Folk - Bruce Molsky

“I’ve heard an interesting description of you,” I say to the US folkster Bruce Molsky, performing in Lewes this week, and who has rung from New York.
“Go on…”
“That you are like ‘Thelonius Monk on a pump organ.’”
“I’d forgotten that one. Funny, but not strictly accurate. I’m a folk musician rather than a jazzman, for a start.”

And a world famous one, at that. Bruce is best known for his fiddle playing, but will also be performing on the banjo and the guitar on Thursday. And singing. “I’m best known for playing old-time music,” he continues. “That’s a precursor to bluegrass music, before the advent of mass media. It’s analogous to English folk music, though as the United States is such a melting pot it contains a number of other influences: Scottish, blues, West African, Scandinavian. There’s a touch to all those. Even Hispanic.” This is the ‘third or fourth time’ Bruce has been invited to play at the Lewes Folk Club, which he loves. “English audiences are more inclined to participate automatically than American audiences, who need a bit more invitation to do so,” he says. “Though I’m not a big sing-along guy. About half my numbers are instrumental.” Not quite Mr Monk on a pump organ, then, though he does promise an ‘idiosyncratic take’ on the old-time sound. DL