Event type: Music

Jake Xerxes Fussell is a singer, guitarist, and composer based in Durham, NC. His intuitive creative process often draws from traditional music and archival field recordings – incorporating elements of songs from the past into new work. He is, according to Ann Powers of NPR, “maybe the leading interpreter of American folk music right now…” 

Fussell’s album When I’m Called was released to critical acclaim by Fat Possum Records in the summer of 2024. The album was produced by James Elkington and features Blake Mills (guitars), Ben Whiteley (bass), and Joe Westerlund (drums), along with additional vocals from Joan Shelley and Robin Holcomb.

Fussell and Elkington also wrote and recorded the music for Rebuilding, a new feature film directed by Max Walker-Silverman that premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

Bella Hardy, the voice of modern folk, established her reputation as a songwriter when her first original composition ‘Three Black Feathers’ earned a BBC Folk Award nomination in 2008.

Bella has since become a regular on radio and television, notably singing solo in a sold-out Albert Hall at the Proms. She’s written and recorded with everyone from Beautiful South founder David Rotheray to folk luminary Eliza Carthy, and performed with the great Mary Chapin Carpenter on her UK tours. She learnt the songs of Chinese farmers during her time as British Council Musician in Residence in Yunnan Province, spent a year in Tennessee as a ranch hand, and sat on the moors of her beloved Peak District with only her fiddle for company.

With the ability to conjure and twist stories that call straight to the heart, her themes of displacement and home, lost and found love, heartache and joy, are delivered with her unique, disarming honesty, and the acclaimed crystalline voice that won her BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Singer of the Year 2014.

Drawing from their mutual love of classic rock, pop, country, jazz and blues, Christine and Dave dive head long and full throttle into the songs they love. Their combined passion, talent and fun-loving personalities bring a natural warmth and great charm to their performances.

Dave Kelly is a founder member of The Blues Band and a stalwart of the British blues scene. He cut his teeth in the backing bands of Howlin’ Wolf and John Lee Hooker, and has played with Buddy Guy, Son House and Muddy Waters. The Blues Band have released about 20 albums, and Dave has 15 either solo or with his own Dave Kelly Band. Christine Collister came to prominence in the UK folk scene in the eighties, singing the title song for the BBC drama series Life & Loves Of A She Devil. She was in Richard Thompson’s touring band as vocalist and acoustic guitarist, and has released five acclaimed albums with Clive Gregson. She’s collaborated with many varied artists, and released a further 15 albums of solo and duo work.

The Liverpool Shanty Choir comprises a group of ship mates berthed at Liverpool John Moores University singing a cappella sea ballads and traditional work songs from the great age of sail.

With members from a variety of fields and backgrounds, they are a mixed choir specialising in songs (traditional and original) associated with the great port of Liverpool.

Shanty-singing is a communal genre, so come along prepared to sing, to blow the man down, and to mull over the question that has plagued humankind since they first went down to the sea in ships: What shall we do with the drunken sailor?

Following numerous sold-out Spinners Legends shows and the final show from Hughie Jones, ‘Son of a Spinner’ Danny Jones keeps the ball rolling when he returns to the Music Room for another unforgettable evening of music and fun inventively called In My Liverpool Home.

Danny will be joined once more by talented musicians Emma Scarr on fiddle, guitar and banjo, Paul Cook on guitar and of course local legend ‘Count’ John McCormick on double bass. There might even be a special guest.

Expect songs old and new, nautical and landlocked, local and overseas, plus all the old favourites that will have you singing in your seats and smiling all the way home.

A breath of fresh air, Ellis Murphy has amassed a cult following with his timeless brand of storytelling, through his songs that are both current and fresh but also reminiscent of a time when troubadours were the voice of a generation.

Ellis has played in coffee shops, live music clubs, castles and concert halls around the UK since his debut performance in 2022, most recently undertaking a string of bi-monthly shows entitled See What I See alongside a glittering supporting cast, as well as various other appearances in between.

A live performance from Ellis Murphy is not one to miss – with cutting edge, forthright lyrics that shine a veridical light on the modern world as well as Ellis’ own life and experiences.

 

What began in 1995 as a ground-breaking union of musicians and instruments, has continued as a unique musical offering through one live album, four studio albums and countless outstanding performances. A new recording is due for release in early 2025. After 30 years Flook show no sign of letting-up in their brilliance, their dynamism, or their inventive flair. 

The band early on evolved an inimitable trademark sound and hold fast to their rightful reputation as exceptional musical innovators; the whistles and flutes of Brian Finnegan and Sarah Allen, the guitar of Ed Boyd and the bodhran of John Joe Kelly weaving and spinning tunes rooted in tradition over precise acoustic grooves, with a rare blend of fiery technical brilliance, delicate ensemble interaction and a bold, adventurous musical imagination. 

There is an ever present abundance of individual virtuosity amongst Flook’s four members, but there is also something wholly unique when this iconic Anglo-Irish band step on stage together, their playing always an intuitive, almost symbiotic, exchange between the various flutes, whistles, frets and skins. An evening and a celebration you don’t want to miss out on.

 

The musical partnership between the world-renowned Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser and brilliant Californian cellist Natalie Haas spans the full spectrum between intimate chamber music and ecstatic dance energy. Over the last 20 years, they have truly set the standard for fiddle and cello in traditional music –and continue to thrill audiences at festivals and concert tours internationally with their virtuosic playing, a near-telepathic understanding and the joyful spontaneity and sheer physical presence of their music.

A 2011 inductee into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame, Fraser has a career spanning over 30 years, with a long list of awards, accolades, radio and television credits, and feature performances on movie soundtracks. Haas, a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music, is one of the most sought-after cellists in traditional music today, and has performed and recorded with a who’s who of the fiddle world. Together, the duo blend a profound understanding of Scottish tradition with cutting-edge string explorations, and, in addition to performing, they both have motivated generations of string players through their teaching at fiddle camps across the globe.

After the resounding success of Tapestry: A Tribute To Carole King, Visions of Albion return to the Music Room on Saturday 7 June  ready to embark on another musical journey through the ages. This time, the spotlight shines on Neil Young’s seminal 1970 masterpiece After The Gold Rush. 

Led by the captivating vocals of Samantha Shields and supported by harmonies that envelop the audience, Visions of Albion brings Young’s masterpiece to life. With Daniel Ryan’s soulful guitar work, Helen Maw’s enchanting piano melodies, the rhythmic foundation laid by Chris Jones on bass, and the dynamic beats of Pete Roper on drums, the stage is set for an unforgettable evening.            

From the raw emotion of ‘Tell Me Why’ to the haunting beauty of ‘Birds’ and the socially charged anthem ‘Southern Man’, experience the full spectrum of Young’s musical genius in a setting that is both intimate and electrifying.            

With two spellbinding performances to choose from, join Visions of Albion as they pay homage to Neil Young’s unparalleled artistry, weaving a tapestry of sound that captures the essence of a bygone era while resonating with timeless relevance and power.        

Whether you’re a die-hard fan or new to Young’s music, this is an experience not to be missed—a night of transcendent beauty, unforgettable melodies, and the timeless allure of After The Gold Rush.

 

Andy McKee, a renowned acoustic guitarist, is set to release his six-track EP “Symbol” on September 17. The EP features McKee’s interpretations of influential tunes that have inspired him, showcasing his ability to branch out and include music not originally for acoustic guitar.

Symbol includes renditions of songs by artists such as Michael Hedges, Preston Reed, Billy McLaughlin, and Prince. McKee’s unique approach to the guitar, including altered tunings, tapping, and percussive hits, has garnered him millions of YouTube viewers and established him as a prominent figure in the music industry. His upcoming EP is a testament to his musical prowess and the impact of influential artists on his own work.