Jon Loomes

JON LOOMES sings and plays a dozen or so instruments. He breaths fire, writes sonnets, paints in the style of Botticelli and makes violins. He doesn't like to blow his own trumpet (actually, it's a cornet) but he's aware that everyone says he is too self-deprecating, a failing that he is struggling hard to put right. Handsome, charming, witty and modest, Jon Loomes is beautifully constructed from English fine bone china and is lavishly adorned with 22 carrat gold. He comes fully equipped with heated seats, sat nav and electric windows, on the road from just £200,000. Send no money now. TODAY'S NEWS: THE BROTHERS DROHNE (Jon Loomes and The inimitable Philip G Martin) will be playing this coming Monday at the Tower of London, opening for The Good, The Bad & The Queen. Jon has absolutely no idea what's going on, but it all sounds very exciting.People say:"..a most entertaining evening, good songs, fine musicianship and superb audience interaction" - Letchworth Folk Club“Rarely do we see such knowledge, humour, and sheer enthusiasm in one night. For someone so young to be so good, is rare indeed. Thanks for a really enjoyable gig.” – Orpington Friday Folk Club“Jon Loomes sings well. His tween-song patter is concise, to the point AND humorous. He is master of a variety of instruments (fiddle, hurdy-gurdy, melodeon, concertina etc) but particularly the guitar (on which he excels in that 'English guitar' style that's evolved through Carthy/Jones/Rose). He is the 'complete' solo folk performer. Oh, how I hate him!” - Duncan McFarlaneIt can be a nightmare booking acts, you book your favourites then there are spaces to fill... CDs pile up, the phone rings, "please book XXXX, he's really good.." You read pages of bumf extolling virtues and the CD is rubbish... Amidst all this came the call to book Jon Loomes. Who? said I in ignorance. I was given a quick overview of his CV. I was unimpressed, there was good stuff but the mention of a band I had heard once and vowed never to hear again rather put me off! As it happened he was able to drop into out club for a floor spot en-route to a recording session. He did a couple of Martin Cathyesque songs with good humour and equally good voice and very nice guitar work. Booking confirmed. The evening surpassed all expectations.... Jon who is a most personable young man anyway, was to me on cracking form. His sets were wonderfully varied from traditional unaccompanied song to songs, to accompanied and straight tunes on no less than 5 different instruments all played to a high standard. He worked the audience like an old hand, lots of interaction and word play with the friendly heckling. He is billed as a traditional English singer/musician. Don't fall into the trap of stereotyping. His songs were full of passion and humour, and not always where you might have expected them! 3 "not real fans of English trad stuff" all told me how much they enjoyed the performance. If you love trad English music, book Jon Loomes. If you don't, book Jon Loomes... I don't, I did and I'll do it again. He is what live music should all about, having a great time. cheers Jon see you again.” - Alan Hewson (Mad Nanny Music)“(Fearful Symmetry) is not yet listed on the Fellside site, but as its place in the catalogue between Ed Rennie and Peter Bellamy should give some idea of the quality. I saw Jon with Paul Scourfield (who is also on the CD) doing a preview recently which went down a storm at Islington Folk Club.” – Audience member“Thanks for the performance in Islington last Thursday; it was great and thoroughly entertaining.” (Jon with Paul Scourfield) - Email comment from audience member“We should also mention the new album from the band's close friend Jon Loomes (you may recall that he and Jez were "paired up" as part of a "mentoring" scheme by one of the English folk-arts bodies last year, and Jon made a few appearances on stage with the band at that time). Jon's new album on Fellside records is called "Fearful Symmetry” and is out now.” – Midnight Mail for Jez Lowe (Feb 05)“Refreshing to hear some different versions of songs, and the audience were noticeably impressed by the (unaccompanied) False Bride.” – Audience member, Valley Folk Club, Pontardawe Here's a couple of reviews of his solo album "fearful symmetry":“A robust, spirited singer and deft guitarist - alive, full of conviction and always does the material justice. Loomes and his musicians have good cause to feel pleased with what they have achieved here” Folk RootsPaul Adams must be feeling pretty chuffed at the moment for not only has he got Boden & Spiers and Dr Faustus on the books of Fellside but also he’s just added young whippersnapper Loomes to swell that fine roster of “British” artists. You enter the first track of the CD ‘Jacky Tar’ feeling comfortable with the vocal style (although possibly not so nasal mannered) and guitar accompaniment if you’re into Martin Carthy and as much as comparisons are inevitable it’s no bad thing when you’re in such illustrious company. It may prove a cross to bear – it may not - but rest assured there is a bright future awaiting Jon. Ably assisted by the melodeon of Paul Scourfield, Michael Beeke (recorders and english pipes) and Philip G Martin (hurdy gurdy) his performance throughout the recording is very self-assured and whilst still only in his twenties he already wears the medallion of maturity as if he was born to the tradition. Having performed with numerous folk dance teams his grounding (much like Carthy’s) lends to an understanding of guitar rhythms that articulate both the bass patterns and chordal structure together and are an essential element in underpinning Morris melodies. It’s good to see from his sleevenotes he doesn’t take himself too seriously proving a real plus in my books and although there’s (as some would see it) liberal use of re-interpretation on standards such as ‘All For Me Grog’ this is a young man that will hopefully stay the course. Do yourselves a favour, if you want to see the future of folk in safe hands then buy this record. Further info from www.fellside.com Pete FyfeA young chap from Cambridgeshire, Jon Loomes has the voice of an older man with a reassuring air that can only stem from being thoroughly steeped in music. There is no sense that he impersonates his heroes or tries to be unique, but still, both open and resonant, his voice is impressive and distinctive, simply by nature. Clearly gifted, it is nevertheless evident that he has been hard at work - this album conveys a diligent multi-instrumentalist and singer with a deep love and sense of conviction for (more or less) traditional and (certainly) English material. Such 'effortlessly' complex music, arranged for his voice, guitar, fiddle and hurdy-gurdy, and the melodeon of Paul Scourfield, with Michael Beeke (recorders, English pipes), and Philip G Martin (hurdy-gurdy), is no doubt informed by Jon's classical training and background in jazz and opera, but not tainted by it. There is only a momentary hint of the 'fusion' one might expect from such a pedigree - and that, you may spot for yourself. His guitar style pays homage to the folk greats (Carthy, Jones, Renbourn) but again conveys observation rather than imitation and informs rather than defines his oeuvre. An equal mix of songs and tunes reflects the fearful symmetry of his strengths. Great versions of songs such as 'The Ploughman' (unaccompanied) and 'The Seeds of Love' and tunes such as the hurdy-gurdy-powered 'Grandfather's Polka/Polka d'Avreyon' and Holst's 'Jupiter' (demonstrating his 'diatonic' approach to guitar), plus amongst the most eccentric sleevenotes on record, make this debut CD well worth speculating on if you haven't already encountered Jon's quirky and memorable live act. Felicity Greenland - EFDSSDebut album from this talented performer. Jon Loomes is a splendid singer and an exceptional guitar player who also plays fiddle and hurdy gurdy. At times his singing and playing reminds me of Martin Carthy which is no bad thing. He is joined on several tracks by melodeon, recorders and English pipes performing a varied selection of English traditional songs and tunes - some familiar some less common. It includes Jacky Tar/ The Ploughman/ Grandfather's Polka/ All For Me Grog/ Would You Marry A Young Virgin Of Fifteen Years Old?/ Bridgewater Fair/ Wild Boar/ Three Gypsies and others. It also includes a lovely guitar treatment of classical composer Gustav Holst's Jupiter from his "Planets Suite". Fine performances eschewing pyrotechnics or overly clever arrangements. And be sure to read the notes to the songs - they're a riot!Rootsandrhythm.comHeartwarming – that’s the word that leaps to mind while bending and ear to this CD. Jon Loomes is that rare creature, a young male traditional singer. How often do you see those four words in proximity to each other? Let me add two more: bloody good, in that order. Readers may recall that I spotted Jon, along with melodeonist Paul Scourfield, at last year’s Sheffield Festival, and was somewhat underwhelmed. “Shows potential” was the extent of my generosity. Well, perhaps I caught him on an off day (or perhaps he caught me on one; we’re not infallible, you know). Fearful Symmetry is Jon’s second Fellside CD, and it’s a pleasure from first to last. So let me eat my words. Fortunately, Stirrings is printed on paper impregnated with essence of vanilla; have a munch sometime… Jon accompanies himself on guitar in a style whose lineage can be confidently traced back to Nick Jones. Indeed, when he’s joined by Paul Scourfield’s melodeon and his own double-tracked fiddle, the listener is immediately wafted back into the soundworld of Penguin Eggs. I think I detect a Carthy influence in there too, notably in the elasticated rhythms of Bridgewater (sic) Fair. Well you might as well learn from the best. As a singer, his influences are harder to pin down, but he’s clearly been listening to best practice. Tracks like Ride In The Creel show a fine sense of narratorial phrasing, and the four (count ‘em!) unaccompanied songs prove that he doesn’t need to hide behind instrumental backing. Fearful Symmtery serves up a nice balance between the well-known (The Seeds Of Love, Three Gypsies…), the relatively unusual (Bridgewater Fair, The Ploughman…) and the downright obscure (Wild Boar, a roisteringly comic Appalachian ditty that sounds like it’s sprung fully formed from D’Urfy’s Pills To Purge Melancholy). Oustanding for me are a very tender and lyrical Seeds of Love and a wonderful version of Bridgewater Fair with a completely different set of words to the ones Tony Rose used to sing. There’s also a sprinkling of instrumentals, highly listenable one and all; the polka set features Jon’s hurdy gurdy, a wild and merry noise I’d have liked to have heard more of. Just to prove, perhaps, that he doesn’t take this trad thing too seriously, Jon’s liner notes are relentlessly droll. Some of the in-jokes might baffle a listener new to folk: The Seeds Of Love, for instance, is introduced as “a version of the very first folk song ever written… collected by Cecil Sharp in 1989 from Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears”. Still with me? There are some good lines too, as when he describes the hurdy gurdy as what people used to play “before music was invented”. You might be amused by the cover portrait too, which portrays Jon as Elrond Halfelven’s guitar-playing nephew. Fearful Symmetry, then, gives you the lot: laughter, tears, fine playing, fine singing, and even a bit of Gustav Holst (the theme from Jupiter, from The Planets, on solo guitar). Bring him back to Sheffield! I’ll listen with open ears next time…Stirrings – Raymond GreenoakenYoung players are just too good. Jon’s classical training shows… and why not? Gone are the days when anything went, so long as you could still stand. After listening to the CD, I felt like going and lying down… Then I read the sleevenotes, they are good! Jon Loomes plays guitar, fiddle and hurdy gurdy, ably assisted by Paul Scourfield on melodeon, Michael Beeke on recorders and English pipes and Philip G. Martin on hurdy gurdy. There is no need for me to sing eulogies about Jon Loomes in general. Look at the website for snippets from Jon’s past accomplishments, The Battle of the Somme is particularly good. I can say that now everyone seems to have access to the ‘web’. But that is another topic. Enough of this, to the CD! The songs on the CD are well selected because of the quality of their lyrics. Many singers forget that the words are, in fact, crucially important! Not so Jon Loomes! His delivery is a pleasure. The CD begins with a rendition of Jacky Tar in the old style. This feeling continues with The Ride in the Creel. Nice tune at the end, during which Jon shows that he is not averse to belting a guitar to bring out the rhythm! The Seeds of Love I, along with the rest of the world (at leas that that matters) have my copy of the book. Still pleasurable to hear it presented here, beautifully sung and accompanied too! Very appropriate changes as the song progresses. Two great tunes Would You Marry A Young Virgin of Fifteen Years Old? / The Seven Stars must be tempting just to play on the box, but good to hear it play chords as well. I think that Jon’s singing is accomplished but his guitar adds an immeasurable amount. I rate the CD for the guitar alone which follows that of Mr Carthy. Let me emphasise that in my opinion he follows, not copies. Jon may be more chordal? I could be wrong though, wouldn’t be the first time! Jon plainly listens to the words and sings in the same sensitive manner. He makes it easy for his listeners to share the experience. Traditional song is alive and well, as is traditional music in the hands of Mr. Loomes.Shreds & Patches – Steve LeachFrom the publicity for this CD, Jon has evidently been singing and playing for some years before releasing this, his first CD, which laudably he dedicates to his parents ‘for mixing the chromosomes’. He plays guitar, fiddle and hurdy gurdy and has a pleasant voice coupled with an ability to sing both fast and clearly, for example on The Ride In The Creel. The 14 tracks are all traditional with the exception of Holst’s Jupiter, played on guitar. This sounds rather out of place in the running order but may well prompt others to have a bash at the classics. There are two other instrumentals: a good rendition of Grandfather’s Polka / Polka d’Avreyon and Would You Marry A Virgin coupled with the well known Seven Stars. The songs cover the usual range of love and lust (Jacky Tar, Three Gypsies), alcohol (All For Me Grog) and ballads (Riddles Wisely Expounded and Fine Flowers Of The Valley) and I particularly liked Jon’s versions of Pop Maynard’s Rolling In The Dew, Wild Boar and The Seeds Of Love, sung to a haunting variant on the popular tune. On some tracks, however, and particularly the ballads, Jon’s singing seems to me to lack the spirit of communicating, as opposed to simply singing a song. This can be a difficulty with and studio album and those who have heard Jon live will be better able to judge whether this CD does justice to his evident abilities. Tyke’s News – Mike FeistTestimonials from private clients:“Excellent! Everyone at the wedding had a fabulous time, and we have had many comments from guests about how much they enjoyed the dancing. Everyone could join in - even the children! Real live musicians playing proper instruments - fabulous! Jon was also very good - excellent fun! The best value for money - very good. P.S. We still keep singing some of the tunes you played! In particular the very last one of the night which was fabulous fun! Many thanks.” – Private clientExcellent service, excellent performance....politeness, willingness to please and flexibility. Nothing could have been better it was superb. Thank you! – Private client“Excellent. Group fitted in. Enhanced wedding without dominating. Had musical interludes to allow guests to 'recover' between dances. Opera singing great!” – Private client“Excellent. All of it was great, Jon Loomes was very laid back and accommodating, was happy to start late, take a shorter break etc. and was generally very helpful.” – Private client“Just a note to thank you and Jon Loomes plus all of his band members for doing such a fantastic job at our wedding. The ceilidh was great and just the thing to get everyone off their seats and dancing. The disco afterwards was also brilliantly done. Jon was so accommodating, helpful and pleasant to deal with... I would not hesitate to recommend your services to friends and family. It was such an easy way to book the evening's entertainment, brilliant value for money and superb quality performance. Thank you once again for making the evening go with a bang!” – Private client“Excellent - very professional booking system, clear contract, helpful communication. The performance was great, good punctuality. We all had a wonderful evening - the musicians were very good & friendly, the caller made us all laugh! Everyone danced even the reluctant men!!” – Private client“I just had to write and thank Jon Loomes & Mike Beeke for entertaining us at my daughter Sophie's wedding on the 14th Sept. They really did work hard & play well & we are very grateful to them for adding so much to the occasion.” Private client“...They were delightful to talk to and played hard. It was excellent - Opera singing - The melodious English variety of sound appealed to everyone. It made the event very harmonious and unique.” - Private client“Just a quick line to say a big thank you for arranging for Jon and Mike to play at our wedding last month. They were absolutely brilliant - and charming with it. ... They quietly got on with the job, and added immensely to the atmosphere of the afternoon. - Private client NOW THIS IS JUST PLAIN WEIRD - THERE'S SOME MAD STUFF ON THE NET! If I was one of these celebrities I'd be quite upset at being told I looked like a man. Still, it's nice to know I have something else in common with Eva Herzigova - To be quite honest, I've no idea who half of these people are. Then again, I'm not too sure who the one in the middle is either.