John Kirkpatrick has recorded countless times and often as a support musician or part of a group or duo.After two albums as the John Kirkpatrick Band with the albums Force of Habit 96 and Welcome to Hell 97, John came up with an album credited as a solo album.This album One man and his box came out in 1998 and it is a fabulous solo album rich in Tradition.The album is mostly English. John uses Concertina and single row melodeon and this time the album is dominated by songs rather than instrumental pieces.The recording has a great sound rather like a live gig.John says that after years of using the recording studio for over dubbing and and multi tracking this album is aimed at trying to get a straight performance like a live show.He uses mostly Traditional pieces and just like a live show there are some instrumentals as well as songs. The album begins with a piece by Kirkpatrick.Then we get into track two Go to as little more school a traditional piece collected by Vaughan Williams. The album continues with more traditional examples of songs that Kirkpatrick has played and known for many years.There is a version of The fair maid on the shore, a traditional song that Kirkpatrick learned from Martin Carthy and Peggy Seeger.There is a piece called the Bells, that Kirkpatrick illustrates that often accordion players would play this by flinging the instrument around at arms length in a circular motion that produces a Doppler effect that causes a sound like church bells. John says that it is an old music hall act.Also there is an unusual version of Bogie’s Bonnie Belle. This is performed in a robust way which differs from the usual soft and romantic way.This is easily one of the best albums by John Kirkpatrick and it is easy to recommend this for folk and traditional fans.