Folk sounds and all that Jazz

This may well be the case with Led Zeppelin, with few signs on the horizon that there will be any repeat of the band’s one-off return concert at the 02 Arena in London back in 2007.

It’s surely just as well, then that Led Zed will be satisfying Chronicle Country fans’ fixes at The Red Lion in Biggleswade on Thursday, January 19.

Rock and blues will be on the agenda at The Ivy Leaf Club in Langford on Saturday (January 14), meanwhile courtesy of the Machine Shed Band.

Covers and original tracks will be provided at Potton and District Club by The Scallywags, also on Saturday, while rock covers will be heard at The Roundabout Club in Sandy on the same night, this time from The Mighty Hub Whipley.

There will be a soul night at The Crown in Stotfold, also on Saturday, while a weekend of music will be on the cards at The Green Dragon in Upper Gravenhurst.

Versatile acoustic duo Something Blue, who recently played at a private party hosted by Lisa Marie Presley will be performing on Friday (January 13).

Then on Saturday night Bob Dylan tribute band The Zimmermen will be playing at the pub.

BedfordLive! will also be presenting a double bill of performances at Esquires on Wednesday (January 18) with sets from Danni Nicholls and Levi Weaver.

Danni should already be a familiar name to Bedford’s music-loving fraternity. Starting out in Brighton, she has been writing and performing since she inherited her uncle’s 1964 Burns London Shortscale Jazz guitar (which is rumoured to have belonged to the legendary Billy Fury) at the age of 16.

Her musical references are the likes of Elvis, Dolly Parton and Gillian Welch, and she has supported the likes of Jim Lauderdale, Todd Sneider, Nell Bryden and Otis Gibbs.

And with her alt-country sound she is working on her new album with Iain Archer (Snow Patrol, Reindeer Section, Tired Pony).

Also on the bill will be the excellent Levi Weaver.

It seems a bit moot to rave about how good he is, when it might be faster to direct you to do a quick YouTube search for him performing Projector.

Nonetheless, he is a US-born UK-based acoustic folkie type, with a sound that is equal parts Flaming Lips and First Aid Kit.

Fiercely independent, prodigiously talented and eminently listenable, he is also one of the most single-minded musicians you are likely to come across. This is a guy who, with his album nearing completion, put his musical career on hold when he found out that one of his favourite music venues in Texas was set to be demolished and turned into a drive-thru bank.

He then spent six months putting together a campaign group, creating a business plan, securing investors, and finally speaking before the city council, before winning the day and helping to save the venue.

Someone like that loves music. You should go and see him.

So, to summarise: Danni Nicholls and Levi Weaver will be playing Esquires, Wednesday, January 18.

Doors open at 8pm and entry is £3.