Next up the inimitable HENRY BROTHERS (no, actually they are not but never mind) who drove all the way from London to bring their light comedic touch to an exquisitely rendered set of country/blues classics. Crowd-pleasers? You bet.

Thanks goodness BROOKS WILLIAMS fell in love with an English girl! We are lucky to have him grace our shores and even luckier to have him grace the stage at the Crown. A consummate artist, master musician and all round nice guy who I am sure made some new friends on Saturday.

Thanks Brooks – and thanks to all who made out first show in Framlingham so memorable – especially  Sophie Boleyn who took these great shots for us.

The night began with an amiable and enthusiastic crowd who dutifully arrived before we had even finished sound checking. A good start but frustrating for the Hallelujah Trails who had to go on more or less straight away and just start playing festival style. No problem for Jeremy and Anna, though. Their sweet harmonies and Jeremy‘s driving guitar set the tone and the bar high for the rest of the evening.  Next up, The Vagaband – one of my favourite unsigned, unsung bands. They play an incredible mix of styles and sounds that have to be heard to be appreciated. I predict great things for these guys if they can keep going. How seven people can get together and perform in today‘s over-crowded underpaid market I do not know but I intend to give them every opportunity I can. They certainly made some new friends and fans on Saturday.

Hank was in good form despite his recent heart-attack (or Johnny Cash-lite as he calls it) and M.C.ed the evening for us and made everyone welcome. He and his merry band of Lost Cowboys – including my old friend and Maverick veteran, BJ Cole and old misery guts himself, Martin Belmont – delivered the goods just like it says on the packet.

I hope the Thanksgiving Ranch Party  is a tradition that we can continue with and judging by the reaction, I don‘t se why we shouldn‘t.

‘Utterly Enthralling. This is music that goes deep into the roots of popular music…west African Griot songs, Deep South blues, Nashville harmonies, Eastern European gypsy dances… ‘  The Independent

I could not have said it better myself – well maybe, but this gives you the idea. Photographed here at the Farm Park by the great Nick Sinclair during his second tour of duty capturing images for the Maverick Wall of Fame.

If I can get them at Maverick 2012 I certainly will but don‘t count on it – you know musicians –  check the New Wolsey Theatre website for ticket info or phone their box office on 01473295900 .

Ditto Kara Grainger and her bass-player Mary Beth – two powerful and talented women who took the stage and refused to let go until after midnight. They were joined for a spell on guitar by Jason Boots and later, they allowed Andrew up to add a little harmonica to the mix, but it was ladies night as far as the audience were concerned.

A wonderful and unforgettable night that took off to even greater heights when the gang came back to our place and we jammed till 4.00 am. The music, good vibes and a bottle of tequila were more than enough to fend off the first frost of the year. Thanks guys.

This seemed to me a great excuse to bring the Maverick family together for a party, to eat turkey twizzlers or some variant thereof and raise a glass, not to give thanks to the Indians for their corn as the pilgrims did, but to the cowboys and cowgirls that comprise the Maverick team and community. Thus the Maverick Thanksgiving Ranch Party was born.

Clearly we need an iconic performer to heat up the atmosphere and blow away those autum leaves – who better to ride back into town and kick open the saloon doors than Hank Wangford?  The newly configured Hallelujah Trails – our good friends Jeremy and Anna – will join the posse, along with Jose and the Vagaband, festival favourites who will debut their new acoustic, unplugged format.

Our main man Mick will be riding for the brand, coming out of winter hibernation to build stages, hang festoons and generally tart the place up and having departed the White Horse, landlord, chef and all round bon viveur Tim Wood has been recruited to man the chuck wagon. Banish any idea of the boring burger or hopeless hot dog from your mind as nothing could be further from our menu. Expect some quirky take on the Thanksgiving staples with something special for the veggies as well.

Prepare to leave your winter blues somewhere between Halloween and Christmas and join us for the first Maverick Thanksgiving Ranch Party.

Email me at maverickfestival@yahoo.co.uk and you will be the first to know when tickets are available.

I last caught Bobby in 2007 opening for Van Morrison at the refurbished United Palace Theatre in New York. It was an appearance that blended elements of both previous shows. The crowds were large but over-whelmingly white and it was Bobby who warmed up the audience for the icey Irishman.

On this occasion, I was scheduled to interview Van for a film I was making about Bobby for BBC4.  The evening began farcically as my camerman and I were rebuffed from the stage door like a couple of desperate autograph hunters. Word had not reached Bobby about our imminent arrival and he was busy on his bus, tucking into dinner, oblivious to our dilemma. Van‘s people were skittish and felt without Bobby‘s approval we were not welcome. We returned to the luxury of our motel room in Fort Lee on the unfashionable side of the George Washington bridge. I gazed out at the toll-booth directly outside of our window and wondered what the view was like from Van‘s suite in the Essex House Hotel, high above Central Park. I had some idea, but was he happy?

Armed with nothing but Van‘s manager‘s cell phone number, we returned to the theatre the next night to find out. This proved enough to gain entry though when we finally breached the barricades, we were told to set up in a corridor beneath the stage and wait. Apparently, Van had spent a terrible, sleepless night and was not in a good humour. He wasn‘t in a good humour? He should try hanging round the back streets of Spanish Harlem followed by a night in the Fort Lee Comfort Inn.  All this remained unspoken and was quickly forgotten when Van appeared, hastily took his seat and offered himself up for interrogation. Yes, he loved Bobby – yes, he was heavily influenced by him – yes, he enjoyed sharing the stage with him and – yes, we could go sit in the theatre and watch the show. That was it.

There were many other challenging encounters in my pursuit of the Bobby Bland story, and I am pleased to say the results have just been released on DVD.  You can click here to purchase or visit Amazon for more options.

Bobby, like Solomon Burke and Ray Charles, cites country music as a huge influence. His own influence on Elvis Presley and by definition, the history of rock and roll is on record. As he approaches his 82nd birthday, I am happy to have a contributed in some small way to preserving the legacy of a true Maverick.

Accompanied by bassist Mike Lindauer who played a custom FIVE string bass that made the audience‘s eyes pop out, the duo sang sweet harmonies that brought back memories of early Simon & Garfunkel. It was no surprise then to learn that Buddy had worked with Art as well as a number of other luminaries including the great Guy Clark.  In fact, one of the high lights of the evening for me was a song he wrote with Clark called ‘Mud‘. Performing songs from his own catalogue that have been covered by the likes of Nancy Griffiths and Garth Brooks, Buddy cast a wonderful spell that held our packed little room in awe till almost 11.30pm.

I should also say that local singer-songwriter Lucy Samson opened the show beautifully with a strong performance that demonstrated her increasing confidence and ability. I am proud to say she won the Maverick Festival song-contest this year and so will be on our bill for summer 2012. In the meantime, I will be watching her career with great interest. Buddy‘s future, on the other hand, is assured.

I am always at a loose end immediately after the festival and having these monthly shows to organise is a good way to keep busy and also keep the Maverick flame burning.

Grapevine magazine‘s Stephen Hawthorne just published his review of the festival and was (mostly)very generous in his praise, a good portion of which was directed towards The Rejection who he said played ‘ a set of heart searing beauty ‘. Sadly, I missed them but much to my delight they will join us at the White Horse here in Easton on Saturday August 13th where they will surely conjure some of that Maverick magic for us,  ‘spine tingling harmonies‘ and all.

Weather permitting, the gig will take place outside in the garden. It worked beautifully for the after-party – there is even a mini-barn where the band set up and Tim has promised to lay on some culinary treats from The White Trash Cook Book.

Did you see this lady at Maverick? She was standing right behind Kate and Wills.