Martyn Bradley

[nils]

I just saw that someone is selling an unplayed album of Martyn Bradley on ebay. I bought it 25 years ago and I'm still thinking that he is one of the best english concertina players I've heard.

 

Is he still playing concertina?

Maybe the ICA should buy items like this for the archive.

Alan, it would be nice if Martyn was included in English International.

 

Nils

[jonmac]

Hi Nils ...

 

Thank you for the question ...

I was alerted to it's exsistence by John Wild and, like him, had never heard of Martyn Bradley ... I now simply haven't heard him - yet!

 

Your question caused me to do a little searching on the internet where I found that a copy of Martyn Bradley's "Time Can't Stand Still" being sold for under £10 - it was delivered to my front door this morning ... essentially to satisfy my curiosity but also to become part of the ICA Sound Archive!

 

The Archive is something I'm working on "slowly" when my time isn't drowned by doing other things for the ICA (Currently preparing PICA2 for the web site).

 

So, thank you for your question ... while I must admit an unplayed copy of an album sounds "interesting" I'm not sure I'd want to buy it ... well, how could one bring oneself to actually play it!

 

DO I think this sort of item should be purchased for the ICA Archives - the answer must be "Yes" - but even better if people donate them! My attitude is that, as "Sound Archivist" I shall (do) purchase what I can for the archive with the intention that when I "pop my clogs/ close my concertina case" my family will pass them onto the ICA! My family place the music of the concertina (even played by better men than me) very low on their lists of enjoyable sounds!

 

What I would ask anyone who reads this to remember - is that I am aware there is a whole history of recordings that occured long before I even became aware of the existance of the concertina ... so if you know of ANY recordings that strongly feature the concertina - please let me know - at the best you'll improve my education - at worst we'll generate a real discography for the instrument(s) (or do I mean the other way round!)

 

Kind regards

Jon

[PeterT]

Hi Jon,

 

I agree with your comments.

 

I haven't forgotten you; I've just "come up for air" in the last few weeks, getting back out on the bike, and preparing for today's filming of BBC's "Bargain Hunt" (see separate posting).

 

I've got a few more tapes to run through, before I tackle the "difficult" 1991 ICA Festival tapes. Then my archive will be ready for handing over to the ICA.

 

Regards,

Peter.

[jonmac]

Hi Jon,

 

I agree with your comments.

 

I haven't forgotten you; I've just "come up for air" in the last few weeks, getting back out on the bike, and preparing for today's filming of BBC's "Bargain Hunt" (see separate posting).

 

I've got a few more tapes to run through, before I tackle the "difficult" 1991 ICA Festival tapes. Then my archive will be ready for handing over to the ICA.

 

Regards,

Peter.

 

Hi Peter (and Dick)

It wasn't a "dig" at you Peter - after all I do have some idea just how long it takes to process music tapes - a friend produced a one hour CD from a live recording in the Folk Club - told me that it took over 100 hours of process time to complete! I look forward to receiving your archive with a sort of excited dread - but I can wait a while!!

 

For the record (since I have the record - and very nice too) Martyn Bradley recorded on the Greeneich Village lable (GVR 205) which, if I recall, was part of Sweet Folk All Recordings - Joe Steads "Empire"!

Clues that might help tracking him down - the LP was co produced by Paul Downes - and I've also found references to a Martyn Bradley performing with a Warwick Downes - who is also on the LP. And while there is probably no connection - I have found references to a Martyn Bradley as a geologist working for the Warwick Centre for Life Long Learning!

 

So, any clues to a contact would be good - the LP might have been made in 1979 - but it's never too late to gather stories and biographies of "yesterdays players" - preferably while they are still alive!

 

Kind regards

Jon