with The Thru-penny Bits - veteran harmonising group Gareth and Barbara Wyatt and Des Patalong. True, there are long bushy white beards - not on Barbara - and the occasional pirate headscarf - again not on Barbara - but what beautiful and occasionally rude melodies. What a lot for your money. Except that CV Folk do it all for free. They simply pass the equivalent of a hat round at the end of the show.

The next CV Folk gathering at The Albany will be on October 10 with authentic back-porch Anericana music from The Harvesters, plus very popular local trio Greengrass and talented trio, Poachers Pocket playing a rich mixture of contemporary and traditional folk songs.

* Also on the live music front will be Hong Kong-born musician Emmy The Great performing at FarGo on September 17 with support from well-known local folk singer Lucy Anne Sale.