Riverdale

A lovely concert from one of my favourite musicians. Andy Cutting wove a feather bed out of a patchwork of tunes; step dances from Quebec, Polskas from Sweden, Bourrées from France, Morris tunes from England, his own and other peoples compositions, but in his own arrangements, played on a pair of diatonic button accordions and a melodeon, in his own quiet, absorbing, way. Notes tumbled out like a boxful of butterflies suddenly released into Spring sunshine. It was all stitched together with entertaining inconsequentialities about his family, his pets and his life in music.

Despite the apparent lightness of the gig this is no lightweight in the folk world as his musical partnerships show, he has played with the likes of Ian Carr, Karen Tweed, Chris Wood, Kate Rusby, Martin Simpson and June Tabor as well as being a founder member of the fabulous dance band Blowzabella. He is one of the best on the scene and his quiet demeanour hides a strong commitment to the music he plays. His musicianship is outstanding and his compositions superb.