Sam Green and Joe James Live, thirty years of Wren Music and Wassailing

On Monday 14 January 2013 on rootsandshoots with presenter Martin Hodge, Sam Green and Joe James gave us a lively, exhilarating and highly entertaining set for us. Apologies that we did have some sound problems - I do hope they didn't spoil your enjoyment of the show.

Sam and Joe's songs were The Little Ditty, Slip Strings, Highway One and Wood For The Trees.

Sam and Joe have been touring extensively as part of the band Sam Green and the Midnight Heist and occasionally as a duo. The band are playing in Exeter at the Revelry (on the Quay) on Friday 25 January. More info about Sam Green and the Midnight Heist gigs and details of the launch tour for their new EP Miles Away on Facebook. Listen to their music on Soundcloud. 

Wassailing in the West Country includes plenty of cider to drink and to pour on apple tree roots to ensure a bumper harvest later in the year -along with shooting in the air to keep the evil spirits at bay. The apple-related and Wassail songs played were
Blur..Wassail Song

Lara Conley..Apple Tree..Apple Tree
Shirley Collins..Ashen Faggot Wassail..Adieu To Old England

The City Fruit Wassail Celebration organised by local group Harvest takes place at Mincinglake Community Orchard on Sunday 27 January from 15:00.

"Join us in an ancient ceremony to bless the apple trees, and cast out bad spirits to ensure an abundant apple crop in the following year. Dancing from Beltane Border Morris, music with Exwick Singers, mulled apple juice and cider, apple cake...and plenty of festive good cheer!" Facebook page here.

Celebrated community folk arts organisation Wren Music is 30 years old. Find out about what they do in Exeter and other parts of Devon on their website. To celebrate their birthday we played

The EelGrinders..Georgina..Voyage

Rosa Rebecka..Can Vei La Lauzeta Mover..Songs for Mrs Beautiful

Nick Wyke & Becki Driscoll..Barnstable to Umberleigh..Beneath the Black Tree

Solarference..Willow Tree

Matt Norman..The Cliff; Eight Days Late..Eight Days Late

Marilyn Tucker and Paul Wilson..Tom's Gone to Hilo..On the Tide

Other music played

Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba..Jama Ko..Jama Ko

Waterson : Carthy..New Year Carol, Residue..Holy Heathens and the Old Green Man

Tamikrest..Tahoult..Adagh

The Albion Dance Band..Uncle Bernard's; Jenny Lind; The Hunt Is Up..The Prospect Before Us

Marcus Bonfanti..Bittersweet..Medicine Man

Bert Jansch..Blackwaterside..Legend - The Classic Recordings

Kouatchou..Combien De Temps..Change

Kouatchou is doing a song spot at the Exeter Green Party Winter Ceilidh with Sheer Hopody and caller Martin Hodge on Saturday 26 January in Exeter. Details here. 

Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba feat. Taj Mahal ..Poye 2..Jama Ko