REVIEW FROM www.livingtradition.co.uk

ENOCH KENT
Take A Trip With Me
Borealis BCD202

Nic Jones always used to cite Enoch Kent as one his major influences.  Personally I owe Enoch an apology.  As someone who was an influence on revivalists of the 1970s and was no longer on the scene, I assumed he was an older source singer who was long dead.  That's despite picking up a couple of 1960s Topic albums by his group, The Exiles, back when records went out of fashion. Now, checking the sleeve notes carefully, I find that far from dying Enoch just emigrated to Canada.  Now, with Canada part of the global folk village rather than the back of beyond, he returns at 70 years old.

His North American sojourn has seen him add Woody Guthrie and various Australians to his recorded repertoire - not to mention a number of songs he has written himself.  One of the most striking is the Canadian historical song, The Murder Of Ginger Goodwin, about the establishments removal of a miners champion.  There's a nod to the power of the tradition in The Old Time Songs, a path also trodden by Bob Copper, and a more cynical take on the commercialisation of Christmas in The Store-Owners Christmas Carol.  There's plenty of traditional songs too, with a fine Bonnie Susie Clelland, Off To Sea Once More, The Bonnie Wee Lassie That Never Said 'No', as well as Burns’ Ae Fond Kiss. 

14 songs in all, as well as some tasteful, if low-key, accompaniments.  Kent even did the artwork for the sleeve. Welcome back from the grave, Enoch.

Bob Harragan