David D Mansell

David D Mansell a songwriter from London now lives on the south coast of England in Dorset where he writes, plays and sings original folk, blues and jazz ballads. David plays a finger and flat picking guitar style on various guitars of his including a 1973 Ibanez Firebird Acoustic, a Martin, Sigma, Tanglewood and Fenders Tele and Strat and an original 1980 Warner.

David started performing solo in folk clubs and pubs in London from 1970-80 then with a group of songwriters in the band Ruby Edge in the 80s that featured Foundations guitarist Alan Warner. David's early influences include John Martyn, Dave Crosby, Neil Young Jackson Browne & Van Morrison, David's singing and music tends to embrace those early influences and are steeped in the folk, blues and jazz ballads he writes for himself and other artists. 

David's last solo album "From Skyward Blue" was released in 2017, an eclectic range of songs from folk and blues to jazz with a little soul thrown in for good measure. His first solo album released in 2006 "hobosolero" is a Portuguese term for a Minstrel playing in the sun written in Portugal also features a mix of folk blues and jazz ballads. In contrast the second album released in 2011 "The Brew House Collection" is a collection of 11 of his songs performed and recorded live at venues in the UK in 2010 and 2011 and at The Old Brew House in Christchurch, Dorset. A fourth album will arrive soon.

David started writing poetry before playing guitar and writing songs so sometimes "lyrics come first, other times the music". When writing David loves the fine line between rhythm of spoken poetic verse and the phrasing of words into lyrics sung to a melody letting chords brush alongside. In a world where walls seem to be going up!  David finds music helps to bring those walls down. Music brings people together and "free up the borders of the mind" as the lyric from one of his songs "The Four Corners" on his third and latest  album "From Skyward Blue" expresses it.

Thanks for stopping by. Hopefully you can rest awhile and enjoy some these songs. Stay safe and let's hope we can continue to keep music live!! 

REVIEWS: 

Review of Gig at Chaplins and Cellar Bar Boscombe Dorset

"David's folk ballads and the stories they tell had the audience captivated and then there's always his blues and jazz numbers to up the tempo"

Review of the Triban Stage at the Sunrise Festival

" A very chilled set by a very professional musician"

 Tim Heywood's Bournemouth's Music Blog

"An amazing guitarist of the blues persuasion who also writes gentle folk ballads with the archetypal story in a song.

His playing includes some Jazz guitar expressions and I like that he throws in a gliss chord at the very end of a piece,

slowing down the big burst to signify “I’ve finished, cue your applause.”