The legendary Richard Thompson will return with his new album, Ship To Shore, on May 31. Listen to the first track, "Singapore Sadie." The influential singer-songwriter and virtuosic guitarist has been on a singular musical journey for over a half century, from his days in the '60s as a pioneer of British folk rock with Fairport Convention, to his seminal '70s duo work with Linda Thompson, to the exploratory, deeply emotional music of the solo career that has been his primary concern ever since.
Ship To Shore pulls from various styles, genres and eras, but remains unmistakably Richard Thompson. “I liked the idea of having a strong base to work from and reaching out from there,” he says. “And I think of my base as being British traditional music, but there’s also Scottish music, there’s Irish music. There’s jazz and country and classical."
Ship To Shore is available for preorder from New West and and Independent Retail on Limited Edition Orange & Yellow Marble 2LP, 3-sided with a 4th side etching and a 5x7 autographed print, Signed CD, and standard LP. Click here to pre-order the album or CD.
Richard Thompson’s musical influence cannot be overstated. Having co-founded the groundbreaking group Fairport Convention as a teenager in the 60s, he and his bandmates invented the distinctive strain of British Folk Rock. He left the group by the age of 21 which was followed by a decade long musical partnership with his then-wife Linda, to over 30 years as a highly successful solo artist.
In 2011, Thompson received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) personally bestowed upon him by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. The Los Angeles Times called him the finest rock songwriter after Dylan and the best electric guitarist since Hendrix and Rolling Stone has named him one of the Top 100 Guitarists of All Time. He has received lifetime achievement awards for songwriting from Britain’s BBC Awards, the Americana Music Association, and was awarded the prestigious Ivor Novello Award.
His song “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” was named one of TIME Magazine’s “100 Greatest Songs Since 1923.” A wide range of musicians have recorded Thompson’s songs including Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, R.E.M., Sleater-Kinney, Del McCoury, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Jones, David Byrne, Don Henley, Los Lobos, and many more. His massive body of work includes many Grammy nominated albums as well as numerous soundtracks, including Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man. Thompson’s genre defying mastery of both acoustic and electric guitar along with engaging energy and onstage wit continue to earn him new fans and a place as one of the most distinctive virtuosos and writers in Folk Rock history.
UPCOMING SHOWS
Fri, March 1 at Emelin Theatre, Mamaroneck, NY
Sat, March 2 at Towne Crier Cafe, Beacon, NY
Fri, March 15 at Katharine Hepburn Cultural, Old Saybrook, CT
Sat, March 16 at Narrows Center For The Arts, Fall River, MA
Sun, March 17 at Back Porch Music Festival 2024, Northampton, MA
Thu, March 21 at SHU Community Theatre, Fairfield, CT
Fri, March 22 at Tupelo Music Hall, Derry, NH
Sat, March 23 at First Unitarian Universalist Society, Burlington, VT
Sun, March 24 at Bull Run Restaurant, Shirley, MA
Thu, April 4 at Infinity Music Hall - Hartford, Hartford, CT
Fri, April 5 at The Cut - Stage • Studio • Restaurant • Bar, Gloucester, MA
Sat, April 6 at My Father's Place at The Roslyn Hotel, Glen Cove, NY
Sun, April 7 at My Father's Place at The Roslyn Hotel, Glen Cove, NY
Tue, April 9 at Rams Head Tavern, Annapolis, MD
Wed, April 10 at The Tin Pan, Richmond, VA
Thu, April 11 at The Barns at Wolf Trap, Vienna, VA
Fri, April 12 at Scottish Rite Auditorium, Collingswood, NJ
July 8 - 12, 2024 at Frets & Refrains 2024 -Richard Thompson's Acoustic Guitar and Songwriting Camp, Big Indian, NY
Sun, July 28 at Cape May Convention Hall, Cape May, NJ
Fri, October 18 at The Town Hall, New York, NY
