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PLAYING OUT LOUD!
ARTICLES
The Endrick Brothers + The Jamestown
Union, Railway Inn, Winchester - Tuesday June 19.
 Hailing
from the back roads and deep waters of Stirlingshire, Scotland, The Endrick
Brothers have never been one to follow trends or bow to musical fads.
Demonstrating a rootsy sensibility so indicative of their origins, this
Glasgow-based outfit deliver a sound that is at once effortless yet urgent.
Drawing comparisons to everyone from R.E.M to The Jayhawks, the band understands
that brilliantly consistent and dynamic songwriting is the key to longevity.
Thus they present a constantly evolving and prolific array of worthy songs able
to captivate any unsuspecting listener. Combining honest and
charming wordplay with sun drenched melodies and cunning chord changes, they
create music that is organic and arresting, underpinned by the stunning range
and strength of a vulnerable yet powerful lead vocalist. A mature and confident
sound from a band that is bold but intimate, strange yet inviting, Endrick
Brothers seemingly offer warm refuge away from the rain swept city streets they
inhabit. Their debut album, entitled ‘Built To Last' was released
in 2005 by Hypertension records. The follow up album 'Attraction versus Love'
was released on February 2007. "The pride of Stirlingshire do
possibly the winter's best Americana album... a sound which rests comfortably
alongside that of Wilco, The Jayhawks, or any of our current alt country heroes.
4 stars" Mojo Magazine.
Support on the night comes from The Jamestown Union.
www.myspace.com/endrickbrothers
www.myspace.com/thejamestownunion
Rita Coolidge - The Anvil, Basingstoke
- Sunday June 17.
 American
country and ballad singer Rita Coolidge graces the stage of The Anvil in
Basingstoke on Sunday June 17. Although primarily thought of as a country
singer, Rita branched out into the jazz field last year, releasing an album
called “And So Is Love.”
Rita was born in Lafayette, Tennessee in 1945, and began her career as a backing
vocalist, for artists such as Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, and Leon Russell. Her
performance of "Superstar" on the Cocker/Russell “Mad Dogs and Englishmen” album
helped gain her attention. She became known as "The Delta Lady" and inspired
Leon Russell to write a song of the same name for her. It was during this time
that she met Kris Kristofferson; the pair married in 1973, parting in 1980. With
Kriss, Rita recorded several duet albums which sold well, and earned them a
Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1974
for “From the Bottle to the Bottom,” and in 1976 for “Lover Please.”
She had several solo hit singles during the late 1970s with cover versions
including Jackie Wilson’s “Your Love Has Lifted Me (Higher and Higher)”. Her
first hit, "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher," which was also her
highest seller, reaching number two on the U.S. charts in 1977.
Other hits were "One Fine Day" (written by Carole King and a hit for the 1960s
girl group the Chiffons, "We're All Alone" (originally recorded by Boz Scaggs
and also covered by Frankie Valli and The Walker Brothers), "I Don't Want to
Talk About It" (written by Danny Whitten), "The Way You Do the Things You Do"
(The Temptations), and "I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love" (Carole Bayer
Sager).
Rita scored her last hit in 1983, with "All Time High" for the James Bond film “Octopussy.”
Another well-known movie song, although not really a hit for Coolidge, was the
love theme from the movie “Splash,” entitled "Love Came For Me".
In 1997, Coolidge was one of the founding members of Walela, a Native American
music trio, that also includes Coolidge's sister Priscilla and Priscilla's
daughter Laura Satterfield. The trio released albums in 1997 and 2000; Walela
means hummingbird in Cherokee, and Rita’s lineage is Cherokee.
In 2004, Rita released an anthology of her complete career, “Delta Lady — The
Rita Coolidge Anthology.” Last year she released her jazz album mentioned
earlier and also toured the UK with Don Williams and Kenny Rogers on the "Once
in a Lifetime Country Tour."
Lisa Mills - Blues On The Farm,
Pumpbottom Farm, Chichester - June 21 – 24.
 It’s
midsummer and time for an eagerly anticipated festival, Blues On The Farm 2007.
As usual organiser Julian Moores has put together a terrific variety of
blues-based performers for the event held at Pumpbottom Farm, near Chichester
between June 21 – 24.
Among the many talented acts is a gifted singer, guitarist, and songwriter from
America, Lisa Mills. Born and raised in Mississippi, she is well grounded in her
blues based, soulfully delivered original music. Her new album, "By Invitation
Only," is already receiving rave reviews, and has only been released in a
limited edition "Pre-Production" form. It is the soundtrack to her new, live,
CD/DVD, released this month.
Lisa's previous album "I'm Changing" was well received upon it's release in June
2005. Lawrence Specker of the Mobile Press Register wrote: "nothing sounds
borrowed. I haven't heard an album this year by an artist who asserted his or
her individuality more fearlessly."
Lisa grew up in and around Hattiesburg Mississippi, beginning her singing career
in the church that her grandparents actually built. Gospel was her first musical
love, and still is deeply embedded in her artistic foundation. Her mother loved
Elvis, and her father loved Hank Williams Sr. Mix that in with a few Brenda Lee
records and Lisa had quite a diverse set of influences to develop her early
musical education.
Her first introduction to blues, was when she went to see the "Blues Brothers"
movie, and she then knew what path she was to follow. Lisa recorded her first
album in 1999. It was a live performance, recorded in Pascagoula Mississippi. A
copy of the CD landed in the hands of Sam Andrew and he approached her to be the
lead singer in Big Brother and the Holding Company, performing all of the Janis
Joplin parts, while given the freedom to give her own interpretation of the
music. She toured with BBHC for three years throughout the United States,
Canada, and Europe. I was there at The Brook in Southampton when she played with
BBHC, and I remember a storming performance from Lisa.
While in England, she was heard by Roy Williams, Robert Plant's sound engineer.
Mr. Williams afforded her the opportunity to share stages and studios with
Robert Plant, Jeff Beck, Andy Fairweather Lowe, Ian Jennings and the Big Town
Playboys, and a host of other incredible talents. Robert said," You should all
check her out, she has a wonderful voice" during an interview.
Lisa has been playing summer tours in the UK, and Europe, since 2001. While
primarily performing solo where she played such venues as the Glastonbury
Festival, receiving a standing ovation from a crowd of over 10,000 people, the
Gloucester Blues Festival, UK, with Mike Sanchez and his Rhythm Review, along
with Andy Fairweather Lowe, and The Ole Blues Festival, in Bergen Norway. She
has also opened for, Dr. John, Delbert McClinton, and Tony Joe White, while
abroad.
Lisa opened for Michael Bolton at the Bayfest Music Festival, in Mobile, Alabama
in 2006, was named Best Area Singer by the readers of The Laginappe and is
currently performing around the Gulf Coast area, awaiting her next European
tour, and release of her new DVD.
The Opera Babes - Theatre Royal,
Winchester - Friday June 29..
 If
you like your opera with a touch of glamour then you might be interested to know
that The Opera Babes are playing a concert at the Theatre Royal in Winchester on
Friday June 29.
The Opera Babes are Karen England, a mezzo soprano and Rebecca Knight, a
soprano. Karen studied at Leeds University and London's Guildhall School of
Music and Drama. Rebecca, whose mother is the opera singer Gillian Knight, wrote
for children's television early in her career. Both women have performed with
the English touring company Opera della Luna and at the International Gilbert
and Sullivan Festival.
The Opera Babes met in Cambridge while performing Mozart’s The Magic Flute in a
touring opera company. They began busking together in 2001 on London's famous
Covent Garden. They were spotted by a Sony executive and became famous for
singing "Un bel dì vedremo" ("One fine day we shall see") from the opera Madame
Butterfly), the song that ITV used for their World Cup 2002 programmes, at the
FA Cup final and at the UEFA Champions League final in Milan.
The Opera Babes released their first album, “eyond Imagination” in 2002 (ranking
No. 1 on the UK classical charts for 11 weeks, and No. 4 on the US billboard
charts), contained classical and "crossover" numbers. Rebecca explained the
group's strategy to BBC News as follows: "...we have tried to maintain the
classical integrity while making these things more appealing to a wider
audience." They soon had a falling out with their producer, SonyBMG, which asked
them to concentrate on studio work, rather than performing live. "We were
originally discovered busking... so I would have thought it was obvious that we
loved performing live, yet Sony weren't interested," said Karen England. The
Opera Babes' second album, “Renaissance”another classical and "crossover"
collection, was released in 2006 by Instant Karma UK. Tracks included 'Casta
Diva' from the opera Norma,] 'Pie Jesu,' 'Clair de Lune,' and Stephen Sondheim’s
'Send in the Clowns.'
The Opera Babes have performed in concert with orchestras such as the
Philharmonia, the Halle, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Concert
Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Scottish
National Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Berlin Symphony
Orchestra, among others. They also performed for Queen Elizabeth II at the
Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, the launch of the Commonwealth
Games at Buckingham Palace, and Proms at the Palace for the Queen’s Jubilee
celebrations. They have also performed at the Los Angeles Opera House with
Placido Domingo and were the first British classical act to perform in Las
Vegas. They have performed on GMTV, Des & Mel, Good Morning America and Fox and
Friends. OperaBabes have also been the subject of three UK documentaries and one
US documentary.
Roger Chapman - The Brook, Southampton
- Thursday June 14.
 The
Brook in Southampton welcomes back an old favourite this month, Roger Chapman,
commonly known as ‘Chappo.’ The former Family frontman with one of the most
distinctive voices in rock appears with his band The Shortlist on Thursday June
14.
Roger first came to prominence in the late 1960s with the Leicester based band
The Farinas. After moving to London, he teamed up with American producer Kim
Fowey and the band changed their name to Family. Over the next seven years
Family achieved fame and critical acclaim both for their innovative albums,
their searing stage presence, and the charisma and unique vocal style of their
frontman Roger. They also notched up four chart singles “In My Own Time,”
“Strange Band,” “No Mules Fool” and “Burlesque.” Their albums “Music In A Doll’s
House,” “Entertainment,” “A Song For Me,” “Fearless” and “Bandstand” all
charted.
By 1973, Family had reached the end of the road and Roger formed Streetwalkers,
a popular attraction on the college circuit especially in Germany. The group
released four albums including “Red Card” which was a Top 20 album throughout
Europe and the UK.
1979 heralded the release of Roger’s first solo offering “Chappo”, quickly
followed by the explosive “Live In Hamburg.” Roger’s popularity in Western and
Eastern Europe reached an even higher level, and further commercial success came
in the following year with the single “Let’s Spend The Night Together”, the
album of the year “Hyena’s Only Laugh For Fun” and the European best selling
Mike Oldfield song “Shadow On The Wall.”
Chappo’s raw uncompromising style had reached a ready market and the mid-80’s
found him releasing an album a year, notably the widely acclaimed “Walking The
Cat”, whilst continuing to tour extensively throughout Europe and the U.K. Into
the ‘90’s the continuing creativity yielded “Hybrid & Lowdown” and “Kiss My
Soul”, both albums also finding favour in the U.K. The 1998 release of “A Turn
Unstoned” yet again displayed Chappo’s song writing skill and astonishing
vocals, this time also opening up a whole new generation to his unique talents.
In 2001 a new live album “Rollin’ And Tumblin” was released followed by an
extensive touring programme into 2002 and beyond. Recorded with his band The
Shortlist the album represents a slight shift in musical emphasis, still ballsy
but featuring 12 string acoustic guitar, fiddle, mandolin and harmonica, still
capturing all the musical passion of a true rock and roll legend.
In February 2003 a 4 x CD Box set entitled “ROGER CHAPMAN, FAMILY & FRIENDS” was
released on Mystic Records (MYS CD 161). In November 2005 Mystic records
released a further 4 x CD box set, a limited edition Family set entitled “OLD
SONGS, NEW SONGS” featuring the first ever release of the album “Old Songs, New
Songs” on CD.
Roger recently released his brand new studio CD “One More Time For Peace which
received rave reviews and was followed by a tour of mainland Europe. Roger’s
all-star band Shortlist features Steve Simpson on guitar, mandolin and fiddle,
Micky Moody on slide guitar, guitar; former Kink, Ian Gibbons on keys, Gary
Twigg on bass, Andy Hamilton on sax, Helen Hardy on backing vocals and John
Lingwood on drums.
Tickets for the Brook gig are £16.50 through
www.the-brook.co.uk .
Don’t miss a terrific performer!
Smokey Robinson - BIC, Bournemouth -
Thursday June 28.
 Motown
legend and leader of The Miracles, Smokey Robinson makes a rare appearance in
the South on Thursday June 28 when he plays the BIC in Bournemouth.
Singer, songwriter, and record producer Smokey was born on February 19, 1940, in
Detroit, Michigan. Growing up in a rough neighborhood, Smokey started out
singing in local groups. In the early 1950s, he formed the Matadors, which later
became the world famous Miracles. A chance meeting with record producer Berry
Gordy, Jr. led to a contract with Motown Records as well as an important working
relationship. The Miracles scored their first big hit with “Shop Around” (1960)
and developed quite a following with their energetic R&B sound. Numerous hits,
including “You Really Got a Hold on Me, “I Second That Emotion,” “Tracks of my
Tears,” and his only No 1 in the UK “Tears of a Clown.” All the time Smokey was
racking up the hits with The Miracles he also worked behind the scenes,
composing and producing for other Motown artists, such as Mary Wells and the
Temptations. His work contributed to the success of Motown Records and helped
advance the popularity of soul music.
Robinson went solo in 1972, creating a more mellow sound for himself. Often
associated with romantic soul music, he released such successful albums as “A
Quiet Storm” (1974) and “Touch the Sky” (1983). The mid-1980s were a difficult
time for him as he battled a drug addiction. Robinson openly discussed his
cocaine problem as well as many other personal topics in his 1989 autobiography
‘Smokey: Inside My Life.’ He has credited his recovery from substance abuse to
his religious faith.
Robinson went on to win his first Grammy Award as a solo artist in 1987 for Best
R&B Vocal Performance, Male for the song “Just To See Her” from the album “One
Heartbeat.” Other later solo recordings included “Double Good Everything” (1991)
and “Intimate” (1999). He took his work in a new direction in 2004, releasing a
collection of music that reflected his spiritual beliefs entitled “Food for the
Spirit.”
In 2006, Robinson was selected to be a Kennedy Center Honoree for his
contributions to the arts and American culture and received an honorary degree
from Howard University. That year, he also put out a new album, “Timeless Love,”
which offered his own take on classic songs, such as Cole Porter’s “Night and
Day” and the Gershwin brothers’ “Our Love Is Here to Stay.”
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Featured artists:
see POL Articles
The Endrick Brothers +
The Jamestown Union,
Railway Inn, Winchester
Tuesday June 19
Rita Coolidge
The Anvil, Basingstoke
Sunday June 17
Lisa Mills
Blues On The Farm, Pumpbottom Farm, Chichester
June 21 – 24
The Opera Babes Theatre Royal, Winchester
Friday June 29
Roger Chapman
The Brook, Southampton Thursday June 14
Smokey Robinson BIC,
Bournemouth Thursday June 28 |
Southampton's No 1 recording studio
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