Martin Kolbe - Blue Moment - Stockfisch Records - SF 5010

This is the debut album from the great Martin Carthy. It was released in 1965. There is no doubt that this is a great folk album.Martin began work as an actor and then skiffle guitarist and singer with the Thameside four. Then made a solo recording on a collection of folk songs in 1963. He then became resident at London`s top folk club the Troubadour where he taught visiting americans including Bob Dylan and Paul Simon. They later adapted "lord Franklin" and "Scarborough fair"(track eight) into their own repetoir.By this time Carthy was very experienced in a wide repetoir of folk songs particularly from england and he was an experienced performer.The wide experience shows on this album in terms of both the wonderful guitar work and vocals, and also in style and originality. This lovely album came at a strong point during the folk revival of the 1950s and 1960s. It also paved the way for a very succesful recording career.Martin Carthy shows his ability to give prime importance to the words he is singing. His phrasing helps to push the lyrics forward to tell their traditional story. And this is never in conflict with the rhythm of the guitar. He has a unique ability for guitar accomaniement. Even when this is to complement his own voice.He has become a champion of English traditional folk songs and this first album is a fantastic example of the richness and beauty in our musical heritage.The performance is magical and proffesional. And the sound is clear and full bodied. And there is a wonderful simplicity in the over all sound that seems like a perfect way to interpret these songs.We have the purity of the voice that delivers the words and on some tracks, to add colour we get this very interesting guitar playing as well.All of the songs are from the English Tradition except for track six "The spring hill mine disaster" a song written by Ewan McColl. This song sits well here since it sounds like a traditional song and it talks of the sort of thing that a folk song might well talk about. The song is the true story of the mine disaster of 1958 when an accident in one of the deep pits meant that some miners were trapped underground for five days until they were rescued.The song "broomfield hill" deals with a Maid`s use of "broom", a herb, to escape the clutches of a Knight. And there is supernatural goings on in the song "Two magicians". There is strong performance on songs such as "Scarborough fair", "the barley and the rhye", "Queen of hearts" and "ye mariners all". Also the song "Lovely Joan" is a highlight of this album.Also of note is that this album also features the fiddle playing of Dave Swarbrick. He was not so well known at the time of this album and acts as a session player. The fiddle playing is excellent and adds colour to the programme. By the time of the second album that followed this one, he gets propper crediting but on this first album he is not mentioned apart from the credit as shared arranger of the songs with Carthy.We now know that Swarbrick went on to become an important figure in the folk revival just as Carthy did. He performed as a duo with Carthy on many recordings and was a lead member of Fairport Convention.The debut album "Martin Carthy" is an excellent example of traditional english folk music.

Martin Kolbe in der Blüte seiner gitarrentechnischen Fähigkeiten, die er später in der Zusammenarbeit mit Ralf Illenberger eher in den Dienst der gemeinsamen Sache stellte. In diesem Duo wollte ja keiner den anderen übertrumpfen, was den ganz besonderen Reiz von Kolbe & Illenberger ausmachte (im Gegensatz zu fast allen anderen Gitarrenduos).Hier, auf „Blue Moment“, zeigt Kolbe alles, was er damals draufhatte und es ist kaum zu glauben, dass er zum Zeitpunkt der Aufnahme gerade mal 19 Jahre alt war. Leicht und locker perlt es von den Saiten, heute noch so bestechend wie seinerzeit.Frage: Weshalb wurde aus „I’m still waiting“ kein Hit? Der Song hätte das Zeug dazu. Das gilt übrigens auch für einige Titel seiner aktuellen CD „Songs from the inside“, die ich hier ebenso uneingeschränkt empfehlen möchte. Ich nenne nur „Sea of past“ - unbedingt anhören!

vor über 25 Jahren die LP gekauft, ein wunderbares Guitarpicking. Lange Zeit hat er nicht mehr gespielt, wegen einer schweren Erkrankung. Neulich in der Acustic-Guitar gelesen, dass er wieder genesen ist. Deshalb mich auch an die LP erinnert, die CD Einspielung gesucht und gefunden. Ein Hörgenuss.

Akustikgitarrenklänge pur von Martin Kolbe in seinen frühen Jahren.Wunderschöne Lieder, zeitlos interpretiert und mit seinem prägenden Stil gespielt.Leider gibt es aus dieser Zeit nur diese eine Scheibe von ihm als CD.