A LITTLE BUNDLE OF SUMMER. sidetracks & detours 3rd September 2025 featuring Jazz Artist, Jenny Bray. Broadcaster and writer, Steve Bewick, Expo Folk and Sound Roots

SIDETRACKS & DETOURS
Wednesday 3rd September 2025

edited & published by

THEATRE OF THE MIND

written by

NORMAN WARWICK & PETER PEARSON

UK FOLK MUSIC AUGUST NEWS

by Expo Folk

UK FOLK MUSIC LATEST CHARTS

by Sound Roots

HOT BISCUITS

served by Steve Bewick

UK FOLK MUSIC AUGUST NEWS

by Expo Folk

Here at Manchester Folk, we’re bringing you a full autumn programme featuring much-loved folk names and must-see emerging talent. From immersive singing workshops to performances by avant-pop cult heroes, explore below for some of what’s on later this year. You can look further ahead to the autumn programme at  Manchester Folk On Line.

Stolen From God
Sun 5 October 2025 | Hallé at St Michael’s

Witness Reg Meuross’ powerful song cycle exploring England’s role in the transatlantic slave trade featuring Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne, Suntou Susso

and narrator Matthew Bannister.

The Penguin Café

Sat 22 November 2025 | RNCM Concert Hall
In 2025, Penguin Cafe revive the legendary music of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra (right) with a UK tour celebrating their distinctive sound. Don’t miss their Manchester date, which will feature PCO classics that have captivated audiences around the world.

Announcing the Folk Album of the Year Award

Today,The Folk Album of the Year Award has been launched to celebrate the most artistically acclaimed folk, roots and acoustic albums in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

We’ve created the award alongside our good friends at the award-winning podcast Folk on Foot, in order to showcase the breadth and diversity of the genre’s community, celebrating originality, artistic quality and cultural impact – regardless of commercial profile.

The Award will spotlight eight shortlisted albums released in 2025, with the overall winner unveiled at an inaugural ceremony featuring live performances from nominated artists. The event will take place at Rochdale Town Hall on Tuesday 17 March 2026 and will be available to live stream. 

Each nominated album will be showcased in its own special episode of Folk on Foot in December 2025.

The Folk Album of the Year Award will highlight eight albums, chosen by a jury of performers, promoters, journalists and broadcasters chaired by celebrated English folk singer-songwriter and Executive Producer of BBC Radio 2’s ‘The Folk Show’, Kellie While, (left)

The Award complements the Sound Roots-commissioned Official Folk Albums Chart, which was launched in 2020 in collaboration with the Official Charts Company and provides monthly charts highlighting around 120 new folk releases each year.

David Agnew, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Sound Roots, said:

“This Award is about celebrating the sheer breadth of creativity and artistic innovation in folk music today. We want to spotlight work that might otherwise go unheard, bringing brilliant new music to the widest possible audiences.”

Matthew Bannister, founder and host of Folk on Foot, commented:

“While the Official Folk Albums Chart highlights the most popular artists, this Award goes deeper – seeking out the extraordinary, the innovative, and the inspiring. Whether you’ve topped the chart or sold just a handful of copies, if you’ve made a remarkable album, we want to hear from you.”

UK FOLK MUSIC LATEST CHARTS

by Sound Roots & English Folk Expo

Today, the Official Charts Company reveals the Official Folk Album Chart, produced by English Folk Expo, featuring the Top 40 best-selling and most-streamed folk albums released in the UK during the July reporting period by UK and Irish artists. Listen back to the Official Folk Albums Chart Show, presented by Folk on Foot, via their YouTube channel for the full rundown of new entries.

10 new releases have entered the July chart:

No. 1 – Billie Marten’s Dog Eared (Fiction) – Billie Marten’s fifth album, recorded in New York with producer Phil Weinrobe and an all-star cast, delivers a warm, rich and confident collection brimming with self-belief.

No. 6 – Poor Creature’s All Smiles Tonight (River Lea) – The debut from Poor Creature featuring members of Landless and Lankum, reimagining historically steeped songs with themes of loss and separation through a modern, otherworldly lens.

No. 8 – Brìghde Chaimbeul’s Sunwise (Glitterbeat) – Scottish composer and small pipes player Brìghde Chaimbeul’s third album pushes experimental boundaries while deeply immersing in tradition, folklore and mystery.

No. 9 – Allo Darlin’s Bright Nights (Fika Recordings) – The first new material in a decade from the Anglo-Australian indiepop quartet, this record is a soft-focus portrait of love over the years, striking a timeless, joyous and emotional tone.

No. 13 – Ann Liu Cannon’s Clever Rabbits (JJ) – Blending ’70s folk and synth pop, this album charts personal grief, heritage and artistic growth, produced by Ethan Johns, intertwining English rural folklore with Chinese idioms.

Other new Top 40 chart entries are:

No. 14 – California Irish’s The Mountains Are My Friends (7HZ Productions)

No. 15 – Cate Francesca Brooks’ Lofoten (Clay Pipe)

No. 16 – Bonnie Dobson & The Hanging Stars’ Dreams (Loose Music)

No. 25 – Me Lost Me’s This Material Moment (Upset The Rhythm)

No. 29 – Ruth Lyon’s Poems & Non-Fiction (Wipe Out Music)

***Charting artists, to receive chart graphics to celebrate your success please contact info@englishfolkexpo.com.

The Official Folk Albums Chart is compiled by The Official Chart Company and produced by English Folk Expo. The Official Folk Albums Chart Show is presented by Folk On Foot with the support of English Folk Expo.

NEW JAZZ ALBUM FOR 2026

FROM JENNY BRAY

I haven’t been in touch for a while so thought I’d send you a few updates about what I have been doing and am doing for the remainder of this year…. both internationally and locally!

Please feel free to write something up about these events

Local Events 2025

Bridlington Community Centre (March 2025)

Bridlington Race The Waves (July 2025)

Bridlington Lions Carnival (August 2025) 

Bridlington RNLI Music Day (August 2025)

Sewerby Hall & Gardens coming September 7th!! (see attached)

Tribfest Sledmere 

Bridlington Friends Association Christmas concert coming December 3rd!!

International Events 2025

USA tour of live performances and radio broadcasts July 2025 in New Jersey, Pennsylvania & Virginia

Meanwhile I am looking forward to the publication of my Richard  Burton (aka Richard Jenkins) tribute poem being published  on November 16^th November  2025 (which will be Richard Burton´s centenary birthday)

in a new publication looking at Burton´s life.

There will be a short  tour from the 1st November including dates at Cardiff Sandringham Hotel & Swansea Dylan Thomas Theatre.

I haven’t been in touch for a while so  I thought I’d send you a few updates about what I have been doing and am doing for the remainder of this year…. both internationally and locally!

Please feel free to share this news with your loyal readers of Sidetracks & Detours. I would be very grateful if you could write something up about these events to share with your readers. If give me a call /email for a chat anytime I´m sure we could get something together.

In fact, it would be good to preview the Richard Burton Story and the recording of the new album in the States.

Looking forward to hearing from you if any of these news items are suitable for you.

Warm Regards

Jenny

HOT BISCUITS

Jazz served up by Steve Bewick

Hello Norm

Here is a drafting of my last few weeks´ activities for your consideration. 

It´s been a busy few weeks for me lately and there is more to come as the August Bank holiday weekend looms large on my list.

I had the opportunity to attend a CD launch recently, in Manchester. Triangles has been recorded by two collaborating musicians whose work has fascinated me for some time now. Olivia Moore and Adam Fairhall explore the music of the Appalachian mountains and Indian Ragas.

My weekly jazz broadcast, Hot Biscuits, had its first three way meeting to welcome Dr Alan Musson to the team of presenters. Alan has his own programme, Jazz Kaleidoscope with Sanctuary radio in the West Midlands.

A drive into the Ribble Valley recently led me to sample their jazz delights with lunch at Maxwell’s Cafe Bar, Clitheroe. A duo of Julian Gregory (Bass) and Ken Marley (violin). Good food, music and atmosphere.

The August bank holiday weekend takes me to Fishguard Jazz & Blues Festival 2025. In its 7th year now it brings together some of the best Jazz & Blues bands of Wales. In a fine coastal location, I have the pleasure of presenting two sets of music, one covering the influences of Miles Davis upon Jazz musicians past and present, and a second preceding a Bessie Smith gig highlighting the influences upon and contemporaries of the Empress of the Blues.

Now where did I put that bucket and spade!?

I´m home again from from a most enjoyable time at the Fishguard J&B Festival 25. Lots to tell and lots to give airtime to. I´m still working my way through everything I brought back.

Most of all lots of new friends to say hello to.
But first it’s time for the last of our summer wines with a view from the, `Crow’s Nest` by Radhika De Saram reviewed by Alan Musson,  who delves into their sounds and the sounds of world music within which it is located.

Also on the show is new music from, Eddie Gripper & Elijah Jeffery with `Dido’s Lament.` Lynne Holmes Music wants you to share your love with her. My favourite song `Send In The Clowns,` this time by Jackie Dankworth. courtesy of Dynamic Management Services. The Daniel Karlsson Trio appear with one from their new CD, Bus Stop. Catch Mark Hurrell’s Quartet with, `Words Can’t Say.` Last but not least is one from Maja Bugge with `A Ballad Of A Changing World.`

Isn’t it just, listeners?.
If this looks interesting then like, share and join us on HoT BiscuitS 24/07 at www.mixcloud.com/stevebewick/

Hi Steve, thanks for keeping me in the loop. I sense a new lightness of step as you walk down the jazz alleyways. I´ll definitely listen out for the Moore Fairhall work

over the next few weeks we will preview a new series for 2026

Written by Peter Pearson & Norman Warwick.

SONGWRITERS and INVISIBLE ANGELS

a Theatre Of The Mind publication

will commence in the first week of January 2026.

Peter and Norm have already each selected twelve songwriters, with one by each author to be published as one episode.

over the first weekend of December we shall publish

a preview, offering a teasing list of each journalist´s selection and inthat article we will also clarify why some artists consider some songs to be invisible angles that takeus from sad to glad.