The Wood and the Wire

by Dave SlegerThere's no doubt that Fairport Convention chose the right man for the job upon Martin Allcock's departure after Old-New-Borrowed-Blue (1996). His replacement, Chris Leslie (Whippersnapper and Albion Band), has assumed an obvious leadership position within this legendary band. He either wrote or co-wrote (with writing partner Nigel Stonier) nine of the selections on The Wood and the Wire and sang lead on seven cuts. With a voice that resembles onetime Fairport member Ian Matthews, a fiddle and mandolin style that recalls one of the most beloved Fairport alumni Dave Swarbrick, and a songwriting style that conveys folk imagery in the inimitable Fairport manner, Leslie seems to have been part of this "moveable feast" for much longer than three years. While a fiddler by trade, Leslie relinquishes that instrument for most of this album in favor of the mandolin and bouzouki; the role of longtime violin player Ric Sanders has been unaffected as a result of Leslie joining the band. Fairport Convention has long possessed the knack of selecting songs from outside sources (Bob Dylan, Ralph McTell, Huw Williams, et al.) and transforming them into classics of their own. On this album they appear to continue the trend with three choice songs -- "The Heart of the Song" by Peter Scrowther, "Western Wind," a traditional piece brought to their attention by Susan McKeown, and Steve Tilston's "Rocky Road," all sung venerably by guitarist Simon Nicol with Leslie and bassist Dave Pegg sharing the lead on the final selection. Drummer Gerry Conway appears with the band for the first time since 1973's Rosie.