Oliver Knight

by Jason MacNeilWhen one is the son of Lal Waterson, it's a good chance that music will be your vocation. For Oliver Knight, it was no different. Raised on the "folk commune" in Hull, England, Knight took up playing guitar at the age of 13. As his mother performed with various relatives in different folk groups, Knight grew to love the blues and rock and forming and performing in various bands was his passion. After meeting with Alice Kinloch, Jo Freya, and Andy Cutting, a new band called Tannteka was formed. But Knight's best work was behind the scenes as a trained engineer. Working with everyone from Chumbawamba to his cousin Eliza Carthy on Heat, Light & Sound, Knight brought an innate quality and musical ear to each of these sessions. After performing with his mother "Midnight Feast" for a No Masters Co-operative sampler, the mother and son decided to record together. In 1996, Once in a Blue Moon was released to widespread acclaim. Waterson's vocals perfectly fit Knight's guitar arrangements. In 1998, A Bed of Roses was released by the duo, but Lal Waterson passed away in 1998. In 2002, Knight released his debut solo effort, Mysterious Day, on Topic Records.