In the Lee of Lee

Think twice before meeting your heroes, they say, don’t they? Something like that. Well, that advice went out of the window last night. After delivering a superb set, Albert Lee and his band (Ali Petrie - piano, Hammond, and backing vocals. Iain Petrie - bass and backing vocals. Tim Hillsdon - drums and backing vocals) were out in the foyer of The Haymarket in Basingstoke, generously signing merch and posing for photos, even with crusty fanboys like the old guy on the left. Albert, glass of red wine at hand, smiled broadly when I mentioned a clip of him playing C’est La Vie with Emmylou Harris’s Hot Band from back in 1977. 81 years old he might be but Albert’s fingers still run riot around the fretboard with mesmerising speed and accuracy. He’s a name that’s credited on countless albums across more than six decades and various genres, although his default playing style is undeniably country rock. Admired by fellow musicians, from the Everly Brothers to Eric Clapton, and one of the most sought after session players in Nashville, Albert Lee is, to my mind, one that nearly got away under the radar. So glad he decided to undertake this current tour at a time when I imagine he could easily be taking a few steps back from the limelight. So glad, also, that Heather treated me to a ticket for my birthday, last November.

What’s coming up? Oh yes, Steeleye Span in May and Elkie Brooks in October, with lots of space to fill in between. Speaking of space, watch this one.

Sights and Sounds

As ever, I’ve been watching more than my fair share of TV offerings. The Macaluso Sisters was a standout film for me. Set in Palermo, Sicily, the story revolves around the effects of grief on the sisters, throughout their lives, after one of them meets a sudden and tragic end. Well worth a look. As is the film adaptation of Amy Liptrot’s autobiographical novel, ‘The Outrun’, starring Saoirse Ronan as Liptrot. The beauty and brutality of Orkney both holds the Liptrot character up and breaks her down simultaneously as she battles her alcoholism.

Chris O’Dowd’s quirky comedy drama, Small Town, Big Story, has got me chuckling to myself. Set in an Irish village that’s been chosen as the location for a big budget TV production, the plot is wonderfully woven with comic lines and tensions that arise from long held secrets among the locals. Oh, there’s an element of Sci-Fi in there too. It really does have an otherworldly vibe but then, it is written my O’Dowd. Christinia Hendricks and Paddy Considine head a fine cast.

On the music front, Like Albert Lee, Elkie Brooks is still going strong at 80. Here she is, performing Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City, in the Radio 2 Piano Room.