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Reviews
If I was to have made a list a short while ago of all the things I was least likely to do, seeing
Diana Krall live would have been on there somewhere. It’s not that I hated the artistry of Mrs
Elvis Costello in its entirety or that I didn’t appreciate her ability as a pianist or her particular style of re-arranging Jazz standards. It’s just that I found her voice underwhelming and, well, irredeemably dull. Dazzling vocal aesthetic is not necessarily a pre-requisite to my inclination towards an artiste (
Nina Simone’s voice could hardly be described as pretty but it was hypnotic and she also happened to be one of the best musical interpreters to be immortalised on wax). I just failed to connect with Ms Krall’s output and no matter how much her legions of fans would have me think otherwise, I’ve always thought she was a bit overrated. Distinctive yes, but not in an exciting way.
London-born, Bournemouth-raised, singer-songwriter Louise Golbey works hard, very hard. Without a record company or even management behind her she has over the years steadily built a solid reputation on the live scene as one to watch. All this has been achieved whilst holding down a part-time job. Still, the hectic schedule hasn’t taken its toll on Louise’s disposition. The ever-genial songstress exudes even more warmth off-stage than she does on.
Golbey’s musical journey seemed to have been written in the stars. She comes from a long line of entertainers; a grandfather who played violin for silent movies, a pianist uncle, a mother who’s an amateur vocalist and a multi-instrumentalist father. Louise herself first treaded the boards at six years old having been exposed to musical theatre by her mum. Meanwhile her Hip Hop loving brother was introducing little Louise to pioneers such as De La Soul and her interest in soul music was piqued by her parents’ Motown collection.
Joy Jones is one of those artists who have seemingly come from nowhere and taken the soul scene by storm. Her debut project, Godchild, has received critical praise from some of the most influential soul magazines, e-zines and blogs on the internet, and is being hailed by many as one of the standout releases of 2009. So, true to the fairytale, did Joy just appear from nowhere? Of course not. As with all the other independent artists making waves at the moment, Joy’s debut is only the tip of a very large iceberg. To get to this point has taken years of hard work and dedication, but now at last Joy is able to reap some of the benefits.