Along with Richard Thompson, Martin Simpson brings more to the world of British and North American traditional and contemporary folk music than is almost imaginable.

A brilliant acoustic and slide guitarist, masterful storyteller, gifted songwriter, and intense performer, Simpson has been nominated 27 times in the 15-year history of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for performances on albums like True Stories and Prodigal Son.

Simpson will bring those gifts to the 2018 edition of Roots and Blues, making both main stage and workshop appearances, and digging into music that has spanned what is now a 45-year career.

To quote The Sunday Times, “Simpson has the unique ability to make tunes from both sides of the Atlantic sound like relatives only recently separated.”