Brass Monkey are an English folk band from the 1980s, who reunited in the late 1990s. They were innovative in their use of a

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wi ...

section which was atypical for English folk music. The band originally consisted of

Martin Carthy Martin Carthy MBE (born 21 May 1941) is an English folk singer and guitarist who has remained one of the most influential figures in British traditional music, inspiring contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, and later artists such ...

(vocals, guitar,

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of ...

), John Kirkpatrick (vocals,

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a ree ...

concertina A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It consists of expanding and contracting bellows, with buttons (or keys) usually on both ends, unlike accordion buttons, which are on the front. The ...

), Howard Evans (trumpet), Roger Williams (

trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...

), Martin Brinsford (harmonica, percussion, saxophone). Carthy was a well established musician at their formation, having been a member of

Steeleye Span Steeleye Span are a British folk rock band formed in 1969 in England by Fairport Convention bass player Ashley Hutchings and established London folk club duo Tim Hart and Maddy Prior. The band were part of the 1970s British folk revival, and we ...

and The Watersons, as well as leading a successful solo career. Kirkpatrick had also played with Steeleye Span for a time, and worked with Carthy in the

Albion Country Band The Albion Band, also known as The Albion Country Band, The Albion Dance Band, and The Albion Christmas Band, were a British folk rock band, originally brought together and led by musician Ashley Hutchings. Generally considered one of the mo ...

. The two formed an occasional trio with Evans after all three appeared on Carthy's albums '' Because It's There'' (1979) and '' Out of the Cut'' (1982). Brass Monkey was formed with the addition of Williams and Brinsford after initially being billed as The Martin Carthy Band. In 1984, after recording their first album, Williams was replaced by Richard Cheetham (born 29 January 1957, in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire). The band recorded the two albums ''Brass Monkey'' (1983) and ''See How it Runs'' (1986). Both primarily consisted of traditional songs and tunes and were later re-issued on a single CD under the title ''The Complete Brass Monkey'' (1993). They also guested on

Loudon Wainwright III Loudon Snowden Wainwright III (born September 5, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actor. He has released twenty-six studio albums, four live albums, and six compilations. Some of his best-known songs include "The Swimmin ...

's 1986 album ''

More Love Songs ''More Love Songs'' is a 1986 album by Loudon Wainwright III released on Rounder Records. Wainwright had moved to England, and this was the second album produced by (and featuring) Richard Thompson. Critically and popularly it is probably cons ...

''. Unable to reconcile the schedules of its various members, the band reluctantly broke up in 1987. In 1997, the group reunited for a tour, and soon recorded a third album, ''Sound and Rumour''. This was followed by ''Going and Staying'' in 2001 on which both Williams and Cheetham appeared and ''Flame of Fire'' in 2004, which reverted to the original line-up. Despite Evans' death, in 2006 the band decided to continue, initially with a four-piece line-up who debuted with a short set at a Watersons family show at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

on 12 May 2007 before a short UK tour later in the same year and sporadic live shows during 2008. Later in 2008, the band recruited Paul Archibald to as their new trumpet player and debuted their new lineup at the Electric Theatre in Guildford on 15 March 2009. This line-up released a new CD ''Head of Steam'' on 20 April 2009.

Discography

All released on

Topic Records Topic Records is a British folk music label, which played a major role in the second British folk revival. It began as an offshoot of the Workers' Music Association in 1939, making it the oldest independent record label in the world.M. Brocken, ...

unless otherwise noted. * ''Brass Monkey'' (1983) * ''See How It Runs'' (1986) * ''The Complete Brass Monkey'' (1993) (compilation of the first two albums) * ''Sound and Rumour'' (1999) * ''Going and Staying'' (2001) * ''Flame of Fire'' (2004) * ''The Definitive Collection'' (2005, Highpoint) (compilation) * ''Head of Steam'' (2009) * ''Brass Monkey The Best of Live – 30th Anniversary Celebration'' (2013, Park)

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brass Monkey English folk musical groups Topic Records artists