Biography
British poet and songwriter Les Barker merges the absurdity of Monty Python and the Goon Show with the whimsical nonsense of Edward Lear. His 57 volumes of verse have brought to life such singular figures as Jason & the Arguments, Cosmo the Fairly Accurate Knife Thrower, and Captain Indecisive, yet he has displayed equal eccentricity in the material he composed for his ensemble, Mrs. Ackroyd's Band. Once an accountant, Barker ranks among England's most idiosyncratic tunesmiths; Martin Carthy, Dave Swarbrick, and June Tabor have all interpreted his work, and his rendition of “Dachshunds With Erections Can't Climb Stairs” became a staple on the Dr. Demento radio program. In 1989 Lesley Davies, June Tabor, Fiona Simpson, Cathy-Ann MacPhee, Rod Paterson, Jim Sutherland, Phil Cunningham, and Savourna Stevenson committed his folk opera The Stones of Callanish to disc. Barker assembled Mrs. Ackroyd's Band alongside Alison Younger, Leslie Davies, and Chris Harvey; the quartet made its first appearance on the six-episode BBC Radio 2 series Mrs. Ackroyd Explores Up Her Roots. Named for the dog that accompanied Barker until 1988, the group frequently expanded at festivals to include Martin Carthy and Norma and Eliza Waterson. Leslie Davies departed in 1996, after which Hilary Spencer of Artisan joined the touring lineup in 1997. The ensemble's inaugural release, The Mrs. Ackroyd Rock'N'Roll Show, enlisted the rock band Quiet Riot for instrumental support.
Albums
