News on michelgriffin.com: Ballads and Blues and Romantic Piano Music

m i c h e l g r i f f i n

Thursday 23 May 2013

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The folk-club is looking for a home (April 2012)

Before the folk-club made the happy discovery of its new home at the Chateau of Labastide Marnhac, the following article appeared in La Depêche:

« Friday 27 April, the Carré d'Art, in rue Pélegry, Cahors, will welcome the Cahors Folk Club within its walls for the last time. Topping the bill will be world-class harmonica-player Michel Herblin. This local musician has won two gold medals at international harmonica competitions in the USA. His most recent album 'Golden Harmonica Melodies' has been a huge success, with some critics hailing it as a masterpiece.

For three years now, the Cahors Folk-Club has been providing a platform for local performers, well-known, less well-known, totally unknown and complete beginners alike. Founded by two British musicians, Michel Griffin and Mark Newman, the club began immediately to promote cultural exchanges between francophones and anglophones. Today, Didier Gaillien, another local musician, has taken the place of Mark Newman. He will join Michel Griffin in singing and playing on the 27 April.

The Folk-Club is a bit like an open-mic session, with a series of performers giving two songs each, culminating with a concert from the main guest. And half way through each evening, there's an interval during which Cahors wine and snacks are served - providing a fine opportunity for the performers and public to mingle.

APPEAL LAUNCHED

The club is alive and well on the Internet, via its YouTube channel which has already attracted over 68000 views, and enjoys an international reputation, attracting the attention of groups like Gigspanner, the trio assembled by Peter Knight, Steeleye Span's violinist, who will be giving a concert in September, if the club finds a new home.

Cahors Folk-Club has been looking for a new venue for three months now.» - La Depêche

New CD online ! (September 2011)

My latest CD - Ballades & Blues - 20 tracks, all recorded live, in concert, is finally available for online download and purchase. Try clicking on the download button, just to see what happens !!

Concert in Puy l'Eveque (July 2011)

« 20th July 2011: On the banks of the Lot, on the terrace of the café-restaurant « la Batelière » in Puy-l'Evêque, two musicians gave a fabulous concert to an appreciative set of diners. The duo were singer-songwriter Michel Griffin, who has lived in St. Géry for 11 years, and his accompanist, Marcel « Frenchie » Dègre, a talented harmonica-player. Their repertoire consists of ballads and blues - predominantly in English. They give concerts throughout the Lot Valley, and can be found faithfully every last Friday in the month, in the Cahors Folk Club in the Carré d'Art art gallery in rue Pélegry, Cahors. Site : www.michelgriffin.com. » - La Depêche

Good press for the Bumets (July 2011)

« Un spectacle musical de rare qualité » is what La Depêche had to say about the Bumets' concert in Vers on 9th July. You can read the whole article here.

Open Mic sessions in St. Géry (June 2011)

Patrick Saradeil, the new proprietor of the restaurant ‘On Passe à Table’ in St. Géry, has already introduced a number of innovations. With the help of two local musicians, Michel Griffin, who runs the Cahors Folk Club, and Allison Marriot, he has now launched a series of ‘Open Mic’ sessions at the restaurant, and is in the process of establishing a programme of Tapas Concerts for the Summer. The ‘Open Mic’ sessions take place on the second Thursday of each month at the restaurant, which is in the centre of St. Géry, on the D662 between Cahors and Cajarc. Already recruited for the Tapas Concert series: the WoodsLot duo, who ran a Karaoke evening on June 4th, ‘Booby Traps’ on June 25th, the ‘Beans Blues Band’ on 2nd July, the ‘Claire Aberlenc Trio’, on 30th July, Michel Griffin & Frenchie Dègre on 6th August, and ‘Rag Mama Rag’ on 27th August. On the menu will be Spanish specialities, tapas such as fried squid and ‘Accras de Morue’, and the musical fare promises to be quite as tasty as the food. Not to be missed !

For more information, contact Michel Griffin via his site www.MichelGriffin.com or Patrick Saradeil on 05 65 31 43 73.

The 'SOS Haiti' concert (February 2010)

There's not much about the music in this review in La Depêche of the benefit concert for Haiti, which Mark Newman & I ended up opening on 9th February 2010. But, if you were there, you might recognise yourself in the photo accompanying the article ! More than 700 people turned up in a blizzard, to see Mark Newman and myself, Rag Mama Rag, Francesca Graziano & Limmie Snell, the Toubib Jazz Band, Judy Blair Quartet and Gary Brooker (Founder of Procol Harum) - and a good time was had by all.

Most importantly, the concert raised more than 10,000 € [$14,000] for the orphans of Haiti.

A much fuller review appeared in the 18th February edition of La Vie Quercynoise, where Jean-Louis Crassac had this to say about us:

« Marc [sic] Newman et Michel Griffin, qu'on a eu le plaisir de découvrir au Carré d'Art, avaient pour redoutable mission d'ouvrir le bal. Deux chanteurs guitaristes rappelant sans servilité le duo Simon and Garfunkel, avec en plus la touche d'humour toujours maniée avec délicatesse par ces deux Britanniques terriblement quercynois.»

There's a full review of the concert on the 'French Entrée' website, and there's also now a YouTube channel devoted to clips from the concert.