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Martin & Coole are a folk swing blues duo from Beaconsfield in Western Australia featuring the songs and singing of Jon Cope and Emma Birkett. Their debut album 'The Roaring Gimlet' was recorded live and acoustic at Shanghai Twang last year and the CD launch at the Kidogo Arthouse in Fremantle sold out twice over. Their original music is a blend of contemporary & trad folk, classic swing, Celtic, country, blues and bluegrass influences. The duo often play with some fine musicians including Ian Simpson (Paul Kelly, Slim Dustry, Flying Emus) on dobro, banjo and guitar; John Perry (Mucky Duck Bush Band) on bass; Rob Zielinski (Irish Fiddle Champion) on fiddle; and an innovative cross-cultural ensemble with Chinese musicians Malcolm Mah on bass; Merlin Ma on bamboo flute; and Xiao Xuan on yangqin. Their songs are mostly set in a local context sharing modern and old stories; like the true tale about a friend that spent a night in Casuarina maximum-security prison for not wearing his