Cohen Braithwaite Kilcoyne at Beeston Folk Night

Young performer: time-tested music.
 

To those in the know, Cohen is very much the current face of traditional folk

music. He came to notice as a member of the three-piece band ‘Granny’s

Attic’, formed when all members were at school together, and they were last

seen in Nottingham last November. Striking out on his own, building a solo

career at the same time, is singer and master squeezebox player, Cohen

Braithwaite-Kilcoyne. 

In recent years, folk performers have spiced up their act adding electronic instruments and trickery, which is fine, but Cohen keeps it simple. In performance and on record it’s just his voice, accompanied on the melodeon or Anglo-concertina - or just an instrument when it’s time for a tune!
 

His repertoire consists mainly of traditional songs and tunes, occasionally straying into music hall or baroque. For his recent third album, released last September, he explored the traditional songs as they were when they were found in the US or the Caribbean.
 

His is a compelling performance, with a strong vocal style and an extraordinary mastery of whichever ‘free reed’ instrument he is playing. If you’re in Beeston, this is a fantastic opportunity to see one of the ‘greats’ at the start of his career. If you are further afield in Nottingham, it’s not such a trek: the Legion is a few steps away from Beeston Interchange which can be reached by tram or bus, and there’s a large car park. The venue is wheelchair accessible with a licensed bar.
 

Book ahead via www.folkbeeston.club. Choose ‘Pre-book’ from the

main menu.