The Pentangle, 
Solomon’s Seal
(Cherry Red)
⭑⭑⭑⭑☆

PENTANGLE were one of the leading lights of the burgeoning British folk rock movement during its creative heyday in the late 1960s and early ’70s, entrancing record buyers and concert-goers alike as they served up a unique sound which blended elements of jazz and traditional music to excellent effect.

Solomon’s Seal was the final album recorded by the original incarnation of the band, first released in 1972 to a fairly muted critical and popular response, but well worth investigating nonetheless if you’ve ever enjoyed the instrumental artistry of guitarists John Renbourn and Bert Jansch, Jacqui McShee’s fragile vocals or the late lamented Danny Thompson’s inventive contributions on double bass.

The inclusion of a string of bonus tracks culled from BBC sessions and live recordings made during the band’s farewell tour should make this two-CD set an essential purchase for Pentangle completists everywhere.

The Charlie Daniels Band
Volunteer Jam III & IV
(Floating World)
⭑⭑⭑☆☆

THIS live celebration of the distinctive delights of Southern Rock first appeared on vinyl as a double album in the spring of 1978. The audience at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville were regaled with crowd-pleasing performances from the likes of Grinderswitch, Wet Willie and the Charlie Daniels Band themselves, whose contributions include Sweet Louisiana, Long Haired Country Boy and their rabble rousing 1975 anthem, The South’s Gonna Do It Again.

Legendary singer-songwriter Willie Nelson comes close to stealing the entire show with some choice extracts from his illustrious back catalogue led by Crazy and Funny How Time Slips Away.

Cousins & Willoughby
The Bridge
(Witchwood Records)
⭑⭑⭑☆☆

This long overdue CD reissue dates from 1983 and found distinctive Strawbs frontman Dave Cousins belatedly joining forces with his occasional performing partner Brian Willoughby to assemble a follow up to the duo’s Folk chart topping 1970 album, Old School Songs.

The two men enlisted the support of Strawbs stalwarts such as Blue Weaver, Tony Fernandez and Chas Cronk to underpin their efforts, with Those Were The Days hit-maker Mary Hopkin chipping in on vocals on four of the album’s stand out tracks, most notably Further Down The Road and Morning Glory.

The package also features four bonus tracks culled from an acoustic Cousins and Willoughby show in Massachusetts, including Dave’s heartfelt tribute to former band mate Sandy Denny, Ringing Down The Years.