Chirpy-chirpy tales from musical Nightingale Mark

A chip off the Gregg Allman block takes the Stables stage this evening, when Devon Allman brings his band to play for you at the Wavendon venue.

The guitarist and songwriter has a couple of recent year releases worth engaging with; A 2013 solo affair, and 2014’s multi-collaborative work, Ragged & Dirty which brings together old covers and fresh originals.

Tickets to see Ireland’s top rated comedian Tommy Tiernan at work on Friday are pretty much gone, but The James Brothers are still booking, over on Stage 2.

Funnily enough they aren’t really siblings, and only one of them is called James!

These chaps hail from the lands down under – Australia and New Zealand.

And it’s in those very lands that the traditional songs of the British Isles have evolved their own unique characteristics – and they just happen to be the very same tunes The James Brothers have turned their attentions to.

Both have worked extensively in sound – James Fagan is usually paired, in music and matrimony with Nancy Kerr, and his parents are The Fagans.

The other ‘James’ is Jamie, who has fiddled and whistled in a manner of speaking, alongside The Waifs, Beth Nielson Chapman and John McCuster, when he isn’t being musically creative with his wife, Emily Smith.

This show, the third on their UK trawl, will let the guys share material from their debut album.

‘Think of your stereotypical colonial folk song...and then think again,” they say of the unique and arresting collection of tracks contained.

Martin Carthy & John Kirkpatrick will be on the stage on Saturday night.

The long-time collaborators and leading interpreters of English folk traditions will reward ticket-holders with a typcially warm, natural and charismatic performance.

On Sunday morning, the quite brilliant Mark Nightingale will be in conversation with Brian Peerless, as part of the Jazz Matters season.

Mark has recorded and played with a stunning array of performers – from Cleo Laine and Charlie Watts to Frank Sinatra and Steely Dan, and when he is not bringing his jazz trombone playability to the work of others, he engages with his own Big Band.

In the evening, Otava Yo will deliver the proud traditions of Russian folk song to the 21st century.

There’s plenty going on here, from lyrical gusil, global guitar and waiting bagpipes to driving songs of rural romance, heroic sailors and pancakes!

Turin Brakes are back in play on Tuesday as part of a tour in support of their new album, Lost Property, with Tom Speight up in support, and then the week wraps up on Wednesday with the Mudibu & Jezebel Sextet, and their tribute to the music of Otis Redding which takes funky to a whole new level.

To book tickets visit www.stables.org