Grisete sentimental

Review of the concert at Blå Rock Café on 02.03.2000: Leven was by turns hilariously funny – a coarse hotel-room anecdote in place of a television appearance – and tearfully sentimental, in sharp contrast to the poetry of his songs. He has been travelling alone for years with a rickety guitar that is more a body part than an instrument; open D tuning and virtuoso fingerpicking with echoes of Delta blues and the Highlands recalled an acoustic Rory Gallagher. The quiet audience and the cramped room were a perfect match; recommendation to buy Defending Ancient Springs.