Category: BR Content

Words by Ed King / Pics by Mike Guest – www.stashmediaworx.com

Music reviews are a great marriage for me. But sometimes the shows I don’t see are the ones I remember more.

I should have been reviewing the last gig Rachel Sermanni played at The Glee Club, in September 2012, but I was an irritating 5,000 miles away. Holly Pyke covered it; stealing from me the chance to see Under Mountains in the flesh – an album I had been playing on religious repeat since I’d first heard it. But tonight is payback time; I’ve waited nearly 18 months and would now get my dues.  I sidle into the back of the Studio Room full of an absurdly childish desire to sing in the dark.

What happens next could take up the rest of this review, but I won’t let it; for I am the keeper of words on this page. But I will expend some to say Mo Kenney, Mo Kenney, and just in case you didn’t get that. MO KENNEY; the laconic Nova Scotian armed with six strings and stories of plastic snake terrorism. A clandestine license to Middle of Nowhere Recordings and well worth some attention. More please. And I speak for the room.

After a short break and another glass of wine, Rachel Sermanni bounces softly on stage. Opening with Two Birds, the lead track from her recent Everything Changes EP, Sermanni strums out a confident tempo and builds her vocals, “…so sweet yet so bitter.” The melody feels a side step from the Rachel Sermanni I’ve got in my head and a positive new direction, one that may have occurred whilst in New Yor… hang on.

Keys. From somewhere, there are keys. All I can see is a pillar.

Breathe Easy comes next, which was the first Rachel Sermanni song I ever heard – on one of her Mahogany Sessions performances. I just want to listen. And again I hear keys; restrained and complimentary. I scribble ‘so beautiful’ in my notebook, knowing it won’t make my review due to being sycophantic and purple.

Following the Under Mountains track list, Bones gets delivered next with punchy vocal control (“Don’t…”) and mischievous storyteller eyes. By “I speak truth why, did you not, hold your ground” I realise I’m making notes in time with the music. Not good with my handwrit…  and there, again; stolen from me by the wretched pillar, are keys. A perfect confluence.

A song I don’t recognise gets performed next, before Lay-oh swaps Sermanni’s guitar for (what I think is) a lute and keeps it centre stage for another track I don’t know.  All three are new to me, and I’m so fervently behind 60% of Under Mountains (roughly, I did the math: 12-7/12×100) I tread carefully – fearing I might not give Sermanni’s new songs a fair trial. I want what I want. Me, me, me.

Luckily Rachel Sermanni’s stage presence and new material are both more mature than I, so I stay in the game. Plus I’ve never been able to turn down a sushi/fish segue. Black Hole comes next, the superb end track to Sermanni’s Everything Changes EP, and fills the room with tempered chords, vocals and heavy keyboard kisses peppering the end.

Sleep gives me another opportunity to relinquish my pen and sing (hopefully) to myself, before Everything Changes comes to life on stage in a way that a week’s worth of listening didn’t yet accomplish.

The Fog brings us closer to the end of what has been an awesome two sets, with the hidden keys returning to sit perfect and pretty from the second verse onwards. I’m as sucker for ivory, or its electronic cousin, and as we’re told Song to a Fox will close the show a penny drops in my head. Cue-wavy-screen-dream-sequence, the past… the past… the past…

It was with some trepidation I sat down to review Under Mountains in September 2012. I was abroad and had been ploughing my way through Rachel Sermanni’s online portfolio, loving the straightforward girl/guitar performances delivered with heartbreaking talent. My fear was that a producer’s ego might spoil it.

And at points my ego was right. But during Song to a Fox, the last track on the album, something curious occurred at 1min 13secs, and again at 3mins 22secs. A perfectly pitched piano. Alliteration allowed, it was the musical manifestation of sublime – like slipping into sleep; it was, and is, and always will be, just…

Back in the room, somewhere from the usually reticent Studio audience someone shouts out “MARSHMALLOW UNICORN”. And after a brief and unfair consultation (not asking me) the solid album track, along with Waltz, replaces something I’ve been waiting a long time to hear with only metres between us. I literally sink, into the dark corner where I once stood, and write some final notes in the emergency lighting.

Worth the wait. Don’t wait this long again. Better live. Wish ‘swimming with a whale’ had come from my head. Listen to Everything Changes at least 3 times before bed. Find out if whoever is playing the keyboard tonight played on Under Mountains/Song to a Fox. Find out what summer festivals Rachel Sermanni has booked. Find out if an hour can be late. Explore Middle of Nowhere’s wider roster. Love Black Hole live. Not so keen on Waltz. Always be thankful for the kindness of strangers.

And the last entry in my notebook, behind the lingering echo of request; simply, ‘robbed’.

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For more on Rachel Sermanni, visit http://www.rachelsermanni.net

For more on Mo Kenney, visit http://mokenney.com

For further listings at The Glee Club, including comedy and music, visit http://www.glee.co.uk

Words by Althea Patterson / Pics by Lucy Heath

With the crowd waiting expectantly, Soweto Kinch kept us entertained playing Coltrane’s Naima on the piano – standing in for an absent Ruben James. Jay Phelps arrived slightly later than planned, berating the London traffic and tube strike.

Barely off the motorway and ensconced in a cold Birmingham, along with his bassist Mark Lewandowski, the trio got stuck into performing with aplomb. With a short warm up, they lit up the beautiful Bramall Hall with a pacy rendition of Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison’s Better Go, what a delight. Heads bopped and knees swung. The acoustics saw Jay’s trumpet ring as clear around the hall. My, can he play…

Quickly jumping into a rendition of Gigi Gryce’s Salute to Bandbox, Phelps’ playful joy of performance made me want to dance in the sun. Still, and with the delightful piano of Kinch accompanying, I was content to sit and listen with the rain falling outside.

Jay Phelps makes no secret of his knowledge of Jazz and its long history. Here is a man who loves his chosen art; littering us with anecdotes of his hero Duke Ellington and his cohorts and contemporaries. Phelps, sharply dressed in suit, plays well to the Jazz ‘look’ of old – even so far as to mop his brow between playing with an elegant silk handkerchief. Dapper? I do say.

Playing a melody based on Gershwin’s I Got Rhythm the trio tore it apart and set it back up in a way you had to appreciate. I’m of the school that improvisation was too hard to follow; my shame, tonight my ears were opened up to a flow and I was converted. I relaxed and let it wash over me.

This is not to say the brass had all the fun tonight, oh no. Double bass player Mark Lewandowski shone with solos, skill, dexterity and humour; between the interplay of the sax and trumpet he was akin to a matador taming two testy bulls. He was amazing.

But the cherry on top was singer Francis Mott, joining the trio on a beautiful rendition of Autumn Leaves. Mott blew me away with his Stevie Wonder-like smoothness, ad libbing and searing notes. I had to compliment him afterwards ‘YOUR VOICE IS STUNNING’ or something equally as subtle.

The set ended with a rendition of Billy Strayhorn’s Upper Manhattan Medical Group. Talented, cool and most certainly passionate, Jay Phelps and his trio brought some musical sunshine at least to an otherwise dreary Brum day. Huzzah.

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For more on Jay Phelps, visit http://jayphelpsmusic.com

 For more from THSH’s Jazzlines programme, visit http://www.thsh.co.uk/whats-on/jazz-and-blues

Rachel Sermanni returns to The Glee Club on Friday 7^th February, headlining the Birmingham venue’s Main Room.

Touring her recent Everything Changes EP, the Scottish singer/songwriter comes back to the city as part of a widespread UK tour – having been on the road since Jan 31^st and culminating at the end of March.

Sermanni’s Everything Changes EP is the first release since her debut album, Under Mountains, in Sept 2012, and her subsequent cover of Robert Burns’ 1793 love song, ‘Ae Fond Kiss’. The 4 track Everything Changes EP was released via Middle of Nowhere Recordings on Jan 27^th and is the first of Sermanni’s new material to be released since Under Mountains.

Rachel Sermanni built on her initial following from a significant touring schedule, reportedly playing over 200 shows in 2012 alone, and some well delivered online performances.

Firmly Folk music, Sermanni’s use of lyrical imagery and Burns homage established a platform identifiable as her own. Beautifully delivered acoustic recordings of ‘Eggshells’, ‘Breathe Easy’ and ‘Song to a Fox’ became widely promulgated online, further pushing Sermanni’s material towards a worldwide audience.

Rachel Sermanni has toured extensively across the UK, Europe, North America, Canada and Asia.

Birmingham Review last saw Rachel Sermanni, again at The Glee Club, in Sept 2012. Under Mountains also received a Birmingham Review in the same month.

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Rachel Sermanni performs at The Glee Club on Fri 7^th Feb. For more info and tickets, visit http://www.glee.co.uk/performers/rachel-sermanni.htm

For more on Rachel Sermanni, visit http://www.rachelsermanni.net

For further listings at The Glee Club, including comedy and music, visit http://www.glee.co.uk

Jazz trumpeter, Jay Phelps, will be performing at the Bramall Music Building on Thursday 6^th February.

Back in Birmingham as part of THSH’s Jazzlines program, Phelps will be joined by Reuben James on piano and Mark Lewandowski – performing as the Jay Phelps Trio.

Jay Phelps has been heralded as part of the UK’s young, contemporary Jazz scene. Originally from Vancouver, Phelps moved to London in 1999 and has performed with artists including Wynton Marsalis, Ray Brown, Nasheet Waits, George Benson, Jamie Cullum, Dennis Rollins, Guy Barker, Hugh Masakela and Gary Crosby’s Jazz Jamaica ensemble. Jay Phelps has also worked on Courtney Pine’s Jazz Warriors project, as well with Soweto Kinch on The New Emancipation and The Legend of Mike Smith.

Jay Phelps released his debut solo album, Jay Walkin’, in November 2010. He also leads the Jay Phelps Big Band.

The Jay Phelps Trio are scheduled to perform from 5pm at the Bramall Music Building on the campus of Birmingham University. Entrance is free, and people are advised to enter the Birmingham University campus from the Bristol Road. Click here for further directions.

Althea Paterson will be there for a Birmingham Review, with pics from Lucy Heath.

For more info visit http://www.thsh.co.uk/event/jazzlines-free-gigs-jay-phelps-trio

For more on Jay Phelps, visit http://jayphelpsmusic.com

For more from THSH’s Jazzlines programme, visit http://www.thsh.co.uk/whats-on/jazz-and-blues

Words by Ed King / Pics by Jonathan Morgan

“Sorry mate… we’ve been full for ages.” I have rarely seen a bouncer look so tired and apologetic.

I’m late. I’ve missed the support acts. And had I not been able to get professional help (not that kind) would be watching the show from outside; my face pressed against the steaming glass of The Yardbird like an aging Tiny Tim.

(Thankfully Jonathan Morgan is more time aware, and a full selection of shots from all the acts will be up on our Flickr page later this week)

Call Me Unique (or Unique) warned us it would be busy; her one woman promotional powerhouse grabbing attention from this city and beyond, so I have no room to argue. In fact, none of us have much room to do anything. I ask around; apparently The Yardbird started to fill up from 5pm, and by the time the show started, at 7:30pm, it was one in/one out.

The reason we’re all here is simple. Unique made an EP, Urban Gypsy, promoted it through her online channels and organsied a free party to “say thank you for all your support.” But it’s a Monday, Unique is still operating unsigned and without a marketing budget. The Yardbird is rammed. That’s some healthy support.

I’ve seen Unique several times, the last being at The Bull’s Head whilst covering Sam Redmore’s Freestyle event, and in my mind she is always worth watching. But her Urban Gypsy EP surprised me; showing what I’m settling to call a ‘mature’ move in her music. It’s brilliant, understated and honestly exciting. Plus her partnership with the EP’s producer, Professor F (founder of 33 Beats), seems to be working.

So in production, good times ahead – but how that translates on stage is yet to be seen. I look around the room bursting with expectation, familiarity and frightening potential consequences. With no pun intended… drum roll please…

Unique is introduced by stand up comedienne, Annette Fagan. After a bizarrely fervent shout out to all the bus routes in Handsworth (I whoop a little at 11a, 11c and 74) the lady of the hour jumps on stage, looking especially smart in a black & white patterned jacket and red round rimmed hat. She’s clearly excited, and with hands free of guitar begins to own the stage and invite us in a little.

Unique opens with ‘Money, Money, Money’, warming her vocals with a 1,2,3… BAM; and as the band breaks into a calypso rhythm, all our shoulders struggle for space and I remind myself how she can sing. Unique has an established range, one she can manipulate without too much effort; with every pitch delivered by the right amount of energy. Or at least that’s how it feels to us vocal proles in the crowd.

The band strip back and bring us neatly into the tempered beats of ‘Here’, the first showcase from Urban Gypsy. ‘Here’ is a sensual tune, in both lyrics and feel, and a warm inclusion on the EP.

Smash joins Unique on stage, giving her somewhere to direct those Bette Davis eyes, and dutifully stands as she projects the track through him to us. It works. Its works so well I want to applaud, and to heartily join in the proposed audience participation – although the latter would have meant me declaring misplaced intentions to the three blokes I’m sandwich between. I wait until the end of the song and put my hands in the air.

Next is the three word freestyle, a regular format where Unique asks for… you get the idea. Seemingly the audience is quite sexually charged, as ‘sex’, ‘desire’ and ‘control’ get shouted out from the front row. And once ‘food’ is added to the list, the room gets a little bit hotter. I will never look at a cheese sandwich in the same way again.

My favourite from the EP, ‘Stranger’, is up next and delivered with aplomb – well placed percussion giving it the right breathing space. Unique is an artist that sings what she says, which is one of the reasons I’ve been so impressed with her in the past; but as she tells us, really tells us ”I’m the stranger…” I have to reevaluate the credit I give her. This is no child on stage, no one’s pretending, and the rest of us should sit up and listen.

 ‘Bombs & Wars’ is the next proffering from Urban Gypsy, with a guest appearance from Malik MD7 giving Unique a chance to spar against a talented MC. Again, the live performance trounces the EP – with the track’s dark melody owning The Yardbird, and its lyrics coming off stage with fierce control. The band even breaks into a faster tempo, giving more scope to an already solid performance.

The EP’s title track come up next and washes comfortably by, until verse 2 when Unique’s confident growl punches “Urrrrban Gypsy” into the crowd. We’re not likely to forget the reason we’re here.

A well loved Unique staple, ‘The Wife’, closes her main set and gets half the crowd singing it for her. Then after a full band introduction, and a personal plea to support local artists and venues – a message I’ve seen her deliver on stage before, Unique talks us through the pretense of an encore and introduces ‘Sholow’ – another well seasoned portfolio piece.

I’m not quite sure what happens next. The last thing I remember is feeling hot/cold and singing prompted syllables over and over. Unique delivers the last song of her set, one I’ve seen her perform before, with extraordinary accomplishment. Something somewhere has turned this singer into a performer. Tight, measured, heartfelt; everything you would want to see, hear and believe. I’m edging dangerously close to sycophantic prose, or empurpled at least, so I’ll simply refer to my notebook. I just wrote ‘VOICE’, with several underlines.

Unique’s Urban Gypsy EP is the serious evolution of an already talent artist. And tonight’s live show brought out pieces hidden in production. That’s not to say the production should change, far from it, but it’s exciting to think when her album appears what extras we’ll get when we see it performed.

I know Unique is committed to what she does, and has grafted her way across the circuit garnering well earned support. But this is different, this is proper. This is the start of another ladder that could reach a significant height.

So my advice is three fold: first – get a copy of Urban Gypsy, it’s a free download on Unique’s website. Second – donate some money in exchange for Urban Gypsy, it’s a free download on Unique’s website.

And third – next time Unique plays in Birmingham get there early. Or cross your fingers for an unusually understanding doorman.

For more on Call Me Unique, including digital downloads of her Urban Gypsy EP, visit http://callmeunique.co.uk