Cathryn Craig and Brian Willoughby - 13 March - review

This was indeed a night to remember, Virginian-born Craig and Stawb Brian Willoughby demonstrated once more their intuitive understanding of each other's musicality; Willoughby's sensitive, multi-styled guitar solos and breaks supported Craig's strong vocals. They created an atmosphere of front porch intimacy in a repertoire of songs inspired by personal experience whose hallmark was strong rhythms, singable choruses, provocative vocals and contrasting improvisatory guitar solos.

Paying tribute to Craig's Southern American musical heritage, of which Craig said, 'the music I grew up with is almost all feel,' they performed several numbers from the recent CD Pigg River Symphony. Asked by Club organiser Anne L Ryan to share the secret of their successful arrangements, Craig commented that they experimented with and discussed the effect of different styles and timbres.

They shared with their appreciative audience their forthcoming single 'Rumors of Rain', on which other folk artists have collaborated to raise money for hospital treatment for child war victims. Soulful indeed, this was their third time to play at the Cambridge Folk Club, and by far the most powerful performance yet.

If you have not had the chance to hear Craig and Willoughby live, they are a most powerful duo. Highly recommended should they come your way.

Cathryn Craig and Brian Willoughby were supported by up-and-coming singer-songwriter Louise Collins. Collins arrived at the Cambridge Folk Club three years and is a regular at the Club's Open Stage nights. Her talent as a songwriter has been developing slowly over that time, and on this occasion she thrilled an appreciative audience with her delicate but forthright repertoire.