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Newsletter 8th February 2007 |
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Contact
details |
New dates added to the programme
see below
Click on these
links (or visit the website) for more
information on upcoming shows. Ø
Friday 9th February
- Keith James – Songs of Nick Drake at Chequer Mead,
East Grinstead Ø
Monday 26th
February – Anais Mitchell (+ support) at The
Ravenswood, Sharpthorne Ø
Monday 12th March –
Thea Gilmore (+ support) at Chequer Mead, East
Grinstead (REMINDER – you can hear Thea Gilmore playing live on BBC Radio
2’s Bob Harris programme
this Saturday, 10th February, just after
midnight) Ø
Monday 26th March – Richard Durrant (+ support) at The Ravenswood,
Sharpthorne Ø
Monday 30th April –
Charlie Dore (+ support) at The Ravenswood,
Sharpthorne Ø
Monday 14th May –
Corinne West (+ support) at The Ravenswood,
Sharpthorne |
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For
more information including
sound
samples,
click on the artists' website links below or visit our Myspace
website | |
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Friday
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Although
Keith James is still, in
some respects, a well kept secret, he has recently seen a gradual
emergence as one of the country's most valuable singer/songwriters, and
concert performers. During January, February and March 2007, Keith
performs his eighth UK tour entitled The Songs of Nick Drake, in which
almost the entire concert is dedicated to the work of the most loved of
all English singer/songwriters. Previous tours across the country,
totalling over 250 concerts, have seen audiences filling arts centres and
theatres to hear this music again after an absence from the live music
scene of well over 30 years. Nick
Drake
himself, was, during his prolific period, somewhat of a mystery. He only
lived to record 3 albums, "Five Leaves Left", "Bryter Later" and "Pink
Moon", all of which were regarded at the time as being flimsy and without
the substance that was called for to engage popular audiences. It has only
been in the last 10 years that many thousands of listeners have come to
appreciate their beauty. Nick Drake has now, thankfully, become the most
revered of all figures to take their place in the world of contemporary
acoustic music. It is with this in mind that these concerts are
presented. “A fresh and powerful approach to these
wonderful songs” |
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Monday
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Anais
Mitchell
began writing songs at 17. At
18 she moved from Vermont to Boston, and started playing for whoever would
listen. After a year of that, Anais enrolled in a liberal arts school back
in Vermont, where she studied political science and languages, ran a folk
radio show, and wrote and performed a good deal. She spent a half-year in
Austin, waitressing on 6th street and playing as much as she could. She
also recorded her debut album during that spring ('The Song They Sang When
Rome Fell'). In 2003, The
Kerrville Folk Festival honoured her work with the prestigious New Folk Award .
After
spending time in Cuba, a semester in the Middle East and some unexpected
touring with a rock project called "Circus Guy's Rock & Roll Revue"
Anaïs released her acclaimed album, 'Hymns for the
Exiled'. Anaïs
is passionate about the music of her native land, from old-school country
to dustbowl labour ballads to rebel rock. However, the time she's spent in
Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East has lent a worldly depth to her
writing, which she presents to her audience with a graceful presence of
spirit. With
a new CD, The Brightness,
released on February 13th, a nomination for Emerging Artist of the Year in the
2007 US Folk Alliance awards (to be announced on February 21st)
and with a live appearance on Bob
Harris’s Radio 2 show scheduled for March 3rd, this
should be the year that this intriguing singer songwriter gets the
attention she so richly deserves. Support
for this show is Toronto-based David
Celia, described as "roots-rock with hints of folk wrapped up
in a pop package” - and
getting excellent reviews whenever he plays in the
UK. |
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Monday
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Described
recently by Mojo magazine as "the most coherent, literate and charged
singer-songwriter of her generation", new mum Thea Gilmore has blazed a unique and
highly independent trail
since releasing her debut album in 1998 aged 18. Prolific and
diverse, her seven albums run the gamut from hushed, intimate acoustic
settings to full throttle rock, always unified by her spine tingling
vocals and inspirational lyrics. In
August 2005 released "Harpo's Ghost" to unanimous rave reviews. The album
includes her collaborations with Mike Scott of the Waterboys and moved the
Daily Telegraph to confirm her as "one of the boldest and most poetic
lyricists working in British music...". Thea Gilmore is a stunningly
affecting live performer: her own woman and defiantly, unshakeably the
real deal. STOP
PRESS –
Hear Thea Gilmore live on the Radio 2 Bob Harris show on Saturday
10th March (just after midnight). “One
of the boldest and most poetic lyricists Support
for this show is Erin
McKeown, asinger songwriter described as having "the wit of
Randy Newman, the innovative stylings of Bjork, and the intricate
arrangements of Elvis Costello". Erin has packed a ton of music into her
young career. With 5 studio albums, 2 EPs, and numerous soundtracks and
compilations to her credit, the 28-year-old multi-instrumentalist hasn't
stopped for a breather in the last 10 years. Along the way she has
averaged 200 shows a year and garnered the praise of fans and critics
alike. Her new release. Sing You Sinners, has received rave reviews (4
stars in Sunday Times). |
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Monday
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Richard
Durrant
is a classically trained artist active in many walks of musical life.
Respected equally in the world of classical, folk and rock music, he is in
demand as recitalist, session player and composer.
Best
known for his lively and entertaining guitar concerts Durrant has won
devoted fans throughout Europe - his sheer virtuosity and uncategorisable
repertoire earning him a unique place in the world of the guitar.
Alongside
his concert work Durrant is a busy recording artist and broadcaster. He is
also a successful composer of television and concert
music. Richard
played lead guitar with Sky during their last national tour and still
performs a two man show with the legendary Mr Herbie Flowers, playing a
mixture of original material, classical and
jazz. Support:
tbc |
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Monday
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Charlie
Dore
is one of the UK’s most respected songwriters. Initially a highly original
solo artist (her self-written single Pilot Of The Airwaves reached number
13 on the Billboard chart back in 1980), she went on to ply her gifts for
inspired melodies, big harmonies
and clever, quietly subversive lyrics in the wider commercial
marketplace, and with great success: Tina Turner, Celine Dion, George
Harrison, Lisa Stansfield, UB40, Jimmy Nail, Sheena Easton and Hayley
Westenra are just a handful of the diverse artists to have covered her
songs. Originally
trained as an actress, Charlie has worked in TV, Theatre, Radio and Film,
starring opposite Jonathan Pryce In the award-winning 'The Ploughman’s
Lunch' With
her acclaimed album, Sleep All Day, Charlie hit a new vein of creativity,
drawing freely on her acoustic folk/country roots. Written simply and
organically with Julian Littman, the album drew unequivocal media praise
and many new fans. Her most recent album, ‘Cuckoo Hill’ also received rave
reviews; if you appreciate good songs, beautifully sung, it’s highly
recommended. “Imagine
what might happen if you shut the McGarrigle Sisters in a room with
Gillian Welch and made them listen to Lennon and McCartney all day”
Alan Jackson |
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Monday
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From
the open meadows of California’s sierra mountains, Corinne West spins
tales with a part velvet and part grit voice that is both achingly
penetrating and highly addictive. Her music has a cool, layered, yet
driven sound and has been referred to as "utterly spell-binding",
"radiant", and "extraordinarily beautiful" by reviewers world-wide.
Her
writing runs a golden thread through the likes of country, bluegrass,
western, Americana and folk, resulting in a style that is hers alone.She
is forging her own contribution to Americana music, which fuses the
distinct voice of an original singer-songwriter with the driving steam of
an American Roots train. “It’s
quite impossible to not give your full attention to Corinne West; her
enchanting voice, music and exceptional lyrics simply will not allow it”
Alan Cackett, Maverick |
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For
your future diaries.. |
Future
dates in the 2007 Acoustic Sussex programme
include: Ø
4
June 2007, Vin Garbutt (see
website) Ø
22
June, Claire Martin (see website) NEW
DATE (tbc) Ø
7
July, Chris & Kellie
While NEW DATE
(tbc) Ø
15
September – Ric Sanders
Group NEW DATE (tbc) 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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