From: Martin Snodin [martin_dot_snowdin_at_btopenworld_dot_com]
Sent: 03 October 2006 22:27
Subject: Acoustic Sussex newsletter - 3 October 2006

Newsletter           3rd October 2006

 

Contact details
Tel. 01342 716975
or email:
info_at_acousticsussex_dot_org_dot_uk

 

 

For more information on Acoustic Sussex shows including sound samples, click on the artists' website links below or visit our
 
Myspace website

 

 

 


Beth Nielsen Chapman

Renowned for her pure, powerful and clear voice, Beth Nielsen Chapman is one of the pre-eminent singer/songwriters of her generation. Beth has released five albums; including the groundbreaking Sand and Water after the death of her husband from cancer in 1994. The record is often used as a tool for healing through grief, and the title song was performed by Elton John on his 1997 U.S. tour in place of Candle In The Wind to honour the memory of Princess Diana. Just as she was putting the finishing touches on her subsequent release, Deeper Still, Beth herself was diagnosed with breast cancer. Successfully treated over the next twelve months, she went on to release the record and made it a point to speak about her experience and encourage women to be vigilant in caring for their health. It was voted Album Of The Year by BBC2's Terry Wogan.

Saturday 27 January, Chequer Mead, East Grinstead           £15 (full price)    Box Office 01342 302000

But back to 2006, we have some great music lined up for you in the next 3 months. Click on the links below for more. Remember you can usually listen to samples from our upcoming shows on the ‘jukebox’ in our MySpace website – there are 4 songs playing right now from Bob Fox and Billy Mitchell, all with the artists’ full permission. Why not have a listen?

Ø       Monday 16th October - Billy Mitchell & Bob Fox, at The Ravenswood, Sharpthorne

Ø       Monday 6th November – Pierre Bensusan, at The Ravenswood, Sharpthorne

Ø       Tuesday 28th November – Tommy Emmanuel, at Chequer Mead Arts Centre, East Grinstead

Ø       Monday 11th December – John Tams & Barry Coope, at Chequer Mead Arts Centre, East Grinstead

 


Acoustic Sussex
on MySpace

Monday 16 October
BILLY MITCHELL & BOB FOX
at
The Ravenswood
Sharpthorne

www.theravenswood.co.uk
£10 adv (£12 door) 8pm
Tickets:
01342 714810/716975
or email

 

 

 

BACK TO TOP

This collaboration between Billy Mitchell and Bob Fox has been a long time coming. Both men learnt their musical trade around Tyneside and have been delighting audiences at home and away for many years.

Bob Fox has one of the greatest voices on the folk circuit and is a wonderful guitarist too. Following his nomination in 2003 as Best Folk Singer and Best Traditional song (with The Hush) Bob gained nominations in 2004 as Best Folk Singer plus Best Original song for his version of Chris Leslie's "My Love is in America"

STOP PRESS: The release date for the new Bob Fox album, The Blast, is the same day as this gig - so it should be on sale tonight!. Produced by John Tams, The album has already had some great press reviews and is being tipped as a potential nomination for a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award. Ralph McTell: "At last, the record we've been waiting for from Bob. It's the sound we hear in live performance – that astonishing guitar technique coupled with one of England's finest voices."

Billy Mitchell spent eight years as front man of the legendary Lindisfarne, until their retirement in 2003. In the '70s he founded the seminal Jack the Lad. He has acted (himself) and sung all around the world and recently released his first solo album, 'The Devil's Ground'.

They are both musicians of stunning ability who can bring magic into any auditorium. Now, after many years of mutual admiration, they will share a stage and pool the wealth of talent at their disposal. In concert Billy and Bob will perform alone and together, the material will be cherry-picked from their solo work and the combined back catalogues of Lindisfarne, Jack the Lad, The Hush and Bob Fox & Stu Luckley, to produce a memorable night of songs.

Support for the evening is provided by Nigel Bagge & Eddie Armer. Nigel is a blues-based guitarist and singer who has worked with many fine musicians including Peter Green and Chris Farlowe. Eddie Armer, former frontman of the Lonnigans, is a wonderful harp player whose recording credits include Jeff Beck, Ronnie Wood, the late Long John Baldry, Odetta and Pete Seeger.

 


Billy Mitchell & Bob Fox

 


Click here for more
in our News Release

(a PDF file)

 

Monday 6 November September
PIERRE BENSUSAN

at
The Ravenswood
Sharpthorne

www.theravenswood.co.uk
£10 adv (£12 door) 8pm
Tickets:
01342 714810/716975
or email

BACK TO TOP

French-Algerian Pierre Bensusan is rated as one of the top 10 finger-style guitar players in the world, and one of the most eloquent and diverse musicians of our time, effortlessly moving from classical to jazz to ethnic.

In solo concerts that have been described as “a must-have experience“ sometimes lasting up to 3 hours), each performance is brimming with passion, drama, rich ornamentation, grace and sheer joy, along with some of the most dazzling acoustic guitar playing on the planet.

"Pierre’s music gives me the shakes. No other guitarist shares his  strange gifts of sophistication, accessibility and downright joy.  Even at its most complex, Pierre’s music only needs ears to be enjoyed."

Leo Kottke

Joining Pierre exclusively for this concert is Matthew Ord, a superb young guitarist who combines an impressive picking technique with a feel for the blues that's rare at any age and remarkable in such a young player, with echoes of John Fahey and John Renbourn. We think Matthew will reach wider attention very soon, so come and get an early taster.

This is a fabulous double-bill that we cannot recommend highly enough.

 


Pierre Bensusan


Matthew Ord

Tuesday
28 November

TOMMY EMMANUEL
at
Chequer Mead
East Grinstead
www.chequermead.org.uk
£15.50 (£14 conc)    8pm
Box Office:
Tel. 01342 302000
or email

 

 

BACK TO TOP

 

The late and great Chet Atkins (with whom Tommy Emmanuel shared a Grammy nomination for ‘The Day Fingerpickers Took Over the World’) said of Tommy "...one of the greatest players on the planet...". No wonder, since he has amazed everyone who hears him with his indefinable acoustic guitar style - a style which has led him to working with Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Michael Bolton, Olivia Newton-John, John Denver, Albert Lee, Leo Kottke, Hank Marvin, Joe Walsh, and countless others.

A household name in his native Australia, Tommy’s music and his life have become part of Australian legend. With countless awards including 4 platinum and 3 gold albums, he sets the standard for others to emulate. Book early for this certain sell-out show.

"I think he’s probably the greatest finger-picker in the world today... inventive, fearless and a flawless sense of rhythm... You can’t watch Tommy perform and not feel happy.” Chet Atkins

"a true colossus of the instrument in performance." Brian Miller, Celtic Connections

In support tonight is Gareth Pearson, a young guitarist from South Wales. He was inspired to play the guitar when he saw a video tape of Tommy Emmanuel in concert.

“There will be an opening act that we met in England. He's a teenage acoustic guitar player that knocked us all out. His name is Gareth Pearson. He doesn't sing, he has no band, and he is mesmerizing. I love his music, and you will, too...or else..” Southside Johnny

 


Tommy Emmanuel


Gareth Pearson

Monday
11 December
JOHN TAMS &
BARRY COOPE
at
Chequer Mead
East Grinstead
www.chequermead.org.uk
£12 (£10 conc)    8pm
Box Office:
Tel. 01342 302000
or email

 

BACK TO TOP

 

Returning to East Grinstead after their hugely popular show last year, John Tams, one of the country's leading songwriters, with his colleague of many years, the widely respected singer and keyboard player Barry Coope.

John is considered by many to be one of our finest English songwriters. His warm, tender-hearted and distinctive vocals are among the most expressive and soulful in English music.  He won a hat-trick of awards in the 2006 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for Folk Singer of the Year; Album of the Year; and Best Traditional Song. He was also Musical Director for the acclaimed recent Radio Ballads series on BBC Radio 2.

John will be remembered by many as Daniel Hagman in the ITV Sharpe series - a role he played for five years alongside Sean Bean. He also co-wrote the music for the series.

Barry Coope combines his exquisite versatility as a singer with a deeply passionate mastery of time and harmony as an accompanist.  The collaboration of these two extraordinary talents, who also happen to be great friends, is a recipe for a wonderful evening of entertainment with a fine mixture of traditional and original songs.

"They confound expectations.  Rich, diverse, contemporary and utterly compelling.  It simply does not get any better than this" 
Colin Hall, What's On in London

 


John Tams and Barry Coope


BBC Radio 2
2006 Folk Awards

For your future diaries..

Future dates in the 2007 Acoustic Sussex programme (some of them provisional) are:

Ø    19 January 2007, Acoustic Strawbs (see website)

Ø     27 January 2007, Beth Nielsen-Chapman  (see website)

Ø    9 February 2007, Keith James – Songs of Nick Drake  (see website)

Ø    26 February 2007, Anais Mitchell (tbc) (see website)

Ø    12 March 2007, Clive Carroll (tbc) (see website)

Ø    26 March 2007, Richard Durrant  (see website)

Ø    30 April 2007, Charlie Dore  (see website)

Ø    4 June 2007, Vin Garbutt  (see website)

 

More information on all up-and-coming artists can be found on our website: www.acousticsussex.org.uk. You can also find us on MySpace (with samples from some of the artists appearing) at: www.myspace.com/acoustic_sussex. If you know anyone who you think may enjoy our events, please forward this email to them.

 

 

 

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