Richard Thompson at the Loft at City Winery

Richard Thompson was born in West London, England, where he formed his first band, Emil and the Detectives, with classmate Hugh Cornwell, later lead singer and guitarist of the Stranglers, on bass guitar. At age 18, Thompson joined the newly formed Fairport Convention and debuted as a recording artist in that band in 1967. Thompson left Fairport Convention in 1971, did extensive session work, released his first solo album in 1972, and paired with his then-wife as Richard & Linda Thompson in 1973. The couple split in 1982, and Richard Thompson resumed a solo career in 1983. His 18th studio album, 13 Rivers, will become available on September 14, 2018. Since 1985, his home base has been in California.

Radio station WFUV hosted Richard Thompson’s solo acoustic performance tonight at the Loft at City Winery and recorded it for later broadcast. As such, the program lasted about an hour and included an interview facilitated by air personality Darren DiVivo. Thompson’s set consisted mostly of songs from his forthcoming album. Thompson's singing was superbly tasteful, highlighting earthy and deeply emotive tones that complemented the soft-spoken character he exhibited as he chatted between songs. The new songs further distanced him from his earlier, more personal lyrics, however; he humorously introduced a new song by saying that he did not know what the lyrics were about. The new songs did not feature Thompson's signature hybrid picking, where he plays bass notes and rhythm with a pick between his first finger and thumb, and adds melody and punctuation by plucking the treble strings with his fingers, but the encore of "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" featured this pick and fingers technique in abundance. While the performance and interview format was pleasnat, the 10-song set seemed skimpy for an admission priced at $50.

Visit Richard Thompson at www.richardthompson-music.com.

Setlist:

1. Trying
2. The Rattle Within
3. My Rock, My Rope
4. Bones of Gilead
5. The Storm Won't Come
6. Her Love Was Meant for Me
7. Back Street Slide (Richard & Linda Thompson cover)
8. A Love You Can't Survive

Encore:

1. 1952 Vincent Black Lightning
2. Dry My Tears and Move On