Folk duo forged musical alliance at Floating Castle festival in Slovenia

One of the most original and inventive duos of the European folk scene, Hannah James & Toby Khun, will be including an appearance at ACE Space on Saturday, as part of their forthcoming UK tour, writes STEPHEN OTTNER

Hannah and Toby met in Summer 2018 at Floating Castle festival in Slovenia. After seeing Hannah perform one of her solo pieces Toby suggested she should keep him in mind if she ever needed a cellist. After a short jam in the Slovenian sunshine it was clear that these two musicians shared a common approach to music making and a real artistic chemistry. Toby Joined Hannah at a solo gig a few days later and a new duo was born!

Hannah James is one of the UK’s foremost accordionists in addition to being a talented songwriter and enthralling dancer. Locally she has appeared Arlington Arts, Harwell Village Hall and The Forge as one third of Lady Maisery and in duo with Tuulikki Bartosik at The Unicorn in Abingdon. Hannah’s one-woman song and dance tour de force show Jigdoll was acknowledged as a highlight of the Shrewsbury Folk Festival where it was first performed. Throughout her career Hannah has explored traditional music across Europe and got caught in Slovenia with lockdown, where she has now made her home.

Toby Khun grew up in France with a classical music education from the time he picked up the cello at the age of seven until he graduated with a double B.Mus. degree in Performance and Music Theory from McGill’s Schulich School of Music in Montreal. After graduating, he hitchhiked and busked around Europe with only a didgeridoo and discovered a love of free improvisation and simple tunes passed down through oral tradition. Toby embraced the jazz, pop, metal, blues and funk traditions with which he set out to explore music from the street up, so to speak.

Hannah’s and Toby’s music is soulful, original and conversational. The combination of accordion and cello allows for a huge palette of sounds and textures which lift Hannah’s pure voice and deeply honest songwriting. In the next breath they switch to choppy rhythms and joyful interplay between cello and percussive dance. This duo deliver a diverse, playful and hugely original performance.

Hannah James & Toby Khun, with support from Katie Grace Harris, will be at ACE Space on Saturday (March 26) at 8pm (doors open 7.30pm). Tickets are £14 and available from www.WeGotTickets.com email events@acespace.org.uk or call 078911 76940.