howdenjones play contemporary acoustic music at its best.
Reviews for 'Beautiful Again'
"This is a fine addition to the HowdenJones catalogue and goes to
show what a potent force they are both live and as singer/songwriters.
Kate & Paul have also chosen backing musicians who can compliment their
music and the album's success is in no small part due to the contributions
of these fine players."
Fairoaks Online, March 2004
"...this is a very good album, full of good songs well performed
and well recorded. What more can one ask for? If you have seen them live,
you will need no encouragement to buy this; if you haven't - why the hell
not?"
Gery Cooper, Blue Yonder, 2004
"..playing with a real edge of excitement, highlighting the beauty
of the lyrics and melodies. They're all on the top of their game ...with
guests Ken Nicol and Matt Canty adding their twopenn'orth, as and when
required. By the end - well after midnight - I'm left breathless by the
sheer glory of it all. A monumentally good concert which ..will translate
into one of the albums of the year.
Wayne Stote,Tykes News Spring 2004
Reviews for 'Silver Waters'
“....a CD that’ll help break them beyond their on borders and
win over a sizeable chunk of new audience.”
Simon Jones, Folk Roots Magazine
“Expression is simple and unselfconscious, using plain language clearly
enunciated, but there’s no lack of poetry or gentle compassion. The
well observed and crafted songs have an assuredly melodic quality."
Dave Kidman, Stirrings Magazine
Reviews for 'Room to Breathe'
"This is a good old fashioned album with boots on; it marches about
with big, warm-hearted intentions, stacked with tunes that borrow liberally
from anywhere, everywhere but particularly folk sources of the inspiring
kind."
Froots, January 2003
'Raven and Hare' and 'Yeppe Knave' could, however have been plucked from
a former time. Buy the album and see how.
Folk on Tap, January 2003
"Their own beautiful & moving songs were expertly crafted, their
fantastic fingerstyle guitar work regularly had us in awe of their expert
digital dexterity, and as for their harmony singing - oooooooh, it was a
pure joy!"
Dick Glasgow, Black Nun Folk Club, Ballycastle, Northern Ireland
“The best trio on the scene since the original John Wright Band”
Geoff
Smith, Folk North West
Autumn 2003
Kate Howden and Paul Jones met through their work with young people at a community music project, and immediately established an appreciation of each other’s approach to writing and performing original songs. This soon lead to them working closely together on a live set. They first performed together in July 1998.
Following this, they booked themselves into Ken Nicol’s studio in Preston “to see what happened”. The resulting debut CD “ Kate Howden and Paul Jones” was launched in April 2000 and though it outsold expectations was initially intended as a extended demo.
Through cold calling and mailshots, bookings began to increase. As well as Folk Club bookings, Kate and Paul supported established artists including Niamh Parsons, The Oysterband, Jackie Leven, Coope, Boyes and Simpson.
Returning to the studio in August 2000, Kate and Paul recorded “Silver Waters”, an album of 14 jointly penned songs. Released in March 2001, “Silver Waters” received highly complimentary reviews;
Since recording “Silver Waters”, Kate and Paul continued visiting folk clubs around the country, and establishing themselves as guests. Through a raised profile in the music press, and the creation of their website : www.howdenjones.co.uk, they attracted increasing attention from folk club organisers and festival promoters.
During the summer of 2001 Kate and Paul visited various festivals, including Saddleworth, Saltburn, Whitby, Clitheroe, Wombwell and Fylde, and in July met up with Tony Taffinder. A multi-Instrumentalist, Tony added guitar, bouzouki, whistles, bass guitar and also voice to a new line-up that became the trio Kate Howden, Paul Jones and Tony Taffinder. Kate Paul and Tony worked together for 18 months and recorded the third CD ‘Room to Breathe’ in April 2002.
In September 2003 Kate and Paul returned to playing as a duo for their autumn tour. During the tour, they were joined at various gigs by guest musicians. Laurence Canty on bass, Sarah Cheffins on fiddle and Trevor Wagstaff on percussion.
In November 2003, the combination of these musicians and the“howdenjones” songwriting
partnership recorded a live CD, ‘beautiful again’ released in
February 2004. Recorded at Glasson Dock by Dave Angus and Tom Roseburgh of
Big Sky Studios, Galashiels, this CD proves the power, beauty and honesty
of Kate and Paul’s songs and captures the roller-coaster ride of their
live performance.
The CD was a live compilation of the songs to date and from
it developed a new relationship with Sarah Cheffins as a permanent member
Playing Fiddle and Swedish Nyckelharpa, Sarah worked with Kate and Paul
on developing new material out of which came the introduction of Mandolin
and Cajon from Kate and new instrumental arrangements and tunes written
by all three members.In her time with the band howdenjones worked more
extensively on The Rural touring Network playing concerts in village Halls
all over the country. Sarah's contribution to howdenjones can be heard
on the live recording 'Out Of The Woods' which was released as a digital
download in March 2008, which features her skill and personality.Sarah
left howdenjones early in 2008 to persue things closer to home.
2008 was a year of getting back to the roots of The Kate Howden
and Paul Jones songwriting partnership. They have been writing and collaborating
with other musicians developing new skills which has involved playing
a lot of Irish tunes (thanks Sarah!) and Paul being seen very often with
a fiddle in his hand. Their 6th album 'red diesel and Southwesterlies'
was released in October 2008 .
2009 saw Kate and Paul working on their Village Halls tour and getting' back on the road' as a duo.Starting in Lancashire and Cumbria and then travelling further afield they have developed a family friendly ninety minute show for village halls. 2010 has seen this evolve into The 'beautiful music in beautiful places' tour
Spring 2011 saw the release of their seventh album 'plaything', a collaboration with musicians, Laurence Canty, bass, Trevor Wagstaff, drums and percussion, Bill Roberts and Fred Binley piano, Jeremy Lamburn, cello, Jane Dodson vocals and Lewin Cantor, electric guitar . A rip -roaring collection of twelve new songs, with tinges of folk, blues, jazz and pop styles.
Kate and Paul have also been working on a stripped down acoustic album of audience favourites for Spring 2012.
What the reviewers say
“It is rare to find a band so lyrically masterful, technically superb and musically talented, who can also connect with their audience. Howdenjones did not just 'perform' at our village arts festival, they shared their passion with us, and left us with memories we will cherish". David Giles, Goosfest, October 2007
"I have seen 'howdenjones' three times now. Their music is just lovely
- evocative lyrics and haunting melodies and a well-judged combination
of beautifully played instruments and voice. All this interspersed with
engaging anecdotes and gentle leg-pulling, makes their company absolutely
delightful. After an evening with Howdenjones, we came away feeling as
if we'd spent one of those few treasured evenings with old friends, transported,
relaxed and entirely envious of their sheer musicality and creative vigour.
That we were able to see them in our own village was the icing on the
cake!"
Sophie Snell, Quarndon Village Hall
April 2007
'howdenjones' concerts are easy going and just so lovely -they are relaxed,
informal but accomplished performers who are at ease with their audiences.
Once you hear the tunes they are sure to stick with you for ages - they
are the type of songs that you'll be humming all the way home. Their album
Beautiful Again has been is regularly played ever since it arrived in
the Live & Local office!
Live and Local Rural Touring
Autumn 2006
Support act were the excellent Howdenjones, gentle Northern-tinged UK folk,
good musicians, great harmony, and a very strange 16 string Swedish Hurdy
Gurdy (glad I didn’t have to tune it…)
Les Cotton, Strawbs Official Website
June 2005
Performed with great feeling and superb instrumental skill. This was
a splendid performance, and I can no better sum up than by saying that I
would travel a considerable distance to see Howdenjones again. Excellent!
Steve Fox, Bingham Folk Club
March 2005
What this album does showcase above everything is the duo’s unbelievable
songwriting abilities. Really well crafted melodies performed by two musicians
with very composed vocals that both take lead throughout. Their voices also
form fine harmonies in many of the songs. The musicianship of the ‘backing
band’ is first class and, when all the components come together unleashes
a well defined, yet unintrusive sound on the listener that glides through
from beginning to end.
Phil Daniels, Folking.com
July 2005
Howdenjones are every festival organisers dream. Happy, tolerant, adaptable
and, of course, immensely talented. They have an obvious enjoyment for what
they do - happy to perform for both the festival audience and in sessions
- and what they do is excellent. Great music - carefully crafted songs
performed with polish. Having had the opportunity to set up sound
for them at Bromsgrove Festival and MC them at Bridgnorth Festival I consider
myself a member of what is sure to be a fast expanding fan club.
Bob Bignall, Bromsgrove Festival 2004
Howden and Jones's influences are not hard to discern. Such stalwarts of
the British folk scene as Richard and Linda Thompson, Sandy Denny, Martin
Carthy, the Oysterband, even Donovan -- and, of course, tradition -- leave
obvious marks. Howdenjones absorb them easily and reassemble them, overlaid
by their own musical and emotional sensibility, in 16 solidly written, finely
performed songs.
Jerome Clark, Rambles USA
September 2004
Howden and Jones write songs which sound like dry stone walls, like they've
been here a long time and will probably still be there if you come back in
five years' time.
Paul Bryant, Stirrings Magazine
September 2004
By the end - well after midnight - I'm left breathless by the sheer glory
of it all. A monumentally good concert which - unless the soundman was wearing
boxing gloves - will translate into one of the albums of the year.
Wayne Stote, Tykes News
Spring 2004
Festival and Folk Club organisers should note that 'What you hear is what
you get' - you need this band!
Steve Ragnall, Clitheroe Great Days Festival 2003
If you have seen them live, you will need no encouragement to buy this;
if you haven't - why the hell not?
Gerry Cooper
"For me they are the best trio to hit the scene since the original John
Wright Band".
Geoff Smith Folk North West
Autumn 2003