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WHEN........WHERE........WHO... What's coming up.... Friday 9
October 2009 Ian, an ace guitarist and singer, is regarded as one of the finest male rock vocalists in the UK, and his music draws upon the influential sounds of yesteryear's heroes such as Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy and Jelly Roll Morton, as well as their modern day counterparts Taj Mahal, J J Cale, Bob Dylan and Little Feat amongst others. At the forefront of the current live scene, he is in much demand. Sunday
11th October 2009 Contact us.... ....on the email address below if you have been to a Keith Warmington gig and would like to send us your review of it.... we may publish it on this web site. REVIEWS Keith Warmington, Steve Payne and Frances Butt Difficult decision tonight: it was a
toss up between two Keiths… if you’ll pardon the expression. In the end I headed
to the Folk House to see Warmington while my old man plumped for Tippett at Colston Hall. I was very glad I caught this gig tonight -
it’s great to see two blisteringly good musicians like Keith Warmington and Steve
Payne doing their stuff in the reach-out-and-touch intimacy of the Folkhouse bar…
even though it is a ridiculously downmarket setting for musicians of their calibre and
experience. They were in good company mind, as it turned out that other Keith, denizen of
the international improvising jazz scene, was playing the BAR at Colston Hall. Actually,
if there was more taste in this world, both Keiths and their musical pals would have been
selling out the main house and every young aspiring musician in The two guys were ably supported by
the silken voice of Frances Butt, late of the Pindrop Band but now flying solo and really
coming into her own. Her set was a mixture of self-penned soul-searchers (“this is
another SAD song, I’m afraid…”), and a homage to bossa nova king Antonio-Carlos Jobim which included
the slinky ‘Aqua de Beber’ all
delivered in perfect Portuguese, rounded off with a surprising riff on ‘A Hard Days
Night’. This lady’s got seriously good poise, phrasing and delivery, an
infallible ear, and not an ounce of affectation. Steve Payne, blues/rootsman of
legendary Parole Brothers fame, has played with everyone who’s anyone, including such
greats as BB King, Dr John and Steve Tilston. Payne spends most of his life touring major
venues and festivals in Europe, I don’t know about you, but
we’ll be getting down the Coronation Tap nice and early to get good seats for
Warmington & Payne’s gig on 17th December at the Coronation Tap –
and taking our teenage werewolves along for a shot of musical education. See you there? Rina Vergano An Evening of Acoustic Blues
It was a most enjoyable
evening, in the excellent acoustics and welcoming surroundings of The Mission Theatre. We were treated to a varied programme by three
very accomplished musicians, presented in an informal and humorous style and leaving us
all wanting more.
The interesting
combination of violin and guitar provided some unusual arrangements. Stuart Gordon played with a smiling manic
intensity that imbued all the pieces with an extra dimension of vitality and originality. The range of sounds was striking, from haunting
and melodic meditations in lower registers to top notes which any schizophrenic cat would
be proud of. Stuart’s contrapuntal
excursions backing the main melodies showed constant invention and originality, and his
virtuoso solo interventions had us tapping our feet and wishing we’d not given our
fiddles away to Oxfam.
Spider This is what Roddy Jenkins said about the Parole Brothers gig at The Spring Gardens, Hotwells, Bristol on 7th February 2003: Yes I was there, and boy am I glad I went. I have often tried to listen to Keith's programmes on BBC Radio Bristol (more often than not it's the Saturday morning programme, due to my working shift on weekdays - sorry Keith!) and knew that he had a rare set of lungs.
So being a Blues fanatic enjoying all ranges, from BB King to Taj Mahal and The Blues Band to Jools Holland, I just had to see Keith's harmonica skills in action. Also being a newcomer to The Parole Brothers (sorry lads!) I couldn't let this opportunity of seeing them perform a reunion gig pass me by.
The gig was one of those rare occasions where you actually wish that you had every friend you ever knew there with you. Not that there would have been any space - it was heaving room only!!! And what a venue. A great little pub overlooking the SS Great Britain and where the beer was reasonably priced, what more could you ask for on a Friday night? As I stood by the bar during the first half, great music and great beer washing over me, a lady ordering drinks commented on the fact that the venue wasn't all that ideal. I would disagree. Yes, all right put on a gig in a venue like the Colston Hall and you'll get a larger audience. But you also miss that unique atmosphere that you get in a pub, where you're close to the action and the performers love it.
The band were great, absolutely superb. From Liam Henshaw and Steve Payne on guitars (and vocals?) to Jerry Blythe, who on piano gave the ivories a good tickling, this was live blues at its best. I managed to drag myself away from the bar for the second half and stood by the stage itself. Taking my cue from a fellow member of the enthusiastic audience, I clapped along to Keith and the lads for most of the tracks. Boy was I enjoying myself!! Great music, great craic, a great experience. As one of your former pupils at Merrywood School might have said: "Please sir, can we have some more?" Please...!!
Keith Warmington.com has been added, with pride, to my list of internet favourites. Nice layout and design. No niggly upgrades to have to download, and a fantastic read. Keep up the good work to all concerned. Roddy Jenkins
This page was last updated on 06 October 2009
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Many of us
have listened to Keith Warmington’s friendly, knowledgeable and lively programme on
Radio Bristol, and members of Next Stage are frequent visitors to his studio.
Kit Morgan’s talented and fluent
guitar provided an impressive spread of background and solo sounds, enhanced by a variety
of facial expressions fading through a curtain of swaying hair.
Fronting the
whole was Keith Warmington, singing Blues and a variety of other types of song, some
written by himself, all delivered with mellifluous tone and a wide range.