BEN MORGAN-BROWN - Live In Lancashire
Private Label HEMP001
It’s refreshing to hear a singer-songwriter who can grab your attention from the first chord. An accomplished finger style guitarist, with a relaxed and intimate delivery, Ben Morgan-Brown is a delight to listen to. His material harks back to the best of Nick Drake and early John Martyn – atmospheric lyrics, confident guitar with perfect timing and intonation – no mean feat on a live recording. Still Dreaming is a powerful way of conveying the unsaid in song. No More Fooling is another classic, that will no doubt be covered multiple times, I would expect. Even the closing number, a cover of Dylan’s Blind Willie McTell, merely reinforces the stature of his own prowess, as he delivers it with confidence and aplomb.
Sadly, due to concert and festival cancellations in the light of COVID-19, it is necessary for artistes to rely on CDs and digital downloads in order to secure an income in the interim. This set recorded at a gig in March 2020 in Dalton, Lancashire, while only 30 minutes long, is a perfect introduction to Ben. I would recommend this heartily – the CD is a limited release of 100 copies, but downloads are available. Seek him out – it’s all splendid stuff.
www.benmorganbrown.co.uk
Grem Devlin
This review appeared in Issue 135 of The Living Tradition magazine