I worked on two of Lal's Cds with her son, Olly Knight: one before she died, and one after. But I have been a long term fan since adolescence. Lal had the ability to look at the world, sometimes at quite mundane things, and turn them into something special. She was a true poet who made me wish I could see the world through her eyes.
I have long wanted to do an album of her songs and have finally done it. (Advance copies will be available by the end of summer.) Lal was a member of the No Masters Co-operative and it seemed appropriate to collaborate with other co-op members to make this album. Neil Ferguson, Jude Abbott, Fi Fraser and Jim Boyes put themselves forward. To complete the band I asked Harry Hamer (ex-Chumbawamba) and Mary Macmaster (The Poozies) to join, thus creating a group with multiple voices, guitars, harp, percussion, bass and brass.
The Cd will be released in October 2007, but the majority of performances will begin in 2008, the 10th anniversary of death of the late, lamented, wonderful Lal Waterson.