Tonight at my local folk club (the Royal Oak in Lewes) we had the 
incredibly brilliant Michael Marra.  Words fail me in describing how 
highly I think of his songwriting, and his performance of those songs; 
so I will (for once!) not attempt to describe what I cannot.  Just be 
sad that you weren't there.  He is very, very special.

But you would think that nothing could get better than a wonderful 
evening with Mick Marra;  and so I would have thought.  But tonight was 
also the debut floor-spot of a newly-formed trio, all of them talented 
and experienced performers, but newly come together:  the long-time duo 
consisting of fiddler Ben Paley (son of Tom Paley and Claudia Gould) and 
guitarist Tab Hunter, plus extra added singer Laura Hockenhull (the 
north country maid who down to Sussex has strayed).  Ben and Tab are a 
most excellent duo, but the addition of Laura, with her beautiful voice 
and superb delivery and interpretation, lifts and brightens and 
highlights the men's voices and instruments;  and they in turn raise 
their game (as if anything had seemed to be lacking!) in response.  They 
just *mesh*:  as a combination, they are quite simply jaw-droppingly 
magic.

Only once before have I seen the club crying "Book them! Book them!" 
after such a floor spot.  That was when two young men by the names of 
John Spiers and Jon Boden played a blinder of a floor spot, and picked 
up their first two professional bookings then and there (we have two, 
totally co-operative and non-competitive, folk clubs in Lewes, and both 
organisers homed in on them like hornets).

So, this new and as-yet-unnamed trio (I suggested BLT, but Laura's dad 
had apparently suggested The Paleyontologists, which I reckon is superb) 
are to be watched out for, without a doubt.  Go listen to them, whenever 
you get the chance!  Book them now, before everybody else does!  (No, I 
don't have contact details;  I'm an enthusiast, not an agent.  Club 
organisers are supposed to be detectives, aren't they?  Ask Vic Smith!)
-- 
Molly Mockford
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin
(My Reply-To address *is* valid, though may not remain so for ever.)