On 28 October 1973, Yorkshire singer songwriter Jake Thackray played a concert in Cardiff that he later described as the high point of his career.
It was the inaugural concert of the newly opened Sherman Theatre and Colin Evans, Reader in French at Cardiff University and friend of Thackray’s, had astonishingly persuaded French chanson ‘superstar’ Georges Brassens to play his one and only UK concert alongside Jake.
On 14 November 2017, on the same stage, John Watterson, Jake’s biographer and the UKs foremost interpreter of Thackray’s work, along with bass player extraordinaire Hugh Bradley, plus special guests Mark Goodall and his band Rudolf Rocker, renowned performers of Brassens’ songs, celebrate that event which took place 44 years ago. The set list included several Thackray classics performed at the 1973 concert along with a number of ‘lost’ songs written by Thackray but never released.
Whether you are an ardent fan or new to the work of Thackray and Brassens, this is a highly entertaining celebration of the work of two superb songwriters, full of fun, wit, warmth and wisdom.