FOGGY has been part of my music-loving life for more than a decade or three – singing his coverversion songs either on his own or with two, three, sometimes four or five accompanying musicians – and coming over the mic with self-deprecatory comments and good-natured chat.
So it's good to hear him singing a whole CD's worth of original songs with the Woolgatherers, a selection of Scarborough's finest musicians, in a live gig which celebrates his association with one of the town's best pubs, Indigo Alley. And doing it o
nly weeks before that special place in North Marine Road changes owners and possibly music policy.
The CD is a major landmark for Foggy (Phil Hooley), and one of which he's very proud in his quiet way. "Never done my own stuff before, but I'd written a lot. We had spent a lot of time rehearsing for the CD, so it seemed right to do it in public once –- and a great time to do something new for the good old Indigo," he said after the gig.
The songs are great, and the performance was just right for the enthusiastic crowd, as everyone expected given that the band has Dave Kemp on saxes, accordion, and whistles, Aidan Lawrence on bass, Tony Lavery on guitar, Mark Payne on keyboards, Adam Wilmore on percussion and Richard Thwaites, a new face in Scarborough, making a fine mark with great fills on violin, mandolin and harmonica. Alec Scott also played guitar in the studio sessions.
A Long Way to Indigo is a great disc, with something for everyone, emphasising how lucky we in Scarborough are to be among such fine musicians.
It can be bought at Record Revivals.
The full article contains 291 words and appears in Scarborough Evening News newspaper.
