An Introduction to Martin Simpson

Martin Simpson has curated his own Introduction To set for the Topic label, and has even gone to the trouble of adding an exclusive new track – the closing ‘Palaces of Gold’, a cover of Leon Rosselson's classic song featuring just Simpson's voice and acoustic guitar.

Simpson's been a prolific album artist since he started recording with June Tabor in the mid-1970s. A master of guitar, slide guitar and banjo, an adept and sensitive singer and songwriter, and a superb interpreter of traditional songs, it's little wonder he holds the record for BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominations.

Aside from a solo slide version of Cat Stevens’ ‘First Cut is the Deepest’, all the tracks come from his return to Topic from 2001. Instead of chronological order, Simpson has prioritised mood and feeling, so that one of his most recent recordings, the excellent Emily Portman song ‘Bones and Feathers’, opens the set, with the moving song to his father, ‘Never Any Good’, to follow. There's a choice track from the 2015 album Murmurs, featuring Simpson in a trio with Andy Cutting (who graces a good few of these tracks) and Nancy Kerr. Simpson's way with a good ballad has few peers, as evidenced by ‘John Hardy’, ‘Love Henry’ and ‘Sir Patrick Spens’. A great taster for Simpson newbies, and a welcome oasis of reflection for fans.