Dando Shaft - An Evening With Dando Shaft (1970/2023)

On their first album, Dando Shaft came off as something like a more folk-oriented, yet also more hippie-oriented Pentangle. The percussive pulse of Roger Bullen's bass in particular gave much of the material a rhythmic swing that helped it stand apart from traditional folk, as did original material based around images of nature: rain, wind, leaves, the dawn, flowers, the country, and so on. The singing and songwriting betrayed a notable debt to Bert Jansch, though with a more whimsical bent that Jansch usually allowed. Their greatest assets, certainly in terms of putting their own stamp on a sound that bore close resemblance to aspects of Pentangle (and, more distantly, the Incredible String Band), were the colors added by multi-instrumentalist Martin Jenkins' mandolin, flute, and violin. As progressive folk that was pastoral in mood and not quite folk-rock, it was pleasant but ultimately not as distinguished or interesting as their unavoidable reference point, Pentangle. The Pentangle comparisons would if anything multiply when they added a female vocalist, Polly Bolton, for their next two albums.

-Richie Unterberger

Formed in the West Midlands manufacturing town of Coventry in 1968, esteemed psychedelic folk group Dando Shaft are revered as key influencers of the progressive strand of the 1960s folk revival, and the interplay of melodies on guitar, mandolin and violin made their sound distinctive, thanks to frontman Martin Jenkins, whose expressive vocals compliment his intricate lines, while Roger Bullen's melodious bass helps to lubricate the proceedings.

Recorded before Polly Bolton's harmonic presence shifted the emphasis of their output, this 1970 masterwork is required listening for all progressive folk devotees.

Tracklist
1. Rain (05:06)
2. Cold Wind (04:13)
3. September Wine (03:38)
4. Cat Song (02:30)
5. In The Country (06:47)
6. Drops Of Brandy (02:27)
7. End Of The Game (03:28)
8. Lazily Slowly (03:11)
9. Spring Clog Dance (02:53)
10. Thruxton Flute (03:27)
11. Digging Up The Roses (03:27)
12. Don't Forget The Animal (02:31)