Few artists have done as much to stretch the definition of folk and traditional music as Jim Moray whose albums have featured electronic percussion, rock guitars and guest rappers.
His Saturday and Sunday appearances will show why he’s been hailed by many as the saviour of British folk.
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Jim Moray is not the saviour of British Folk by any stretch of the imagination. While he is very good there really is nothing new in what he is doing. I can list dozens of unsigned artists who are just as innovative and talented as Jim Moray. I think it is unfair and a deisservice to the many talented musicians out there.
for example check out the 460 musician members of the Artistic Freedom Collective to get some idea of the talent out there doing their bit for British Roots music
www.afcollective.com
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Jim morray is great and i was lucky to catch him twice at this years festival.. and realy enjoyed both sets .. no he may not be the "saviour of britsh folk music " whatever that means !!.. but he does break down many stereotypes and definately has what it takes to score some crossover success .. ( with a bit of help from radio 2 perhaps ? ) ...
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Heard Jim's set on the main stage (stuck behind all those "considerate folkies" who brought a chairs, pop-up tents, etc. with them) and made sure I saw him on Sunday in on Stage 2. I'm not enough of a folkie to know if someone is its saviour, but it is rare in any genre and I hope this doesn't become an albatross for him to carry. Of course if the music career dries up he can always return to playing Quidditch (thanks RG!)...
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I agree with comment 1 - really disappointed with the set on stage 2 on sunday - they looked drunk and disorganised - not sure if putting a rap backing track through a laptop "pushes the boundaries of folk" to be honest. not at all refreshing just a bit boring and he seemed like a frustrated rocker who didnt make it big in any charts so hit the folk circuit instead. Maybe i am being unfair but thats just my view!
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Dear AFCollective, I think it is very sad that you have been negative about a musician in order to create a way to promote your AF Collective of other musicians. I was at Cambridge Folk Festival and it was an uplifting and positive experience. I am sure everyone else on this board would hope to see that reflected in the spirit of discussions here. Good luck with your musicians' collective. Hopefully some of them will be lucky enough to play at Cambridge Folk Festival in the years to come.
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I'm not sure that anyone, especially the man himself, has ever seriously suggested that Jim Moray is the "saviour of British folk". He's one of a number of exceptionally talented, imaginative and driven musicians and singers who are currently filtering their experience of traditional music through a different set of influences than those of earlier generations. For the most part Jim Moray gets it just about right as far as I'm concerned.
I saw him three times at Cambridge and got the impression that, rather than being drunk, he was just a bit hyper, and more so before his sets than during them. Maybe it's nerves, maybe it's because they only have 20 minutes between acts to change over and line check or maybe it's just his way of getting the adrenalin going but whatever it is it worked because he was exceptional every time.
Oh, and as for him hitting the folk scene because he couldn't make it anywhere else, it's probably worth noting that he grew up singing and playing traditional music and has been playing and dancing for morris for years.
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I saw all three of Jim's sets at the Folk Festival. I would agree that the third set on Stage 2 on Sunday wasn't as sharp as the others, but then the crowd also seemed much more subdued and less responsive- it was Sunday after all- and this must have made his job all the more difficult.
As for the saviour of folk? No-one 'saves' an entire genre on their own, but one thing is for sure, the likes of Jim Moray, Kate Rusby, Bella Hardy, Jon Boden etc. are a young fresh set of dedicated musicians who are opening up the folk market for those up us under the age of 35 who have always enjoyed folk, but never felt it connected entirely to them. I have loved folk music all my life, I grew up around the stuff, but it's taken the wave of 'new faces' in the last couple of years or so to really switch me back on to it.
So, thank you to Jim Moray for entertaining me over the weekend- long may it continue!
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