Emma Cantons' Blog

Album Review by Bruce Crowther
Jazz Journal International Volume 61 No.3 March 2008
 
Emma Cantons / Songs of Experience
Regular readers will not be surprised to learn that my expectations were not roused on seeing that this album is filled with songs composed by the singer.  Happily, this CD proved my private rule false.  Cantons’ approach to song writing and singing are intelligent and always interesting and the result is a CD that is much better than most of her composing peers achieve.  Allying intelligent lyrics to pleasing melodies Cantons has developed a set that is worth repeated playing.  Self accompanied, she creates ensemble sounds and enjoys the addition of Murphy’s Drums on several tracks.  Her songs are delivered in a warm and mature voice and the resulting set is commendable.  While it may not be entirely to the taste of those who like their singers to stay within the Great American Song Book, many will like it.  Put another way, the mind doesn’t have to be opened too wide to accommodate this contemporary and attractive CD.

...At Merton Abbey Mills, on the bandstand, so pray for sunshine :-) The boys of the band and I will be playing a couple of sets, which will give us a chance to play a couple of new songs for the first time. Quite excited about that really. Right, what else... oh yes, it's free and surrounded by places where you can buy beer.  It just doesn't get any better. Oh and there's lots of little crafty type stalls where you can by stuff. Did I mention the beer? Anyway, come along and join us, it'll be fun.

Hello Vox, it's been a while, but then I've been a tad busy. I'm really just stopping by to let anyone who wants to, know, that the boys and I are playing Smollensky's on the Strand - just up the road from the Savoy hotel and round the corner from Trafalger Square. We'll be there this Sunday, the 18th of November from 7pm doing two one hour sets with a half hour break in the middle for tea and sandwiches.

Should be fun. We'll be doing a lot of songs from the album 'Songs of Experience', but also a lot of stuff from the up coming album including 'Trouble' which tends to swing the joint wherever we play it, so come along and join us, tap your feet, clap excessively  and don't forget to wave :-)

Not you understand in the 'dear Lord, she's out of control fetch the restraints', kind of way, more the 'my husband is too busy with his own work to take the management role in my career anymore' kind of way. The beloved is off to America for large parts of the autumn and I'm really not an administrative sort of human so if anyone has any suggestions, top tips, or consoling consignments of chocolate... let me know :-)

Yes it's an emotinal day, tomorrow we play Bar Volupte again and then it's holiday time! It's been fun but I want to sit under a tree and read my book now please and not lug my keyboard anywhere until September. Also my cat , who is nearly five years old, caught his first mouse today. We are as a family, late developers, but by gum, when we get going... anyway, hope to see you at Volupte. 8pm. 9,Norwich Street EC4 off Fetter Lane, nearest tube Chancery lane. Entrance £5 ( v. cheap quality night out)  Oh yes and the food is TOP! :-)

Well this is it, the band and I have had our last rehearsal and we're just about ready to go. Personally I'm champing at the bit, though I've been around and about with my guitarist this is the first whole band outing for over a month, and I'd rather like to get on with it. So polish your ears and dust off your pizza bib and get yourselves down to Pizza on the Park, right next to Marble Arch where the boys and I will be doing our thing from 9pm onwards. Should be fun. Don't forget to come and say hi :-)

O.K here we go. July, the 'Tea & Biscuits tour' (so named because that's what I keep the band going on):

JULY 11TH PIZZA ON THE PARK, HYDE PARK CORNER 9PM 2X45MIN SETS
JULY 24TH BAR VOLUPTE  9, NORWICH STREET, OFF CHANCERY LANE
JULY 26TH MATT & PHREDS, MANCHESTER 10PM 3X45 MIN SETS
JULY 31ST BAR VOLUPTE  9,NORWICH STREET, OFF CHANCERY LANE

SEPTEMBER: GREENWICH JAZZ FESTIVAL DATE TBC and POETRY CAFE, FEATURED ARTIST WITH QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION TO FOLLOW( Like, 'what are you doing in a poetry cafe? etc. etc.)

Also Saturday 26th May Jazz syndicate radio's 'Artist of the week' featuring an interview and play from the album 'Songs of Experience'. Continuing play on Allfm, Manchester /Rocketfm, USA/ Gwendolen radio, Leicester and Jazzplusfm Quebec.

Come say hi, listen, enjoy, don't forget to wave :-)

Hello, For anyone interested, my band and I will be playing Pizza on the Park, Hyde Park corner, on the 11th July, which is a Wednesday. We'll be doing all the material from the album 'Songs of Experience' and a few new ones too and a bunch of gorgeous jazz covers inspired by the magnificent Ella Fitzgerald. It will be fun and it's certainly a good way of finding out what I really sound like. Oh yes, and they have pizza, so there really is no excuse not to come. :-)

Emma :-)

I just spent twenty minutes typing a jolly little blog for you all to read and then posted it to myself viewable only by me!!!!!! Now please someone explain to me why you would write a blog to yourself and allow only yourself to read it???? really ... I want to know... who is that setting for? Really really shy people? Hermits ?? members of MI5 who've signed something???? Believe me what I put was not the kind of thing you would need to hide.  Hello...what a nice day...anyone heard my songs yet? Truly uncontroversial stuff. So here's attempt 'b' viewable by anyone (except members of MI5 who've signed something, Hermits and really really shy people)