Routes sleeve

Routes

Mark Newman

Mark's second CD - the follow up to the excellent Stories. Eight songs and eight instrumental sets played with flair and invention on guitar and dulcimer.

There's even a track that was originally released in the 1960s - still sounds great!


this page updated 17 September 2010 
CD Review  ROUTES – Mark Newman - Green Opal GO-CD102
 
This being my first ever CD review, I have resisted all attempts by our esteemed Editor to review CDs in the past, as I did not feel qualified to comment on “Folk Music”.  However, I actually volunteered for this one.

I was lucky enough to catch Mark playing live recently as a fellow floor spot “doer” at Skipton Folk Club.  I was even luckier to win this CD in the raffle!
Mark Newman is a superb acoustic guitarist (I am eminently qualified to make this observation).  He has clearly been playing for a very long time, maybe even longer than me and his approach ranges through blues, jazz, ragtime and (I assume) traditional folk music.  He also writes his own, mainly instrumental numbers and adds his own flair and style to both traditional and contemporary songs.
I played this CD the very next day and it stayed in my car CD player (the only place I get to really listen) for at least a fortnight.  There are 16 tracks on this, Mark’s second CD, running for over 55 minutes (good value for quantity alone!), half with vocals, half without and featuring Mark with his various trademark Martin Guitars and other stringed plucked instruments, with support in  part from his brother Chris, who I gather is internationally renowned (not qualified to confirm this).
The numbers range from traditional reels and jigs, through songs by Tom Paxton, Rev Gary Davies, Sonny Boy Williamson (“Eyesight to the Blind”, my personal favourite here) and others, to Mark’s own penned number “Kirk’s Fault” (dedicated to his friend who got him back into performing live).  Each track is slightly different in its approach, yet each track is the same, in that it has Mark’s chic and rather distinctive guitar playing technique.
 
Mark can play acoustic guitar very fast indeed (do they have machines to measure picking speed?), yet he plays with such wonderful elegance, panache, feeling and emotion.  His voice ain’t bad, either.
 
I don’t propose to list every track and give you my own Tyro Folky views of them individually, just to prove that I have listened, or that I know something about blues, jazz, ragtime or folk guitar playing.  I will say just this –  if  you  don’t  appreciate  awesome acoustic guitar playing of any kind, pass this one  by; however, if you do, you will love every track on here.
 
Mark lives in France for most of the year these days so,  if you get the chance, go see him live, listen, watch his fingers –  they never leave his hands, buy this CD from him, or better still, win it in the raffle and buy him a beer!

Tony Levy,  Tykes News

scroll down for tracklist & catalogue details

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Tracklist Frankie
Road to Durham/Reelin' round the Tarn
Church Street Blues
Molly McAlpin/Lilliburlero/Gander in the Praitie Hole
All my Friends have gone
Feed the Ducks
When You're Winning
Mustapha
Candy Man
The Blacksmith/To be a Pilgrim/The Week before Easter
Tuileries
Eyesight to the Blind
Kirk's Fault
Peg 'n' Awl
That's All Right
Rockport Sunday
Musicians Mark Newman - guitar, dulcimer & vocals
Chris Newman - guitar, mandolin & bass
Catalogue details Green Opal GOCD102 2006
Barcode number 5023405010226
Stories CD
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Old Bridge Music
PO Box 7, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, LS29 9RY, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1943 602203   Fax: +44 (0)1943 435472