The Listening Room

THE CHARLWOOD TRIO

The Charlwood Trio consist of performers who have known one another for fifty years who frequented the Charlwood folk club in Surrey. They came together, musically, when attending a jazz festival in France just three months ago. With instruments to hand, they pulled on a very diverse selection of songs, so it’s difficult to nail them down to one particular genre. When you read their biographies, you will understand where that diversity comes from. The trio are:

JIM JAMES

Jim James started his career in traditional and comedy song in the acapella group Arkys Toast. The group consisted of three towering policemen who, when off duty, entertained at various folk clubs and festivals around the UK during the 70s and early 80s. Jim then formed another trio, Hat Trick, which included his wife, Beverley. Both trios recorded successful albums and CDs at this time.

He and Bev later stepped into new roles as the costumed characters: Singing Plague Victims and Singing Chimney Sweeps. They performed regularly at Warwick Castle, English Heritage sites and festivals countrywide. A natural entertainer, Jim loves vamping on the melodeon, and admits that he would like to learn it properly !!!!

Lynn began playing the guitar aged ten and began singing in folk clubs at the age of fifteen. She’s very influenced by Don McLean, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell etc; however, she grew up in a home where every genre of music was played so she is often heard playing/singing a variety of styles when performing.

Lynn was one of five women who appeared on Stefan Grossman’s ‘Women’s Guitar Workshop’ album and the Melody Maker cited her as one of the best female guitarists in the UK at the time. In Sussex, Lynn joined forces with her schoolfriend, Joy Cross, to form the duo, Old Friends, and they sang together for several decades. Since moving to Penzance, Lynn sings mainly solo but has collaborated on a number of songs with flautist and recorder player, Sandra Highfield.

She has two albums and is currently working on releasing a CD, gigged at numerous folk clubs and festivals here and in New England and has supported Rambling Jack Elliott and Richard Digance.

CATHY BARCLAY

In the late 80’s, Cathy moved from York to the south of England and formed Beggars Velvet along with Dave Webber, Anni Fentiman and Charley Yarwood, a four-part acapella group who toured the UK and the States.

In the ’90’s she teamed up with Susie and Colin Gates in the village of Charlwood, where she now lives, singing traditional songs. This later evolved into a six piece bluegrass group, Rawbones, which continues to entertain in clubs and festivals local to Charlwood.

An accomplished Appalachian dulcimer player, she has strayed into other genres, teaming up with the blues musician, John Gregory, for ten years.

Cathy has seven albums released with the bands and groups she’s played and sung with; the latest being a recording of mainly traditional material with her youngest daughter, Sarah.

A finger picking acoustic guitar player, singer and songwriter originally from Dudley in the West Midlands, now living in Hayle Cornwall.

Playing acoustic guitar since 1975 (aged eleven) and writing songs from age fourteen Richard started performing live in 1989 appearing in several Rock, blues and soul bands until 2004 but his real love was acoustic guitar based folk style music and from 2013 to 2019 he featured in the close harmony duo Crooked House which was very successful in the Midlands area and beyond, supporting artists such as Wizz Jones, Gilmore and Roberts and Scott Matthews.

Richard released his first solo album “whispers of Magic” in 2020 and is currently to be found gigging around the south West of Cornwall.

His influences include: Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Nick Drake, Ralph McTell and John Martyn.

PAGAN TEAPOT

Polly Henderson and Tony Corden draw deeply from the wellsprings of revolutionary Latin American music along with the songs of the psychedelic era.

They hear the same heartbeat of yearning for a more compassionate and creative world in both genres and pepper their repertoire with quirky original songs , many celebrating the magic of hidden Cornwall.

Much influenced by Victor Jara, The Incredible String Band , Inti-Illimani, Pentangle, Love and Peter Hammill.

MAL DARWEN

Mal Darwen first picked up the guitar as a child, and has recorded and performed internationally with a diverse range of artists including Praying for the Rain, the Woodentops and many more, including members of Faithless and the Orb. Hard to categorise, he draws inspiration from around the world, resulting in a unique songwriting and instrumental composition style. Currently working with Daykin, Seeds of Evergreen and Hand to Hand, he continues to develop his solo discipline, studying modern fingerstyle guitar and traditional West African music.