Hove Folk Club

Jon Harvison : Friday 5th November
Report by Harry Bolter

A Bonfire Night saw the lowest turnout for the club on record which was a shame because the standard was high.

First, the floor singers: Robb did his customary new song - in fact, two songs, on this night of rockets. The song about the buried miners had us smiling as it mirrored the fate of the miners recently released in Chile's camp hope.

Mike Reinstein followed this up with another unbelievable tune about the way refugees feel when settling in a new country.  The title was a Yiddish saying so forgive me for not writing it here.

Sue and Will's jigs and reels made for a pleasant contrast, as did Ruth's soft songs.

So, on to Jon Harvison, the guest for the evening - and a purveyor of fine songs he was, as well as a friendly manner and charming sales technique for CDs ("Still Water" is available on the Unlabelled record label, a part of Irregular Records).

The advantage of the cosy atmosphere was that Jon spoke to the audience on an individual basis, introducing his songs such as the title track (from the CD) "Still Water", as well as a few covers of others' songs including Robb's "Be Reasonable". Jon even managed a request "North Face of Everest", which he doesn't usually play live. "North Face of Everest" tells the story of the exploitation of Everest for tourism as the Tibetan monks watch on.

Jon has a powerful voice and I for one hope he returns when the club is full, he has great songs and is a natural entertainer. He sells CDs too!

Web site: www.jonharvison.com

MySpace: www.myspace.com/jonharvison

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