Tennessee Waltz – Over Hulton Folk Club – Wednesday 4th December 2024
Some 16 months since their last appearance, the much awaited return of Jimmy Rae and Sarah-Lou Fletcher, aka Tennessee Waltz, ended the year’s concert programme at OHFC.
Their brand of light country/folk always makes for an entertaining night out and our wait was rewarded when they began with a slow ballad, Tomorrow Night. Jimmy appreciated the audience coming out on a foul evening, a sign of how they have the same dedication to music as the long-suffering song writers like their talented creative support artist Len Pilkington (reviewed here). Homage was paid to him in the next song One Of The Good Guys, co-written by Jimmy and Sarah -Lou. This upbeat tune was also full of close harmonies between them.
Jimmy informed us that a love song was missing from his repertoire until he met Sarah-Lou. His new venture a musical called Under the Mersey Moon, proudly penned by Jimmy will be premiered in February 2025 in New Brighton and features this song.
A similar sentiment was returned in Sarah-Lou’s Just In Time, which was one of many songs sung tonight from their album A Different Road. Jimmy adopted an interesting chiming echoey effect on his guitar for this one too. Much deserved respect was paid to the songwriting talents of John Prine with their arrangement Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness revealing for the first time tonight Sarah Lou’s effortless natural vocal purity matching Nanci Griffiths’ cover of this song. The title song of their album, which also is included in the musical hinted at their Everly Brothers influence.
Jimmy delved into his early career with one of his more politically minded songs ‘what he wrote’ in the 80’s. With a swingy beat, Someone’s Selling Off The Country bemoaned the closure of much loved buildings ( also known as pubs) to be replaced by car parks and superstores.
It is amazing that four years from the dreaded lockdown artists constantly refer to the effect it had on them…. good or bad! Whilst ensconced in a cosy house in Wales the song Oh Marian was written.
Likening the demise of the performing career of a veteran country singer came the song These Boots . This jaunty tune with a Goodbye Mary Lou beat included a drumbeat I’ve not heard before and helped fill the gaps and lift the song in the absence of a bass player or expensive drummer.
Tennessee Waltz’s reputation deserves a bigger profile which should be enhanced with the musical Under The Mersey Moon. They continued to promote this project with the title song from it. Currently they are “big in Heswell” but we hope it will give them greater exposure in the new year.
The second part of the evening promised greater audience participation. So the OHFC faithful gladly joined in clapping along to Where Is Love? Retirement can have the effect of being reclusive or inspire into action. When We Are Old with its 60’s pop ballad feel warned of becoming a prisoner to age and promoted making most of the time with family.
Sarah – Lou told us of their valuable outreach work in schools where a new creature the Cameldeer was invented by one creative student. Being 4 days into Advent was enough of an excuse to sing the Beatle-ish sounding Together Again At Christmas which provoked a brief Beatles theme by singing one of the better B-sides of 60’s hits This Boy. The tricky harmonies of this song were accomplished with aplomb.
Anyone one who can prise Over Hulton into a song deserves some merit and Jimmy and Sarah- Lou managed this in the ever popular Country Roads before ending the evening with a chance to sing a long to Walking In A Winter Wonderland. Before “dashing through the rain” to rescue their new puppy (and/ or house) they completed a super evening with their signature tune Tennessee Waltz.
Everyone went home content after a balanced blend of creative original songs and familiar covers, close harmonies, subtle guitar and harmonica skills which will make a return for Tennessee Waltz an evening to look forward to. Follow their website for details of Jimmy’s musical which is playing for just a couple of nights near the end of February.
It’s been an amazing year at OHFC as the annual audiences must have increased in size in correlation with the high quality of artists.
More is promised next year so for news of all the acts, keep an eye on the OHFC website . The year year kicks off with two local favourites, Houghton Weavers in January on the 29th and annual visitors Merry Hell 19th February.
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