UK guitar master Martin Simpson has more than a few similarities to Ry Cooder. Simpson likes working as a collaborator/accompanist (after several albums and years of touring with June Tabor) and is a slide guitar virtuoso who has released a couple of defining acoustic guitar instrumental albums (of the Celtic variety). Simpson is also a musical magpie and excellent reinterpreter of Celtic songs and tunes, American mountain music and contemporary songwriters. Brothers under the Bridge is not a Bruce Springsteen song, I know, but Simpson’s extremely moving rendering of this tale of Vietnam veterans living rough in California is an exceptional cover version. Elsewhere, old pals Dick Gaughan, Richard Thompson, June Tabor and members of Bellowhead make stirling guitar, fiddle, accordion and vocal contributions.

Paul Barr is from Readings Carlton