It is hugely tempting to put him up there on a pedestal alongside other rock legends, but that would mean setting the name and extensive song writing of Michael Chapman in the cold stone used for temples and commemorative plaques. That would be no tribute to the pioneering and rebellious spirit of the undefinable genius who has epitomised British folk rock for some 50 years. Like Richard Thompson, another songwriter and guitar ace, Chapman is a giant whose humility shines through. If you ask him how he learned to play his instrument, he answers, “Slowly. In fact I haven’t finished learning.” And yet, the self-taught musician from a working-class family in a suburb of Leeds had what it took to shine in pop aristocracy. They say that after the release of his first album, Rainmaker (1969), the great Elton John tried to get him to join his entourage. Chapman was more in sync with the more daring Nick Drake, Mick Ronson and John Fahey. He preferred releasing an abundance of wide-ranging albums with everything from poetic Bob Dylan-esque drawls to hints of folk jazz, psychedelic flourishes and Middle-Eastern arabesques, embracing all the styles that made his era so wonderfully rich. He was too modest to push himself forward in the dog-eat-dog world of the music business and was marginalised by a way of living that could politely be referred to as the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, which gradually dragged him out of the spotlight until the ’90s. Then, fresh from a heart attack, he discovered a strong fan base of guitar players in the United States, including frontman Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), the late Jack Rose, and a new generation including William Tyler and Steve Gunn (producer of his latest album, 50). Much more could be said, but this is the story of this unconventional troubadour. It’s no surprise that one of his masterpieces is called Fully Qualified Survivor. Yet with his solo sets, the young 76 year-old offers more than a lesson on survival. He shares the timeless truth of a man who has experienced it all.