ACOUSTIC MAGAZINE (Issue 122)

PAUL CHERRINGTON
Martin & Me

If you’re a sucker for the sound of a Martin guitar, then you should check this out. Over 14 disparate instrumentals, ranging from Rev’d Gary Davis’s finger-twisting ‘Cincinnati Flow Rag’, to a particularly sensitive rendition of ‘In The Bleak Midwinter’, Paul works out on the Martin M36 that has been his loyal companion for 25 years. Moving through a variety of tunings, all helpfully revealed on the CD liner notes, a highlight has to be his DADGAD blues ‘Night Train Blues’. Martin Carthy probably doesn’t need to lose any sleep, but Paul’s a fine player, and the clarity and analogue quality of the recorded acoustic sound, takes some beating.

Minor 7th Magazine, U.S.A

"Martin & Me" British steel string fingerstyle guitarist Paul Cherrington has accompanied singer Pamela Ward on UK folk venues for many years. On this first solo recording, he shines on several originals and some well-known works by other composers. His own compositions are reflective and often visually evocative. My favorites include the originals, "Sunset Over Cucklett Delf", which has a strong, singable melody, "Silent Movies", a nod to ragtime, and the Scottish-inspired "Banchory". Cherrington's sensitive rendition of "In the Bleak Midwinter" deserves inclusion on holiday playlists. Near the end of the set he revisits ragtime with a nice meditative version of Scott Joplin's long-lost "Silver Swan". This CD should sell well at Cherrington's performances and expand his audience. © Patrick Ragains

Unicorn Magazine (Issue 145)

PAUL CHERRINGTON
Martin & Me

Paul is the guitar playing half of Northants-based Cherrington & Ward. This new recording however is a solo affair from Paul, designed to showcase his excellent finger style playing (Martin of course is his cherished M36 Martin & Co. guitar!). Anyone that knows me will be aware that I love an instrumental guitar CD - I'm no expert in alternatively tuned finger picking of course, but I know what I like! The 14 tracks on this CD are a truly varied mix of styles - some of Paul's originals (which I liked best, to be honest) plus a few arrangements of traditional and well-known tunes (by the likes of Scott Joplin, the Rev Gary Davies et al) thrown in for good measure. There is even a Christmas Carol on there! The recording quality is excellent, and the notes ring out clearly and true. I like the very natural style of the playing and album sound - lovers of this style of music should check out his website for more details and to buy the album, www.cherringtonandward.co.uk

– CB

MARDLES

PAUL CHERRINGTON
Martin & Me
cherringtonandward.co.uk

Paul, from Northants, regularly plays at St. Neots Folk Club and Bedford, so he is well known in East Anglia. This is a solo guitar album of mainly original compositions. He explains that the title refers to his Martin model M36, which is the star of the show. The album is available on his website www.cherringtonandward.co.uk, along with many of the scores. Every track has a note of the guitar tuning, which is so helpful to anyone wanting to learn these tunes. It is wonderful to hear the guitar used to play tunes properly as Paul does here, rather than used just as a rhythm instrument which only exploits a tiny part of its potential. The album notes are extremely well written and enlightening; they helped me to appreciate exactly what I was listening to.

Paul’s own compositions deserve to be played more widely − his Iris and Daffodil, named after two Mersey ferryboats, is a rag-time tune that is reminiscent of Harry Lime’s tune. Silent Movies is another slow lilting ragtime number. The Warrior is a slow reel that celebrates the ship that can be seen at Portsmouth alongside the Mary Rose and HMS Victory. Banchory is a melancholic tune with echoes of Scott Skinner, whose birthplace it is. Calypso Time Rag is so catchy and is one of those feel-good tunes you want never to end.

Victory Rag, the first track, is one of the very few traditional numbers on the album. It is beautifully played. In fact, all the ragtime tunes (there are five here) are extremely well suited to this instrument with those characteristic bass runs coming through loud and clear. Silver Swan, that superb composition of Scott Joplin’s, shows off Paul’s technical abilities to the full, with harmonics and complex modulations all played confidently and in perfect rhythm. The two Carolan tunes are played with a great delicacy that is reminiscent of the harp for which the tunes were originally destined.

Altogether, this album deserves a wide hearing. I hope that Paul will have success in getting lots more gigs on the back of it. You can buy it from Paul’s website : www.cherringtonandward.co.uk

– Mary Humphries (March 2015)

SHIRE FOLK (Issue 138)

PAUL CHERRINGTON
Martin and Me
Providence Music

Before I start, I must declare an interest in this new CD of guitar tunes from Paul Cherrington. I have admired Paul’s playing for a long time, both individually and as an accompanist to Pam Ward. On this solo CD the ‘Martin’ is his trusty M36 which he has used for 25 years. (I have my eye on it but he doesn’t leave it alone for long enough for me to ‘borrow’ it into the boot of my car).

Paul is classically trained and it shows in the precision of his playing on this collection of traditional, ragtime and blues tunes, mostly of which Paul penned or arranged himself. Starting with ‘Victory Rag’ which is apparently the first rag tune Paul learned, through Rev. Gary Davis’s ‘Cincinnati Flow Rag’, a couple of O’Carolan tunes, and to blues and rag tunes composed by Paul, there is a clarity to his playing which as usual leaves me open-mouthed.

‘The Warrior’ is a celebration of HMS Warrior, the ‘ultimate deterrent’ of its day, which could outrun and outgun anything else on the water to such an extent that it never fired a shot in anger. There is a lovely arrangement of ‘In The Bleak Mid-Winter’ and Scott Joplin’s ‘Silver Swan’ has been slowed down to reflect the majesty of a swan gliding in all its glory.

There is not one false note or bad tune on this great CD, for any student of how the acoustic guitar should be played. Wonderful.

– Mel Pitts