Vinyl Vault: John and Beverley Martyn, “Road to Ruin”

This week’s Vinyl Vault will feature a 1970 album from John and Beverley Martyn entitled "Road to Ruin.” It was released on the Warner Brothers label in the U.S. and on Island Records internationally.

British singer John Martyn (1948 – 2009) started his musical career as a folk-music singer-songwriter in the late 1960s and released two albums of his original compositions, mostly unaccompanied. Around that time, he met and married fellow singer Beverley Martyn. In 1969, the couple ventured to the U.S., where they met American pianist Paul Harris, whose musical palate stretched far beyond folk music. They returned to England and recorded two albums with Paul Harris playing piano and arranging the music, which had become much more complex than Martyn’s first two solo albums. Musical influences now include jazz, rock, and even world music.

“Road to Ruin” was the second of the two albums, and we’ll hear three tunes that display these new influences that would continue to inform Martyn’s music until his death. We’ll also hear one track from the prior album, “Stormbringer.” All of these tracks feature Harris’ piano work up front, along with some fine saxophone work from Ray Warleigh and Dudu Pukwana from South Africa.

Check out the Vinyl Vault with Geoff Anderson tonight, Tuesday, January 20, at 8:30 p.m. on KUVO JAZZ.