Watch The Stars

The second and final record Dorris Henderson did with guitarist John Renbourn sharing billing as accompanist, 1967's Watch the Stars was similar in most respects to the first, 1965's There You Go. Again, it matched the American folksinger's strong, emotive voice to Renbourn's excellent picking, though the guitar work isn't as flashy or striking as what he'd play on subsequent Pentangle and solo releases. A little texture is added via contributions by bassist Danny Thompson (who of course went on to play and record with Renbourn in Pentangle) and guitarist Tim Walker (who also wrote one of the better tracks, "It's Been a Long Time"). The material was a little more adventurous than the largely traditional debut had been; there were a few traditional folk songs here, but also covers of material by Bob Dylan, Hedy West, and British folksinger Anne Briggs, as well as a few originals by Henderson herself.