Martin Carthy

For more than 40 years Martin Carthy has been a fixture on the British folk scene, and his dedication to England's musical heritage has undoubtedly helped keep those traditions alive into the 21st century. As a singer and guitarist Carthy has developed a simple but powerful style. He's not a flashy lead instrumentalist; instead playing acoustic power chords that keep a steady beat going. Carthy's vocal style is strong, direct and undecorated, and when he sings, the words of centuries old ballads are absolutely clear.

Carthy has performed in almost every possible format: solo, duo, acoustic group, a capella group and electric band. His first major break came from playing in a duo with fiddler Dave Swarbrick, and the two complemented each other well. Carthy's next big adventure was to join the second lineup of Steeleye Span, where he surprised the folk world by talking on the role of electric guitarist. Carthy remained with Steeleye Span long enough to record two albums, Please to See the King and Ten Man Mop or Mr. Reservoir Butler Rides Again.

He married Norma Waterson of the famous Yorkshire singing family and subsequently became a full member of the Watersons, whose specialty was multipart vocal harmony singing. Carthy returned briefly to an electric ensemble when he joined the Albion Country Band lineup, which recorded the classic LP Battle of the Field.

Carthy returned to Steeleye Span briefly in the late 1970's for a short-lived incarnation that left behind two good albums: Storm Force Ten and Live at Last. But that was Carthy's last regular stint with an electric band. He had wanted to form a folk-based band for some time but didn't want to go the conventional folk-rock route. Instead, he teamed up with accordion/melodeon virtuoso John Kirkpatrick and a brass section to form Brass Monkey. Brass Monkey was good on record but it really sparked in live settings.

Late in the 1990's, Carthy's daughter Eliza (vocals, fiddle) joined her father and mother in a new permutation of the family group. Martin Carthy also participated in a trio with fellow folk veterans Chris Wood and Roger Wilson. —Ken Roseman