One of the (many) great joys of writing for NE:MM is the opportunity to discover artists that, under normal, musically blinkered, circumstances you’d never get to hear about.
So when the chance arose to listen to Michael Woods’ new album, East Coast Fret, I grabbed it with both ears because it sounded intriguing. A local guitarist who has been playing blues professionally for 20 years records an album of original guitar instrumentals inspired by the North East of England. Be honest, you’re a little bit curious now too.
Across 14 tracks Michael takes us on a musical journey around many of the landmarks we know and love, from the wonderfully evocative opening tune, a two-parter entitled ‘Blink of an Eye’ inspired by the Millennium Bridge to the lively ‘Celebration March’ which recalls Michael’s fond memories of Durham Miners’ Galas and is one of the album’s many high points.
Along the way we take in ‘Salters Bridge’, Split Crow Road’ (where Michael bought his first guitar in 1975), ‘Tin School Rag’ which pays tribute to the now demolished Tin School at Gilesgate Moor that Michael attended as a boy and ‘Haddricks Mill’ a slow, beautiful tune with musicianship of a quality rarely heard in 2014.
Best on offer though are the title track, ‘East Coast Fret’ in which Michael picks his way through a lively tune in a way that sounds marvelously technically accomplished and fantastically lazy at the same time and the all too brief ‘Lady Jane’ which brings the album to a close on a note of deep melancholy.
Michael will be premiering works from this new album at 7.30pm on Friday 7 February at St. Mary’s Heritage Centre, Gateshead. It’s an opportunity definitely not to be missed!
Words: Neil Pace
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