FOLK music jumped back into the mainstream last week, with an early morning appearance by serial BBC Folk Award winners Show of Hands on Breakfast TV, and then bbc Radio 2 DJ Simon Mayo trumpeting his love of all things folk in the columns of the Daily Telegraph.

It was all grist to the mill for those who feel their role as folk enthusiasts to be something of a crusade to reach a wider audience, but for me the proof of the pudding is the quality and variety of the music itself, and there are some tasty helping in store for us locally this week.

There’s an unusually wide choice for us tonight, for example, with Scots hero Brian McNeil at the BAA Club in Bellingham, Northumberland, Chris Milner at Barnard Castle folk club, Edwina Hayes at Darlington Arts Centre and an interesting blend of jazz and Celtic music led by fiddler Chris Stout at Gateshead’s Old Town Hall.

Reeth Memorial Hall has a double bill of Anna Shannon and Tipping The Wink tomorrow and on Saturday we can choose between ace guitarist Steve Tilston at Washington’s Davy Lamp and an evening under the banner of Songs of Ironopolis at The Ship in Middlestone Village.

Up and coming duo Broom Bezoms are in the area for gigs at Guisborough Rugby Club on Sunday and Stockton’s Sun Inn on Monday. This is a pairing of English lads, based in Germany, and includes Northumbrian multiinstrumentalist Andrew Cadie, who very much proved his worth and versatility as part of my Winter Almanac tour last Christmas.

I should mention that we’ll be repeating that tour next December, with a revised show, as it all seemed to go so well this last time around.

There’s a whole year of music to absorb before then of course and you’ll hear all about it every week right here via Jez@jezlowe.com