The man who Martin Simpson calls “a God-like creature,” Ben Nicholls, brings his (double) bass to the fore aided and abetted by a wealth of stars.

Release Date: 5th April 2024

Label: Hudson Records

Format: CD / digital

“It has been a continual source of pleasure to add low frequencies to the works of artists I admire,” says Ben, “and to play my part in helping them create so many brilliant albums.”

Duets – a real who’s who of Folk and related musicians. Ben Nicholls must have quite some address/little black book. The right hand man when it comes to the Seth Lakeman touring machine, Ben’s own Kings Of The South Seas project plus numerous other musicians of note who value his bottom end. Often wildly unappreciated and underestimated, the work of the bass player ranks possibly just above the much maligned drummer.

All comes to fruition when he needs a friend or two to help out on an album that has his name on the label. Fourteen tracks see Ben match a selection of Folk (and beyond) songs with a seriously impressive cast. Mostly recorded with live takes whilst creating a film for each track, sessions took place wherever Ben and his collaborators could meet up, from dressing rooms to church halls, Glasgow to New York City.

There’s an overarching intimacy with the arrangements kept to a minimal as the guests all do what you’d expect of them, respectfully maintaining a low key presence while the bass becomes the focus. Nadine Shah emotes in a late night, jazzy blues style to Cuckoo while Ben adds a rubbery bass line.

Amidst the busy patter of a percussion part that could be as simple as sticks on a wooden chair, Seth does his usual dancing fiddle on The Fire and while the bass is meant to be the star, Martin Simpson’s wonderfully fluid guitar is hard to ignore on Flash Company. More splendid guitar-ing comes from Kris Drever while Tim Eriksen keeps up the rustic and more off kilter end with a droning mystical song “learned from a book I found at a flea market over 30 years ago“

Another lovely contrast comes with Cara Dillon’s gorgeous purity and the world weary elegance of John Smith on RT’s Down Where The Drunkards Roll and when the singers take a break, Northern Frisk is another chance to admire the fiddle play of Sam Sweeney. Again, the bass punctuates with some decisive notes and keeping up the tune theme, Patsy Reid and Ben conjure up a gently rock and rolling swing where the bass takes grand bowed sweeps.

There’s so much more to admire, yet signing off with the bowed piece Elfen Waltz Ben is accompanied only by the subtle brushwork by Evan Jenkins from Kings Of The South Seas – his bass-ing well and truly to the fore and a final reminder of who/what really is the star of Duets.

Perhaps we should simply reinforce Ben’s take on Duets as “a magical journey with everyone bringing something different to the record, all held together by the voice of my old upright bass…”

Here’s The Greenland Whale Fisheries:

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