Nostalgia: Martyn connection comes full circle at arts centre.

Byline: PETE CHAMBERS'S BACKBEAT

IT'S not a well-documented fact but Beverley Martyn, the folksinging former wife of the legendary John Martyn, was actually from Coventry.

She was born Beverley Kutner and she attended Broad Heath School. She went on to the Corona Academy of Theatre, where she became the front person for the jug band The Levee Breakers. At the age of 16 she released her first single on Parlophone, Babe I'm Leaving You. But eventually signed for Decca's progressive label Deram in 1966.

Known then simply as Beverley, her first Decca single was Happy New Year, followed in 1967 by a cover version of the Donovan song Museum; both are now very collectable.

She was taught to play guitar by the guitar supremo Bert Jansch. She would go on to perform at the famous Monterey Pop festival, being introduced by none other than Paul Simon.

She was a good friend of the shorter half of Simon and Garfunkel, indeed her voice can be heard saying "Good morning Mr Leitch, have you had a busy day?" on the track Fakin' It from Simon and Garfunkel's Bookends LP, (the comment incidentally is reputedly a diatribe aimed at folk singer Donovan Leitch).

Beverley had been working for Joe Boyd's Witchseason production company, as had John Martyn. She met hubby-to-be John when he became her backing guitarist. John and Beverley married in 1969.

They signed to Warner Brothers in America, and Island Records in the UK, releasing the album Stormbringer in November 1970. It featured the drumming of Levon Helm from The Band and it was recorded in Woodstock.

The opening track, Go Out and Get, it featured on the legendary Island compilation LP Bumpers. Beverley wrote three of the 10 original songs including Sweet Honesty, a track that in 1970 a jobbing Elton John sang as a publishers' demo for the DJM catalogue. Many years later it was released as a bootleg as part of the Elton John CD, Songs of Nick Drake, the DJM Sessions Album.

The couple recorded one more album together, the jazz-influenced Road to Ruin in 1970. From then on Beverly gave up music to spend time to bring up the couple's children, although she did make the occasional appearance on John's albums. The couple separated in 1978. She toured Europe with the quirky Loudon Wainwright III, but it wasn't until 2001 that Beverley released her first solo album No Frills.

Despite a lack of commercial success it was well received, showcasing her pure and distinctive voice, (her son Spencer also features on it). Meanwhile the quite brilliant John Martyn continues to knock out classic records despite the setbacks of drink and drug dependency, marriage breakdowns and recently losing a leg.

That leads me to the concert at Warwick Arts Centre on May 19, of the man himself. John may be wheelchair-bound these days, and look nothing like his 1980s version. But he can still light up the stage with his presence. His voice remains unmistakable. Full of raw emotion, like tortured velvet, his unique voice and introspective songs combine to make a musical intensity like no other.

We were treated to many of his classic songs, handpicked from a body of work that stems back some 30 years. May You Never, Over the Hill, Bless the Weather and of course Solid Air were all present and correct.

John Smith, the support act, should also be mentioned, Devon-born John has a voice not unlike John Martyn, his guitar (and banjo) playing is of the maestro level. Playing the instrument at one point (during the song Winter) on his lap, tapping out a percussive beat on the body, while playing the strings dulcimer style.

He's certainly one to watch. Can I also say a big thank you to Arly Grove and to the crew at the Warwick Arts Centre who looked after me so well.

Pop Trivia - BEVERLY MARTYN

ON the song Happy New Year she was accompanied by half of what would become Led Zeppelin - Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones - and Stones part-time keyboardist Nicky Hopkins.

SHE appeared on the album cover of Bert Jansch's 1965 album It Don't Bother Me where she can be seen lounging in the background.

BEVERLEY has worked with names including Levon Helm, Dave Pegg, Davy Graham, Nick Drake, John Renbourn, Ralph McTell, Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson.

CAPTION(S):

DISTINCTIVE... John Martyn performing at Warwick Arts Centre (left), with ex-wife Beverley (below) and the Stormbringer album they recorded together (above).