Newsletter               2 July 2009

Contact details
Tel. 01342 716975
or email:
info_at_acousticsussex_dot_org_dot_uk

      A reminder of our upcoming events:

Click to listen to sample tracks on our MySpace jukebox

Ø     Monday 6 July
Click here for more details below

Christine Collister

Support: Alex Hall

Chequer Mead
East Grinstead

Ø     Monday 20 July
Click here for more details below

Iain Matthews

Support: Mary Leay

Ravenswood, Sharpthorne

Monday
6 July
Christine Collister

at Chequer Mead
East Grinstead
www.chequermead.org.uk

Support: Alex Hall
£12 (£ 10 conc)    8pm
Box Office 01342 302000
Tickets are also available at Hobgoblin in Crawley and Bullfrog in East Grinstead

Click here for News Release and biography (PDF file)

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It’s over 4 years since Christine Collister last played at Chequer Mead, in what was, in fact, the first ever Acoustic Sussex show at the venue (you can read a review here). Since then, she’s spent much of her time in the US and now appears only occasionally in the UK – so do try to get along and see why Q Magazine described her as:

“one of the finest grown-up vocalists on the planet.”

Over the course of her career Christine has become a familiar name on the UK ‘live’ scene and at all major festivals from Glastonbury to Winnipeg to Cambridge. She has featured on albums by Loudon Wainwright and Bert Jansch and collaborated in musical partnerships with the likes of Dave Kelly from the Blues Band, Barb Jungr and with female folk super group, Daphne's Flight. 

She was as a member of Richard Thompson's band in the late 1980s and for several years in a duo that she shared with Clive Gregson.  But it is her seven solo albums that have really established Christine as an artist of stature and substance, both at home and abroad. These have seen her convincingly interpret Smoky Robinson, Nick Drake, Robert Wyatt, Tom Waits, Paul Simon, U2 and Lal Waterson, amongst many others - whilst with every year her own self penned compositions have proven the quality of her own song-writing talent.

"Forget your Katie Meluas. If you want a real voice try Christine Collister"  Alan Clifford,   BBC website

 “Christine Collister can sing the birds down off the trees and send them back with a tiny flick of her vocal chords.”   Mojo

"Christine Collister has a killer voice. As full as Dusty Springfield or as blue as Alison Moyet"  FRoots

"..boundary breaking is routine for Collister.   ...so much soul you think she’d been signed by Motown" Q Magazine

Support for this show is from Alex Hall, a tremendous young singer songwriter from Brighton who we think is a real talent to watch. His haunting and melanchonic song 'Carley' (which you can hear on our MySpace site) is a shining example of the brutally honest and well crafted material which the 22 year old has written.

Christine with yours truly in 2004

Christine Collister

Alex Hall

Monday
20 July
Iain Matthews

at The Ravenswood
Sharpthorne
www.theravenswood.co.uk

Support: Mary Leay
£10 (£13  door)    8.00pm
Tickets 01342 714810
or buy online via Acoustic Sussex website

Tickets are also available at Hobgoblin in Crawley and Bullfrog in East Grinstead

Click here for News Release and biography (PDF file)

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When some artists are referred to as “legends” it is usually measured in years, or based on the quality of their music. Few are measured in both time and quality. One artist that has been judged by both is Iain Matthews.

As a founding member of Fairport Convention back in ’67, Matthews appeared on the bands’ first three recordings (Fairport Convention, What We did on our Holidays and Unhalfbricking) until musical differences caused him to leave in ’69 during the recording of their third album.

In order to facilitate and develop his growing fascination with American singer/songwriters, in 1969 he formed his own band, Matthews Southern Comfort, This group spawned a massive European hit with the Joni Mitchell song "Woodstock". However, within a year, Matthews felt restricted and began his solo career, signing with the Vertigo label and a new era began. After 2 albums for the company, once again, he felt the need for newer pastures and in 1972 Plainsong, a quartet, was formed with friend Andy Roberts, where together and to high critical acclaim, they chronicled the exploits of American aviator, Amelia Earhart.

Within a year Matthews was again on the move, this time changing continents in a move to Los Angeles, where he established an artist, producer relationship with ex Monkee, Michael Nesmith.

Intending to make the one album, stay for a year and return to Britain, Matthews eventually became a US resident, staying for the next 28 years. Along the way, recording a further 15 solo albums, plus several more with Plainsong and a couple with former Pavlov's Dog founder, David Surkamp, in the short lived Hi-Fi.

In 2000 he returned to Europe and for the next 4 years worked closely with Dutch singer/songwriter, Ad Vanderveen and together with Eliza Gilkyson, they formed the trio More Than a Song, recording and releasing 2 albums.

3 years ago Matthews released his 11th solo work, Zumbach's coat.

On his latest album, Joy Mining (with the Searing Quartet), Matthews says:”It’s the best work I have ever done, without a doubt. It took me forty years to find this place and now I’m here, I wonder where the hell I’ve been looking all those years.”

Joining the bill as support is Sussex-based Mary Leay, an exciting new ‘urban folk’ artist with a timeless and authentic quality both in her voice and songs. Leay is a powerful lyricist with an ability to make you feel she's talking only to you. She already has writing and vocal credits on several films including the autumn 2009 release 'Heartless' starring Jim Sturgess. Most recently she's been writing and recording towards a debut album at the studio of legendary artist Steve Winwood. There are no gimmicks in Mary's music, no clever tricks, just a rare honesty and beauty that has captured the hearts of those that have discovered her so far. Watch out for this one!

Iain Matthews

Mary Leay

Don’t forget that as well as our own shows, the Acoustic Sussex website has a Regional Gig Guide and links to venues and clubs in the South East that offer folk, roots and acoustic music – and our MySpace site contains over 500 links to a variety of other MySpace ‘friends’ sites, including musicians, venues, magazines and lots more.

Regional Gig Guide

For your future diaries...

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Future 2009 dates in the Acoustic Sussex programme include:

Ø     3 September – Claire Martin

Ø     7 September – Sam Baker (band) + The Haley Sisters

Ø     15 September – Sinéad & the Dawnbreakers (SELLING FAST)

Ø     21 September – Corinne West + Tinderbox

Ø     12 October – Uiscedwr + Luke Sital Singh

Ø     9 November – Chris & Kellie While + Joseph Topping

Ø     20 November – Dar Williams NEW

Ø     23 November – Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies+ Lucy Ward

Ø     11 December – The Unthanks (formerly known as Rachel Unthank & The Winterset)

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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