Though Linda Thompson is among the most respected vocalists in all of British folk music, that hasn’t stopped her from sharing the spotlight with as many people as she wants. Her first album in six years—Won’t Be Long Now, recorded in the U.K. and the U.S.—includes a guest appearance by ex-husband Richard on the opening track, “Love’s for Babies and Fools.” Her children, Teddy Thompson and Kami Thompson, appear as often as other folk heavyweights such as John Kilpatrick, Dave Swarbrick, Martin Carthy, and Carthy's daughter Eliza. Even more stunning, American violinist/mandolinist David Mansfield, cellist Garo Yelin, organist Glenn Patscha, banjoist Tony Trischka, Amy Helm, John Doyle, and singer/songwriter Sam Amidon fill out the ranks. Having worked past a rare vocal disorder, Thompson sings her co-write with Ron Sexsmith—“If I Were a Bluebird”—with an uncommon optimism that balances the melancholy of “Father Son Ballad,” “Nursery Rhyme of Innocence and Experience," and “Never the Bride.” She still brings a cry to her voice that gives tragedy a compassionate friend.